"Spat into my face by the wealthy Jewess, 'You should be SHOT!'" SL

Among yesterday's drivebys outside the Holocaust Museum as I stood

silently, like a statue, in my American Flag shirt, holding my signs (below),

on day #4 of my 3-5 hour afternoon vigil there:

• "You should be shot!" spat the wealthy, old Jewess, 4" from my face.
• "Excuse me sir," she said to get my attention, "GO F*CK YOURSELF,"
  said the very pretty, tall, highly educated Holocaust Museum 
  Jewish executive
• "YOU ARE JUST GENERATING HATE" said another wealthy, old Jewess, 
  with all the HATE she could muster.

"I could have saved thousands more if I could have convinced them that

they were slaves," said Harriet Tubman, starkly revealing how we are

enslaved by our own false perceptions of reality.  I'm thinking of 

myself, how I've been life-long-blind by a romantic, false notion that my

Israel-supporting brothers and sisters are these nice, suffering

victims.  Many, most, all in fact are so incredibly mercenary, so vile,

so sick that without compunction they can desecrate something as

horrible, sad, inhumane as the Holocaust to perpetrate exactly the

same evil on Our Palestinian Family.

God forgive me for my earlier blindness.  A movie that reveals this

dynamic clearly is "A Dry White Season," about a South African 

white man whose sight becomes clear, and the hate that engenders

in his wife, and other "nice," white South Africans.  "The power of 

one," and "Cry Freedom too show how we nice, over privileged folks

who dominate are really dead, blood sucking killers behind the 

facade.  

Every bit as much as we white oppressors were ALWAYS seen as

brothers by MLK Jr, just so my insane Israeli are seen as Family by me.  I am almost

as distraught for their grotesque, living Deadness as I am for the HELL

they deliver to our Palestinian Family, entirely due to the 

To beloved friends that expressed concern -

Thank you Friends.  xx oo

I never have and never could do what I do for the purpose
of 'helping Connie.'  I've always considered this Thomas'
vigil.  Always have, always will.  My work at the vigil
ALWAYS has been to continue HIS work, and to leverage
the massive power that this thing has.  Now, doing it for
those reasons, do I go out of my way to be kind and
helpful to Connie?  I do.  I enjoy doing so.  I deplore her
behavior and ideas much of the time.  But I profoundly
respect her savant-like commitment, and it does keep
this Sacred monument going. 

My sun doesn't rise or set on anyone's behavior but
my own, so she shocks me with pain, but it is never, never
central to my life.  Sort of a different chronic neck ache
that only rarely goes away.  :-)  :-(

But now, if my work is ever called away from the vigil,
her behavior and statements enumerated below, well, they sure take
away any sense of obligation that I might otherwise
have had.  I've done as much as anyone could, or should.  Pity.
Oh well.

Love you,

Start

SL here. My desperate attempts to draw his punches, failed -

As the day started to cool yesterday, 4 hours after I took up
my post in the street in front of the White House, starting
to pass out from the 92 degree sun, about 70 from the
DC Ranters Club, uh, I mean "activists," came to
whine, I mean, demonstrate in front of the White House, for an entire hour!!!!! Hey,
the slaughter of 15 of the world's greatest souls deserves
at least an hour, tween lunch and dinner, don't you think?


A look into the aid flotilla attack by Israel (1)

Well, the press that gathered didn't know how self serving
this group is, so the mid 50's guy stripped to the waste, acting
like a drunk, drawing all the Press Camera shots was an
attack on our Palestinian Family's plight.

The DC Spoiled Brats Club was upset, angry, impotent,
cowardly and completely ineffectual as usual. 

After stashing my stuff at the Vigil, my large poster and American
Flag umbrella, I made a b-line for the guy, but not before
passing one of the more serious activists I recognized and saying,
"I'm gunna try to draw a punch from this guy to get him outta here.
You'll need to get coverage for me at the vigil 6pm-10pm."
He nodded agreement. 

I got 1" from the guy's face and started
taunting him.  Did I hate him?  Was I angry
at him?  Was I trying to hurt him?  He's my brother, how could
I do any of those things?  I was desperately trying to draw
a punch which would get at least him, and maybe both of
us arrested, and thereby mercifully get him away from destroying
all the press coverage of the Gaza Activist Slaughter by
Israel.

Within seconds a late twentys Secret Service officer was on
us.  He recognized me, tho we've never spoken.  "Don't touch
him or I'll have to arrest you," he said as much out of concern
for me as anything. "I'm totally not going to touch him," I
declared as I jammed my hands deep, deep into my pockets,
"but I've got to get him to punch me so you can arrest him, or
the both of us and get us away from destroying this press coverage."

