The Statue of Liberty Gang

2004-08-13T07:41:00.000-07:00

NEWLY EDITED VIDEO! Fannnnntastic!

2004-08-12T22:47:00.000-07:00

Check out our new video which was shot and edited by none other than the amazing Steve Garfield himself! Thank you Steve! Wooooohoooo! Terror Free!

And hey! Read the new "It's Not Easy Being Green" speech... this is a great thing to do on your lunch break today...

GO TO THE Terror Free Crowns Page!

2004-08-04T11:05:00.000-07:00

That's right! Now you can go and see who is an honorary member of Statue of Liberty Gang by going to our TerrorFree Crowns page... and remember - thanks for being Terror Free!

LOOK WHO ENDED UP ON THE CNN.COM FRONT PAGE!!!

2004-07-30T09:46:00.000-07:00

Here is a founding member of the Statue of Liberty Gang
on the front page of CNN.com!
Yeah! Terror Free!!
They are showcasing this image in a TIME magazine photo album - check it out!
(*and for the record, this photo was taken at the Revolutionary Women's Conference! Thanks Barbara Lee for organizing it!)
And of course, thanks for being Terror Free!

Take The Statue of Liberty Gang Pledge

2004-07-29T05:28:00.000-07:00

"I, _____, as a member of the Statue of Liberty Gang, do hereby endeavor to be Terror Free in every moment of every day as long as I exist in this Universe, so help me, oh Statue of Liberty. Sharing liberty is freedom, and true freedom is completely Terror Free. "
-this pledge can be happily accentuated by a little yell.

It's not easy being green...

2004-07-28T22:53:00.000-07:00

8.12.04

It is, admittedly, no so easy being green.
The makeup gets everywhere and completely wrecks your clothes and the interior of your car.
You smudge all over people when you hug them, and it gets awkward.
Your pores get clogged, and you smell weird.
And it is really difficult to feel like a princess when you keep sliming people with your smushy greeness. But hey, you're green. You are green...

Being Terror Free is not so easy either.
There are a lot of wacky ideas floating around that are pretty damn scary.
They stick to you like mosquitoes on a vein until you are scratching yourself saying, "Hey! I thought I was Terror Free?..."

Staying Terror Free is like trying to keep your green from running or smearing - it takes patience, practice, and time. And more patience and practice, to the point where it feels like a heroic effort just to be calm, cool, and collected when one more scary thought comes your way.
Being Terror Free is like being a superhero and constantly holding your hand up to the freight train of negative thought that is aimed at you. Death! Terror! Destruction! Fire! Tornado!
Blizzard! Flaming Monkey Attack! Unemployment! Death! Death again! Starvation! Kidnapping! Killer Donkeys! Waterslide Impalement! Insane Koala Bears! Violent Headless Nuns! Truckstop Dancing Maniacal Thieves! And Death again! One more time! Death!

These are all scary things. Especially the big D.
They are difficult things to not be terrified of.
Did I mention Death. Yeah, that one is scary.
But did Superman or Batgirl ever say that being a superhero was easy?
You think they weren't scared?
Yeah, I don't think so .

Chances are, that when they got thought of the bad stuff they were like, "Oh Crap, I really don't know if I have it in me to put that suit on again...Man, why can't they call the other guy...Iceman or something...Green Lantern, what's he up to, he hasn't saved much for a while, call him..."
And they probably wished that they could go on eating their turkey sandwich and watching the news. And you know, just let people die. Or get hurt. Or be scared. Or terrorized. Or attacked by the flaming monkeys who bit off the nuns' heads. You know, bad things just happen, let somebody else fix it.
But the next thing you know, there they are, in a telephone booth, crawling into a catsuit, and mentally reciting "The Little Engine That Could".
Then they fly around and are like, "See, no problem....nooooo problem....no problem....andddd....no problem....cool, done, goodbye flaming monkey issue."
They agree to be the best version of themselves for a little while, for the betterment of everyone else. Then they go back and eat turkey, just like everyone else.

