A Letter From Home: Why I’m Going to Denver

Dearest Jamilah, 
I just wanted to take the time to write
you on behalf of the family to tell you how much we all love you and
care for you.  Times have been tough for you but you are strong
and resolute and we know that you have a great head on your shoulders. 
You make good decisions.  That is why we don’t understand the
reason you would want to go to the Democratic National Convention and
protest.

We have the opportunity to elect the
first African-American or the first woman as president.  Aren’t
you happy? You should be thrilled!  Representation at the highest!!! 
I figured you would be working for the Obama or Clinton campaign, not
telling your little cousins that if voting changed anything they”d
make it illegal.  Who is this “they” anyway? 

Please reconsider going to Denver to
join and/or create any protests.  I know you think that your protest
will “cause change” but you just might end up getting McCain elected
and that would be bad. You don’t want that on your conscious, do you?
I don’t want to see you on national TV banging on a djembe drum, chanting
and carrying on. And I also do not want to sit across the table from
you at Thanksgiving and see a spoiler.  

You are bright, beautiful and can do
great things.  Protesting in Denver doesn’t need to be one of
those things. 

We love you. Please call more often.  

Your family 
 
 

Dear family, 

We lived in fucked up times.  The
last seven years have shown us just how far this government can go in
its push for empire.  Torture, unjust wars and occupation are buzz
words for some.  For me, they are a call to resistance.  I
could go along with this and act like getting a good job will somehow
enable me to erase the pictures in my head of dead Iraqi children. 
I could act like buying a new pair of shoes will somehow make me forget
what white phosphorus does to the human skin.  Maybe if I go to
that much talked about concert, I can drown out the sounds a man makes
when he is being water boarded.  It seems you want me to just go
along. To be a good German.  I can’t do that.  And if you
stop and take a minute, I know that you wouldn’t want to either. 

What good is it to change the president
but not the program?  The Democrats have shown us that they will
not stop this war.  They have been the majority party in congress
for the last two years yet they continue to fund the war. At any time
majorities of the American people have been in favor of impeachment
yet they have told us impeachment is off the table.  And what kind
of leadership can they offer if they want to keep “all options on
the table” including the use of nuclear weapons when dealing with
Iran, a country that poses no immediate threat. 

This is unacceptable.   

That’s why I’m going to Denver. 
Not just for the snow capped mountains and mile high air though I promise
to take pictures.  I’m going because Bush is still in office,
the Democrats have been complicit and resistance is needed. 

You need to come too! 

Jamilah 

PS. I promise I will call more often. 

Jamilah, an internationalist who proudly waves the red flag, believes
that if there are no poets, then it will not be her revolution.