The Officer was taken aback, but relaxed and backed off as
he saw that I'd disarmed myself with hands deep in pockets.
I'm sure he was a bit stunned, curious, and more than a bit respectful.
Immediately I was back in this guys face.  He
had tattoos on his back talking about peace.
I yelled nasty things in his face, meaning none of them, but
trying to draw the punch (my preference over a kick to groin
which I was totally defenseless agianst. 
Within seconds, the officer (watched
by 10 more) was at my side, this time clearly trying to see if he
could help, without violating the guys rights, but trying to keep
me from getting hit.  He didn't know what to do, but it was way
cool he at least was there trying. 

Between my ludicrous taunts, and the officer's presence, all of
a sudden the massively inappropriate guy (who I'll leave nameless
to protect him) went totally relaxed, and half smiled.  Melted.  "15
of the world's greatest Peace Makers were slaughtered by Israel
this morning in international waters.  Why are you trying to
interfere with this group's attempt to bring attention to that???,"
I screamed in his face?  "Huh," he said, indicating he knew not
what I was talking about?  I explained about the Zionist commando
massacre of the activists in international waters.  "I didn't know,"
he said.  "Well, instead of you and me drawing attention away
from the demonstration, let's walk down the street and I'll fill you
in," I suggested.

Off we went.  He instantly and totally changed before my eyes, but I kept
him talking with me, safely 30 yards from the action for another
15 minutes, as I didn't fully trust what he'd do if he went back.

Your brother,

Start

ps:  About 2 hours later he was back at the park, to find me at
the Vigil - "Hey Start, I'm sorry for what I did."  Hey, stuff happens."
We enjoyed shaking hands warmly, and he was off on his way.


Protesting Gaza Aid Convoy Massacre Start Loving joined by others at White House

I expect to be diverted from the internet for In-the-Sun Gaza demos

Tween my morning and evening vigil shifts I was in the full sun
smack in front of the White House sidewalk 5 hours today.  I suspect
that will be my meager, pitiful routine trying to be a brother
to our Palestinian Family, and you.

So if you see a change in my behavior, things slowing down, or
falling by the wayside, that's whats up.

xx

sl

Tears in her eyes, 'I really look up to people like you,' ...

It was a group of about 30 middle schoolers from Wisconsin.

They were a bit sleepy this early in the morning, but they were

still able to "hear" what we do, for about 7 minutes.  At the end

one of the chaperones, an early 40ish guy, "Can we ask any questions?"

"Sure I said." "Name me one other country where you could do

what you do...!"  blah blah blah....  He wasn't mean, and neither

was I.  But we were both riled, and the kids saw that.  "Do you

know why we can do this," I asked?  Without awaiting his reply

I said,  "There are two reasons.  One, our brave young men and

women in uniform, the only group in this country I have any respect

for, defend our right with their lives.  And two, people like us 

here at this vigil are willing to go to jail to protect that right, 

as we've gone to jail more than 50 times so far for doing this."  

To his credit, he "got" what I was saying.  The interchange with 

the group ended positively.  

As they departed and the group was moving, a good 20 feet

away now, a little red head came back, with another little 

girl with her for strength.  Tears in her eyes, "I really look up

to people like you," she expressed haltingly thru the tears. 

"It has taken me a lifetime to learn how to stand up for us like 

this, and I'm trying to have others learn faster

than I did.  Your kind words of encouragement mean a great 

deal to me.  Thank you,"  I said.  

I offered, and she gratefully accepted a gentle, fatherly hug.

Tears in my eyes, too, now.  Such Joy.  Such sorrow.

The Vigil DOES make a difference. Christ spoke much of sewing the seeds. Sew, sew, sew.......

Hi. 

Feedback from the last two days from young people via Face Book:

Student A: "I hope everyday someone else will take the time to hear your voice
among the multitude of the world, so that it may be changed. Even
if only a couple of people a day listen, this world can be changed.
Thank you for showing wise and redemptive alternates to what we
are being taught by the world."

Student B:  "Me and Mk are going to start a club to get teens more involed in the
community and to start making a diffrence. Thank you . You inspired
me to start making a stand. (:"

My FaceBook page just passed 600 "Friends," virtually all from the
vigil, mostly young folks - students. 
http://www.facebook.com/StartLoving1

Some of it is me.  Much of it is the 29 year vigil that exists due to Connie, Thomas,
Ellen, B.....  The important thing is that people are being shown, as the student
above so eloquently says - "wise and redemptive alternates to what we are
being taught by the world."

This IS what Peace Making is.  "You must be the change you wish to
see in the world."