We, of the Statue of Liberty Gang, like turkey sandwiches, and we also realize that our goals in being green and Terror Free are not so easy day in and day out. We are not naturally green, and we are working on being Terror Free...
In doing this, we have come to recognize that while they are phenomenal at covering blemishes and hiding bad hair days, green paint and tiaras are, alas, not the first step in fighting crime.

No, the first step in true Terror Free crime fighting is mentality.
That's right, mentality.
Capital "T", "thought".

You see, superheros look "crazy" because they actually are "crazy" -
you'd have to be crazy to believe that firmly in Good and then publicly act on it.
I mean, what if they were wrong...what if they lost? Not so cool...
Their mentality is what makes them fly to the rescue. Their mentality is their momentum that gets them to the scene of the crime on time, before the crime. Their mentality is pro-active.
Basically, they are not lazy thinkers. They think there might be a better way and they act on it.
Constantly.

Some people say, "What would Jesus do?" Which is nice, because he walked on water and saved people, and he wore sandals.
And certain others say, "What would Superwoman do?" Which is also nice, because she flew through the air and also saved people, and wore knee-high boots.
Similar mentalities, those two polar-opposites of style...
Regardless of what you look like, or how you get there, it's the power of the invisible thoughts that you share that is actually important.

Which means that technically, you can't be a Superhero unless you believe in sharing Good.
Which means believing in Good entirely and wholly until that's what you're sharing. A duhh...
Which is essentially being...
entirely Terror Free.

As we said earlier, this Terror Free thing is not always so easy. Hey, we're human. We get scared. It takes some practice. We would all rather cry under the covers once in a while and hope that Supersomeone is out there somewhere to save our day. Sometimes they do. And we are grateful. And sometimes they don't, and we figure out what to do. And sometimes its a combo thing. Like turkey sandwiches with lettuce and tomato and honey mustard and some tasty cheese - did we mention that we like those things too?

Being Good is like putting on invisible makeup - tips are helpful, and if you practice enough, you start looking really extra Good and feeling extra Good, til well, the day is in and of itself already saved.
And then the next thing you know, you are specatularly shiny green, blue, or beige and are flying through airports or walking over taxis saving another person's day.

Honestly, we know, most of us are not cut out to be Superheros.
This is all fancy blah-blah talk for other people to get psyched over or duped by.
We are too bald or fat or, you know, bored with everything.
We are too tiny, too lame, too cool, or too, what...too into a good book.
Or maybe we are just too well off to risk being off the well...
Who wants to be a superhero anyways?
Icky face paint and scratchy tights are fun for some people, but not for us.
There are a gajillion people in this world, someone else will certainly be crazy enough to believe in Good and really act on it...we'll just watch and see what happens and expect, well...

Yeah? Well, news bulletin: Fear is fun for let's say, next to no one. Not "rollercoaster-fear", but genuine "anxiety-fear". Not many people are terribly fond of that. Not even remotely.

This is not rocket science here.
We are not trying to get to the moon or Mars, we are trying to help ourselves and then the person next to us. This is oxygen-mask-on-the-airplane basics, not Houston-do-you-read-me astrophysics...
It makes sense that we all have the spiritual sense to share our lives with liberty and actively pursue happiness on behalf of ourselves and everyone everywhere. Or at least the person next to us. Whether or not we agree with their politics or hairstyle. Or sense of smell. This concept in and of itself is like a torch and it tends to dissolve fear, particularly when it is shared inherently through being. Superman doesn't have to talk to you, you just have to see him flying through the air to be calmed. And calm people make great decisions. Like what kind of cheese to put on their sandwich. Or yours.

So hey, we can be scared, we just don't have to stay scared.
And we don't have to wait for someone to save us from our own fears...
With cellphones these days, there are enough veritable telephone booths for everyone to change in. The whole world is your telephone booth...time for a change.

You know, we do not know for a fact that Superman didn't call someone before he changed instantly, and say, "Hey, you believe I can do this right? Right?...Okay, thanks...Good...Got to go..." Maybe he called Batman. Maybe he called his mom...maybe he called his best friend Joey that we don't know about. You never know... writers tend to leave a lot out. Like all the times people actually have to go to the bathroom. There are a lot of important details that we know nothing about. And yeah, that Jesus guy, supposedly he went long distance to do the invisible mental-dial up to a pretty consistent source of Good to get his answers...and Buddha, and Krishna, and Ghandi, and that nice woman down the street who gave you her extra bagel. She checked in with herself first to make sure that was the great thing to do...

