BERLIN, GERMANY

Liz and Lee Heidhues

November 23, 2023

We were stopped dead in our tracks when we walked into a cavernous room at the Berlinische Galerie and saw four animal carcasses splayed across the floor.

Imagine the adrenaline rush.

Nasan Tur has created a very sobering exhibit titled HUNTED.

Why does mankind kill for sport?

It shows the agony of the animals. The helplessness.

What stops animals from killing humans while humans have willfully killed animals for centuries worldwide?

Nasan Tur interviewed several German forestmeisters whose job was to kill animals. Deer. Foxes. Boar. Predator birds.

Ask five people why they kill animals. The listener will hear five different answers.

All the hunters except one explained and rationalized their professional addiction to the HUNTED.

For many hunters it is a stress relief. It allows the predatory hunters to share a sense of camaraderie and shared values in the HUNTED.

The hunters essential pastime is killing unsuspecting animals. The hunters wait sometimes for hours to slaughter their unsuspecting prey.

The hunters in the HUNTED consider it an enjoyable hobby.

How can anyone who kills an unsuspecting fawn enjoy the HUNTED?

One forestmeister was unable to engage in the kill. He was ridiculed and vilified by his comrades.

The exercise of killing and rationales for its legitimacy requires mental gymnastics and torturous logic. How much violence do we harbor within us. How is it triggered.

We had gone to the Berlinische Galerie to tour the feature exhibit. Room after room of Edvard Munch artwork. Which was literally standing room only. The HUNTED room was almost totally ignored.

The bodies of the lifeless carcasses were out of place in the minds of the predominately baby boomers viewing Edvard Munch.

It’s fair to presume a number of Edvard Munch visitors have, and still do, participate in The HUNTED.

BERLIN, GERMANY

Liz and Lee Heidhues 11.21.2023

Tomorrow is the 60th anniversary of the shocking assassination of President John F. Kennedy in Dallas, Texas as he rode in an open limousine at 12:30pm.

I was a high school junior that day and had just completed a driver training class. One of my schoolmates was running through the Tamalpais High parking lot yelling, “Kennedy’s been shot!!!”

My life changed forever that morning.

60 years later we’re in Berlin. A place which is inextricably tied to JFK’s 1000 days presidency. January 20, 1961 – November 22, 1963.

The Kennedy presidency took place during the height of the Cold War between the United States and Russia. Ground Zero in this struggle was the divided city of Berlin. America, Britain, and France controlled West Berlin. The Russians controlled East Berlin.

On August 13, 1961 the Russians cutoff their side of Berlin and began construction of The Wall. It stood as the penultimate symbol of the intractable Cold War for 28 years. In late 1989 the thawing of American-Russian hostility saw the demolition of The Wall and the reunification of Berlin.

The Wall may be physically gone. But its sad, bitter memories live on forever in Germany.

Today we visited a memorial to The Wall and thought seriously about the psychological and physical terror it rained on the People of Berlin for nearly 30 years.

It is a sobering experience. Made more impactful because we are in Berlin on the sad anniversary of John Kennedy’s assassination.

Photos – Liz and Lee Heidhues

BERLIN, GERMANY

Liz and Heidhues 11.20.2023

I learned today that cops behavior is the same worldwide.

Whether in Berlin, where we are in the midst of our German excursion, or in San Francisco.

A Berlin native told us her 85 year old mother had her flat broken into during the weekend.

Apparently the intruders motivation was not robbery. They were just looking for a place to sleep in chilly rainy Berlin.

When our acquaintance called the Berlin police on behalf of her mother, she was told the cops were not available. Turkish president Erdogan was in town. That was the priority.

The victim, 85, was told she could file a report on line.

Instead our acquaintance traveled to the neighborhood police station to file a report. She was given a report number on behalf of her mother.

At their convenience a couple of officers made a visit to the site of the break-in.

The cops decided it was not a major issue worth pursuing further.

Sounds like the police in our home town. San Francisco.

Except for several important differences.

In Berlin, the starting salary is approximately $50,000 yearly. In San Francisco the starting salary is $103,000 yearly plus benefits.

In Berlin 🇩🇪 prospective police officers undergo three years of training before being admitted to the department.

In San Francisco training is only 34 weeks before recruits become crime stoppers.👮‍♂️👮‍♀️

BERLIN, GERMANY

Liz and Lee Heidhues 11.19.2023

Hanging out in Berlin during the rainy season tests one’s stamina and ingenuity.

Elbowing your way through the muddy cobble-stoned streets of Berlin, jostling with the crowds in this historic city of 4 million, soon becomes an endurance contest.

At the end of the day, your clothes will have had it and so will you. You’re ready for a hot shower but you have no more clean clothes to don.

This could be an existential crisis.

It’s time to hoist the laundry bag and hustle off through Turkish Moabit to Gotzkowsky Street and do your dirty wash at Freddy Lecks Waschsalon.

