You might aprreciate this. It's a lovely little town that borders DC.
takomaparkibc.wordpress.com/2007/07/24/impeachment-resolution-approved-improved/Impeachment resolution approved, improved
As reported in the prior post, the Takoma Park City Council unanimously approved — and improved — a resolution calling for the impeachment of President Bush and Vice President Cheney.
Sponsoring councilmember Reuben Snipper was joined by councilmembers Seamens, Barry, Williams, and Mayor Kathy Porter in the 5-0 vote. Councilmembers Austin-Lane and Clay were out of town.*
The original resolution was amended by Councilmember Seamens — without objection — to also recommend that the county council and state legislature pass impeachment resolutions, and to urge Takoma Park residents to write Rep. Chris Van Hollen, Senator Ben Cardin, and Senator Barbara Mikulski asking them to support impeachment. (Link to text of amended resolution forthcoming.)
I think — this is Thomas Nephew writing — that everyone working on this was deeply gratified (and relieved) to see such great turnout for the meeting by local impeachment supporters. We had learned there would actually be local TV camera crews on hand, and managed to produce enough American flags to add a nice dollop of red, white, and blue to our ubiquitous green lawn signs inside the council chamber. Mar-E Robnett and her daughter also brought a banner with a striking double portrait of Bush and Cheney and the words “Partners in Crime.”
I actually happened to meet one of the news teams, from Fox 5, on Cedar Avenue on my way to the meeting. I had struck up a conversation with a neighbor about why and where I was carrying eight or nine lawn signs — and that got filmed. A minute later, in the community center parking lot, I was interviewed — and a couple passing by asked for another lawn sign; that got filmed too. Sometimes you just need to get lucky — ten minutes had turned into a pretty good bit of footage, and it all got used in the news report at 10 o’clock. But of course, it wasn’t just luck — Lisa Moscatiello has done a lot of media outreach in the last week, and she’s why that news team was there in the first place.
Citizens line up to support Takoma Park
impeachment resolution.
Originally uploaded by Thomas Nephew.
The best was yet to come. Once we were all settled in the council meeting room and other business was taken care of, the meeting was opened up to speakers — just as my family and Maddie’s pal B. arrived. So I got to say my piece with Maddie watching, which meant a lot to me. I withdrew to the side of the room after that, holding our family’s U.S. flag up for the cameras — and was really moved as one speaker after another gave proof through the evening that our country’s still there. I couldn’t help but think of that Norman Rockwell painting, “Freedom of Speech“; you can watch the city’s own video of the meeting and see what I mean.
For my part, I was particularly moved by remarks made by Silver Spring resident Ms. Eberling, who warned we mustn’t let our country become like Germany of the 1920’s, 30’s, and 40’s, and also liked Lisa’s comments very much — she closed by turning the tables on the Bush/Cheney surveillance state, saying “Now we’re watching you!”
Where it’s all right with the speakers, we’ll be collecting those remarks and others in a blog post. Michelle Bailey also videotaped the meeting, and in her remarks to the city council said that she’d be posting that in some form on this site in the near future — along with post-meeting interviews with supporters.
A frequent refrain of the speakers should not go without saying once more: thank you, Takoma Park City Councilmembers, both for your votes, and just for putting this resolution on your agenda. Thanks especially to Reuben Snipper for sponsoring the resolution, to Terry Seamens for his constructive amendments, and to Mayor Kathy Porter for challenging us to show there was strong community support for this resolution.
We did just that last night — thanks to all of you who came to the meeting, who’ve put up lawn signs, who’ve signed the petitions, and who’ve talked about impeachment with your family, friends, and neighbors.
There’s a lot of work ahead, but I know last night’s vote will be a great springboard to more success in our county, state, and Congressional District. Impeachment is patriotic.
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