One of the Founders of the Columbus Metropolitan Club, Mrs. Mary Lazarus, came up to me after the July 10th Luncheon and thanked Puffin West for sponsoring the event. I replied that the thanks went to her and the vision she shared with other strong-minded women 37 years ago that made this Forum so, and I then kissed her hand. We are fortunate to be living in Columbus, Ohio- it has so many crossroads that allow us to take exceptional journeys with amazing people, some who live here and some who are passing or dropping by.
An incredible thing began to happen here the last few weeks. Well, it really began back on March 25th with a faint percolation of an idea that begat a partnership and now a friendship between the Columbus Metropolitan Club and the Wexner Center For the Arts.. Actually, that is not exactly the beginning either as it truly started last December when the Puffin Foundation/Nation Institute presented the National President of the NAACP, Mr. Ben Jealous, with its $100,000 Concerned Citizen Award at the Institute’s annual dinner in Manhattan. There was a silent auction component and I was the high bidder of a collection of “signed and inscribed” Jeremy Scahill’s books. Jeremy, who has received Puffin Foundation Investigative Journalist Grants over the years (notably one that helped him write Blackwater), responded when I asked him when Dirty Wars would be published so it could be sent to me, “I’ll deliver it to you.” I hope he has no regrets. Jeremy Scahill kept his word and it was his promise that spawned the CMC Luncheon and the Wexner’s premier of the film Dirty Wars that same evening.
This momentous day and its events happened because of the large community of friends that Puffin Foundation West reached out to and who responded so magnificently. Consequently, I have many to thank:
– The WEX and CMC chatted up the program for weeks in advance;
– Our Community Radio Station WCRS did PSAs and 1000’s of postcards at CommFest;
– The websites of many NFP groups (including Simply Living) kindly carried the information;
– Columbus Peace Network Newsletter carried the information for weeks;
– The Dispatch’s Weekend Section devoted six columns to the film being shown at the WEX;
– Local rags and blogs and emails between friends chatted it up;
and then……..
Ann Fisher did an hour long interview with Jeremy on WOSU’s All Sides. It aired on the 9th and then it was rebroadcast. The interview is now on line.
On Wednesday, July 10th at the CMC FORUM, 160 people attended the Luncheon/Forum where Jeremy was being interviewed by Mike Thompson, WOSU’s news and public affairs’ director. There we learned that the evening’s film screening had already “sold-out.” The interview was carried live on our local city community TV station, Channel 3, and is now on U-Tube.
The book signings at the CMC and the WEX were also very successful and Jeremy engaged everyone. At the luncheon and then on stage at the WEX with Director and Producer of the film, Richard Rowley, they received standing ovations.
For PFW it was a realization of a job well done. It helped bring to the community one of the most important conversations of our time, one that challenges our moral compass. We learned that for decades the Executive Branch has had at their disposal their own “hit squad” that has now morphed and become a major tool in unsanctioned DIRTY WARS in over 75 countries. These activities have included creating kill lists of American citizens never under indictment for crimes; ordering drone strikes in the name of our war on terror; payments to homicidal war lords to take-out people or to render them; and accepting as collateral damage the maiming and killing of elders, women, children and other innocents by the thousands.
There are many people PFW wishes to thank.
THANK YOU, Jane Scott, Andrew Campbell, P. Susan and, your team at CMC.
THANK YOU, Sherri Geldin, Jack Jackson, and David Filipi, and your people at the WEX.
THANK YOU ALL for your leap of faith, for your stick-to-itness and the consummate and always creative, sensitive and professional élan you gave this project.
And a special THANK YOU to JEREMY SCAHILL and RICHARD ROWLEY for making it so.
To engage so many people in the crucial conversation that Dirty Wars provokes made July 10th a very important day for us, as Americans and as global citizens.
In service with gratitude,
Java Kitrick
