Well, The People's Convention went very well yesterday capped off by great speeches by Nina Turner and Jill Stein. I am typing this from my iPad at which I am not particularly adept at adding links, but if you go to this website

https://thepeoplesrevolution.org/

you should be able to view them in the live stream of the event.

Nina was incredibly authentic and gracious and flat out amazing to meet. She delivered such a powerful message. She started out condemning Hillary and the DNC for what wiki leaks revealed about the collusion between the Clinton campaign and the Democratic Party establishment to deny Bernie the nomination. Very righteous anger, but then she spoke about all the steps we need to keep taking to keep our movement alive. If you can catch her speech on video I recommend it.

The big news she revealed was that she int intends to stay in the Democratic Party rather than run as a third party candidate, because in her own words "I wouldn't give them the satisfaction" of leaving. She stated she is firmly in the Bernie Sanders wing of the Democratic party and her goal is to do all that she can to work with anyone to change our political culture.

As she said, she is not afraid of competition, and in a real democracy no one should be, as the people with the best values and policies should win. Sadly that is not the case now for either of our two "major parties" who do their best to kill competition either from the right or the left so they can do the work for their corporate masters, work that is literally killing not only our society but our planet. She ended on a high note encouraging everyone to keep fighting because this year proved that the times have changed forever in our. Political landscape and we are not going away no matter what the mainstream media or the major parties do.

Then she turned over the mike to Jill Stein, who also gave a very powerful and I felt authentic speech. She again reiterated her offer for Bernie to join the Greens to run as their candidate although I doubt that will happen.

I was impressed with her knowledge of the issues, the depth of her passion and her ability to communicate. She asked for our help to get her high enough in the polls to get in the Presidential debates, and I sincerely hope we can make that happen. She is a much better speaker than Hillary or the Donald and would give voice to the issues that both of them are ignoring, such as trade agreements like the TPP, racial injustice, immigration reform, and climate change. She wants to change our energy use to to 100 percent renewable energy by 2030.

She received some of her loudest applause from the people gathered there in the heat of that old Quaker Meeting House with her call to end our large defense budgets and our constant military interventions overseas that have gained us nothing but the enmity do millions living in those war zones. Her appeal to support Black Lives Matter and Native Americans in their struggle with prejudice and a racist justice and economic system also drew loud hurrahs from all assembled.

Afterwards she hung around to talk to the media and let people take selfies with her. My daughter who is now a confirmed Green (as are many of her friends) and Jill supporter got her selfie with Jill just before the biggest thunderstorm I've seen in a long time fell down on us from the skies as if God himself was anointing our movement. In any case we all got "baptized."

One thing I did learn was that the heat here this week is so dangerously high that I fear for the people who will be marching in the streets. For myself, I reluctantly have chosen to avoid the marches, as my health is poor. I believe the possibilitY of death from heat stroke is very likely, particularly for the old and very young.

Finally, I had the great opportunity and honor to meet up with several members of the c99 community, including Joe and his wife, Mark from Queens, his wife and 7 month old baby, Mimi, Alison Wunderland who has been such a great friend to me in arranging our housing and helping us get around the city to be where we need to be, and Doug from Philly (sorry Doug I didn't learn you name here at c99 for which I apologize). After the storm passed we found a place to eat and then went to a park near Independence Mall where we could hear ourselves talk and we all had a great time. It was great to meet them all.

I wish I was up to doing more and reporting on all the events going on this week but I am afraid you wil have to rely on other sources than I. I have limitations and a strict nursemaid (my daughter) who refuses to let me overdo what I am capable of doing, which at the moment isn't much. Still, the week of counter demonstrations and movement building got off to a great start at the People's Convention yesterday, and I am proud to have been part of what I consider an historic moment in our country.

Take care all and never ever give up.

Sincerely,

Steven D