Bread against Bush

“Bake Bush: Raising dough to reclaim America” reads the tag line on colorful flyers being distributed throughout Indianapolis. On Sept. 25 from 3-8 p.m. in the Indianapolis Fire Department Union Hall, 748 Massachusetts Ave., anti-Bush organizers are holding a bake sale to raise funds for voter-turnout efforts in the swing states, with Ohio being the nearest battleground.

Organizers for the first-time event say they are “flying by the seat of their pants,” having no experience in partisan politics. According to ringleader Annie Horvath, the informal group shares two concerns: that the Bush Administration is a threat to the future of America and the world, and that the electoral college will render their presidential votes useless in November.

“Many times I feel helpless in Indiana when it comes to voting,” Horvath said. “This way, even if our voices aren’t heard here, we can still make an impact.”

Inspired by the bake sales organized by MoveOn PAC this past May, the ovens of Indianapolis and their operators will unite to speak out against administration policies. Admission is $3 for adults and free to anyone 17 or younger. Baked goods such as Big Brother Brownies and Condi Rice Krispie Treats, among many others, will be sold for reasonable prices.

Other attractions include coffee and various refreshments, a voter registration table, free kids games with prizes, remarks by former Congressman Andy Jacobs Jr. and live music from some of the city’s top acts, including Frank Dean of Sindacato, Vess Ruhtenberg of the Pieces, the Leisure Kings, Joe Welch and the Born Again Floozies.

The Bake Bush promotional effort has consisted mainly of flyer brigades, e-mail, word of mouth and a Web site, www.bakebush.com.

Earlier this month, Jan Connor and her son, Aidan, met other Indianapolis residents to organize flyer distribution and get the word out about the bake sale. Connor had been looking for a way to get involved with this election.
“My personal intent was to find ways to participate,” Connor said. “Everything out there is very angry. Getting involved at the grass-roots is more productive.”

Her son Aidan Connor, 16, joined the group of people spreading the word. “Definitely the fact that Iraq had no weapons of mass destruction” frustrated Aidan and influenced his decision to organize against Bush, he said. “I’ve learned a lot with Bush in office for four years.”

Just days prior to the flyer distribution, Dick Cheney told the press that if Kerry were to win the election, we can expect another terrorist attack. “I definitely don’t think that we would be safer if Bush is re-elected,” Connor responded.

Chris O’Connor, 13, worked beside Aidan to post flyers in Broad Ripple. “Our families have always been talking actively about politics,” O’Connor said. “I don’t like Bush’s idea of war on terror. I think we should be looking into research for new energies because the oil will soon be gone.”

Aidan’s mother, Jan Connor, believes “getting physically involved is a better way to get involved than moving one’s mouth.”