Mail your shoes to President Bush campaign
I admire Muntader al-Zaidi, the cameraman for al-Baghdadiya TV, who threw his shoes at President Bush during the recent press conference with the Iraqi Prime Minister. It is great that al-Zaidi turned to non-violent protest, rather than to violence.
In the past, anger has transformed into violent protest and what al-Zaidi did — in the noble fashion of African American hip-hop artist and rap singer Kanye West (who said President Bush doesn’t like Black people during a live NBC broadcast to raise money for the victims of Hurricane Katrina in September 2005) — was to reinforce the idea that non-violent protest works.
I have just mailed my shoes to Bush and I hope you will do the same.
Here is the mailing address:
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
In fairness, please indicate on the box that this is the “Shoe Protest” Campaign so they know what is involved.
I hope you will join me. Also, take a picture of yourself sending the shoes and then go to Facebook and post your picture there on the “Mail Your Shoes to President Bush” group that I created.
– Ray Hanania
www.radioChicagoland.com
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Awesome!! lol..
I’m definitely doing this.
We have a brand new report on the Mahdi Army. You can see it here
http://krunchd.com/bushshoemix
Compilation of Iraqi Bush-ShoeBomber Remixes
That is pathetic. Al-Zaidi was a former Baathist who supported Saddam Hussein and his war crimes and now you admire him? Where was Al-Zaidi and other pathetic losers like him to protest Saddam when he was slaughtering hundreds of thousands of people? Now he throws a shoe because he’s sour his genocidal party was ousted and you admire him?
Pathetic.
Source?
FYI, supporting Bush is really no different than supporting any other dictator. Same guys in different suits. One is open about his war crimes the other has an army of propagandists to cover it up for him with words like “liberty.”
I don’t particularly care about al-Zaidi’s politics, but many of us here second this specific gesture. Bush is not respected regionally, his war crimes will not be excused, a shoe flying over his head is the least he should get as a farewell message.
We’re sending the shoes.
Go read the Iraq blogs. I saw it in several places. It was reported on CNN as well.
And neither are Saddam’s war crimes excused, except I am beginning to wonder if some people here might have excused him since I have rarely ever seen a mention of Saddam’s war crimes on this site.
Care about Al-Zaidi’s politics or don’t care but your cheering him on, your “thanking” him, and your “admiration” for him has become an attempt to turn a Baathist genocide-supporting racist into a hero. Again, I will repeat, are you willing to cheer the rhetoric of some terrorists in Afghanistan or Pakistan too?
Alan you’re actually not a reader of this site. Because if you were, then you’d notice the many posts by Kurds who reported on their lives under Saddam, or our campaigns where we repeatedly condemned Saddam’s regime wholeheartedly. But the same number of Iraqis have reported on their lives under the American occupation and most of them do not have sweet stories to share.
I don’t recall anyone here calling al-Zaidi a hero, you seem to be exaggerating. I don’t care if it was you or if it was al-Zaidi throwing the shoe, the message will be the same regardless of your background.
Completely incomparable and irrelevant. Again, it was a shoe thrown at him. Not a grenade.
Okay, you still didn’t get it. Let me break it down:
Al-Zaidi supports Saddam’s genocidal campaign.. kills people. (Clearly, you condemn that?)
Al-Zaidi throws a shoe in protest.. and now you admire him.
Terrorist throws grenade.. kills people. (Clearly, you condemn that?)
Terrorist gives speech later about Bush’s bad policies in the M/E.. do you admire him now?
Sigh. I had already and clearly replied to all of your claims.
1) To me, it was simply a journalist who threw a shoe at Bush.
Throwing a shoe at President Bush = Direct oppostion to the American occupation of Iraq.
2) I do not support al-Zaidi’s politics because, in fact, I do not know them. I was not even aware of the journalist’s name until Ray revealed it here. So all this talk about terrorism is really beyond the message of this thread, which simply aims to continue the oppostion to the American occupation in Iraq and the crimes committed against innocent Iraqi civilians.
3) Not a single author (of the two posts written so far on this incident) actually supported and discussed the background of the journalist, which, again, makes your argument incorrect in its conclusion.
Agreeing with this specific message is not a form of admiration. I can agree with something you say and not admire you, it’s simple as that Alan.
You have yet to prove where anyone here has declared al-Zaidi a hero, this is a claim that you made quite a lot and yet you do not back it with anyone’s quotes regarding him as such.
Well actually that is not a very logical way of putting it, I should clarify that in this particular incident, this is what it looked like to me: he was throwing the shoes as a form of opposition to Bush’s crimes in Iraq, and it was not possibly clear that this guy was a Baathist. People supportive of the gesture are against supportive of its message and not necessarily the person, many of whom still don’t even know.
