Washblog

I was sitting in the opposite gallery and heard and watched the eruption of heated comments by those "ordinary citizens" whose legislators had just made a mockery of democracy, fairness and honesty.  Looking across the expanse I felt transported in time and felt a shiver of recognition.  
It seemed to me this demonstration of an irate citizenry was reminscent of what it must have been like in the 1760's and '70's at the start of the great experiment those in the gallery were asking the cowards in power to defend.  Perhaps not being in the midst of those whose passion for our constitutional form of government and an end to war that made you uncomfortable enabled my lens to see a different scenario.  
I think we've not seen the end of these folks, nor of their cause.  The only difference between them and their ancestors lies in finding the means to bring justice to the fore.  Throwing the tea in the harbor won't do it.
the imp

by the imp on Sun Apr 22, 2007 at 03:32:08 PM PST

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I've been out of town for 4 days at the NW Progressive Conference in Pullman -- and am so glad to see this diary.  We didn't get impeachment.  We didn't even get a debate.  But at least we have this history and these documents of the sincere efforts of citizens to hold their government accountable at all levels.

Dina, you are a tireless advocate. Thank you.

Who was the third senator who spoke? Was it Kline?

This road to end the war and to hold these national leaders responsible is just too long.  Lietta and Arthur Ruger from Military Families Speak Out -- and Washbloggers -- presented at the progressive conference this weekend.  It was a very moving experience for me.  Lietta also talked about how long this has been going on and the toll it takes.  There's nothing to do but continue to demand justice in every way possible, even when the power that denies it is so great.

by noemie maxwell on Mon Apr 23, 2007 at 11:23:18 AM PST

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  Dina, I liked how you wrote your story, giving again the flavor of the proceedings with your photos and photo comments, but importantly, your feelings about the reactions/responses as the proceedings went forward.

  Several things I'd like to acknowledge from your story, or that caught my attention.  

  -- Ordinary citizens less the circus atmosphere.

  -- It was the depiction of Guantanomo / Abu Ghraib torture via the orange jumpsuit and hood that got Senate's attention.  Do you believe the context of why this got Senate's attention is specific to the Capital building in Olympia, WA and that is an infrequent occurrence?  I'm curious about the strategic value in using the imagery infrequently instead of with regularity.

  -- I noticed that what was permitted were 3 minute comments on Iraq war.  This affirms my personal belief that we need the unifying message getting troops out of Iraq now.  While the message of the action was Impeachment, which apparantly Senate didn't permit discussion, I have to be very grateful that because of this action there was discussion about Iraq war.  Thank you to each and every citizen for their courage and who took the time to participate.

  -- Especially a thank you to Senator Oemig for stand out courage and setting an example, offering a role model for how citizens can be actively and civically involved in the process machinations of our government at work.

  -- a thank you to the military family speaking out, John Braddock, from Portland, Oregon; his nephew killed at the time of this Commander-in-Chief's cowboy stage acting of 'bring it on' -- they did Mr. President, they did bring it on and it is us - the troops and us, their military families whose loved ones keep getting deployed to Iraq who bear the cost, the price of your arrogance. (It goes hand in glove that as our  men and women in uniform pay the costs with their very lives, so do the Iraqis pay the costs with theirs)

  note: while John Braddock, a military family - a Gold Star family  - was speaking out in Olympia, Arthur and I, also a military family with 2 returning Iraq veterans were representing Military Families Speak Out at a conference in WSU in Pullman, WA.  An opportunity for Military Families to Speak Out - Washington state chapter simultaneously in Eastern and Western Washington state - a shout out of thanks to the student's union of WSU for organizing the 2007 Northwest Progressive Conference and for inviting us to use this podium and venue to share our message.

 And especially Arthur and I want to thank Noemie Maxwell, one of the driving forces of Washblog for making the long trip, sharing her find of the wonderful old farmhouse B & B with us, and coming to our presentation among the many other presentations that weekend. The timing didn't work in our favor and we didn't get the chance to meet another Washblogger - Gibney but he was there too.

Special mention has to go out to David Kannas for  making the trip to Pullman.  He didn't quite make it all the way when his rig broke down 150 miles from Pullman and he had to be towed back to Lynwood in Western WA.  He is is Vietnam veteran, and member of Military Families Speak Out - Washington state chapter. His son is a former student at WSU and has been in Iraq twice and will return some time this summer. His daughter, was until recently in the Army Reserve and was activated when she was a senior in nursing at PLU.  David has joined Joe Colgan at the weekly vigils at the Feddral Building offices in Seattle, WA with the message to bring them home Now.  Joe Colgan,is also a veteran and also a military family - now a Gold Star family, whose son Lt. Benjamin Colgan was killed in Iraq in 2004.  

  If you don't know, please ask me so I can tell you what it means to be a Blue Star military family or a Gold Star military family.  We have to give so much appreciation to the Gold Star families who are speaking out so that those of us who are still Blue Star families don't become Gold Star families.  




  -- Senator Swecker,a Vietnam veteran affirms his experience of Vietnam as one of helping the Vietnamese people.  We are in the 19th LD and I see Senator Swecker is our neighbor just up the road a piece from us in the 20th LD. Our experiences of Vietnam differ and while I fully respect Senator Swecker's authority as a Vietnam veteran, an authority I do not have, I can speak candidly of my experience as a young military wife to a returning Vietnam veteran.  

  When my then young husband did return alive from Vietnam, I had already given birth to our first child.  He did not speak highly of the good things the war in Vietnam was accomplishing, or what he did there - in fact, he spoke little at all about his experience of Vietnam. He shut it out and in so doing, shut down a part of himself.  Two of our best friends from high school in the group we hung out with also went to Vietnam, returned and one was almost unrecognizeable in his changed and altered behavior; the other suicided by the time he reached the age of a young 30 years - leaving behind his wife and small son.  Suffice it to say we don't share Senator Swecker's assessment of the value of the war in Vietnam.

   I am given to understand there are still many Vietnam era veterans around who believe that what they did in Vietnam was necessary and helping the Vietnamese people.  I haven't met many, but if Senator Swecker is such a one, I do understand the thinking that has to go into holding onto that belief.  We do and will continue to see a similar belief set system among Iraq veterans.

  -- A war protester from (I'm guessing) the 1960s in Senator Kline.  I'm not sure that I would have appreciated him then for his protesting as I was always ambiguous about the 60s protesters but I know now in retrospect that I do appreciate his protesting because even if I had come to a place of reconciliation with myself then, as a military wife, the very culture would be prohibitive to public protest....especially with a husband deployed in combat - the country at war.  

  Dina, thank you for an what is an incredible put us in the moment story of the action.  

In this instance, I feel a strong need to identify with the courageous actions of the many who participated and I sign this - Lietta Ruger, Military Families Speak Out - Washington state chapter coordinator.  

On the Surge in Iraq "--we have set the bar so low it's buried in the sand at this point." - Barack Obama

by Lietta Ruger on Tue Apr 24, 2007 at 11:12:38 AM PST

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