"sleepwalking through history"

last wednesday, us senator robert byrd delivered a speech - Reckless Administration May Reap Disastrous Consequences - that i wanted to share with you. i'm thrilled that someone still has the balls to speak up to an increasingly silent senate in a time of near-war. here's a small excerpt:

"One can understand the anger and shock of any President after the savage attacks of September 11. One can appreciate the frustration of having only a shadow to chase and an amorphous, fleeting enemy on which it is nearly impossible to exact retribution. But to turn one's frustration and anger into the kind of extremely destabilizing and dangerous foreign policy debacle that the world is currently witnessing is inexcusable from any Administration charged with the awesome power and responsibility of guiding the destiny of the greatest superpower on the planet. Frankly many of the pronouncements made by this Administration are outrageous. There is no other word.

Yet this chamber is hauntingly silent. On what is possibly the eve of horrific infliction of death and destruction on the population of the nation of Iraq -- a population, I might add, of which over 50% is under age 15 -- this chamber is silent. On what is possibly only days before we send thousands of our own citizens to face unimagined horrors of chemical and biological warfare -- this chamber is silent. On the eve of what could possibly be a vicious terrorist attack in retaliation for our attack on Iraq, it is business as usual in the United States Senate."

i'd really like to know how my friends feel about the upcoming war. we all know it's a very serious issue but it's still not talked about nearly enough. some of us are hesistant. some of us are defiant. some of us just don't know. it all begins with a little discussion.

today i participated in the anti-war rally and march in SF. i hear 150 000 people were present. crowds upon children upon crowds coming together all at once. it was such a beautiful and haunting event. when i saw thousands of families gathered together on the grass, i was just overwhelmed with feelings of awe and regret. awe because it's mindblowing to realize just how many people are going through the same struggles as you. regret because... i really shouldn't say.