Video:: Diane Benson: Mom of a Severely Wounded Soldier

This video is 26 minutes.
Diane Benson, of Chugiak, Alaska, uses her skills as a Klingit writer, poet and storyteller to bring us into her life as her son grows up and leaves for Iraq (where he is severely wounded). We fly with her as she becomes the Mom for our wounded soldiers as they are transported back for medical care. She tells the story that is left out of our newspapers and TV. This is a powerful presentation told from the open heart of a mother.

Filmed and edited by Patricia Boiko at the Veterans For Peace National Convention, University of Seattle, August 10th, 2006.

www.veteransforpeace.org

"The time Diane spent watching her son’s recovery and visiting with other injured veterans at the Army hospital in Germany and at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. played a large part in her decision to run for Congressional office and has shaped many of her ideas surrounding the Iraq war, terrorism, homeland security, and Veterans' benefits."

www.bensonforcongress.com

A post election message from a grateful candidate:

My Fellow Alaskans,

"Are you feeling depressed about the election? Don’t be.

We did an extraordinary thing; we broke many barriers, and set some records for politics in Alaska. We ran an honorable and admirable race.

Remember, when we began, we began with nothing; meeting in restaurants, and attempting to establish a direction with no direction, and no support. We evolved into a full-fledged campaign, complete with hundreds of volunteers, a nice little campaign headquarters in Anchorage, always full of helpers; a great team in Fairbanks working door to door, covering over 60% of the houses there; coordinators in Sitka, Juneau, Bethel and Nome who worked very hard; and others in outlying areas putting up signs in their villages, and calling people.

It was extraordinary. We made this effort because we all believed that government should reflect the people and represent the people rather than just large corporate interests. We know America is about people. We made an impression to that end."