Earlier this week I attended a gathering that was sponsored nationally
by MoveOn.org and locally by Progress Ohio. Since I hadn't done
anything "activistic" in a while (Is activistic really a word? If not I
propose to enter it into the lexicon of political jargon/slang,
defined as "being an activist"....but that's just me), I thought I would
see what it was all about. It was a candlelight vigil, a protest of
the current war in Iraq, a show of support for our troops...it
encompassed a lot.
I went to the sponsored event in
Westerville. I live in Columbus, but I live in the 12th US
congressional district and the Westerville gathering was closer and
more relevant to me than the one downtown. Anyway, a list was read of
the hometowns of the servicepeople who had lost their lives this year
alone. This was done to represent the toll this war was taking on our
great nation. About 40 to 50 people, not including children, showed up
at this event, which was repeated in other cities and town across the
country. There were also candles lit for a vigil and a moment of
silence once all the names of the hometowns were read. People took
turns reading the list and some got emotional, with one person not even
being able to read the rest of his part. I made a note of the fact
that we need to support our troops because of all they do and have done
for us...but that I felt the best way to support our troops was by
doing what was right and bringing them home. Personally speaking, I
believe they are needed here and elsewhere and do not need to be bogged
down in a quagmire brought about by a vendetta that our current
president had concerning an assassination attempt on his father.
Anyway, the gathering was a sober reminder that there is a lot of work
that needs done regarding bringing our troops home to their families
and doing what's right. I was actually hesitant about going to this
vigil, but boy am I sure glad I did. Later and God Bless.