You know, imagine yourself being carefree and happy, and then share something, who cares what it is. It's your bagel to give. It is probably not new deoderant or a shiny car, it is probably just a new version of a shinier Terror Free you. Huh, imagine that. As basic as a bagel. Start super small. Step by step... "Here, hey, here's a bagel, you want it? No, I didn't pick it up off the floor...it's good, I swear...really..." Share your bagel. Start a revolution. The new version of shiny Terror Free you, revolving around, sharing...
Shiny shiny shiny spiritual you. Who cares if you smell, you can fix that later.
Superman probably reeked. Hey, he was really busy.
Other powerful people probably do to. Nelson Mandela and Jimmy Carter probably need baths right now.
They also probably have bad hair days. Hey, maybe... it would be freaky if they didn't.
Get yourself sharing.

As for what you are wearing well...
People always think that the outfit is what makes the superhero.
"Nice cape Batman! Love those abs!..."
Hey, outfits are cool.
But actually an outfit is just a disguise so that when crime fighting is done, it is easy to seamlessly segue back to regular life and feel normal as though nothing ever occurred and enjoy eating turkey sandwiches and switch from the news to Simpsons reruns to okay, the Discovery channel. An outfit is like work clothes for superheroes, and frankly, whatever outfit you are wearing will do. It's most important to throw the crappy ideas into the wash everyday, regardless of how many pairs of clean underwear you still have.

Let it just be said, one more time, that none of us want to be fighting crime. We all want to just be Terror Free... come on, wouldn't it would be great for fighting and crime to be well, irrelevant and naturally nonexistant? The answer is "Yes". People doubt universal harmony and say, "Oh, I'd be sooooo bored in a perfect terror-free world" or start saying words like "utopia" while having their eyes rolled into the back of their heads like zombies. Well that's baloney. We'd ALL rather be eating turkey (or tofurkey, yes...) sandwiches and watching baby dinosaurs mate than worrying about crazy violent things happening. People like feeling Good, that's why its called Good. Just because fewer and fewer and fewer people have ever really experienced the feeling of Good doesn't mean that it isn't natural, normal, and actually universally healthy.

The belief in terror and crime is just so big right now that it's like the turkeys are running the sandwich eating world, which is really pretty backwards. Which brings us back to our original idea that its not easy being green, or Terror Free, or a superhero, but it's a worthwhile goal to figure out what we can each do to make a crazy world feel at least a little bit better to be living in. And we can start by doing what the greatest superheros all seemed to do...by making our own thoughts safe.
Then we grab the capes and the costumes or torches and tiaras and share the wealth of feeling good...then we share the bagels and fill the bathtubs...

Being Terror Free isn't so easy these days...there are a lot of scary ideas floating around out there that are easy to grab onto and beat ourselves over the head with ... none of us planned on being superheros, and none of us think we really are... we all need help in this, day in and day out, but...
until the world is crimeless...and everyone stops fighting because they don't need to anymore...
we owe it to ourselves and to everyone else in the universe be as Terror Free as possible. To share our bagels. To pick up the veritable torches and tiaras - whether we see them or not - honestly, it's all about Time.

A Beloved Honorary SOL Gang Member...

2004-07-28T12:50:00.000-07:00

Hillary!

honorary SOL Gang member
Originally uploaded by cowboygirl2.

What's that? You want to interview the Statue of Liberty Gang?

2004-07-28T12:17:00.000-07:00

Make a crown and come on down!...

2004-07-28T12:10:00.000-07:00

Honorary Statue of Liberty Gang Members...

2004-07-28T10:12:00.000-07:00

Pretty amazing, eh?

honorary SOL Gang members!
Originally uploaded by cowboygirl2.

Listening to Ambassador Carol Mosley Braun...

2004-07-28T10:10:00.000-07:00

Ahhh...the paparazzi...