Freddy Leck himself is right at the door, hyper as always, to greet the diverse clientele and sing the praises of his Miele washing machines.

Miele, Freddy tells you, makes the best washing machines in the world.

Want a bigger washing machine? Freddy tells you the size of washing machine he picked for you is just fine. Want to dry your clothes longer? Freddy tells you the time he picked for your dryer  is just perfect.

Don’t get in a dispute with Freddy about his machines. He knows his business. Freddy will prevail.

We have been doing the wash at Freddy’s since our first trip to Berlin in 2017.

The health-conscious Berliners expect people to be neat and clean.

Freddy Lecks Waschsalon in Moabit is the place that meets the expectation.

Top photo: A vast array of soaps and softeners awaits the customer at Freddy Lecks

BERLIN, GERMANY

Liz and Lee Heidhues 11.18.2023

A big surprise on our latest journey to Berlin is the state of Public transportation.

In the past two days we have slogged our way through a Thursday 20 hour work stoppage.

Followed on Friday by a several hours service disruption when the Turkish president Erdogan arrived in the city.

In Berlin there is the SBahn which is maintained by the federal government. This is the service against which the rail workers called for a work stoppage.

In Berlin there is also the locally run UBahn along with an extensive network of trams and busses. The local public transport ran during the stoppage.

But a diminution of one service severely impacts a city of 4 million which relies heavily on its transportation network.

When Erdogan came to town service on the SBahn was miserable. The wait times were terrible. Trains were completely packed.

We met a Swiss woman heading for the airport. Service was so bad she was fearful she would miss her flight ✈️ to Zurich.

When we boarded an SBahn train later in the evening it stopped midway to the next station for 10 minutes. On the train with us was a school teacher from New York. She laughed and told us it was like being home. At least the Germans give service updates she added.

At the next station we got off the train and took a bus to our destination. Along the way as we neared the central train station we passed by countless police vehicles providing security for President Erdogan.

All this, as riders of San Francisco Muni and BART let us realize public transportation is the same worldwide 🌐.

Photos: Liz and Lee

BERLIN, GERMANY

Liz and Lee Heidhues 11.17.2023

Liz and I have been in the Moabit Berlin neighborhood over a week.

Our first trip out of America 🇺🇸 to Berlin in over five years.

A preferred mode of transit is the bicycle.

We are just hanging out as if we are locals leading a regular life. Taking public transit. Shopping. Going to cafés and restaurants. Chatting up the merchants and citizens of Berlin.

Moabit is a heavily Turkish neighborhood and we have eaten several meals at the Turm Bistro.

Twice we have dined at a nearby Italian restaurant Osteria dell’ Arte where the staff offered us expensive drinks on the house.

Earlier Liz and I spent an afternoon at the ✡️ Jewish history museum. The current special exhibition is a deep look into the lives of Jewish people in the German Democratic Republic (GDR). Formerly East Germany.

There is so much history in Berlin.

Top photo: the Bellevue train station in Berlin..a train for Potsdam approaching

Liz Heidhues 11.4.2023

Sometimes I feel like despairing.

I still feel emotional pain and anger at the political lynching of Chesa Boudin on June 7, 2022, when the scheming ultra-wealthy Machiavellian toadstools, funding the recall campaign, when the POA, in retaliation for being held accountable for abuses of power, fomented lies about Chesa, when the pitchfork mob seeking a scapegoat raised public strife against Chesa, succeeded in taking Chesa away from me. I had campaigned for Chesa for DA and for the “No On H” anti-recall campaign.

I became friends with Chesa Boudin after I was falsely arrested and falsely imprisoned by two Citizen’s Arrests in my old age. The brutality I experienced at the hands of SFPD and the degradation and indignities I suffered in jail will live within me until my grave, due to my having endured these injustices towards the end of my life.

Chesa was the only person before whom I would break down and weep when he came to talk with me in a visitor’s room behind a thickly walled, soundproof partition. As the warden took me from my jail cell, she said to me “Your attorney is here to see you”. In astonishment, I asked myself “What attorney? I don’t have an attorney”.

I didn’t know what rights I had, since I had never experienced an arrest nor had ever been confined to a human cage, which is exactly what a jail cell is. Because I was desperate to find out whether my husband was ok, I decided to talk to this stranger with eyes that gripped mine with intensity. But as soon as I began speaking, Chesa stopped me, shook his head, and then pointed to the wall over on my side of the room where a phone receiver dangled without moorings.

When the sheer horror that I was now imprisoned in a soundproof room where I could not be heard by another human being, that I was now wearing lurid, fluorescent orange prison attire from head to foot instead of my own clothing, that my freedom and my identity had been stripped from me for having done nothing wrong, tore into my brain, I broke down and wept in front of Chesa. Chesa’s eyes had been the first compassionate eyes I had seen during the nightmarish ordeal of my first False Citizen’s Arrest.

