After American troops invaded Iraq I stopped attending protests, but tonight I found my voice in a quiet vigil in Redmond. Cindy Sheehan's message is simple but direct. She lost her son in Iraq and wants to ask President Bush why it was necessary. Sitting quietly outside his ranch in Crawford, TX she waits for an explanation. Our President is unable or unwilling to engage in this simple dialog. What a metaphor for disconnected government and the arrogance of power.
So about a hundred of us gathered on the corner of 161st and 85th, lit our candles, and hoisted our signs. People drove by, honked, flashed peace signs and smiled their approval. A science fiction writer took photos to post on her blog, check out louisemarley.com for pics of the scene (click the blog link at the bottom of the page, she should have them up sometime tomorrow). Residents in the building across the street also took pictures. One of them used a webcam, its cable trailing out of view. Buses passed with passengers staring out their windows. One man drove by and quietly nodded his approval, mouthing the word 'yes' thoughtfully. A Hispanic family passed us twice flashing peace signs and honking. The curious forgot that the light had changed and stared at us till they were honked at. A veteran named Jeff joined us with a sign saying simply "Vet for Peace". Someone's candle holder, a paper cup, caught fire and someone else stomped it out. The mood in the country is changing. In past demonstrations I've seen anger and been flipped off or insulted. In this one nobody objected to the core message.
Quiet, peaceful, dignified. All of us there together expressing solidarity for a lone mother and her unanswered question: Why?
