It was when they played Kermit the Frog singing The Rainbow Connection at Gail Lord's funeral that I started crying.
"Why are there so many songs about rainbows
"And what's on the other side?
"Rainbows are visions, but only illusions,
"And rainbows have nothing to hide.
"So we've been told and some choose to believe it
"I know they're wrong, wait and see.
"Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection,
"The lovers, the dreamers and me."
Gail was a dear comrade and friend who died from cancer in July this year at the age of 55, and when GLW received a $500 donation from her will last week, the words of that song came into my head. The tears returned as well.
This was one working-class battler who lived her life by the often quoted words of Che Guevara: "if you tremble with indignation at every injustice, you are a comrade of mine". This was a wonderful human being who dared to dream of a better world and devoted her life to that cause.
Gail's "rainbow connection" spirit lives out there in many other ordinary folk who do whatever they can to make a better world. Some of these special people are regular readers of GLW but others have yet to discover we exist.
On November 11, GLW supporters will be joining the nationwide Walk Against Warming rallies, to vote with our feet for serious action against global warming. These rallies present an enormous opportunity for us to reach out to potential new subscribers. We would like to distribute as many copies of GLW as we can at these rallies, and we'd like to ask you for some help in doing this.
Can you help us find a few more "rainbow connections"? If so, please call us on the toll-free line at 1800 634 206 (within Australia).
With the donation from Gail's will, several donations from other GLW supporters, and with money raised through fundraising events, $6746 was raised for the GLW Fighting Fund last week, bringing the total raised so far this year to $179,942. We are just over $70,000 away from our 2007 target of $250,000. With your help we will make it.
You can donate to the Fighting Fund by direct deposit to: Greenleft, Commonwealth Bank, BSB 062-006, Account No. 901992. Alternatively, send a cheque or money order to PO Box 515, Broadway NSW 2007, phone it through on the toll-free line at 1800 634 206 (within Australia), or donate online at http://www.greenleft.org.au/fogl.htm. You can also give us a call if, like Gail, you would like to include GLW in your will.