(no subject)

[violachic]

Despite a quickly plunging budget and an even more quickly plunging gas tank, I decided to brave the odds to get myself into the city tonight for a benefit concert for the American Friends Service Committe sponsored by Peace Chicago. Since I didn't have the fifteen dollars for the ticket, I was overjoyed when I saw they were looking for volunteers to help run the evening. When I got there, it turned out the volunteers weren't really needed like they thought, so I kind of just sat back and enjoyed the concert. But I'm really glad I went. The main performer was guitarist Muriel Anderson, who is a Chicago-area native, and was also raised in the Downers Grove meeting. I've heard her before, and although I was looking forward to hearing her again, it was jazz violinist Johnny Frigo and harmonica player Howard Levy I was super interested in. They were joined by a harpist, Jan Remer-Osborn. I wish I had stunning things to say about her, because although she was very good, she didn't play quite as much as the others, and she didn't seem to fit in with the whole jazz riff/improv kind of music the other three did.

On the whole, I'm incredibly happy I went. I met some people from the DG meeting, and I think I'll be comfortable going there some Sunday, hopefully this week.

I am so tired right now, or my update would be far more entertaining. So I'm going to bed.

Comments

[hapcollins.livejournal.com]

I may be way out of line here and confused, but I think the American Friends Service Committee was way too...uh...peaceful for my tastes. LOTS of good causes but way too flaky. Really interested in prisoner's rights, for instance, but only in that get grandma out of her house and have her waive a sign around kind of way.

I tend to feel the same way about peace activists.

I do say these things to stimulate and not to criticize/offend, by the way.

[violachic.livejournal.com]

I guess it all depends on your motivations. I guess it also depends on how hard you look at what's happening. AFSC may come off as flaky because they tend to blend very much into the background. They are, after all, a pacifist organization, and being Quakers, they don't call attention to themselves under any circumstances. If you look closely, you'll see that the AFSC has sponsored or co-sponsored pretty much every anti-war activity that has taken place in Chicago over the last two years, but more than that, they are a grassroots organization. They're really big on education, and sponsor seminars and workshops, and very often funnel money and vollunteers straight at the bottom of an issue- for instance, instead of standing around waving signs talking about the poverty and homelessness issues, they dive right into feeding people and trying to provide education and jobs for those who don't have them. Keep in mind, too, that there are a lot of things that fall under the basic headline of "peace". Also, I've come to dislike how freely the term "activist" is thrown around sometimes. The word "activism' in and of itself implies some kind of active role in what is going on, and in this I agree with you- those who simply stand around waving signs and chanting clever rhymes aren't peace "activists" unless they're actually doing something active besides filling up Federal Plaza from time to time. Sure, its nice to have the visibility, but its useless without grassroots activity.