No Bush?

Damn, I love American women! First snow then desert. All for Peace. What a country!
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Braving prickly pear, javelinas and the desert sun, 20 women of the Big Bend area in Texas stripped their clothing and declared their vote for peace. Using their nude bodies, the women formed the letters of "PEACE" in a dry river bed outside of Riudosa, TX at Chinati Hot Springs.

This was the first of it's kind to happen in Texas -- the land of George W. Bush.
The group, from small towns in sparsely populated far west Texas, included an eight and half months pregnant school teacher.

Also involved were an internationally-known choreographer, retired editor from Washington, D.C., several artists, three school teachers, a poet, a legal assistant and one woman who drove 12 hours to participate. The photographer was a local businesswoman who is well known in the area for shooting landscapes.

The women formed the letters of "PEACE" as it might flow down the river.

"The symbolism is we hope peace can flow from our action to other people in the Big Bend and to our leaders worldwide," said the organizer of the event, a new media designer from Marfa.

The event has spurred talk of peace in the area small towns. Every Wednesday at noon in Marfa, peace activists meet on the courthouse lawn for silent meditation and prayers. The Big Bend area is considered one of the most remote areas in the continental United States. All of the participating women drove over two hours for the photo.

"We may be isolated and remote, but we are very aware of what is going on in the world -- and we care," said the organizer.

 

From England... Thank goodness you were right B-Bob!
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Fourteen people braved the icy winds of North Derbyshire today to spell out PEACE with their naked bodies. Cora Greenhill, co-organiser of the Hope Valley action, said: 'In the face of a looming war in Iraq, we want our action to symbolise the fragility of life, the strength of community and our deep concern for the future of the planet. War permanently damages the environment. The first Gulf War left depleted uranium in the earth and food chain of Iraq, with soaring rates of childhood cancers and birth defects.'

Ms Greenhill said 'We want to send out the message from this beautiful valley we live in and make a creative stand against the naked aggression of war.'

 

It looks like this has blown into a full-fledged movement. Here's the address:

http://www.baringwitness.org/

And just so everyone knows I'm not sexist, here's one for the ladies from Gainesville, FL:



22 men posed naked to send a stunning Peace message to the American people and the war administration. Braving the cold, these men from Fort Myers to Gainesville, gathered together on a hillside to do the unthinkable: To Bare it all for Peace.

Deeply troubled by the looming war against Iraq, these serious peace advocates determined to express their heartfelt desire for peace, by crafting the word PEACE and the Peace Sign with their nude bodies. These images were captured on film by renowned photojournalist and nature photographer John Moran.

The statement of this photo moment was enriched by the fact that many of the men who came together to create these images were previously unknown to each other. They were bound together by only one thing; their united desire to stop the American war machine. “What we did was outrageous, because war is outrageous,” exclaimed Bob Ellenberg. “All the peace loving people in the world need to see what we have done.” This depth of passion was echoed by Frank Gubasta, who said, “I’d die for a better/peaceful world for my sons to grow up in.” These men intended for their act to be a dramatic statement and they want the chance to express themselves about war and peace. A candidate for Tampa City Council, Kelly Benjamin, says, “I'd love to talk with anyone about peaceful alternatives to this stupid war.”

As the photo session took place, the act took on a somber aspect. One of the participants, Jim Cameron, describes the scene as the men moved to take up their assigned positions. “As we walked in a broken group through the tall grass I was deeply touched at the sight of everyone against the hills, trees, sunlight, and blue sky. The group was composed of young college students, old hippies, alternative culture folks, and Viet Nam vets. But the sight of everyone wading through the tall grass was so archetypical and I guess reminiscent of the tragedy of war.” Once the men were posed for the photograph, Mark Kamleiter, an attorney and peace activist, was struck by the same symbolism. “These bodies, pale and white, laid out, exposed on the ground, resembled, symbolically, the dead that the pending war with Iraq will most certainly produce.”

What is sought from this daring act? That all those who see these photographs stop and reflect on their meaning and hear the message of Peace.