We are having this exact conversation in 2 threads so I will stick to the previous one for any further remarks.
Alan is a terrorist and a nazi… why because I said so. Go die you Jew killer…
Ohh I’ll retract this if you show me proof about the shoe thrower being supporter of a Saddam’s brutal genocidal regime.
Freedom of speech? Don’t make me laugh. I suppose you are from a part of the world that respects that?
Anyways, read the rules, and again, try to learn some maturity while you’re at it…
“Feel free to take part in our discussions and debates. Please be respectful and aware that what you say is only your opinion and may not agree with other points of views. Absolutely no hate speech or defamation will be tolerated. Be smart and comment smart. Read our comment policy to find out how not to annoy us.”
Of course, I am a Canadian, the nation of peacekeepers, not the nation of barbaric invaders.
It applies to you also and learn how to debate an argument and main thing about is provide proof or your argument is invalid.
Okay you made me laugh. Nation of peacekeepers as if Canada is so innocent of the world’s crimes? Wow, from Baathists to nationalist Canadians. Now I’ve seen it all…
I was debating with people who are worth debating. I choose to pass on debating with offensive people like yourself who can’t seem to put together one sentence without inserting an insult.
I think that people should just ignore Alan. Namecallers and racists have no place on this or any reasonable site.
Hey, did you the racist murdering pigs in Blackwater who murdered those 16 Iraqi civilians are going to be charged with manslaughter. That’s something to celebrate. War criminals in Iraq will be punished. And wait until Obama takes control from President Shoeless Joe Jackson Bush. There will be more war crimes indictments.
Ray Hanania
PS … I sent my old shoes to Bush tonight Priority Mail to the White House.
let me first say I like this Idea. Myself and many people I know will soon be adding to Mr. Bush’s shoe collection.
I feel in the 8 years under Mr. Bush’s leadership has he done nothing to move us forward as a nation…All he’s done is throw us back 40 years into a world of fear and repression. I only hope the next 4 years of new leadership sheds light on just how badly Bush’s policies and actions have contributed to the decline of this country, its people getting poor and rich getting richer…. to our wildlife our environment and our foreign relations.
What a disgusting display of complete utter disrespect to someone who the Iraqi people should be thanking for helping to liberate them from a vicious evil dictator that attacked his neighbors, murdered and tortured his own people, refused them freedom and held them down over decades by fear. What this display shows me and the rest of the world is that the Iraqi’s were never really ready to have freedom. It’s a slap in the face to every American that gave his or her life in liberating them and kick in the shin to every single tax payer in the United States that helped pay for their liberation with their hard earned tax payer dollars and got nothing back in return accept for harsh words against them and disrespect to their leaders that championed their cause. Simply disgusting!
Sure, “M” …t hanks for coming in. Replacing one dictator with another. Great. Really thankful. So happy you came and destroyed an entire country. Nice. So you remove one oppressor and replace himw ith another? Yea, right. Just what the Iraqis wanted. oh, yes. I forgot. The Iraqis never asked the American soldiers to invade and destroy half their country. Halliburton and Blackwater did. Cute.
Ray hanania
Great Ray, way to show people another ignorant response. So Ray, what do you think would happen to a reporter that through a shoe at Saddam at a press conference? Bullet in the head maybe? Wait a second, there wouldn’t be a press conference it was an actual dictatorship were the president had people murdered for looking at him the wrong way let alone throwing a shoe at him. Saddam would probably have killed his whole family for that offence. Maybe you want that back Ray?
Puhleeeaase. What a phoney you are. The reporter was dragged out covered in blood practically and the guards were yelling don’t kick him in the face. Nice. What? You work for the Shah, the acceptable kind of mass murderer. What’s the difference between Saddam Hussein’s murderous spree and yours? Nothing. The reporter threw a shoe and he is a HERO in the eyes of most in the Arab World and Bush is a dictator who, hopefully when Barack Obama takes office, will be prosecuted for war crimes and the murder of innocent women, children, old people, and for the murder of persecuted political activists.
A bullet in the head? That’s what Bush’s soldiers do to innocent Iraqis who dare to challenge his dictatorship.
Of course, I served in the US military during the Vietnam War. You’re probably just some rightwing nutjob who talks the talk but can’t walk the walk. Enlist and go fight, if you want to. But for me, personally, I try to tell every American kid who asks not to join the military and to oppose the war in Iraq. Things will change, Bush and Cheney will be punished, and the occupiers will get their due — like Halliburton and Blackwater. Yeah baby!
Ray Hanania
K Ray, first of all take a valium. Second, it sounds like you need a hug!