Chesa was the friend I turned to for inspiration when struggling with the cruel attacks on my character during our lawsuit against the people who carried out my two False Citizen’s Arrests. Their defense attorneys, wanting to win the case at any cost, waged a war against my husband and I, who are elderly and could never match their fat War Chest funded by 30-billion-dollar insurance companies. Chesa reminded me “You survived jail, you can survive this”. And so I continued our costly and draining fight for justice until we finally prevailed.

‘Beyond Bars’ is Chesa’s story of the children of incarcerated parents yet it is also a story about the inhumane world waiting for those who are incarcerated and stripped of their dignity and basic human rights.

Chesa’s documentary shows the importance of family bonds and how families are broken and destroyed by the incarceration of parents. My own family did not escape the fallout from my two False Citizen’s Arrests. ‘Beyond Bars’ is a strong statement that justice must be defined, not by punishment, but by alternatives to incarceration.

Note: Liz Heidhues, 73, is a native of San Francisco. Mother. Grandparent. Educator. Athlete. Prior to April 12, 2018 Liz had never encountered law enforcement or the judicial system. On that day she was the subject of the first of two false citizen’s arrests. The second took place less than two years later. Both false citizens arrests were discharged by the Superior Court. Liz filed a lawsuit against the perpetrators and prevailed. But, the emotional and financial price to fight for her rights was devastating. Chesa Boudin was one person who felt Liz’ pain and was there for her in her moments of need.

Lee Heidhues contributed to this blog post.

Top photo: Liz Heidhues at left wearing sunglasses with Chesa in front of the San Francisco Hall of Justice – April 30, 2019

Lee Heidhues 11.3.2023

Germany is well aware of the dangers of antisemitism. A country whose name will forever be stained by the Nazi reign and the resultant Holocaust from 1933-1945.

This is the reason the current Socialist government, which includes the Green Party in its ranks, has been so strident and sensitive in protecting the rights of its Jewish population.

It’s a real dilemma. Protecting the rights of its refugee population, which includes many people from the Middle East diaspora, while simultaneously cracking down on antisemitism.

The strong feelings bordering on virulent antisemitism are not limited to its refugee population. This abhorrent behavior is also exhibited by German citizens across the political spectrum.

Excerpted from Deutsche Welle 11.3.2023

German Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck has spoken out emphatically about antisemitism in Germany — and, in particular, an uptick in hate crimes since the Israel-Hamas war began.

“Jewish communities warn their members to avoid certain places for their own safety. And this is the reality here today, in Germany, almost 80 years after the Holocaust,” said Habeck.

In a video posted online, the Green Party politician also warned that there would be consequences for those who exhibit antisemitic hatred.

Habeck defended Israel’s security as an integral part of Germany’s existence as a nation and sharply criticized antisemitic tendencies among some Muslims, right-wing extremists and left-wing activists.

He said Germany’s responsibility for the Holocaust meant it was essential that Jews should be able to live “freely and safely in Germany, that they never again have to be afraid to openly show their religion and their culture. But it is precisely this fear that is back.”

He spoke of “painful” conversations with Frankfurt’s Jewish community, in which he learned that children were now afraid to go to school and sports clubs or to display their religious affiliation by, for example, wearing the Star of David necklace.

Habeck, who in addition to being vice chancellor is also minister for economic affairs and climate action, said there should be severe consequences for antisemitic acts, particularly for supporters of the radical Islamist militant group Hamas in Germany.

Later on Thursday, Interior Minister Nancy Faeser announced a ban on activities by or supporting Hamas and another pro-Palestinian organization accused of antisemitism.

Habeck said the burning of Israeli flags during demonstrations and “praising Hamas terror” were criminal offenses. 

“Any German citizen who does this will have to answer for such offenses in court. Those who are not German cititzens will also risk their residency status,” said Habeck. “Anyone who does not yet have a residence permit will have provided a reason to be deported.”

https://www.dw.com/en/germanys-habeck-warns-antisemitism-bears-consequences/a-67281958

Top photo: caption “Berlin – Death to Jews. Death to Israel”

Lee Heidhues 11.2.2023

In my wildest Pacifist dreams I never imagined a Republican, from Alabama no less, would single handedly apply the brakes to the humongous American military machine. I can still be surprised.

Former football coach now Senator Tommy Tuberville has succeeded in pissing off the Pentagon, his fellow Republican senators and millions of women who want the right to control their bodies.

What’s his problem? He doesn’t believe the Pentagon should pay for women to travel to states where abortion is legal to terminate their pregnancy. The past nine months he has placed a “Hold” on Senate confirmation for approximately 350 nominees who require a Senate vote.

Just imagine the uproar if Bernie Sanders or Elizabeth Warren were engaging in a similar stunt.

