Here's the Scoop on the San Diego Protest - 5/13/05

Hi All,

Hope I remember everything...

As you know we were protesting at the San Diego Domestic Violence Council's annual fundraising event, for a host of issues involving representatives from several organizations.

We had over 60 people that said they would show up, I think 14 made it, six short of what I'd really hoped for. Nonetheless it was a great time.

You can see pictures here: <http://mensbiz.net/gpage.html2.html> If you have dial up it could take awhile for the pictures to load, but I believe they all uploaded at 72K so you might be able to do it without smoking your computer.

I only had one opportunity to run around and get some pictures, so I did not get pictures of everyone, though I remember Art and James showing up. So whoever I forgot please forgive my memory and thank you very much for being there. Dave Bruer was there too, but inside working with the band. Nice to
have at least one of us in there. Maybe he can give us some scuttlebutt feedback.

FOX News filmed outside for over two hours, then went into the gala to see what they had to say. I guess we'll have to wait until the segments air for the inside information, as it were.

It appears there may be three segments: (1) a follow up interview with Ray regarding Blumhorst v. Jewish Social Services, and all (2) a follow up with Taron re his last paternity fraud hearing (3) and an interview with Erica regarding I don't know what. Regardless, FOX 6 has given our issues fair hearing over the past year. I've lost count of their features re our issues, but it's around 16, maybe more.

A channel 8 (some major network) came by, saw a FOX interview in progress, checked things out without getting out of the truck, and drove off. Not sure what that was about.

I'd made arrangements with the police the day before. An officer showed up around 5:00 to explain what was what. Same as last time. All we had to do was stay on public property, not impede pedestrian or vehicle traffic, and mind our Ps and Qs (whatever those are). An hour or so later the duty Sergeant showed up. Nice no nonsense woman who seemed fair and was used to not taking any shi... well, being heard let's say. I expected no problems.

Right. One of the Rowdy Bunch, someone in a profession who should know better, decided to take two big signs through the parking lot to or through the gala venue's back entry way, where he was apparently stopped by the building manager. What happened isn't all that clear, but the building manager came out to talk with me. He wasn't real happy and said our guy had threatened him. Great. So I explained the rules to our guy and figured that was the end of it. No such luck. Thirty or so minutes later No Nonsense Sgt shows up and she ain't all that happy. She, me, and the building manager had a conversation that went Ok, but then she headed off to still not all that pleased to share her thoughts with our guy. There is no doubt whatsoever in my mind that he clearly understood her. There were no more incidents. That
sort of advocacy is fine if you don't live where you protest or work with the people you are protesting. But it doesn't help accomplish a thing.

My friend from Catholic Social Ministries (the Director), we'll call him Kent, was there and told me there next newsletter will have an article in opposition to the reauthorization of VAWA, which was certainly good news and might help at least get some gender inclusive language included before they reauthorize it, which will surely happen. It created lots of employment and political debt, along with broken families of course.

The Center for Community Solutions (CCS) is the largest provider of DV related services in the county. The women who runs the place, I can never remember her name but she's always treated me with respect, came up as Kent and I were talking. She wanted to know why we were protesting. I explained. She said her organization had nothing to with killing AB1307, Shared Parenting, but she agreed that the SDDVC should have sent through their list serve my response to the CA Women's Law Centers puff piece on the Blumhorst case.

A homeless man with three children under the age of five had asked me for help. He had already called every and any possible place for shelter and was unable to get a hotel voucher. I talked to him just before Kent and the Director of CCS showed up. I explained the story and made another pitch for shelter space for men and their children. Kent encouraged the CCS Director to have lunch with me to talk about it when all of a sudden and totally unexpectedly she said something promising. She said one of their facilities
has four major sections. She thought one of them could be converted into shelter space for men! So, I'll follow up on that and see where it goes. For you pessimists go ahead with those negative thoughts. Me, well, the foot's in the door and I intend to keep it there until we have some shelter space.

There's no way to thank Ray enough for all the signs, t-shirts, and other stuff he brought and does. He's a one man factory when it comes to protest signs and shirts, and he brought all of them, with which our 14 or so protesters looked like considerably more for sure. We had enough big signs to line them up across No Name 2's (see pictures for No Name 2 but not his truck), surround Ray's station-wagon, and tape two to the back of both my and Taron's car.

Around 5:00 p.m. there was an injury accident within a block or so of where we were. The accident caused traffic to back up on University Avenue, a major street, where we were picking on two corners. Needless to say we got a lot of honks, thumbs up, and smiles, and one or two impolite finger flips. There were also some gawking and numerous women drivers who were either in a state of shock or shamed, since they had to look away. Numerous people on foot stopped to talk and ask for literature.

As we started packing up the homeless man with three children came by again with his daughter. There is apparently some place near where they were able to get decent food of which he was carrying back to his other children. They still had no place to sleep. After they walked by Michael thought we should go get them and walk them into the gala en masse. I didn't tell Michael, but I don't like using children that way, though I really liked the idea and we probably should have done it. By now the man and his daughter had a block head start on us. Michael wanted to go get them, but I told him I'd catch up with them instead, though I'm not sure why I did that. No matter, in route it occurred to me that between us protesters we could probably raise the cash for a hotel room. The man had shelter beginning the next day but no
where to stay the night with his children. And that's what we did.  Everyone chipped in and we gave him enough for a hotel room and breakfast for him and the children.

Pay back will be a mother. I intend to share that story at the next Council meeting. They can afford the gala, but not vouchers. Something wrong with that picture or is it me?

I know I'm forgetting something and someone, I'm truly sorry if I am, but it's been a long weekend and I need sleep. If I think of anything else, I'll pass it along.

Speaking of which, I just remembered that someone up Washington way told the FM talk radio station 100.7 The Buzz about the protest. They called and interviewed me for about ten minutes. The show is "The BJ Shea Experience." I guess it's been on for ten years or so and it's five hours long. The producer said the interview went well, so it either did or he's a smooth talker.

For all of you that helped in so many ways, thank you, thank you, thank you.

Harry