Barbara Lee finds many admirers in Alameda

By Jennifer Rumple  |  Alameda Journal  |  Link to article
March 05, 2009

Some consider her the lone voice on Capitol Hill.

Others tout her as a brave, courageous and principled public official.

California's 9th District representative in Congress, Barbara Lee, considers herself a "Renegade for Peace and Justice," the title of her recently released memoir.

Lee introduced her autobiography to nearly 130 people packed into Books Inc. on Park Street last Friday. The congresswoman — who represents most of Alameda County but not the city of Alameda — admitted to being an "extremely private person," so writing about her life and political career was not an easy task.

"In a memoir you have to be authentic, and I didn't know if I wanted anybody to know some of the issues and challenges and mountains of difficulty that I have experienced," said Lee, who finally gave in to friends' encouragement to write her own story. "They said if I didn't, someone else would. People need to know where your values come from, who you are, what motivates you, what drives you. It's important for public people to define themselves."

Lee considers the difficulties of her birth the defining moment of her life. She told the story of how her African-American mother went into labor in El Paso, Texas, and almost died because a hospital refused her an emergency cesarean section because of the color of her skin.

"They finally talked their way into seeing a doctor and having a last-minute natural birth. They had to use forceps to pull me out. So, that's how I got into this world," said Lee. She further explained when her mother told her the story as a child, she didn't understand racism and segregation and questioned how anyone could allow that to happen.

"Early on I said, 'You know, if there's anything I can do to make this a better world where people don't have to go through what my mother went through — where women, African-Americans don't have to face those kinds of difficulties — then I was going to do it.'"

And so she did. Her most defining moment in Congress happened three days after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The Bush administration pushed hard for Congress to pass a resolution authorizing the use of force against any nation or organization responsible for or harboring anyone connected to that day. Lee voted no. She was the only one.

"Thirty-five hundred people were killed. The whole country was in mourning. Everyone was angry and not sure what was going on. It was a terrible time for all of us. I was sitting on the Capitol that morning and had to evacuate," remembered Lee. "Members of Congress, and I can remember (it) very vividly, we looked at this resolution, and many said, 'This is not the way to go.' It was too broad. It served as the foundation to use force against Iraq — any country, Pakistan, Iran.

"At that moment if you can remember, it was all about unity, can't be partisan, have to be unified with the president, and that was kind of a blow. It didn't really matter what it (the resolution) said," Lee said as she retold the story, included in her book, to a captivated audience. "You have to remember, members of Congress are also human beings, it was the emotion of the moment."

One man interrupted the congresswoman at that moment and reminded her that she didn't give in to that peer pressure.

"Yeah, but I told you how I was born, too," she exclaimed as the crowd broke into loud laughter, cheers and applause. "There was no way I could vote for it, so I didn't. Only Congress can declare a war, not the president. You don't give the authority to the president.

"I was called unpatriotic. The right-winged, Rush Limbaughs of the world said I committed acts of treason. I could just go down the line. It was really hateful, how could they say that about me? I'm as patriotic as the next person," Lee added. "Plus, patriotism and the right to offer a different point of view is central to our democracy. So, what are they talking about? I don't even recognize the person they're demonizing."

Lee is one of Congress' most vocal opponents of the war in Iraq and continues to promote policies that foster international peace, security and human rights. It's that kind of strength, courage and integrity that brought her supporters out in droves for the Alameda stop on her nationwide book tour. Many attendants took the opportunity to voice their opinions on some of those issues, some even asking her for direct help with their causes — from legalizing same-sex marriage and impeaching former President Bush to withdrawing American troops from Iraq and putting more funding into the Peace Corps.

"I'm part of the Alameda Middle East Study Group and here to ask the congresswoman to support humanitarian aide to Gaza," said Irene Dieter, a 20-year resident of Alameda. "I've been a fan of Barbara Lee's for many years. I share her politics — she's more progressive than most Democrats. She's a principled and courageous woman."

"I have a lot of respect for what she's said in the past," said Dennis Owens, who's lived in Alameda for 25 years. "Her standing alone and going against the allowance of using American troops to start wars and her continued work in that area, I think that's an astounding thing. I'm not a fan, I'm an admirer of what she does."

Those are the reasons, Lee said, her story should be told from her point of view.

"It's good to be back in Alameda," Lee said. "Unfortunately during reapportionment in 2000, lines were drawn where Alameda was taken out of my district. But, I love the residents here."