I have labored with the peace movement for a year- and-a-half now. But only in the past six months has the work been intense. Amazed at the size of the anti-war masses, we all held on to the belief that if we did enough, tried hard enough, talked to enough people, that this war would not come.
We gave all of our time, caring little for our own well being, to help bring about this goal. We cheered when we watched the destruction of 72 expensive, lethal missiles - for minor violations - even with the world's most powerful army amassing nearby. We cheered when we heard Mohammad El Baradei say that there was "no evidence" of any nuclear development being resumed, after scouring the countryside with radiation detectors and doing intense smuggling investigations. We cheered when we heard Hans Blix take down Colin Powell's presentation with evidence from on the ground and intelligence agencies around the globe. We cheered when it was reported that the United States had been using forged documents and the British had been plagiarizing from a grad student.
And when not only the people of the world, but many of their governments around the world - faced with huge bribes for support and huge penalties for opposition - chose to stand up to the world's only superpower, we cheered.
However, in the end none of it stopped this military juggernaut. And yet, for some reason - and I can't say why - I don't feel helpless. I don't feel weakened. I feel empowered.
I want to say thank you to the Bush administration for uniting the world in a way that had not happened ever before. I want to thank the Bush administration for showing us that many countries can not be bought, no matter how great the price. I want to thank the Bush administration for teaching us that the checks on the power of the executive branch are too weak, and that major media corporations can be made to report however you want by threatening to revoke their right to attend press briefings and cover a war.
But most of all, I would like to thank them for giving me the courage to stand up for those in the world who have no voice.
IC Press-Citizen