Do you remember that date?
I do.
It was one of the worst days of my life. That was the day the Machine pulled the trigger on Iraq. That was the day Junior Bush sealed his legacy, not as a mere well-intentioned bumbler, but as a figure of historical infamy. Forever and eternally.
I recall that day. I watched the military-approved pressers on teevee. I saw prancers and fakers from both political parties shape their faces into expressions of solemnity and heard them utter platitudes about determination and sacrifice.
I was overwhelmed. By horror and disgust. And grief. And contempt. And a deep, burning anger. Only two days before, I'd joined 30,000 other individuals on the streets of the Rose City to register my protest. Worldwide, there were 10 million demonstrators. But by the time we got organized and took to the streets it was too late. The Machine had ground past us.
The gullible American public had been manipulated into accepting a war brought about by obvious and demonstrable lies.
On March 19, 2003, over 12 years ago, the killing that continues to this day, started in earnest. Both the killing and my anger will continue through the day of my death.
Do you feel that way, too?
Well, fellow peaceniks, take a look around, because it is happening again. But this time, the target is Iran.
The shaky negotiations currently underway between the United States, Iran, and other interested parties are hopeful, but not enough, in themselves, to halt the slide toward war.
Those who would benefit from it are relentless.
A lot of the very same personalities that endorsed the Project for a New American Century (Jeb Bush and John Bolton, to name just two) are now leading advocates for an aggressive Iran policy. (Recall that PNAC advocated war with Iraq in 1997, four years before 911!) And there are plenty of jingoes in Congress who are playing right along. Recall the letter, penned by freshman senator Tom Cotton and signed by 46 of his Republican colleagues, that attempted to undermine the negotiations.) It's as if peace is offensive to these people.
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| Iranians flashing peace signs at Tehran's Mehrabad airport. |
Let me urge you, fellow peaceniks: Make known your demand for peace! To anyone and everyone. But most especially to your elected representatives. Up to and including the President of the United States.
I don't want any more of that anger that will never go away. I don't want more death, waste, and destruction. Nor do you, peacenik.
Demonstrate! Advocate! Make yourself heard!
The time to stop the war with Iran is now.
Amen to that, Dade. I too, remember candlelight vigils and hopes that the American people would be awake enough to see through the thin veil of pretentious audacity; (the Bush/Cheney "War on Terror"). We are aproaching a crossroad. One way is continued progress toward an egalitarian society; or, the other divergent path favored by the Plutarch's. As you said, now is the time.
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