Your brother forever, no matter what,

Start

ps:  Connie is bionic, I'm sure.  She seems to be doing as well as ever.
I know she will not live forever, and when she decides
to head up along with Thomas, I worry that my body will fail us, give out,
as I attempt keep this going by myself.  Oh well.

pps:  This was shot by a student recently.  It is a pretty good capture
of what I share at the vigil, and how:

Start Loving at White House Anti Nuclear Peace Vigil by Danny Arroyo

"Start, you are the tip of the spear," said the Quaker carpenter from Atlanta.

"Start, you are the tip of the spear," said the Quaker carpenter
from Atlanta at the Vigil tonight.

"A" tip, maybe, I hope.  I'm trying.

Armed to the teeth, he robbed me at the Vigil today

And it is someone I knew!  A regular!

I'm there talking with someone, and I got robbed!

He stands about 3" tall, but while I'm distracted, he is hauling
away a half full, large jar of peanuts!!!!!!!!!!  Somehow, he
got a grip on the lid with his teeth, and he's dragging it away
just as fast as he could!  The jar was at least as big as he is!

Oh my goodness, it was totally hysterical.

xx

sl

ps:  NO, I DIDN'T give him any!!!  I don't reward bad behavior.
But I do RECONCILE, so if he is well behaved tonight, he'll
get some.

"Rosanne" Barr - "I want to do a full segment on [Start]." " SL

She was in the park with a video crew as I came off shift at the
Vigil http://www.prop1.org .  Something about my appearance
caught her attention :-)  and she interviewed me.  She seemed
quite taken.  It was cool.  Her work has always been important.  SL

"I detest the word "peace." " SL

Part of a rant I shared with my beloved sister:

'I detest the word "peace."  Huh?????
In my experience, 99.999999999999% of the time, behind it is some deadly,
magical thinking that saying "peace," giving the "peace sign,"  wearing
beads, singing songs is somehow going to make people put down their
weapons.  Not me!  As they do it in front of a world with 28 million children starving
to death, these over-privileged "peace" sayers, which invariably they are,
make me want to doubly want to pick up a gun - first to shoot them, and
then to go take by force the food that the children need; that rightfully
BELONGS to those children!!!!!  (NO, I would NEVER pick up the gun, and
I would take a bullet FOR any of these, my brothers and sisters.)

At the vigil, to the knee-jerk (what's the opposite of salutation?) word "peace," I
reply- "PeaceMAKING!"

I don't know if anyone "gets it" when I say this.

"I came not to bring peace, but to divide with a sword."  Christ Jesus

"Blessed are the PeaceMAKERS."  Christ Jesus

LOVE YOU.

SL'

:-) "...someone so important to this country [as Start is.]" SL

About a week ago I spent 10 min at the vigil with a high
school group from Michigan.  As many do, they end by taking
photos with me, and one of the MI students who did so generated
quite a dialog, including one guy, the only one negative - hey,
I bet that Hippie was high, they all are....  Wow, did the rest
of the folks pile on him in my defense!  This is the last comment,
so far:

"xxxxx needs to keep those opinions to himself,

that makes me so mad that he could talk to someone like that...
someone so important to this country."

:-)

"Vigil: Most distressing by far is wave upon wave of Nazi Youth - Jews they call themselves." SL

"Vigil:  Most distressing by far is wave upon wave of Nazi Youth -
Jews they call themselves."  SL

"You're NO whackjob" the male TX Teacher angrily rebuked me in front of his students.

A large group of very attentive middle schoolers from Texas as I recall.  After sharing
for 12 minutes or so all the whats, whys, wherefores about the Vigil I got the usual
question - "Has President Obama ever come out to talk to you?"  My standard
reply - "I think the Pr. Obama is FAR to smart to come out to see me.
Have you heard of Fox News?  How much do you think Fox News would
love to have a photo of Pr. Obama here talking to some whackjob with
tattoos on his face, SO THEY COULD HURT PR. OBAMA?" 

"YOU ARE NO WHACKJOB," the male TX Teacher angrily rebuked me in
front of his students.

Have I ever received a stronger affirmation? 

Daniel from Ind: "how many 10s of thousands of people you've touched deeply...."

On Facebook, from Daniel, a mid 20's fellow I spoke with at the vigil
maybe 10 months ago, and who remains a friend on Facebook:

"I was walking around downtown Indianapolis the other day, and I
saw this group of artists doing a street installation. We started chatting,
and it turns out they're from DC. I asked them if they knew about
you, and they lit up and said yes. Out of 300 million people in this
country! We had fun speculating on how many 10s of thousands
people you've touched deeply. :)"

Also:

"Just wanted to let you know you're on my list of "heroes." Of the ten
I listed, you, Dean Kamen and Bill Moyers are the only ones alive. :)

My Heroes
http://www.facebook.com/l/d27ea;danielscottpoynter.com/about.html#heroes "

I replied:

"Daniel, your kind words of encouragement mean an enormous amount to me.
I've been given sooooo much that I so desperately wish the share. Thanks.
Your brother, Start

"SL you have made a huge difference to most of the kids in my class"

"thanks SL you have made a huge difference to most of the kids in my class that met you thank you"

Note on facebook today from a student that visited the Vigil some weeks back.

