by Toni Pizanie
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA
Queen for a Day
The secret seems to be all over town and because this article will appear after the Petronius Ball, I openly make claim to being Queen Petronius 42. It has been a thrill getting everything pulled together. Every time I thought I was seeing the last of the bills, there was something else added to the list of gifts, table decorations and the miles of fabric and rhinestones that are required to be Queen. The night before I started writing this account, Wally McLaughlin and I listened to the Royal music while working on the choreography. I only hope that everyone that attends Petronius this year will be thrilled with the production.
I’d like to publicly thank our great Captain Wally for being a creative genius and easy person to work with. There were no threats of having my costume excluded if he didn’t approve as there were last year. Smooth and joyful is the new Petronius experience. Although the membership numbers just at 25, the group of hard working, happy members have created an atmosphere of pleasant camaraderie.
Thanks also to our President Larry Anderson and Lieutenants Jay Borne, Romney LeLeux and especially Jerry Meis. Almost half the Krewe is new to the Gay Mardi Gras experience and first time members of any Krewe. This is especially impressive as not only did this group earn enough to produce an outstanding ball, they paid off bills from the previous year. It has been a landmark experience and I am ready for my fifteen minutes of fame.
While working on seating for my fifty-something guests, people kept sending me emails trying to keep my feet on the ground and my head in the "Good Fight". Political groups, news groups, peace groups have all been in the running for my attention. I’ve been pretty successful in convincing myself that the threat of war or war itself will be with us long after I walk in the spotlight to the cheers of happy revelers.
However, a sweet land woman friend, Dianne, emailed me one possible solution to the fears that surround us all. The email originated with Sister Spirit, Incorporated in Ovett, MS and came to me from some place out west as Dianne travels around the country visiting land dykes.
Brenda Henson of Camp Sister Spirit writes that we can remove millions of dollars from the Middle East, that would see us destroyed, by not purchasing gasoline from companies that do business in the Middle East. Who are those good guy companies? Citgo, Sunoco, Conoco, Sinclair, BP/Phillips and Hess do not purchase Middle Eastern oil.
Instead of putting money in the pockets of our enemies every time you fill up your car, change stations. Remember the Saudis are boycotting American goods — let’s boycott the Saudis’ oil.
Now it may be a little inconvenient but the companies to avoid are Shell, Chevron/Texaco, Exxon/Mobil, Amoco and Marathon/Speedway. We as a community are already boycotting Exxon for their stand on discrimination or should be. We know money talks very loud. It is time our voices are heard around the world.
Remember your grandfathers talking about the Standard Oil War? That was WWII just in case your history education is lacking. Why do Americans let a few very rich oil men place our young, healthy men and women at risk? Are we really going to allow the murder of our best, our future just so that old men can flex their muscle at the Peace (?) Table? Changing our gasoline buying habits may just help the average American more than we can imagine.
Brenda suggests that we send this information to everyone we know online. She says, "I’m sending this note to about thirty people. If each of us sends it to ten people, that will equal 300 people. If they send it to ten more, it will reach 3,000." If the message continues to move across the country we can reach perhaps three million consumers who want to have a word in how American dollars are spent. If you have additional questions for Brenda, just visit her at www.campsisterspirit.com.
You can also write to the CEOs of the bad guy companies and voice your disgust, anger, displeasure, whatever. I am being asked several times a week to write my government representatives about the war, about judges so why not add a note or two to the oil companies. That is a better way to handle your anger than kicking the cat so to speak.
I’m off to find a new gas station. There is a BP not too far from the house and I intend to make them my new best friends as I bask in the heady thoughts of visiting other balls as Queen Petronius of the Krewe of Petronius. My hope is that the Barkus Royalty doesn’t upstage me. To a "Queen for a Day", that could be as devastating as war.
