What's In A Number? - The March in Washington DC Jan. 27, 2007


What's In A Number?

In today’s peace movement, we try -- and we REALLY try -- but according to the corporate media we just don’t get it right. Upon my return home from Saturday’s national peace rally in D.C., I was surprised to learn from the Associated Press (via the Lansing State Journal) that the rally was attended by less than 100,000 people, according to “unofficial police estimates.”

What rally did those people attend? Not the one I did. I had spent the whole day in the national capital on January 27, 2007, with approximately 499,999 other people supporting peace and opposing the President’s proposed troop surge in Iraq. The crowd was electric, energetic, loud and …MASSIVE. No wonder the national press reporters missed the lies leading to the Iraq invasion in the first place: they seem to simply report anything “authorities” tell them, especially authorities who obviously can’t count. Is this news reporting or stenography?

The editors of the Lansing State Journal placed the national peace rally story on page 3A, right next to the articles about how “7 troops killed in Iraq” and “Contractor fraud costs war effort millions.” None of this tragic war news merits front page coverage? Where is the newspaper’s respect for our troops? At least the peace community holds our troops first and foremost in our hearts and actions. The troops are not third-page news as we struggle to bring them home and bring them home now!

A Surge from the Peace Movement

Notably, half of the 54 people who rode the bus to Washington from Lansing were people not affiliated with GLNAWI; they were local citizens compelled to take a personal message to Washington. One such person, Elizabeth, a military mom, signed up for the bus to support her son who has already spent one year in Iraq and will soon be heading over again.

“I could say that it is just because I’m a military mom that I’m going (to D.C.) and that I’m against all of this – but that is not true,” Elizabeth explained to the Lansing contingent and their supporters at the send off Friday night. “I’ve been against this war since they dropped the first bomb and I was horrified by it. Then when my son actually joined the Army after that, I was even more horrified by it.”

Elizabeth explained that her son re-enlisted after getting promises from the military that he would be sent to a “non-deployable” unit. This promise was violated with the President’s recent order to send more troops to Baghdad. Her son will soon be bound for another tour in Iraq. Her son has lost two of his friends in the conflict, with one friend currently clinging to life. She explained, “He was shot by a sniper in Iraq at the beginning of the month.”

“It’s too much,” Elizabeth continued, “It’s not just the people I know but all of them: all those mothers, those fathers, all those families. It’s like re-living 9-11 all over again for somebody every time we lose a solider.”

She concluded, “I’m going (to D.C.) because hopefully one more person there will help.”

Elizabeth made it to Washington and back – just like approximately 499,999 other dedicated, patriotic Americans who support our troops and, like a vast majority the citizenry, who are demanding that they be brought home…NOW.

(this entry posted on behalf of tjrico)

Posted at Tuesday, January 30, 2007
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