As the sun set on the Ithaca Commons yesterday, the strumming of author Rich Zubaty’s guitar floated in front of See Spot Community Arts Space, accompanying lyrics such as “There was a president lying to me” and “We want our country back.”
While Zubaty was merely part of a three-person group singing his song “Impeach Bush Blues,” over 30 individuals came to his organized teach-in and later echoed similar views supporting the removal of America’s president.
According to Zubaty, the teach-in was organized a couple of months in advance with friend and muralist Daniel Burgevin. Zubaty, who considers himself “nomadic,” was frustrated with antiwar events and especially the Bush administration while living in Hawaii. He said that Bush has put America “in a state of fear that there was an imminent threat.”
“What Bush has done is he has lied about a war,” Zubaty said. “We have the worst president in a couple of hundred years.”
Each teach-in participant had three minutes to discuss his or her views on the Bush administration, its foreign policy and the reasons why Congress should impeach Bush.
“In a town like Ithaca, I felt if there was ever a place to discuss these issues, it’s here,” Burgevin said.
Many participants criticized Bush for the way he handled the situation in Iraq and his possible misinforming of the American public. While many accused the government of being overly influenced by corporations, one individual said Americans should take a page out of the French Revolution and “chop some heads off.”
“I want to be able to be proud of this,” said teacher Paula Berman while holding onto an American flag. “It is a symbol of freedom … not a symbol of the Republican Party.”
Others suggested that the reason why the impeachment is not an issue for Bush is because many Americans are afraid of speaking their mind.
Retired teacher Julie Weber said that she was puzzled over why Clinton’s impeachment case, which revolved around a “trivial issue,” gained so much fanfare when, she said, Bush fabricated evidence on several counts.
“A lot of people are seriously beginning to wonder if George Bush is the man to lead the country right now,” said Prof. Fred A. Wilcox, writing, Ithaca College. “I can’t recall a more arrogant person in the White House.”
Some individuals contended that the Democratic Party was equally responsible for not standing up to Bush. Because of the way he has handled various economic and political issues, one person said that even “Republicans say Bush can’t run this [country] properly.”
After the teach-in, Zubaty said that he was disappointed by the turnout. Weber said she would have liked the discussion to focus more on the issue of impeachment rather than “preaching to the choir,” although most, including Zubaty, were impressed by the different perspectives at the event.
“I think it’s really important that America builds a grassroots movement to remove the most powerful man in the world,” Burgevin said.
Zubaty is the author of two books, Corporate Cult and Your Brain is Not Your Own. He plans to go to Germany later this month to promote his books, which focus on “corporate takeover of the country.”
“Bush is a terrifying and terrible man,” Burgevin said. “It’s going to get much worse before it gets much better.”
Archived article by Brian Tsao