Inauguration and all that jazz
By Michael J. Dixon
Secretary, Green Party of Mississippi

On Jan. 20, 2005, the Jazz Funeral for Democracy took place in New Orleans, La. Members of the Green Parties of Louisiana and Mississippi showed their support. Below is a personal narration of that day's events.

I arrived at Congo Square in Louis Armstrong Park, New Orleans, at around 10 a.m. In pre-Civil War America, Congo Square was a slave-trading block. I found this appropriate, since our freedoms are being bought and sold by corporate greed.

Members of the Lousiana and Mississippi Green parties marched in a New Orleans-style "Jazz Funeral" as part of the J-20 protests around the United States. Photo: Louisiana Green Party

Protest signs around the park featured slogans such as "Buck Fush," "Hail to King George," "Will America Elect its Stupidest President again? The Answer is Yes," and Orwellian sayings: "War is Peace, Freedom is Slavery, Ignorance is Strength." I proudly carried my Green Party of Mississippi banner and was warmly greeted by Green Party of Louisiana members. One of the organizers of the event put a traditional black ribbon around my right arm.

Shortly before 11:00, we began forming the masses for the funeral procession. New Orleans police estimated approximately 1,500 people in the protest.

The Jazz Funeral began with a small marching jazz ensemble, followed by a horse-drawn coffin symbolizing the death of democracy. We marched slowly down the streets of the French Quarter. About three blocks into the parade, I saw one of a very few oppositions to the protest, a man drinking beer, seated in a lawn chair with signs that read, "God bless the U.S.A. and President Bush" and "62,000,000 Americans can't be wrong." It still amazes me that anyone can show such support after so many have died needlessly.

The protest continued to Jackson Square in the center of the French Quarter, and we took over the square. Various speakers voiced their resentments toward the war and support of our cause. Kathy Kelly from Voices in the Wilderness, a speaker from NAACP, Vietnam veteran Ward Reilly, and several others spoke against the horrors they had seen within our own country and our actions abroad. One of the speakers observed that the only way we can change our policies is to run. Run for office, that is.

Around 1:30, the protest continued down the river walk and around the Café du Monde and Market Square. I was lucky enough to carry a peace flag to finish out the route. At the end point of the march, the bands continued to play while the protesters waved their banners and chanted. It was at this rendezvous that I personally thanked the organizer of the event, Buddy Spell, and spoke with a trumpet player in the Gentilly Jazz group, one of the jazz bands in the parade. He told me that by the time he was 23, he had served three tours of duty in Vietnam. He wanted to make sure that no one in my generation would ever have to do that again. I felt proud to be a part of this event. I will cherish the memories always.

"All we are saying is
give peace a chance."
-John Lennon, 1940-1980

Useful links:
Jazz Funeral for Democracy:
www.jazzfuneralfordemocracy.com
Green Party of Mississippi:
www.greenpartyms.org
Green Party of Louisiana:
www.lagreens.org
South Mississippi United for Peace:
www.united4peace.org

E-mail the author:
herrdixon@hotmail.com

Back to Spring 2005