nobody asked…

(Edited 4:20 CDT same day, 8/18/05)

Last evening we met some friends and went to the candlelight vigil for Cindy Sheehan and families of the 1800+ Americans who have died in Iraq. The event was held at Centennial Park in the middle of Nashville where the Parthenon is located. This was one of about 1,625 similar vigils around the country, all quickly organized and publicized by MoveOn.org.

We haven’t had rain around here since … the Vietnam War, I think … and the damned heat wave of the last several weeks has banished all things green for the remainder of the summer. So fortunately it rained last night. And unfortunately it rained last night. Other than perhaps keeping some meltable souls at home, the cooling drizzle did not dampen the spirits of the few hundred that came out. Here we were in a huge circle on the front lawn of the Parthenon, ponchos donned, umbrellas at full mast, and candles lit … and lit … and lit …

For about an hour, we stood peacefully, quietly, reflecting, thinking, talking in muffled tones. Occasionally a song would break out somewhere around the circle. It was interesting to hear the sound slowly travelling around to fill the circle, becoming one voice. God Bless America, America the Beautiful, and of course the obligatory We Shall Overcome.

I have never been an activist or been to a rally, vigil, sit-in, peace walk, or anything remotely related. During the 60s and 70s I was struggling to get through engineering school, learning how to do marriage and family, and starting my first career. Almost always sympathetic and empathetic with the causes, it has just not been my nature to demonstrate or activate. I am glad I went to this one. It felt right.

We had been warned that the crowd would be rowdy, militant, college-age kids. How very wrong! The average age was probably well above 40, maybe even 50, with some obviously in their 60s and 70s. The parking lots around the Parthenon were filled with late-model SUVs, BMWs, Volvos, Lexuses (Lexi?) and there was not a single VW love-bus in sight.

Except for the friends we met there, we did not recognize anyone else. Yet we knew who they were. They were caring people who do not approve the snub Bush has given to Cindy Sheehan and other parents and families of the fallen. They were peaceful people from all parts of our community who see the truth and know that Bush’s Iraqi venture is a farce and a sham foisted on the world with lies that scared a Congress full of sheep into full approval. They were people who want the war to end and who want our troops brought home to end the killing. Peace rally? Not really. More of a Sanity Rally.