As we are forced to recognize the fourth anniversary of this ridiculous occupation in Iraq, thousands went to protest in our nation's capitol. As the conflict rages on approximately 500 miles to my east, I sent my prayers to those that were in D.C. that they could do some good for the nation and help drive the country's conscience to move quickly to end the sacrifice of our troops once and for all.
From the Huffington Post:
Thousands crossed the Potomac River from the Lincoln Memorial to rally loudly but peacefully near the Pentagon. "We're here in the shadow of the war machine," said anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan. "It's like being in the shadow of the death star. They take their death and destruction and they export it around the world. We need to shut it down."
Smaller protests were held in other U.S. cities, stretching to Tuesday's four-year anniversary of the Iraq invasion. In Los Angeles, Vietnam veteran Ed Ellis, 59, hoped the demonstrations would be the "tipping point" against a war that has killed more than 3,200 U.S. troops and engulfed Iraq in a deadly cycle of violence.
"It's all moving in our direction, it's happening," he predicted at the Hollywood rally. "The administration, their get-out-of-jail-free card, they don't get one anymore."
Other protests _ and counter-demonstrations _ were held in San Francisco, San Diego and Hartford, Conn., where more than 1,000 rallied at the Old State House.
Overseas, tens of thousands marched in Madrid as Spaniards called not only for the U.S. to get out of Iraq but to close the prison for terrorist suspects at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. Smaller protests were staged in Greece and Turkey.
As the anti-war crowd swells in numbers across the country, the world continues to look on in sadness while continuing their own protests. The leaders of the Democratic Congress are now more vested in this struggle with the recent takeover on Capitol Hill. Unfortunately after nearly three months, nothing concrete has formed to stop Bush's illegal war. Of course there are plenty of Democrats that want to see the occupation end, but plenty of Representatives on both sides of the aisle prevail in continuing the spilt blood of our soldiers.It is a sad day when you have to mark another anniversary of a conflict that has far exceeded the length of our involvement in WWII. We must not allow a 5th year to go by while we sit on our hands as the situation continues to spiral out of control.
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