MarcyWatch 2010 - Winograd for Congress June 8 - A Candidate of Conscience

Last Sunday, I was honored and thrilled that Marcy invited me to sing a song at the concert that her campaign held for her volunteers, the People's Concert for Winograd. Honestly, the celebrity level of the performers was way above mine - the lineup included Vonda Shepard, Chris Schifflet, the unbelievably amazing Lili Haydn, and others who are way more high-profile than I am, but Marcy was generous enough to include me. I sang the song that I sang at the launch of her campaign, Sam Cooke's "Change Gonna Come", because that is what I fervently hope, pray and work for; and getting Marcy Winograd into Congress will be a strong move in that direction.

The concert was incredibly inspiring, uplifting, and upbeat, but before it was over, Marcy interrupted the festivities to tell us about the Israeli military attack on the ship carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza, and to immediately denounce the attack.

Love her or hate her, Marcy Winograd is a candidate of conscience.

From Marcy's press release:

"Violence begets violence. Hatred begets hatred. Enough, we must stop this, and adhere to the laws that have been established by the international community. Working for peace and human rights for all is the only way forward. As a Jewish woman of conscience, I invite my opponent, Jane Harman, another Jewish woman, and all of Congress to join me in denouncing this kind of barbaric violence, demanding an end to the blockade, and seeking an international investigation into these murders. I recommit myself to working towards a true, just, and lasting peace."

Those of you who read me may notice I don't write much about the Israel/Palestine conflict. I try to write about matters on which I have some authority to speak, and while I certainly have my views on the subject, I do not feel qualified to pontificate on them. I have Jews in my family who have lost uncounted relatives to the Holocaust, and I have close Jewish friends, some of whom see Marcy's views as a betrayal of the Jewish people. As Marcy herself states, she has been vilified by many in the Jewish community for these views, and taken a lot of political heat for them. And, in a congressional race where she faces a wealthy, long-time Democratic incumbent, it could possibly mean the difference between winning and losing that race.

Marcy is a peace activist, first and foremost. She is a founder of L.A. Jews for Peace, and she believes down to her very bones that all people are entitled to live in peace - including Palestinians. This view does not always endear her to what, as a Jewish woman, would be considered her 'base'. It is not a politically convenient view to hold or support. But Marcy Winograd is a woman of principle, and these core principles are not negotiable, nor are they for sale or barter.

And in this morass of bought-and-paid-for politicians which is our current Congress, a candidate of convictions, a candidate of conscience, is a candidate who we desperately need in office. We have too many Democratic members of Congress who 'talk left, and move right', if they talk left at all. We need a Congressperson who can make some dents in the armor of corporate-cash-controlled policy. We need someone to represent for the people, not the profit margin. We need someone who knows that if you truly believe in freedom, you cannot ask for freedom for yourself and deny it to others.

We need Marcy Winograd, a candidate of conscience, in Congress.

To learn more about the Winograd For Congress campaign, visit Winograd for Congress website: http://www.winograd4congress.com/ - or - Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/WinogradForCongress

This week is crucial! You can support Marcy by donations, phone-banking, precinct-walking, or - just tell a friend. Pass the word along.

Vote for Marcy this coming Tuesday, June 8