DNC CONVENTION- DAY 6
BOSTON-DAY 6
I awake with a start at 7:30 AM, when one of my roomies begins banging the door with a ferocity that would raise the dead. Good job- I had asked him to do precisely that. I'm groggy from the few hours of sleep I got, but manage to haul myself down to the bathroom, douse my head in cold water, change clothes, and down another quickie breakfast of fruit-yogurt thingies. There isn't much scheduled for the day, as far as shooting- the conference for the Progressive Democrats of America is taking place, soon, but My one goal for today is to make up for two days of lousy video shooting by hitting the protests and the free speech zone, to record anything and everything of interest. My goal is to fill at least two tapes, before the day is out.
Shouldering the traditional burden of electronic goo and squeezing my rapidly-swelling feet into an increasingly uncomfortable pair of shoes, I head out the door, and catch the subway over to copely square, where a nondescript protest action is taking place.
Unfortunately, it turns out to be an anarchist event. There are other protestors on site, but it's impossible to film or interview much, because the anarchists aren't satisfied to just sit about and be seen- they have to drown out everyone else. Whenever a group gets together and starts handing out fliers, talking with other people, or doing anything to threaten the non-show the anarchists are putting on, they run over en masse, start pushing and shoving people, and bang on plastic pots and pans, raising such a noise that no one can be heard over their racket.
Good lord- I hate anarchists.
Nonetheless, I did get a chance to speak with a guy holding a sign that on one side, urged people to vote for the green party, and on the other, to vote for Ralph Nader.
After a short interview, I find out that a LOT of greens are not satisfied with the green party's nomination of David Cobb as their presidential candidate. The guy went to far as to declare that the recent green party convention had been a sham, at which a lot of people had felt excluded.
Having not been at the GP convention, I cannot say whether or not this was truly the case, but if there's any truth to it, is speaks ill for the party- which is a shame. I still am an ardent supporter of third parties, and the greens have been making phenominal progress in recent years. I'm sure there are agent provocateurs within the party, on behalf of the two major parties, to ensure that they're kept "in check", as it were. Time alone will tell how things turn out.
I also shoot a few minutes of an anarchist cheerleading troupe, before deciding that they don't deserve any more attention. After a few hours, I decide that this is a dead-end, and head down to the free speech zone.
As I arrive, things are quieter than ever, within the zone. No one is taking the stand to speak, and only a few dozen people are milling about. I spend about an hour filming the zone, and speaking with folks about what they think about the zone. No one is really happy- but that's no big surprise. The only interesting character about is some guy in a Carrot suit, that once apeared on the David Letterman show, along with Biff Henderson. As flamboyant as he was, it turned out to be a crappy interview.
A few minutes later, an evangelist that looked sorta like Fabio in a Brooks Brothers suit shows up, but despite my hopes, he turns out to a perfectly sane and rational individual, there to just preach about redemption, sacrifice, etc- hardly the whacko I was hoping to meet.
Eventually, the delegates start arriving for their big evening, and a guy with a boom box climbs to the stage, and using the mike, broadcasts a tape recording of "we shall overcome", occasionally taking the mike to urge the delegates to repeal the patriot act, and decrying the zone.
While the fence was ostensibly set up to separate the delegates from the protestors, it didn't work very well. Thanks to the city of Boston volunteers, a goodly number of delegates were directed THROUGH the zone- good job, volunteers! Further- while there was three layers of fenceing separarting the delegates from the protestors, many came over to chat with them, and a goodly number were very sympathetic. They obviously didn't like the zone anymore than we did.
One exception was a young delegate who just didn't seem to understand that caging people who dissented into an enclosed space surrounded with razor wire and chain-link fence is-well-wrong. She seemed to think that it actually encouraged free speech, and that anyone who complained had a problem. It was kinda frustrating listening to her- I remember hearing a great mind once say something about how when fascism comes to america, some people of good will will accept it with open arms. Fortunately, she was the only one to express such opinions.
Wandering outside of the zone, I found that the entire street adjacent to the zone had been taken over by protestors- indeed, a mini-rally was taking place, with Amy Goodman of "Democracy Now" at the mike. I rush over, and set up the tripod in time to catch the latter half of her speech, and keep filming as veteran activist, author, and radio host Thom Hartmann took the stage. Midway through his speech, a republican started screaming abuse, and within minutes, pushing and shoving erupted. Fortunately, before things got out of hand, the provocateur was escorted away.
By this time, I had filled two tapes, and I was feeling good about the day, even though I was exhausted beyond words. I decided to fold up my rig, and head over to the local 7-11 to have a coke, and sit in the shade, before heading back to do one last hour of shooting.
