Protests and vigils.

My first was in 2004 that was an effort to prevent the state of California from preventing the official confirmation of the election with Bush Jr as the winner. I attended one tea party event and several gay marriage events. I've gotten a bit radical in my old age.

I participated in a peaceful protest, several years ago, during the second uprising in the West Bank. There were NGO's, students, and foreign aid workers, etc in the march. We moved the "blockade" that the IDF placed in the center of a major street (they were mostly large boulders), to prevent Palestinians from going to their everyday jobs, hospitals, and schools. After we moved them over, we sat down peacefully (many, many of us) near the "blockade" remains. The IDF came and in their tanks and Humvees and lined up. My friends and I were talking in English how it was so cool to be participating, there were reporters there too. The IDF soldier heard us and said in English, "You Americans should leave." They then shot tear gas at everyone of us. This tear gas that they use is nothing like what was used for protests here (it will choke you up for several days after). I went home and took a shower for an hour. It was frightening, the way we had to run, because we didn't know if they would shoot us in our backs too, not just tear gas us (which they have done before, to innocent bystanders, including myself). It is a moment I will never forget. People have mixed feelings about the Israel-Palestine situation, but being American, I can tell you, they do not care about anyone but themselves, and I don't care if that is not "politically correct" with other Americans. Until they go there and experience what the IDF is capable of, they have no right to be naysayers.

I was in a protest once where as an abandoned building remained there for several years and several young little girls were taken there against their will and raped by different bad men. So as a community we lined up in front of the abandoned building and created this huge protest so that the alderman did something to get the building demolished. So the news media was there and we succeeded as immediately the building got torn down. It was a shame that it had to come to that as so many very young little girls were hurt before they finally listened.