So to sum it up Ray, why don’t you just say you’d rather have Saddam back in power? No need to go into histerics.
I’m sorry, my shoe is worth more to me than my President. I can live conveniently without regressive tax cuts, but I can’t live easily without the orthopedic function my shoe provides. Also, thanks to the economic damage from eight years of free trade nonsense coupled with war, I can’t afford another shoe.
But its the spirit that matters…
Dear M:
1. What you fail to understand is that there was absolutely no legitimate reason for Bush and his tambourine bashing religious right wing cheer squad to charge into Iraq. Therefore his war was illegitimate. Therefore Bush is a war criminal who has the blood of thousands of Americans and Iraqis – and heaven knows how many more potential millions on his hands because of the chaos BUSH INTRODUCED TO THE MIDDLE EAST.
2. BUSH, CHENEY, POWELL, RICE and the rest of the gang of morons – were interested in one thing OIL (GET IT NOW — UNDERSTAND???)
3. They are only interested in furthering their own financial objectives – regardless of the cost in body bags etc etc.
4. Name one attack on U.S. soil that was ever conducted by Saddam Hussein?
5. I’m not for one minute saying that Saddam was anything other than a murdering bastard – of the worst kind.
6. However, he was, like it or not – a head of state – in his country. Under international law that Sovereignty stands. Is disgusting behaviour to his own people – does not justify military action by the United States.
7. Bush and Co. simply got the smartest PR guys into the room – created a miasma of fear and bullshit – and brainwashed the religious nutcases into backing him – and hoodwinked Americans into a state of fear — gained control of the moment – and deployed troops into Iraq — the same troops who are still paying the heaviest of prices for his idiocy.
8. It’s a pity that Bush’s trip into Baghdad wasn’t leaked. Maybe then the Iraqis could have done the job properly — and Obama would have been able to get on with the job early and start cleaing up this moron’s mess.
9. Bush has murdered, lied and caused chaos throughout the world — and now a total financial mess — and you still have the gall to breathe a word of support for him.
10. All I can say is just go back into you cave — and let the rest of the world ignore your now irrelevent, outdated — so very yesterday views!
You call hurling shoes at someone non-violent protest? seriously? Explain.
Some dick threw a shoe at Bush…. woooooo …. and how wanting are people for heroes that they revere this schmuck?
Yeah, Bush is at best and idiot, at worst a war criminal – but why talk about him? Why even worry about it? Isn’t the Lord and Savior about to go into the White House? Can’t we stick it out for another month or so until the second coming? Sorry for the Christian religious references – I’m pretty sure I saw Obama’s picture with a halo around his head, so I just assumed. So, if I offended any of you ragheads, or skinheads, or potheads, or dickheads, or Canadians…I truly apologize…
Hey, I have an idea – instead of sending your shoes to Bush – send them to Obama. Maybe he can “change” them into something. Lampshades or something. Don’t forget: “Yes he can!”…. LOL
OH – or maybe you can send your shoes to some homeless people who can actually use them. Nothing like supporting your fellow man. As a matter of fact, if you have any size 11 tennis shoes in decent shape, send them to me – I need a new pair. Or boots – I need some good boots.
Wow Joe…nice numbers. You’re revisionist history is sadly funny and unfortunate but I guess it’s what you need to believe in order to justify your hate and I feel sorry for you. As an American, I never supported the war and I never supported the hundreds of millions of dollars we spent liberating the Iraqi’s with no oil money or help in return to pay us back for our effort. And, as you may have read in the papers recently, the largest oil contract given out by the Iraqi government went to China-another slap in the face to every taxpayer in the US that helped pay for the war and every US soldier that died liberating the Iraqi’s from the tyranny of Saddam rule. You may have your little opinion on the war Joe but you writing that it’s ok and justified to mount a physical attack against a sitting US President is not ok, it’s a crime in the US and its shameful that you would even think it but i guess it’s expected by hate mongers like yourself.
I’m confused – I thought throwing your shoes at someone was a sign of respect in Western cultures…?
Oh, and before someone picks on my comment, it was a reference to the way news articles kept emphasizing how throwing a shoe at someone is considered an offence in Arab cultures.
it was the ultimate sign of the reporter being of barbarians….! sorry for you all iraqi him-supporters !
Yes Sha…politicians are NEVER pelted in those oh-so-enlightened Western countries.
This is a hilarious statement, in a very disturbing way.
Of course when a Western journalist resorts to this, he was merely “angry.” But God forbid an Arab does something like this, oh the barbarism!
Such racism is pathetic and immature. Grow up, “Sha.”