Thus refreshed, I headed to the street opposite from the Fleet center- where a rogue's gallery of pro-life whackos, animal rights activists, and LaRouche agitators were lined up, in an attempt to get their message to the thousands of delegates and attendees on their last day on conventioneering.
I get some good footage of the blood-slinger from day one- he turned out to be an extremist pentacostal of some sort- haranguing the crowd in a pained, self-rightous voice, occasionally speaking "in tongues", dressed in doctor's whites splattered with blood, holding a blown-up picture of a grisly abortion, which, to my practiced eye, had been heavilly photoshopped (the signs are there, if you look for them.) I filmed him for a few minutes, and was intent on being totally impartial, just letting him incriminate himself in his lunacy, until he began talking about how, a "few days ago, I was attacked brutally by peace protestors in Boston Common." That was the final straw. I had to point out that he had thrown blood at the protestors- he objected, saying "I have never thrown blood"- I had to say:
"Dude- I have you on CAMERA- I have the tape right here- you wanna see?"
At that very moment, our exchange was interrupted by two Kucinich delegates, heading out of the Fleet center- they offered me their green convention pass- I couldn't believe it. I had resigned myself to the fact that I would NEVER get through security- and here, on the night of John Kerry's acceptance speech, I was being handed a pass that would fulfill a lifelong dream.
But I was so tired- the Kucinich wrap party was due to start within a half hour, and I was looking forward to a few hours sitting about, with a few cold drinks, and enjoying the companionship of those who had worked so hard on the campaign. My feet hurt, and I was ready to collapse- but it didn't take long to decide- I took the pass, and with my head swimming with the moment, I walked through the heavilly-guarded cordon, past the demonstartors, in a fog- I couldn't believe it- I was going to be inside the convention, during the most important event of the past week.
Security unpon entering the hall was not unlike going through airport security- unfortunately, I had to surrender my DV cam and tripod, but
I was able to carry my still camera. Metal detectors were set up, and I had to empty my pockets into a dish, where the contents were closely examined. The metal sholeace rings on my shoes kept setting the detectors off, but eventually, I was declared clean, and was cleared to enter.
Inside, it was all hustle and bustle- a tent city was set up outside of the fleet center, for the innumerable media organizations. People were running to and fro, the crowd was immense, and the sight of the fleet center was decked out in light displays of patriotic imagery. Upon entering, I was not dissapointed. in the short walk from the entrance to the escalators (with a short side trip to the restroom), I saw a half-dozen sentaors and representatives, network newsmen that I've only seen via the idiot box, and celebrities. I ran into another Kucinich staffer on her way out, who exchanged passes with me- she took my green pass (which allowed me to sit with the Kucinich delegation) with a treasured purple "messenger pass", which gave me access to the entire floor- without restrictions- my head swam with the implications of this.
I was PSYCHED- this was gonna be a magic night. I head over to the escalators leading to the second-floor entrance to the floor, and I got within ten feet of the stairs, when suddenly, the escalator was shut off.
This was a curious development- even more curious, when those on the escalator started coming back down, pushing me back. It turned out that the convention floor was overcrowded, and we were going to have to wait until the floor cleared out a tad before we would be allowed back in.
Well- that sucked, but I was willing to wait- this was something I've been waiting for for 20 years- what was a few minutes?
So, I, along with hundreds of others, waited. Ten minutes passed- then twenty, then thirty- the crowd waiting to ascend to the second floor swiftly grew to over a thousand. Eventually, a uniformed policeman came down the escalator, and announced that we had to vacate the building, as the sheer numbers of people in the center were a fire hazzard. A cordon of policemen swept through the first floor, pushing everyone out, and then locked the door.
And that was that- I got within 10 feet of the convention, only to be turned back at the last minute- along with delegates, campaign staffers, and people who had iron-clad reserved seats. None of them were very happy- chief among them myself.
My state of mind, at that moment, was a long stream of explitives- profane and offensive, but well suited to my feelings of disgust over my exclusion.
Such is life, I guess- and there's always 2008.
So, I head back to the Kucinich wrap party, meeting up with a few Kucinich staffers en route.
Yeah, I was bitter at being shut out of the convention- but upon reflection, people with more of a right to be there than I were suffering a similar fate, and in a way, it was good to know that so many wanted to be there that night- they realized just how important Kerry's acceptance speech was.
The Kucinich wrap party was held at the Paradise Rock Club- a decent-sized three-tier music venue on Commonwealth avenue. As soon as I arrived, I downed as much ice-cold coca-cola as I could, and sloshed myself outside to see who was coming in.
Again- the bane of my existence- anarchists were outside, handing out fliers saying that Dennis was a man bent on accomplishing his aims through violent means.