2004-07-28T09:39:00.000-07:00

Terror Free!

2004-07-28T09:38:00.000-07:00

outside convention
Originally uploaded by cowboygirl.

Another Great Day!

2004-07-27T18:52:00.000-07:00

To everyone that we met at the fantastic Revolutionary Women's Conference today - Hello!
For everyone who missed this great event, we will be posting links and photos...
Special highlights include:

Attending an incredibly candid panel on women in the media that included: Liz Walker (WBZtv), Eleanor Clift (Newsweek), Renee Loft (Boston Globe), and Helen Thomas (Hearst Newspapers).

Listening to inspiring and well delivered speeches by Barbara Lee, Sheriff Andrea Cabral, Governor Jennifer M. Granholm, Ambassador Carol Moseley Braun, Secretary Madeline Korbel Albright, House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, and of course, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton.

And of course, being photographed and intereviewed by countless newspapers, publications, television broadcasts and Statue of Liberty Gang fans...

So keep your eyes peeled - we plan on turning this site into a fun and interactive creative way to become more politically active in your community so PLEASE CHECK BACK IN AND SEND US LINKS and PASS US ALONG TO YOUR FRIENDS!

And thanks again everybody for being so wonderfully terror free...

OUR FIRST VIDEO POST!!!!

2004-07-27T08:05:00.000-07:00

Go to Steve Garfield's Video Blog!
Placed here at the top by popular demand -
It might take a second to download, but it's worth it....more on the way!

It's never too late to be Terror Free!

2004-07-26T17:21:00.000-07:00

Scroll down for the full What's a Girl to Do photo series...

A Recent Statue of Liberty Gang Conversation...

2004-07-26T16:33:00.000-07:00

"So why are you ladies doing this?"
"Well, it's our civic duty to stay where we live and promote a peaceful, friendly, terror-free environment..."
"Huh..."
"Yeah, well, you know, people make much better decisions when they are feeling calm, happy, and terror free..."
"Yeah, that's probably true...I like your tiaras.."
"Thanks, we,...ahhhhh, we like your riot gear..."
"Thank you..."
"No problem...thanks for being terror free!"
-Monday, near the Fleet Center...

DNC! Monday a Success!

2004-07-26T16:12:00.000-07:00

So far, so good...
The Statue of Liberty Gang sported tiaras, green sashes, glittery eyes, a duct tape torch, and handfuls of "Terror Free!" stickers and drove around Boston, searching for anyone other than, well, the police.

Let's just say, that Boston is EMPTY to the point where we were the ONLY CAR on Storrow drive at 4:35pm.
It's a bit like being the only float in a giant parade where all the spectators are either on cell phones, are anti-abortionists, or are wearing police uniforms. It's a bit awkward, but all the more reason to be here doing it.

We DID however run into Triumph the Comic Dog while he was interviewing some guy about gay rights and abortion. Needless to say, a prominent SOL gang member was right behind him making all of the appropriate expressions and holding her torch high. Keep your eyes peeled on Comedy Central and the Conan O'Brien Show...Oh Triumph, we love you so...

Overall, people were quite pleased with the idea of "Terror Free!", though we did realize that it is better to yell "Liberty!" or "Have a great day!" out the window when driving the car around rather than anything with the word "Terror" in it. Ahhhh, details, details...

We are now testing paint combinations to get the most flattering color of deep green, which is, admittedly, rarely an appealing skin tone. We do not wish to in any way resemble the Wicked Witch of the West, the Grinch, Leprechauns, or rotten cheese. Please wish us luck. Please.

So that's it...signing out from the center of Boston...
your loving and oh-so-lovely,
Statue of Liberty Gang

Contact Info

2004-07-26T16:08:00.000-07:00

To reach the Statue of Liberty Gang
email: arcarpenter@yahoo.com
call: 339.225.1398

2004-07-24T22:41:00.000-07:00

WHY THE STATUE OF LIBERTY GANG IS NOT A "PROTEST"

2004-07-24T22:05:00.000-07:00

Let's be clear about something right from the start:
The Statue of Liberty Gang doesn't "protest".

