Cynthia McKinney on Plans to Return to Gaza

Former US Congresswoman from Georgia, Cynthia McKinney, holds up food packet and cluster bomb, both of which were being dropped on Afghanistan by the American military in late 2001. She ran as the Green Party Presidential candidate in 2008.
Originally uploaded by Pan-African News Wire File Photos

via: The Courageous and Highly Principled Sis. Cynthia McKinney!
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6/19/09

Mairead Corrigan Maguire, 1976 Nobel Peace Prize winner and I will join 34 others taking medical, school, and building supplies to Gaza. I'd like to thank Nadira Kaili and Erin Connors of Atlantic Television News for donating dollars to help in my purchase of school supplies for Gaza's children. And I want to thank Jay Winter Nightwolf for the turquoise good luck ring that he gave me for this journey.

On Tuesday, June 16, President Carter visited Gaza and said that he was almost brought to tears by what he saw. He said that he felt partly responsible because the American International School, one of many destroyed by the Israelis, had been "deliberately destroyed by bombs from F-16s made in my country." Not only that, he added that Palestinians in the Gaza Strip were being treated "more like animals than human beings."

Last time I went--or rather, tried to get to Gaza--my father told me to buy a notebook and write everything down. This time I've got a video camera!!! Now I've got to learn how to use it!! As often as I can, I will get the video uploaded to our tv channel.

Yes, we have been trying to do a lot with very little to get our DIGNITY presence online up and running before letting you know about it. Well, I think the time has come to at least let you in on what we're trying to accomplish (and to volunteer your help where you can!!).

Thanks to Anita Stewart, Don Debar, DJ Radio Conscious, Lindsey Tackett, and of course, the rest of the DIGNITY crew, I am proud to announce that we have a tv channel (www.livestream.com/dignity), a ning page (http://dignity.ning.com/), facebook (www.facebook.com/CynthiaMcKinney) and myspace (http://www.myspace.com/dignityaction) pages, and yes, we tweet (http://www.twitter.com/dignityaction)!!!

I have notified the White House that I am on my way to Gaza. I'm reading that the White House also wants Israel to ease its blockade of Gaza and specifically mentioned consstruction materials, food, and medicine. That might be just what is needed to allow us to get through this time, because in addition to the medical and school supplies, we are also taking cement and building supplies.

Finally, the President wants to take $600 billion from health care programs that are working--Medicare and Medicaid. Rahm Emanuel's brother is a health policy advisor. $12.8 trillion have been transferred to the financial classes already even though the entire US GDP for 2008 was only $14.2 trillion. You and I are squeezed while the war machine and the robber barons (as Cindy Sheehan calls them) get our green. Please tune in to our efforts and let's work together!

Thank you so much for all the words of encouragement you have sent to me in these past few days. I'm trying to respond to everyone. Even though it might seem impossible at times, I still believe we can change our country and our world. Thank you for helping me and for supporting me as we all join together and try. We can effectively resist--with DIGNITY.

Here's the note I sent to President Obama today:

"I understand that you sent a message to Israel about its blockade of Gaza. Thank you. It is reported that you specifically mentioned food, medical supplies, cement and building supplies in your note. This note is to inform you that I embark today on a trip to Gaza and we will have for the people of Gaza, exactly the materials that you mentioned, and school supplies for the children. Thank you for the note to Israel and I hope that also means that you will not sign any appropriation bill that has weapons for Israel. President Carter noted that seven schools were completely demolished with F-16s from this country. We all are responsible and I know you know that. But all of us are not in a position to stop the carnage. You are. Please, not one more dime not one more weapon for Israel's war machine."

http://www.livestream.com/dignity
http://dignity.ning.com/
http://www.twitter.com/dignityaction
http://www.myspace.com/dignityaction
http://www.myspace.com/runcynthiarun
http://www.twitter.com/cynthiamckinney
http://www.facebook.com/CynthiaMcKinney