Council Of War

It's getting serious. The DRAC team is beginning to enter into discussions regarding just how we're going to get senators and other members of the Congress (Utah delegation) pay attention to our request/demand that our congressional delegation do something regarding the very likely healthcare reduction for low income folks, seniors and folks with disabilities just trying to get by.

There was probably 7 to 10 of us today meeting at the Housing Authority of Salt Lake County, conference room. We were basically call to action by one of the members of DRAC (who just happen not to be here today) but she stated that she was getting frustrated that we were talking a lot but nothing was really getting done. It was time, she felt, to move whatever we're going to do to the next level. Many of the DRAC personnel felt/feel the same way the same way. We had a good 45 minutes to an hour discussion regarding not have enough support to possibly make a difference. There is concern about the lack of press coverage over the last actions that DRAC has had. Billie felt we needed to bring about an action with serious consequences. There was serious discussion of “taking State Street”. There is serious discussion about being arrested. One must remember there is a certain fraction of this group which has been involved in serious, dropdead serious, direct confrontation and places most specifically Washington DC. Our oldest member Barbara had no compunction of heading right into the belly clubs of the national police but the Salt Lake police or state police , Utah Highway Patrol (UHP)depending on which Street we to take might be a different ballgame. It's hard to fathom what the local conservative law enforcement official might do. In DC I think a lot of the direct action/confrontational stuff is grand theater. On any given day the members of law enforcement have to deal with any number of different demonstrating actions. They cite and release like fish in the wild. I believe I was in one of the first disabled direct action operations in the history of Utah. The cops were more than nice they were taken off guard in fact they did not know quite what to do thousand and 30 years ago now days it's a different piece of music. I think a rather be surprised if it was a catch and release operation. I think even the citations are issued will be real citations and I think the court will love a real fines. I'm not ready to deal with real fines I don't have the finances to deal with real fines. Does that make me a boob? Probably does but still I think I'm drawn the line at incarceration.

We decided that we're going to have an action in two weeks. We're going to try to drum up interest in a commitment of many to show at this function. At this point we're talking about stopping traffic over lunch in State Street. I'm certainly willing to give direction, I'm certainly willing to be part of a march to certain degree and who knows maybe I'll get arrested with everybody else.