This morning in Brinnainne’s diary, I said I was going to do something positive today instead of praying or cursing this administration…so I headed down to the Cindy Sheehan rally at Independence Mall.
What a great decision that turned out to be! After weeks of sadness and horror at what lies, greed, and failed leadership have done to our country, I finally found new hope. Other Americans standing up for what is right, and saying no to what is wrong. Live and in the flesh! How refreshing!
Here’s the crowd when we first arrived:
Celeste Zappala (on right), GSFP mother of Sgt Sherwood Baker (who has the sad distinction of being the first PA National Guardsman killed in combat since 1945), standing with Philadelphia City Councilwoman Reynolds Brown as she read the resolution passed by City Council on September 15th calling for withdrawal of troops from Iraq:
Boots and pictures of the fallen. My older son said they almost made him cry. Me too:
The crowd grew as the evening went on (and look, there’s Independence Hall in the background!):
People with banners on Market Street:
Hart Viges of Iraq Veterans Against the War talking to a local mediaperson:
This little girl was making a pathway of peace signs that her younger sister would run down like stepping stones:
When Dante Zappala was speaking, he even mentioned seeing this woman’s sign, which said: “I Don’t Want to be a Gold Star Grandma” (she was delighted, of course):
Even more people! One of the speakers said that this was the largest group they’d had so far, and each of the people I spoke to from the tour said that having all of us show up to support them means so much to them.
Local musician and artist LisaBeth Webber played a few songs for us:
The woman on the right is Beatriz Saldivar, GSFP member whose nephew Daniel Torres was killed in Iraq while driving an under-armored HumVee:
And of course, Cindy herself (sorry, this was the best of my pictures of her):
After Cindy spoke, someone (I can’t remember his name, maybe Tracy knows?) played Taps on the bugle and we all lit candles. There were so many more people there than they expected, they ran out of cups and candles; luckily the Cabin Boys got two of the last ones!
And my favorite t-shirt of the evening:
Hearing these people speak about their loved ones and their experiences is very moving. The way the GSFP families describe hearing that doorbell ring on that awful day, or how the MFSO wives grew to hate the sound of their own doorbell or phone ringing, for fear that it would be their turn to hear the bad news…There were too many of these stories. We have to put an end to this war now so that no more families have to live through this.
In spite of the sadness of their stories, it was good to be around other people who care about our soldiers and our country, and who are working to bring an end to Bush’s lies and mistakes. I also kept overhearing how many people will be in DC next week. I’m looking forward to being right there with them!
Thank you SO MUCH for sharing CabinGirl! The pictures are great–it’s restorative to my soul to know that Cindy’s movement for Peace is advancing forward. Paz
Soul restoring is EXACTLY how I would describe tonight. I’m so glad you enjoyed the pictures; I wish you were able to come to DC with us. I know you’ll be there in spirit.
Thank you CabinGirl, for this entry.
It gives a good feeling to watch those pictures of people that care. And you’re bringing up two aware and handsome fellas there. I hope (and believe) the asklets have picked up on the same sentiments.
Thanks, ask. I’m glad you enjoyed it.
Your children are beautiful too. And we do try our best to show them how to be good ppeople, don’t we? Sometimes it seems so hard to teach them the right things, with all that’s going on in the world.
Thank you so much CabinGirl for putting this together. It’s so good to see people in action – doing something. I hope that momentum continues to build, and that we’ll all be amazed by the turnout in DC!
You put it so well! And I do understand how you feel.
With everything going wrong in the country this week, I put off reading this diary — I didn’t think I could take the heartbreak of dwelling on Bush’s greatest failure.
I really can’t tell you how glad I am you posted this.
Tonight, I go to bed with happy thoughts about what is right with our country — people like yourself, and Cindy, and everyone at the rally.
People like us.
You didn’t just find new hope. You brought it here and shared it with all of us, too!
Thank you so much.
One of the things that really struck me last night was when one of the VFP/MFSO people talked about how happy they were to see the flags people had brought with them, because it is our flag too.
For years now, I have backed away from the American flag, feeling like it had become a symbol only for those who support Bush. Now, I’m going to bring a few to the march next week, because damnit, America is my country, and I love it too. And I’m not going to give that up to a pack of lying thieves without a fight.
This will be an experience you and your kidlets will always remember. This shit has got to end- right now.
Thanks for posting this!
Shycat, thank you again for all that you’ve done to help us with going to the march next week!
You are very welcome,my dear. I am having a very rough time picturing myself as Lady Bountiful!
Oh CabinGirl, thank you for posting this diary with great pics! Much needed after the past couple of weeks with anger and disgust running rapidly through my veins. Coming back from Crawford the day before Katrina hit I had so much hope for our country and it rapidly dissipated that week the storm hit and our government once again failed its citizens.
Please folks, where ever you are try to participate in some small way on the 24th. Those going to DC speak for me. I so want to be there with you all but will stake out a corner here in San Diego!Tahnks again CabinGirl! and I love that your boys were there!!
One other thing we can all do: write and call your congresscritters and urge them to end the war. With the costs of Katrina, we have even more reason to pull out than before, and it’s time for our representative to listen to us and listen to reason.
Thanks Cabingirl for going down there. It feels good doesn’t it? And double thanks for the pictures. And triple thanks for raising your boys to be conciencious and involved.
It was great…the boys are coming to DC with me too, so you’ll get to meet them!
Thank you for this CG — your boys are beautiful, I hope they know how lucky they are to have you as a mom!
It is good to see Hart out there, he is from Austin — when I saw him speaking with Tim in Crawford (saw the video, not live) I cried for a while — his story and his willingness to tell it are so inspiring.
Those IVAW guys and gals are amazing, every single one of them.
I chatted with Hart for a little while last night…what a wonderful person he is! Knowing all of you Austin folks, it doesn’t surprise me at all that he is from there too.
The video from He and Tim Goodrich speaking at the rally in Crawford still haunts me.
I wish I had been there with you…i wish I had a way to bring all of us together for a big group hug, drinks, food and a few days of talk — the BooTrib retreat — wouldn’t that be grand.
Feeling very much like saying “oh fuck it all” today — stark contrast from yesterday, still in a decent mood, but just fed up with everything.
Wouldn’t that be great: a BooTrib family reunion of sorts!
I wish you were coming to DC with us. But did I see that Tracy was going to try and get together with you on one of her medical jaunts to San Antonio?
Thanks for reminding me that I need to call her — yeah, I should see her again before month’s end — I have to call to make sure I know exactly what the dates are — I think they are AFTER the DC jaunt, so that should give us lots to talk about (as if we need more – lol!)
I hope i have the moeny for gas to drive down and see them!
Thank you!
Love the photo of the little girl drawing peace signs along the walkway.
Very very powerful…
XOXOX