No such thing as an eternal flame

Cindy Sheehan just gave up the fight. Her exit letter is here. It seems that the fervor after giving up so much for this "disaster of a war in a Iraq" just didn't last forever. She began by attacking the president, and when the Democrats were held to the same standard she attacked them too. The Democratic "Left" began to ignore her. The "Right" will always hate those who dissent, that is the way of totalitarianistic philosophies.

I find myself rather sad at this. I have not openly attended any peace rallies or marches. There has been no "peace" bumper sticker on my car. I have written no letters to senators, congressmen, the white house, anyone. Yet, I yearn for peace. I long for the call to return of our troops from that god-forsaken place. I desire that we take action here at home such as, electric vehicles, reduced consumption of middle-east goods, secularization of our people, and moderatism; that will draw money from economies which feed the real murderers of the American dead of 9/11.

I just thought that if one loses a son in a pointless war, driven by a mindless president, that the raw vulcanized emotion would spew forever and drive a parent frantic with opposition and drive to stop it all. I would not sacrifice my child on the oilfields of political mendacity. The very thought of it now raises the hackles of my paternal love.

In a news broadcast yesterday a clip of a 5 year old child surprised by his military father's surprise return from Iraq misted my eyes. As the soldier entered the room, the camera zoomed in on the boy. He stopped, almost startled, jumped up and accelerated towards the waiting arms of his Goliath father. The boy embraced, was scooped up, and wept. I felt his joy. Then I thought, "how many just-as-loving boys shall never hug their father's/mother's again? How many of those longing children have sacrificed just such a blessed moment so that saber rattlers in Washington can have their ego's fed and their lies perpetuated?"

I am ashamed of my government... Ashamed of myself for doing so little... Ashamed that my small candle of dissent was never even lit. I mourn for the loss of young innocent Iraqi lives, and the young loves of our soldiers. Damn this Administration! Damn the enablers! and Damn the passively acquiescent! I mourn the loss of my own rationalizations for doing nothing. I am, in the end, a coward. Shame on me. At least, I am not alone.

HH