Protests are horribly cliche, and they really put people off.
It's like trying to get someone to change their mind by throwing crap at them.
Not only do they not want to listen to you, they don't even really want to know you.
Let alone help you.
Do you think you'd see Ghandi out there with some scary gas mask on screaming at people?

With the exception of labor unions, "protests" haven't been terribly successful in the United States since the 60's. They freak people out and make people in power want to protect themselves by being even more self-righteous.
The irony, is that you all probably share a lot of the same problems whether you like to think so or not, because we're all neighbors.
The world is getting smaller and smaller - obviously - look at you reading this, and I am no Fox News...
so, to the point...you have to be more clever these days my friends...just a bit more clever...thus,
The Statue of Liberty Gang is in no way a protest.
We just go to things like regular people do, only we are green.
And we LOVE LIBERTY.
Come on...what is there to not love about liberty?
True LIBERTY IS THE OPPOSITE OF FEAR
Thus, in an era which popularizes mass fear, we stand strong
with the Statue of Liberty and celebrate JUST BEING TERROR FREE.
How 'bout that?
We just decide to be Terror Free....and paint ourselves green. And be a gang.
A nice gang.
Pretty damn cool if you ask me.

TERROR FREE!

2004-07-24T21:32:00.000-07:00

WHY "TERROR FREE!"?

A brief excerpt from a recent conversation with the Statue of Liberty Herself:

"...Come on, more people die from rabies attacks, corporate pollution,
and errant exploding manhole covers than from "terrorism".
If you are going to be terrorized, then you might as well be terrified
of everything.
Start with poisonous snakes and work your way to
industrial smog and then go to the radical decline in
safe drinking water.
Seriously, if you actually want to build a better world,
then quit your fear habit and
start believing in and acting towards some actual solutions to
real problems in your life.
People have more power than you think.
Come on, SOMEONE bothered to care enough to write in,
"...LIFE, LIBERTY, and the PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS..."
and someone else bothered to build
a glorious old green statue for Liberty.
Yeah, that's right, somebody actually bothered to take the time to
build me. Thank God for sculptors.
But hey, all those people are long gone dead by now. D-E-A-D, DEAD.
By the way, I'm going to let you in on a little secret:
Only statues don't die. Hellllooooo....hello. Look at me. Still here.
Mmmmhmmm...pretty sexy for an old broad, huh? Yeah?
Well, what are you going to bother to do while you're still here?
Cuz I'm going to be here long, long, long after you my friend...and
I'm gonna look a hell of a lot better than you in ten years, you get my
point?..."
- conversation recorded by Constantina Von Scruple at 8pm on July 13th, 2004

Update On Meet Times!

2004-07-24T20:54:00.000-07:00

Hi Everybody -
Okay, so we are NOT going to appear at the ProChoice conference tomorrow , though some of us will be there sporting green and wearing "Terror Free! - Statue of Liberty Gang" stickers.
Sorry for any confusion...However...

THE BIG STATUE OF LIBERTY GANG EVENT IS:

Revolutionary Women Boston 2004
Hosted by: Barbara Lee and Revolutionary Women
With special guests: Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (NY), House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (CA), Secretary Madeleine Albright, Ambassador Carol Moseley Braun, Governor Jennifer M. Granholm (MI), and Andrea Cabral, Suffolk County Sheriff (MA)
Date & Time: Tuesday, July 27, 1:00-5:30pm
Location: Boston Conference and Exhibition Center, 415 Summer Street, Boston

Revolutionary Women Boston 2004 will showcase women's political leadership at the local, state and federal levels.

WE WILL BE MEETING AT THE NEW EXHIBITION CENTER AT 1pm.
LOOK FOR US OUT FRONT!
We are actually going to attend the conference, so please sign up at the website below...

To attend this exciting event, simply join Revolutionary Women at www.revolutionarywomen.com. Annual dues are $10.

Many of us are going to be meeting at the Distillery Artist's Space in South Boston to get ready and then car pool over.
We will also be beginning the documentation at this point.
If you would like to join us at the Distillery, please call Amy at 339.225.1398

RIGHT ON! We can't wait to all meet each other and celebrate liberty at the convention!...

