In one of his most memorable quotes in a life time of memorable quotes, baseball great Yogi Berra once said “its déjà vu all over again.”
For any of you old enough to remember the death, carnage, destruction and divisiveness of the war in Vietnam, all you have to do today is listen to the Nation’s leaders and read the mainstream media and follow the coverage of the illegal invasion and occupation of Iraq, and you come away repeating what Yogi said so long ago.
Thinking back to those days you’ll also recall that one of the big events responsible for turning the country’s attention toward ending the occupation of Vietnam was when the same souls who donned uniforms and fought there returned home and took their concerns and their fears to the streets. John Kerrey didn’t throw his medals at the steps of the Capitol to create a sound bite. He and his soldier and sailor and marine colleagues committed that noble act to raise the attention of the Congress and the media about a mistake that was bleeding away the soul of this nation.
We the people have again taken to the streets and we have tried to make our voices heard to put an end to the war in Iraq. Millions of people around the world have said not only no but hell no to George and his illegal war. Still the Bush Administration remains unmoved. We thought we made headway last November 7 when we elected a Democratic majority in the House and the Senate, and we thought with Democrats in charge we would be well on the way to extricating ourselves from the quagmire in Iraq. But just a few weeks ago that same submissive Congress, with its tail between its legs and licking the lips of the Bush regime, approved $120 billion more to ensure that more American kids will die for a lie.
Its time to stop and ask ourselves “What will it take to stop this foolishness?”
A first critical step in answering that question will begin on June 23 here in Washington DC when the Yellow Rose of Texas Bus for Peace filled with members of the Iraq Veterans Against the War pulls out of town on a 17 day 17 state and DC tour to heighten the awareness of everyone who will listen to the debacle that George has created in the Middle East. The tour will end on July 9 at Fort Drum, New York.
Politicians, the press, the man on the street, have all become complacent about the state of this Nation and the direction its taking. More people are aware of the contestants on American Idol than are aware that your neighbor’s kid is being shot at in Iraq. The Iraq Veterans Against the War plan to change people’s outlook about this travesty just as their fathers and uncles and cousins in the Vietnam Veterans Against the War Movement accomplished more than 30 years ago.
Recently the Yellow Rose of Texas Bus for Peace drove Adam Kokesh, his witnesses and supporters to Adam’s hearing at the Marine Mobilization Command in Kansas City, Kansas. Despite Adam having served admirably and gallantly in Iraq his deserved Honorable Discharge from the Marines was reduced to a General Discharge.
Why did that happen?
Adam Kokesh Did Not Receive an Honorable Discharge From the Marines Because He Exercised in the United States the Same Freedoms and Liberties that George Bush Claims He Wants to Bring to Iraq
George Bush repeatedly talks about bringing freedom democracy and liberty to Iraq. Yet Adam Kokesh, while exercising in the United States the same freedoms that George wants to bring to Iraq, was punished by the Government he nearly lost his life for.
Adam Kokesh will be one of the Veterans on that 17 day tour. He and others who have been put in harms way for a pack of lies will be working to wake up this complacent nation about what has happened and what will happen if George is allowed to continue playing Dictator in the Middle East.
What can you do to help?
Other than showing up and providing support when the Yellow Rose is in or near your town, you can help financially. The Bus for Peace is in need of an immediate $1,500 to pay for maintenance of the bus that will ensure that it’s ready for 17 days on the road in the heat of summer.
You can contribute to this effort (I just donated $50 and it was easy) by going to the Yellow Rose website and scrolling down the right side to the Pay Pal connection and contribute there (that’s how I did it). Or you can write a check and mail it to:
Veterans for Peace Chapter 106
1804 Tree Line Drive
Carrollton, Texas 75007
Please indicate on the check that the donation is for the bus fund. These contributions are tax-deductible.
Its one thing to sit around and agonize over what has happened in this country since Bush was anointed by Tony Scalia and the Supremes. It’s quite another to take action and become a part of the solution. A first step in making that happen is supporting the Yellow Rose of Texas Bus for Peace financially and also when it comes to your area.
I certainly hope that Yogi Berra was right and that it was another déjà vu all over again that helped bring our kids home from this god-awful mistake in the Middle East.
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