Ring Around The Federal Building

The photo above is from November 15, 2001 when a small group of Quakers were trying to project some sanity in front of the Federal building when all of America seemed to be going insane. They started a weekly vigil after we started bombing the hell out of Afghanistan on October 7, 2001 and they have been meeting every Thursday since from noon to 1PM.

The San Francisco Federal Building on Golden Gate between Polk and Larkin Street is one of those brutal modernist buildings from the late 1950s/early 1960s that can only be described as fascist architecture.





The vigil participants weren't all Quakers. There were a few Episcopalians, Catholics and Buddhists too. I'm not very sympathetic towards ANY organized religion, but these people were sincerely "spiritual" and lovely to be around for an hour.

Best of all, there were no megaphones or microphones with screaming people telling everyone how to think. My least favorite part of every anti-war rally I've attended in San Francisco is the people who love the sound of their own voices preaching to the choir. They make everyone stupid.

With this group, nobody tells you how to behave. You can hold a sign, or not, stand or sit, meditate quietly or chat up your neighbors. I had a wonderful conversation with Steve, who started out with an atheist Jewish father in Tennessee and who is now a Quaker in San Francisco. Go figure.









So here is the dream I had last night. It would only take about 2,000 people to completely encircle the Federal building with people projecting peaceful meditation. This wouldn't be about blocking the entrances but making our presence known and if it became a weekly thing, it would be a very powerful piece of theater. The warmongering kleptocracy now in charge in Washington, DC needs to know that we're watching and doing our best to turn their evil around. You can even visit Nancy Pelosi's office on the 14th floor afterwards and tell her creepy staff why you will not be voting for her this time around.

Plus, you might meet somebody interesting, and then you can go have lunch and maybe kiss, and well, the possibilities are endless. Please join the group. Every Thursday. Noon to 1PM.