Granny D speaks at D.C. Counter-Inaugural
an article by Tony Dominski

With a Lincoln-esque eloquence, Doris "Granny D" Haddock [http://www.grannyd.com/] [http://democracyweek.org] spoke of the necessity and inevitably of renewing democracy in America on the occasion of the January 2005 Counter-Inaugural protesting the Bush presidency. Speaking in Malcolm X Park, in Washington D.C. she said: "The limousines of monstrous presumption whisk by us today, but we need not feel powerless, for the real power of history is always in the people's hearts and hands."

Granny D prophesized that today’s activists would be honored in history with this epitaph: "They saved the forests and mountains, the oceans, streams, the air, the Constitution and its Bill of Rights, they saved our ancient hope for a just world, for a peaceful world, where the highest potential of every human might be understood as the greatest resource of every society and nation."

Granny D, at the age of 89, began a walk across the country to demonstrate her concern for campaign finance reform, walking ten miles each day for fourteen months and making speeches along the way. When the New Hampshire Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate dropped out of the race in June 2004, she surprised everyone by deciding to challenge the incumbent at the age of 95!

As part of her Counter-Inaugural speech Granny outlined Gandhi’s five principles of non-violent resistance: 1) know the truth; 2) petition authority for a redress of grievances; 3) involve the conscience of the wider community; 4) if the powers that be will not remedy the problem, show the extent of your moral concern through personal sacrifice; and 5) finally, to graciously allow the powerful to save face in the final settlement because you must love them and meet them again.

In a statement reminiscent of Martin Luther King, Granny D said: "I have been in their jails and it's not so bad." Her personal example of sacrifice and non-violence is a powerful impetus towards a Culture of Peace.

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Does research show that nonviolence works?


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NON-VIOLENCE

LATEST READER COMMENT:

GRANNY D  Part IV -- last part
The limousines of monstrous presumption whisk by us today, but we need not
feel powerless, for the real power of history is always in the people's
hearts and hands. All the power of change is given by fate and history to
the courageous, who fear the loss of liberty and justice more than that
brief glimmer of life that sparkles through the eternity of who we are.
And so we take our parts in the great struggle between dark and light,
fear and love, between the withering decomposition of separation, and the
living joy of combination, cooperation and growth.

Let our neighbors, who have voted another way or not at all, see what we
are made of and what we are willing to do for love, for life, for justice.
Only a few more of them need step forward to our side for love and life
and justice to win. They will not step forward if we are not full of
courage and grace and beauty and most of all love. We will inspire them
with awe.. . ...more.

This report was posted on January 29, 2005. The moderator is Joe.

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