Just to show you that “Alan” and “M”: are liars –
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/7785338.stm
He had no ties whatsoever to the past regime and his family was even tortured by Saddam Hussein’s regime. So now we know that the liars are here not to engage in debate but to, well, throw their lies.
Here’s a shoe to both of them!
- Ray hanania
http://www.RadioChicagoland.com
Al Jazeera writes: Shoe-thrower ‘tortured in custody’
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I’m a racist and I called people names? Since when?
Last time I checked, Jina was the one who called me a “fucking little moron” and a “nazi” and none of the admins on this site seemed to object…
Ray – go ahead and throw your shoes at whoever you want. My objection here was to say that it is foolish for anyone to “admire”, or personify as a hero, someone just because he throws a shoe when his resume says he supports genocide and murder…
If it ever happens again, I hope the next guy throws the second shoe at Maliki.
Hey,
o Please ensure it is size 10, used shoe.
o This should become an amercican tradition. Old size 10 shoes should be collected and sent to G B’s library every 15 of December.
o An American tradition the likes of “Thanks giving”. A traditional celebration of cleaning out the native indians who first offered you turkey and pumping pies to see you through winters.
Couple of hundred years of culture and traditions you have. Iraq : 7000 years recorded history.
To America : The Power.
Ok I don’t really care about who the guy was that threw his shoes at Bush, or even who he supported. It’s still downright hilarious and it is a novel idea. Mailing your shoes to the WH does NOT mean you support terrorism, contrary to what some of you intellectual failures think.
Also, Joe, I don’t think that Idea would work, since Bush will no longer be in office after January. But until then I think everyone should feel free to mail away!!! Ha!
My brother seems to think I’ll now be put on a watch list of some sort since I chose to protest in the manner of the “Shoe-In”. I’m not sure what to think of that…I suppose if they jail us for mailing shoes in a peaceful protest, it’s certainly a sign that something has gone terribly awry with America.
Unbelievable…I don’t know what’s more funny; the whole shoe incident or that it has generated one of the liveliest discussions on this forum without mentioning Israel.
I’m replacing my old work boots this week; they are a set of high tech, steel toe/plate monsters that have broken down twice as fast as my usual Kodiaks, seams ripped early, sole cracked in a spot, basically a lotta hype, poor workmanship and design resulting in an inferior product that is best replaced in the interests of safety and comfort.
Guess who’s getting them for Christmas?
Do Americans actually feel upset about not getting a “reward” for invading Iraq? Really? Are the American readers of this debate actually upset that the people of Iraq aren’t more grateful for the last few years? Thats like a rapist being offended that his victim didn’t thank him for using a condom…
Hey Eric … No, most Iraqis ARE NOT happy about what the American invasion forces have done to their country because the truth is what they see and the Bush administration is trying to hide, that Bush is another form of a Saddam Hussein, just doing it in a different way. Bush replaced one tyrrany with another. I know your big issues is Israel and everyone knows Israe’s hawks in the Bush administration sought this war because Saddam Hussein was the first Arab leader to fire missiles at Israel that actually hit Israel — instead of always seeing Arab countries get bombed and nothing happens to Israel. That’s changed, though, hasn’t it? Now, when there is a conflict, Israelis pay the same price as the Arabs. Maybe that’s when conflicts will stop when both people start feeling the pain … terrorism and conflict.
The man who threw his shoes was beaten, had three ribs broken and a broken arm. And you know what, the people who defend Bush say 1) it’s not true (but they won’t allow anyone to investigate it) and 2) he deserved more, like getting shot.
Wow. That’s Bush Democracy? bush is a tyrant. A demagogue and a mass murderer. He deserves to be prosecuted for War Crimes and one day that just might happen. Dick Cheney — the ant-Christ (althought hat is really unfair to the anti-Christ) deserves to be imprisoned for his own war crimes.
So, you can sit there and pretend everything is better, because you really don’t care for the people of Iraq. You care only about Israel. That’s fine. No problem. But don’t pretend like the conflict in Iraq has made anything better.
I have relatives who are Iraqi (by marriage and they hated Saddam Hussein and they hate President Bush. And they are Christians. Assyrians, do love Bush because they were a persecuted minority under Saddam Hussein, and Bush has favored them. But the majority of Iraqis, who are Arab, don’t support Bush either.
But then, this isn’t about fairness. It’s about hwo isin control. I can’t wai tuntil Obama brings our soldiers home and the new criminals in the al-Maliki government face the sam consequences that Bush did. I can’t wait till those murders in Blackwater are prosecuted — finally — for murdering innocent Iraqi civilians.
The difference between youa nd I is I care about ALL innocent Iraqis. You only care about the ones who satisfy your own political agenda, it seems.
