Yesterday a small (40 or so) group of citizen activists disrupted a press conference with Rahm Emmanuel and Nancy Pelosi and visited Senate and House offices to assure the new Congress that the American people are quite clear about the agenda they should be following--TROOPS OUT NOW. Later at the White House the names of the dead were read aloud while the new leaders met with President Bush inside to discuss the next steps. Photos from yesterday evening's actions:
Cindy Sheehan listening to the names of young people killed in Iraq
Candy, a music educator from Sacramento CA, reading names
Cindy Sheehan and Jose Torres support each other; both Gold Stars parents
Juan Torres was a CPA who was dealing with financial matters at the Bagram base in Afghanistan when he was shot in the shower one night. The Army called it a suicide but his father believes he was murdered because of activities he discovered at the base.
Casey Sheehan, killed in Baghdad on April 4, 2004, Age 24
Alex Arredondo, whose father Carlos was so overcome with grief when he heard of hhis son's death he tried to set himself on fire, killed at age 20. Carlos, Alex's father, now goes around the country with an exhibit about his son's life and those of several others killed in order to prevent other parents from experiencing that kind of grief.
Photos, dates of death, ages of young people killed in Iraq across the front of the White House, where the new Democratic leadership is meeting with President Bush to develop the next phase of the invasion. We hope that they have heard us, but perhaps we need to do and say more yet.
The scene in front of the White House, circa 6 pm last night.
As members of a (nominal) democracy, what can citizens do to make sure the leaders of this country understand the will of the people? What IS the will of the people? Do we have the will to do what needs to be done? What will you do today?