Start L. slowed by severe upper neck pain

Hi, if I'm even more harsh than usual, or much slower, please
understand that I'm under assault by my NECK!  Best I can
describe it - it feels like a railroad spike has been hammered into
my skull 1" behind my left ear and someone is jamming it around.
Unfortunately this is an only partial exaggeration.  :-(  I've never
had such chronic pain before and it has been 5 days now.  The
most sleep I can get is one or two hours at a time before the
pain is unbearable, and wakes me up to try to find a little relief.
Last week I moved the vigil to accommodate Pr. Obama's anit-
nuclear summit, and I suspect that in moving some massive
concrete anchors we use I broke something at the base of
my skull. 

I yearn to be back at full speed.

Your brother,

Start

Twice daily Barack's 2 ducks come to the Vigil. How cool is that!?!!??

Twice daily Barack's 2 ducks come to the Vigil. 

They live in his pond / fountain literally a stones throw cross the street.

How cool is that!?!!??

"The Right hates the Left cuz they know what "paying the price" is." SL

"The Right hates the Left cuz

they know what 'paying the price' is.
They detest 'lip service,' and resent the 'easy life.' "  SL

There are few if any police in the park here anymore that don't have
at least a grudging respect and affection for Connie and I. And it ain't
cuz of how we dress, how we look, what we talk about, or how the
vigil looks...; rather in most cases it is DESPITE all that.  They are
folks that put it on the line - and so are we.

"I deeply admire them. They're really nice folks," said the Secret Svc agent to the Tour Guide.

"I deeply admire them.  They're really nice folks," 

said the Secret Svc agent to the Tour Guide, 

regarding the vigil.  http://www.prop1.org

My greatest hope for raising an army of courageous

peace makers is from among our men and women

in uniform.  They've got the courage, discipline,

self-sacrifice, commitment... down.  I JUST NEED 

THEM TO SWITCH WEAPONS - FROM GUNS TO THEIR

OWN BODIES.

"Give me a military man to work with any day.

Don't give me any cowards."  Gandhi

Ellen's house, a Godsend to my work; becoming even more of a Miracle?

When I started this work in DC, years ago now, I didn't expect to survive
more than a few months.  I was, and remain ENTIRELY, AND TOTALLY unwilling
to divert energy, ANY OF MY ENERGY, from the neediest of Our Family, to my
own survival.  But here I am.  Thomas was the first to reach out, years ago,
with sandwiches he placed on the bench where I'd sleep sitting up all night
on vigil for Darfur.  There they'd be when I awoke.  :-|

Then he, with Ellen's approval, brought me in to their base of operations so there would
be a roof over my work for Darfur.

Even after Thomas' passing I've been blessed by Ellen,
and another benefactor of the house, with a bed
and a public space where I can sleep and work when not on my daily
shifts at the White House vigil.  I'll do my work living in the streets when
that is what Our Father wants, but my productivity certainly has been
infinitely higher in the space I've had in Ellen's house.

BUT MAYBE NOW MY PRODUCTIVITY WAS JUST PROVIDED A MASSIVE ADDED
BOOST!!!!  At least for the moment I've just been afforded a more secluded
room in the house.  The house is busy, circumstances are such that
there are frequent interruptions so far in this room... but in the last week I've had two 5 hour
or so uninterrupted blocks of solitude for my work.  MY STRESS LEVEL HAS
GONE DOWN BY HALF, IT SEEMS.  This room supports a 2nd computer, so
I just purchased one on CraigsList, a 2004 $85 job, but it works.  With
it and the laptop Ellen and the other benefactor provided me, by keeping both
loaded down with my video processing, etc, MAJOR BOTTLENECKS
ON MY YOUTUBE WORK HAVE BEEN LIFTED!  I feel like one feels when they've
maybe had emphysema, didn't know they had it, but were just put on
OXYGEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Life!

I never count on something like this lasting, not for an hour, not for a second. 
That is Our Father's business, not mine.  But oh my Goodness, the two glimpses of
solitude, space and technical capacity I've had since this recent room change ARE OF AN EVEN
GREATER GOD-SEND.  Maybe.  We'll see.