Peace Vigil
MoveOn.org sponsored nationwide candlelight vigils today marking the 5 years we've been in Iraq.
Merced has had a vigil every Friday since the Viet Nam war but it's not officially a part of a national group. This one was.
Anyhow, my friend and I showed up with my camera and our candles in front of the local high school with about 25/30 others; not a bad turnout here. We're circulating a petition (bring the troops home) and will deliver it to our local Congressman's (Blue Dog Democrat Dennis Cardoza) office this Friday.
The first picture was taken just as we were trying to get out act together; always a problem for Democrats (and a few Greens) as you may have noticed. The second is my friend Tom. I wanted everyone to see that shirt.
So do the vigils, the petitions, the rallies do any good some people have asked? My answer? I don't know but it beats doing nothing. I feel the same way about the writing the three of us do here, the phone calls I make, and the letters I write.
Think Globally, Act Locally is one of the bywords of the environmental movement but it could apply to any effort. If my spoken or written words help even one person to stop and think about the horrendous cost of this illegal war; if one person picks up their trash or drives a little less; if there is one less case of gay-bashing because of something I've said or written, it's a start and well worth the effort. A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step and I continue to hope that it's not too late.
posted by Granny @ 3/19/2008 10:34:00 PM
All of humankind's problems could be solved if enough people could sit in a room, quiet by themselves for 10 minutes a day.
Seems simple enough. BTW, Thanks for the great blog.
Thursday, March 20, 2008 1:13:00 AM
Hope - not the Obama kind for political gain; Hope - not for more of the Hillary same - but Hope of the common people. It's dim right now, this is a hard era. But as I recall you saying once, "what else do we have?"
Indeed.
Thursday, March 20, 2008 1:25:00 AM
Sometimes it seems like we are pushing a 2 ton wad of dough up Mount Everest with our nose. It is exhausting and discouraging. But we have to try and keep trying.
Thursday, March 20, 2008 7:24:00 PM