war { 5th Anniversary of the Iraq War
Last night Nerdwife and I attended a candlelight peace vigil in remembrance of the 5th anniversary of the start of the Iraq War. It was a walk around Silver Lake. The organizers were only expecting a dozen or so to show up, as it was a last minute thing, but more than 40+ arrived. We talked about the war, its cost. The future, hope. Hope that we as a people will put an end to the war and find a way to insure it will not happen again. It was a beautiful night.
2 comments:
I had lunch at Chili's in Roseville on the day the war started. I choked down a cardboard-bland fajita while footage of the "shock and awe" campaign was broadcast on CNN.
Some of my fellow diners watched with either nationalistic fervor, or thinly-veiled disgust. Most, though, ignored it.
That frightened me.
Worse, I remember having chats at work where I said "This has the potential to be another Viet Nam," only to be told -- and this is a direct quote -- "We'll be in and out in six months."
I really wish I'd been wrong.
I'm not a dove. I absolutely believe in the necessity of a strong military, and the willingness to employ said military when required. I just never bought into reasons we started this war. It struck me wrong then, and it does now.
Neverthless, I support the troops (which I once had to explain to an incredulous co-worker is possible to do even if you disagree with the conflict) and am humbled by their sacrifice and service.
Sadly, though, I don't see them coming home anytime soon. We made a mess in Iraq. No matter who gets voted in, we have an obligation to help clean it up. We'll just have to see how many our own will pay for that stability in the coming years.
Some at the vigil were doves. No war for any reason. But most were like us. Concerned people who would rather see war as the absolute last choice. The organizers were veterans. One from Korea, one from WWII. There were people of faith there as well as those who weren't (like me). As we walked, people joined us. People honked. No one yelled derogatory epitaphs or made rude gestures at us. Some asked what we were doing. Many peace signs were received and many were given. Some people even stop, in their cars, blocking traffic, to yell out words of support.
Everyone there supported the people serving. They have a rough job. We want to see them home, safe.
I agree there is no good way out.
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