2004-07-24T20:46:00.000-07:00

2004-07-24T20:45:00.000-07:00

2004-07-24T20:44:00.000-07:00

2004-07-24T20:42:00.000-07:00

2004-07-24T20:36:00.002-07:00

We ALREADY HAVE PRESS!

2004-07-23T16:44:00.000-07:00

AND WE ARE'NT EVEN GREEN YET!
(this is kind of like the female-freedom version of the Incredible Hulk...huh...)

That's right! - check out: boston online
and of course, our dearly beloved STEVE GARFIELD! (high-5 Steve!)

Thanks everyone!
Please send us any and all stories about The Statue of Liberty Gang and we'll post the links...

The Leading Lady of Liberty!

2004-07-23T16:12:00.000-07:00

Note the poise, grace, and victoriously outstretched arm.
And look! She reads!
Excellent taste in accessories, particularly in the choice of a beautiful crown rather than a helmet or weird top hat.
And she is even on a pedestal.
Perfect. Perrrrrfect...

sol1
Originally uploaded by cowboygirl.

The Original Statue of Liberty Gang Call to Action!

2004-07-23T15:59:00.000-07:00

Hi Everybody -
Hillary and I are starting up the Official Statue of Liberty Gang
for the DNC.
Anyone and EVERYONE who wants to dress up like the Statue of
Liberty and join us for certain events is welcome to...
We are putting together a list of events to meet up at...
here are some we are planning on:

Sunday July 25th 5:30pm Pro Choice Event with Gloria Steinem
speaking; Foley Hoag LLP, 115 Seaport Blvd. ($10 entrance fee)

Tuesday July 27th 2-5pm: The Revolutionary Women
Conference, featuring Hillary Clinton, etc.
At the new Conference Center on Summer Street. ($10 - pre-
register necessary.)

We are going to be documented on at least one day by Steve
Garfield who has a highly-visited videoblog and is covering the
DNC...and we expect to be VERY visible and well documented by
the press - come on - who can resist the Statue of Liberty?!

WHY the Statue of Liberty?
a) Liberty is a damn good thing to be representing right now.
b) Green body paint and push up bras are sexy as hell
c) We love France ...
d) When you have a lot of happy Statue of Liberties running
around in a gang, it makes people think about oh, freedom,
expression, politics, voting AGAINST crazy right wing psychos,
getting their community active in their own ways...
e) We want to support "liberal" politics in an uplifting and
euphoric way...

All interpretations of the Statue of Liberty are welcome.

We will be providing green paint at the sites. People should show
up wearing their own green dresses, crowns, torches, books,
sandals, etc...if you can paint yourself green beforehand, please
do so...

If you have any questions, have a specific event that you think
we should attend, or want to support the green paint fund,
please call me at 339.225.1398 or email me at
arcarpenter@yahoo.com

Pass this along and repost it to anyone who might want to join
in...

If the Statue of Liberty could actually walk, talk, and run around,
we all know where that torch would be..

Welcome to the Statue of Liberty Gang!

2004-07-23T15:27:00.000-07:00

We LOVE YOU!
WHY?
Because you love LIBERTY!
And that is what we stand for my friends, liberty, liberty, LIBERTY!
Fantastic! YES! Liiiiiiiberrrrty!
Say it!
LIBERTY!

Had you forgotten what that word sounded like?
Well forget no more, because we are here to happily and rejoicingly remind you that while it may have been recently trampled on, Liberty is still alive and well and waiting to kick some majorly unliberated ass.

And guess what!
If you are a United States citizen, then whether you like it or not, your life is all about
the big L word.
(please use a booming James Earl Jones Voice when reading this:)
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. --That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness."
- Thank you, Declaration of Independence...

We figure that a good way to fight terrorism is to not be terrorized ... thus
Liberty!

So let Uncle Sam "want you"....we, the Statue of Liberty Gang love you!
Join up with the Statue of Liberty Gang now and be proud to be free.
At least free enough to express however you think life should be.

How to reach a Statue of Liberty Gang Member

2004-06-13T12:30:00.000-07:00

Email: Amy Carpenter at arcarpenter@yahoo.com