Washblog

MARCH FORTH! with the Backbone Campaign


The family-friendly Seattle Center House was host to The Backbone Campaign's celebration "March Forth!" commemorating the day in 1789 that our Constitution became law. In typically dramatic fashion, they unrolled a giant hand-painted Constitution, inviting folks to sign it and affirm their belief in the document.

More pictures below:

MARCH FORTH AT SEATTLE CENTER

"Benjamin Franklin"
was a delightful yet dignified master of ceremonies.


As signatures filled the canvas, it was raised toward the ceiling and unrolled to make room for more of them.


Local duet Rebel Voices offered thrilling harmonies and inspiring lyrics.


Guests Emma's Revolution is a duet from DC: Two women, two guitars, heavenly harmonies, and songs of freedom, justice and peace.


This man had a statement that couldn't be missed.


My signature and that of   Citizen Artiste is circled. Slightly below that, you see that someone unfortunately couldn't resist writing an antiwar message on the document, which isn't the point. A man asked me, "What are we signing? An antiwar thing?" I said, "No, it means we honor the Constitution, including the Bill of Rights and want to preserve it." The man grabbed his children and stormed off . I didn't notice the antiwar message till I viewed the photos.


Lady Liberty on Acid? The infant in pink stared dumbfounded at this lime-green, inflatable, surrealistic  version of Lady Liberty, who seems to have lost her book.

ERIC OEMIG
I didn't realize that Senator Eric Oemig, sponsor of the pending WA State Impeachment resolution, was one of the featured speakers.

He suddenly appeared next to me and squeezed my hand as if I were a dear friend. He said he had read my post about the  March 1st Impeachment Rally in Olympia and the discouraging televised aftermath that provoked a lot of comments.

He said my "Letdown" story was difficult to read, but that I "must be clairvoyant" in my assessment. I said I felt let down NOT by him, but by his opponents and the system. But he thanked me, because it firmed up his resolve NOT TO BACK DOWN in the face of opposition by powerful WA state officials.

Wow. Just Wow.


Eric leapt on stage and presented his case for the pending Clean Judicial Elections legislation, SHB 1186, AND the Impeachment Resolution, to cheers from the crowd. The confident Eric Oemig is back!

Rep. Bob Hasegawa and Eric sign the Constitution. You can't fake a smile like that. I'm smiling too.

MARCH FORTH COLUMBIA CITY  THEATER

The evening event was a fundraiser for the Backbone Campaign and a CD release party for Emma's Revolution. I had the good luck to run into our friend Noemie and her charming family there!

We are both contestants in the Cheekbones of the Year competition, but Noemie will win because HERS ARE IMPLANTS.

This is the same venue where I held my Jim McDermott fundraiser "UnCaged Cabaret" last summer. Gratuitous plug: PICTURES HERE for those who missed them.


This is the tireless Bill Moyer, director of Backbone, for those who don't know him. Bill urged us to join the Lumbar club, regular Backbone supporters. 50 yards of canvas isn't cheap, even if the labor on the constitution is donated! Give the Backbone people some love!

This is Bill's wife Esther, who dazzled us with aerial acrobatics on a length of "tissue" about 20 feet in the air.

This is Helene Eriksen, ethnic dance artiste, performing a charming traditional Afghani dance. The white spots at the right are the decorations on the end of her braid. That's knee-length hair!

Many pictures of Esther, Helene and more HERE. Enjoy!

< Tacoma protests against militarization of the Port | Washington vs Washington >

Poll

Feedback?
Fascinating story
Exceptional pictures
Extra pat on the shoulder
All of the above
Dina, you are shameless

Votes: 8
Results | Other Polls
Display: Sort:
of the Constitution is right on the mark.  Dina, your account of the exchange between you and Eric Oemig was very moving.  Thank you for sharing that personal exchange. And it's good for us out here in the ranks to hear that when our politicians do take a courageous stance, met by powerful opposition, that it is the encouragement from us that gives them strength to fight the good fight.  

Love the photo of you and Noemie together!  

I would have appreciated the aerial acrobatics and the Afghani dance.  My loss that I wasn't there.

What - no puppets? (smiling and hope you are too)

On the Surge in Iraq "--we have set the bar so low it's buried in the sand at this point." - Barack Obama

by Lietta Ruger on Wed Mar 07, 2007 at 09:18:28 AM PST

* 1 none 0 *


I liked what Helene Eriksen said about her Afghani dances -- that they might give people another image of Afghanis -- different from the usual media images of terrorists or war-besieged.  It was charming to me that part of this dance was a pantomime, very alluring and coy, of sewing with needle and thread.  

Bill Moyer introduced the evening event with a statement about the progressivism being a 'propositional rather than an oppositional' movement.  

 

by noemie maxwell on Wed Mar 07, 2007 at 12:19:58 PM PST

* 3 none 0 *


  • Right-- by dinazina, 03/07/2007 12:38:10 PM PST (none / 0)