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RIP Mr. Thomas
Author: Raine
Date: 01/26/2009 13:16:13
Are any of us this dedicated? On Friday, after sitting in front of the White House, under yellow tarp and board filled with flyers and posters asking for a peaceful end to American Nuclear Activities, William Thomas has left us. Many of you have seen him, or his ramshackle hut, in front of the White House. He and his wife, Ellen, were there for 27 years. He protested thru peace and non-violence. 
27 years is a long time. In 1988 he was taken to federal court. Seems as tho the administration at the time didn't want him in front of the White House. The White house lost, and he had been there ever since. (give or take a few months here and there). From the Prop1 Website: He sat in Lafayette Park (also known as Peace Park) right in direct view of the White House. If you have come to DC to protest, you will find yourself here at one point or another. Bob and I walked past it just last Monday night.
For myself, it was striking and amazing to see this for the first time in 2005. It was a little shabby looking, dated, ramshakle protest hut-- but something about this man and his wife shows determination and dedication to a cause. They would see protests and causes come and go, and yet, they were always there.
Can we say the same thing about ourselves? Mr. Thomas may never have seen an end to American nuclear activities, and we may never in our lifetime, but he was a source of inspiration to more than a generation of people both activists and tourists. He was willing to talk to anyone who came up to him. He was willing to peacefully buck the establishment. For or against what he believed in, one would always walk away from this site that he occupied for more than quarter century with something to think about.
No doubt he was willing to face those that thought he was anti-American thru the Reagan years, and the Bush years. He was there for the protests, the parades and even this last inauguration. He was a hero to some, an anti-American traitor to others. Much of it is documented in the diary kept here. However, he believed in a cause and stuck with it. Season after season, year after year.
He may not have stopped the Nukes, but he kept the flame of hope alive for a new generation of people in this country, that have dedicated at least-- at the very least-- a part of their own lives to making America a more peaceful place in whatever cause it may be.
Rest in Peace Mr. Thomas. Thank you for all you have done.
:peace: and
Raine
27 years is a long time. In 1988 he was taken to federal court. Seems as tho the administration at the time didn't want him in front of the White House. The White house lost, and he had been there ever since. (give or take a few months here and there). From the Prop1 Website:
Thomas' fast ended, but he remained to establish a fulltime, unpaid continuous forum in front of the White House. Thomas' message, "WANTED, WISDOM & HONESTY," has stood north of the White House day and night since 1981, except for a three-month period in 1988 when Thomas was sent to prison by U.S. Judges Flannery and Richey, who wanted to "deter others from adopting your lifestyle." He has patiently outlasted most of the police, the media, and even the eager regulation writers, who originally attempted to remove Thomas. Unlike 1981, it appears for now that the White House accepts the presence of the vigil. However, that is subject to change at any moment.
For myself, it was striking and amazing to see this for the first time in 2005. It was a little shabby looking, dated, ramshakle protest hut-- but something about this man and his wife shows determination and dedication to a cause. They would see protests and causes come and go, and yet, they were always there.
Can we say the same thing about ourselves? Mr. Thomas may never have seen an end to American nuclear activities, and we may never in our lifetime, but he was a source of inspiration to more than a generation of people both activists and tourists. He was willing to talk to anyone who came up to him. He was willing to peacefully buck the establishment. For or against what he believed in, one would always walk away from this site that he occupied for more than quarter century with something to think about.
No doubt he was willing to face those that thought he was anti-American thru the Reagan years, and the Bush years. He was there for the protests, the parades and even this last inauguration. He was a hero to some, an anti-American traitor to others. Much of it is documented in the diary kept here. However, he believed in a cause and stuck with it. Season after season, year after year.
He may not have stopped the Nukes, but he kept the flame of hope alive for a new generation of people in this country, that have dedicated at least-- at the very least-- a part of their own lives to making America a more peaceful place in whatever cause it may be.
Rest in Peace Mr. Thomas. Thank you for all you have done.
:peace: and
Raine