Ex-squeeze me? Violent? Dennis is the one member of congress who voted against the patriot act, against the war in Iraq, and is spearheading the efforts to create a "department of peace" within the US government. I had had all I could take from these jokers.
"Do you Vote?" I asked them- "No" was the answer- given with a snide self-righteous pride that made me want to vomit carbonated sugar water right in their face. Did these people realize just who it was they were protesting? Did they have any concept of Dennis' record within the House of Representatives? No.
These were sorry, self-deluded kids who had absolutely no concept of what they were doing- again- and again- unto eternity- I HATE ANARCHISTS. When I was watching a bunch of them showing their asses in front of starship troopers earlier that day, I asked one of the troopers to bust a head, just for me. These people are the reason this country is so screwed up today- people so wrapped up in selfish ends and apathy that they cannot be bothered to do anything to lift a single finger to fix things. All they can do is whine, complain, and make things difficult for people who actually WANT to change things.
Grr- enough about them...
The party was swingin'- the hall was packed to the top of the third tier, and despite the fact that our candidate hadn't made it as far as we all had hoped, we were all in a good mood- it was time to revel in what we HAD managed to accomplish. Our candidate had been able to address the convention, when, at one time, it was uncertain as to whether or not he would be bale to. Our delegation, among all of the other also-rans, had stood true to Dennis, and the overwhelming majority of them had stuck to their guns, and cast their votes for Kucinich, in the face of a LOT of pressure from their State delegations.
The atmosphere was one of victory, rather than defeat, and everyone was willing to continue the fight.
I circulated a bit- met a few of the people who had worked so long and hard on the campaign- among them were people from every state of the union, along with some Canadians, and one German woman who had flown over from euroipe to volunteer her photography sklills to the campaign. It was a wonderful event- a last show of unity and togetherness, before we returned back to our homes, to continue the fight in our communities.
Some were not as happy as others. After Dot Maver (Kucinich Campaign director) and a few others gave a few words to the assembled, C-Span's live coverage of Kerry's acceptance speech was thrown up on the projection screen, and while a good number of his points were greeted with applause and cheers, a few others were greeted with boos and hisses. Some left the room, and one woman was reduced to hysterics, screaming "TURN IT OFF!"
For reasons I will go into tomorrow, in my convention wrap up, I find such an attitude lamentable, yet understandable. When Kerry finished his speech, a number of people started chanting "he's Bush!", only to drowned out by myself an a few others chanting "Kerry, Kerry!"
At midnight, Kucinich took to the stage, fresh from standing with Kerry, Clark, Sharpton, Graham, Lieberman, Braun, Gephardt, Edwards, and Dean. I was hoping that he'd give another of his roof-raising speeches, but it was apparent that he was as tired and overworked as everyone else in the room. After thanking all of us for our service, and noting that we had assurred that the progressive cause is still vital to the democratic party, he descended to the floor, to circulate among the campaign staff, and speak with his supporters.
After this, there's not much else to say...
I got a few shots of Dennis, and got a few shots of myself with him, and before I knew it, the club was shutting down- it was 1:30 AM, and time to head back to Emanuel college.
I arrived at 2, and found dozens of people already packed up to go- taxis were pulling up, and luggage was being loaded into cars left and right. When I exited the cab, I shouted in exultation "At last- it's over!" Immediately, two people said "No- it's just started." Indeed- I'll cover that, too, tomorrow, in my convention wrapup.
I spend the rest of the evening, relaxing in the common area of Julie hall (where I was staying), talking about the week's events with volunteers, delegates, and others. It's been an exhausting week for everyone, and before I knew it, it was 5:30 AM.
I go outside, and, unlike the previous nights, it is already daybreak- the sky is bright, the birds are singing, a
nd I decide, instead of going to bed for two hours' sleep, after which I was due to wake up in a world of pain, I should just pack my bags, and head back to New Jersey, right then and there. After a frantic fifteen-minute session of throwing everything I had into my bags, I call a taxi, and at 7:00, find myself at Boston's south station.
At this point, I had been up for 23 and a half hours- my feet shot lightning bolts of pain into my legs with each and every step I took- I could barely keep my eryes open, and my entire body felt as if it were on the edge of breakdown. Fortunately, I secure a seat on a 9:30 train to DC, which will let me off in NYC in time to catch a 2:30 bus back to Montclair. I get no sleep on the train, as it was packed to the gills, and have to walk the short distance from Penn Station to the port authority. Under normal circumstances, this would be a short and pleasant walk- but that day, it was a trial- I walked 100 steps at a time- pushing out of my brain the pain in my feet, just concentrating on counting the steps- one by one.
I arrive home at 4:00, and immediately collapse into my familiar bed, into a sleep so deep that even my attention-starved cats cannot rouse me.
Fade to black- convention wrap-up tomorrow.