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News :: Education : Peace : Protest Activity |
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"Breaking Even for Fun and Profit" |
Current rating: 0 |
by Jan Kruse
Email: jandurl (nospam) insightbb.com (unverified!) |
21 Aug 2004
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A.W.A.R.E.
Anti-War Anti-Racism Effort Volunteers at Farmer's Market in Urbana on Saturday Mornings! |
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"Breaking Even For Fun and Profit"
It's all in what you call making a "profit". For AWARE (Anti-War Anti-Racism Effort) making a profit means breaking even with expenditures but at the same time getting lots of information into the hands of the public.
Each Saturday (7:00AM-Noon) from mid-May until mid-November AWARE members volunteer to table at Farmer's Market at the Lincoln Square Mall in Urbana. If you have seen our booth you may already know that we have lots of free literature and information. We also sell at cost yard signs, bumper stickers and buttons. Our on going themes are "Vote OUT" Bush, send a post card (postage paid) to Kerry to call for his position regarding the Iraq War to be less like Bush, a call for an end to wars in general, and to eliminate racism. Needless to say we have plenty of work to do.
However, for me the "profit" has been to see the faces of friends and strangers come to life at our table. From the pink hair to the gray hair to the black hair……From the crew cuts to the dread locks to the mohawks, I have felt connected for the short time that I have spent engaging people at Farmer's Market on Saturday mornings.
For example:
*A family visiting Illinois from Belgium was so happy to find a group of U.S. citizens (us) opposed to this war and Bush they had to take our picture to send to friends back home.
*A number of Bangladeshi students who shared our table one Saturday were very insightful in their impression of the US population's desire to see the world in terms of war and how the U.S. seems unable/unwilling to engage the world peacefully. AWARE was a rare exception!
*The group of young folks in dressed in black with interesting piercing and tattoos who could not wait to approach our table…finally there were NO War buttons for them to buy. They felt much safer by our table, far away from the Young Republican booth.
*A former Marine who opposes what is going on in Iraq…he just needed to come over and talk and felt so much better near our booth. He now knew someone was speaking up to oppose war. He said military people often fear speaking up and many are glad someone (Aware) is getting the word out!
*An older gentleman who drove in from Villa Grove to pick up yard signs for his neighborhood. He may be back for more as word spreads.
*A man who carefully coats his yard sign in Vaseline to keep the sign thieves (?Young Republicans?) at bay. He made a special trip back over to our booth to let us know that somewhere a few rows over a vegetable seller was offering free vegetables to anyone who came by with one of our signs that read: Regime Change begins at Home Vote Out Bush/Cheney!
The smiles on the faces seemed to be appearing just because we were there. To some extent AWARE brings comfort and hope to many people. As our table stands just to the left of the Democrats, I always feel connected to something bigger than politics. It is the hope that somehow things might be different. Somehow that one pamphlet, yard sign, bumper sticker or button might help change things for the better. Somehow we might each make a difference even in some small way.
But then the Bush supporter goes by and yells "Bush….FOUR MORE YEARS! ". (He looked a lot like Jack Ryan to me!) We all just smile and agree …..yes, there will most likely be at least four more years for our planet earth (hopefully). Yes, a bush will likely exist somewhere on this planet earth for those four years. But we don't think that this necessarily means that the world will have to fall victim once again to this unelected U.S. President. The hope and expectation on the faces of those who approach the AWARE table at Farmer's Market are pretty clear!
Our public presence and the public's presence at our table go beyond any kind of monetary profit and beyond "breaking even", because the human connection, hope and an expectation for the future is alive and growing each week. The hope is fundamental - folks come by each week, sometimes just to say hi and often to make sure that we are still there. We look back and know our "radical presence" is bringing comfort and hope. The light at the end of this dark tunnel grows brighter one button, yard sign, bumper sticker and free piece of information at a time. We know voting Bush out is just the beginning of our work. Lots of work after that lies ahead for AWARE! The challenges are huge but the commitment is strong!
Come to the AWARE table at farmer's Market some Saturday and say "Hi" and see how breaking even has become one of the biggest "profit" making events in town!…And it's also a lot of FUN! |
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This work is in the public domain. |
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Re: "Breaking Even for Fun and Profit" |
by 5
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
21 Aug 2004
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Just a little sidenote, I bought a sign from AWARE last week (and had a very nice conversation with the above author).
Put it in my yard.
Stolen in less than a week.
Think I might try the vaseline trick---and add a little hot pepper sauce as well! |
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Re: "Breaking Even for Fun and Profit" |
by Phyllis
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
21 Aug 2004
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Jan, I loved your article and the photos. You've been standing up for what's right for as long as I've known you, it's great to see your continued enthusiasm, esp. in rather pessimistic times. Thanks for keepin' on keepin'on! |