Excerpted from The New York Times 11.2.2023

In a clear sign that pressure is building, a handful of Republicans took to the Senate floor on Wednesday night to excoriate Senator Tommy Tuberville (R- AL) for his tactics, which have held up more than 350 senior military positions. They attempted to call up scores of pending promotions for military officers one by one, insisting he quit blocking them — which he refused repeatedly to do.

On Wednesday night, Mr. Tuberville shot down 61 separate requests to let nominees be confirmed.

“No matter whether you believe it or not, Senator Tuberville, this is doing great damage to our military,” said Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina, in one such floor speech on Wednesday night. “If this gets to be normal, God help the military, because every one of us could find some reason to object to policy.”

The policy Mr. Tuberville is targeting, announced in February, allows service members to take leave and be reimbursed for transportation expenses if they must travel to obtain an abortion or certain fertility treatments because such procedures are not available where they are based.

It came in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision last year overturning Roe v. Wade, which prompted many states to move to ban or severely restrict abortion. Some doctors and legal experts fear the ruling could also eventually lead to new curbs on in vitro fertilization.

The spectacle on the floor marked the breakdown of months of behind-the-scenes negotiations in which Republicans publicly defending Mr. Tuberville’s actions and blaming Democrats and the Pentagon for failing to accommodate him have privately pleaded with the Alabama senator to relent.

“I will keep my hold in place until the Pentagon follows the law or the Democrats change the law,” he declared.

Despite their palpable frustration, none of the five Republicans challenging Mr. Tuberville on Wednesday night pledged to sign onto the Democrats’ proposal.

“I’m hoping we can find an alternative to that, but something needs to give here,” Mr. Graham said.

Still, Senator Todd Young, Republican of Indiana, said he had not ruled it out, and other Republicans refrained from doing so as well.

“I don’t like Mr. Tuberville’s technique of making his point, and I think it’s getting to a breaking point, quite frankly,” said Senator Shelley Moore Capito, Republican of West Virginia. “So we’ll see if the resolution comes up.”

Lee Heidhues 10.30.2023

Bernie Sanders is in a tough spot. Yes. Bernie is Jewish. Bernie has also been one of the most fervent supporters, at least rhetorically, speaking up on behalf of the Palestinian people.

Now Bernie is stuck between the hard rocks of his Judaism and his support for the Palestinians.

His is the dilemma ripping apart for the Progressive movement in the United States.

Excerpted from Aljazeera 10.30.2030

Senator Bernie Sanders is now drawing ire from many of his supporters who feel let down by his current stance towards the Israel-Hamas war.

The senator’s current unwillingness to call for a ceasefire has left many of his Palestinian, Arab and Muslim supporters with a sense of disappointment if not betrayal.

As the Israeli military offensive in Gaza intensifies, killing thousands of children and levelling entire neighbourhoods, Sanders has not called for a ceasefire. Because of his reputation as an anti-war voice, critics say he is uniquely positioned to amplify demands for ending the hostilities in Gaza.

“At a time when Washington is lining up behind those, including the president, who are beating the drums of war, we need leaders with the courage and the legacy of anti-war activism to break that consensus and say all human life is precious by demanding a ceasefire,” said Eva Borgwardt, political director at IfNotNow, a progressive Jewish group.

“If anyone can do that in the Senate, it is Senator Sanders.”

Omar Baddar, a Palestinian American analyst who supported Sanders’s 2020 presidential campaign, said it is “hard to convey the depth of the disappointment” he feels over the senator’s failure to back a ceasefire.

“I know the political climate in the US at the moment is scary, anti-Palestinian and intolerant of dissent, but that’s precisely why Sanders’s voice would be so valuable,” Baddar told Al Jazeera. If Sanders speaks out, Baddar believes his actions will “create the political space” for others to do the same.

In a stunning moment during the 2016 United States presidential race, Senator Bernie Sanders called out his then-rival Hillary Clinton for failing to mention Palestinian rights in a speech she delivered to a pro-Israel lobby group.

Standing on stage in a nationally televised 2016 primary debate, Sanders highlighted the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza and criticized the unconditional support that the Israeli government — under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — receives from Washington.

“There comes a time when, if we pursue justice and peace, we are going to have to say that Netanyahu is not right all of the time,” he said.

It was a rare statement to come from a Washington politician. Few, even among left-leaning Democrats, have questioned whether the United States should reconsider its “unwavering” support for Israel.

But flash forward seven years, and Sanders is now drawing ire from many of his supporters who feel let down by his current stance towards the Israel-Hamas war.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/10/30/bernie-sanderss-failure-to-back-gaza-ceasefire-disappoints-us-supporters

Top photo: “Progressive” Bernie Sanders in front of the White House. Now joined at the hip with Israel’s war of destruction against the Palestinian people?