Ray Hanania
http://www.RadioChicagoland.com
PS … my radio show is broadcast online live from 8-9:30 Chicago CST time on the Internet, and broadcast in video also
M, you’re right. And, since peoples “freed from tyranny” are so ungrateful, please, tell your governement to refrain of doing it again. You’ll see the whole world will truly appreciate it, indeed.
PS: my shoes already on the mail
In Washington DC,on January 19th, which is Bush’s last day in office people will converge near the White House for what may prove to be a cathartic action of hurling shoes at Bush, in the spirit of Mutadhar Al-Zaidi,
and in solidarity with the Iraqi people.
This will be a historic marker for the end of a dark time in American history and a fitting tribute to a war criminal. The visual of thousands of people throwing their shoes as Bush leaves office will go around the globe and the world will heave a collective sigh of relief!
SEND OLD SHOES to SHOES FOR BUSH Headqtrs. see web site http://WWW.SHOEBUSH.ORG (up by 12/22) WE have no bomb sniffing dogs at our post office. We will transport your shoes to DC in a U-Haul. on the other hand if people send shoes to the White House they will go to a remote location and Bush will never even know.
email jamillaelshafei@gmail.com for more info
Activists are planning a SHOES for Bush action on his last day in office. The shoe hurling on Bush’s last day in office will be a historic marker and a fitting tribute. SEND ORGANIZERS YOUR SHOES IF YOU CAN’T JOIN US IN DC
http://WWW.SHOEBUSH.ORG (content added12/22)
Hi everyone!
Don’t worry about the “watch list” thing or anything like that. Mailing stuff to the White House is no big deal — the U.S.Post Office is used to this. It all goes to some special place where it’s x-rayed and checked upsdie-down-and-backwards, and chances of Bush ever seeing what you send are slim to nil. However, it’s the thought that counts. SOMEBODY has to receive the package, and document it, and it would be great to hear that the White House got a million old shoes sent to it! Oh, here’s the address:
President George W. Bush
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
fyi, I just mailed two pairs of my old smelly shoes to Bush on Saturday, December 20, 2008. They won’t make it for Christmas, but it will be pretty close (and like I said, it’s the thought that counts
Jim,
If you have another pair send them to Maine and we will bring them to DC and hurl them over the WHITE HOUSE gate for you!
I hope the White House mail room is overwhelmed with shoes!
http://www.shoebush.org
Just in case any of you were wondering, throwing a shoe at someone is not considered an act of non-violence. Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. were both advocates of non-violence. This is an attitude and has nothing to do with how lethal the weapons you use are.
The people in power use violence to divide and conquer, and in your attacks above it is my opinion that you are playing into their game. If you are interested in peace (who knows, maybe you are not), forget about the world stage, you’ve got to start with yourself and your internet posts.
G said “throwing a shoe at someone is not considered an act of non-violence”. Agreed. What Muntader al-Zaidi did may have been “violent”, but we are talking THREE STOOGES “pie-throwing” violence here — utterly harmless. The real violence happened AFTER he did this, as he was beaten up rather severely by Iraqi security forces right there in the press room, which everyone had to cringe at and try to ignore. THAT was the real violence that happened that day. This is also why the man is a hero. He knew he wouldn’t be killed, like Saddam would have done to him, but he also knew he wouldn’t be walking out of there without a scratch, and possibly be tortured, which is in fact what happened.
As for this campaign, MAILING our shoes to BUSH is clearly non-violent in every way shape and form. Bush will never see these shoes, but it’s the thought that counts. Someone, somewhere, has to count all of these packages to the White House, and it would be wonderful to hear Bush got thousands of shoes mailed to him during his last weeks in office… but we must hurry! We only have a few weeks left!
FYI -
Sock and Awe
Ray,
Please mention on your radio show that on Monday, January 19th, people from across the country will be converging at Dupont Circle at 11:00am with their old shoes for a rally then march to the White House with shoes to hurl.
Speakers include David Swanson from After Downing Street http://www.afterdowningstreet.org and Debra Sweet from World Can’t Wait http://www.worldcantwait.org
if people can’t make it to DC they can offer to be a shoe collector in their community then either bring the shoes to DC or mail them to: SHOES 23 Pleasant St Kennebunk,ME 04043 After the action all shoes will be donated to the needy in the DC area email: organizer@shoebush.org
I sure hope you idiots mail your shoes to Obama when he moves all the military from Iraq to Afghanistan as he has promised.
If you can’t respect the man, at least respect the office.
Sorry…I can’t afford to replace my shoes right now. Maybe Dumya should send me his shoes?
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