Sunday, October 28, 2007

Saturday

Saturday was unique.

I went from slow to fast to emotional to laughing, a full range of emotions was reached.

I missed the main ferry over, and with the 1 updown not running from the Ferry, I caught the bus uptown, joining those 45,000 marching in the drizzle, the moisture. It was the tail end, yet, you caught the sense of urgency, of feeling, of belief in the cause.

I cried.... a lot.

We moved up, students, workers, older folk, vets from Korea to Iraq....wanting out, wanting it now.

I came home, thinking about it all, deciding to attend the rally next week in Staten Island, racing around when I got home to gather things to go back again to be in time for rehearsals...

Then I faced the debacle of the MTA, who stopped officially running the 1 at midnight Saturday, which means it unofficially stopped running around 9PM. My usual 90 minute commute from Penn Station to home took three hours.

In between, I returned items I didn't purchase that were placed in my bags at Jack's. They couldn't quite grasp the concept I didn't want money back, these weren't my things... I was simply bringing them to the store... I hadn't paid for them, I couldn't keep them.

Reflective day, busy day, overwhelming day... leaving me exhausted today.

Hope your weekends were good ones.

8 comments:

Peter Varvel said...

M A R C H , woman.

And I will as well, by your side, in spirit.

quin browne said...

i felt i was in a time warp...

Bud said...

Mine was good but you are gooder.

Amber said...

Quin,

I respect you so much for standing up for your beliefs and doing what you feel is right. I can't imagine how hard it must be to balance your own convictions with having a son serving in the military as well.

You know...

When 9/11 first happened, I was just like every other American who was saying that we must fight back. And personally, I still feel that we had to retaliate. Otherwise, it sends the message to hostile countries that they can murder thousands of innocent Americans without repercussions.

I wish there was a way that people of the world could sit down and talk out the differences that separate us in a peaceful and amicable manner, but realistically, that's never going to happen.

But as this war has waged on and the death toll has continued to climb, my opinions on this war have changed dramatically. It is no longer about freedom or standing up for our country and the victim's families of 9/11. It is no longer sending the message to the world that America will not tolerate hostile, terrorists acts. It's turned into a war with a completely different agenda - that of greed and trying to force our own government system on every other country. Among other things.

I am truly worried about the direction that this is turning and I hope that whomever our next president turns out to be, that they set out to rectify the damage that this president has inflicted. With our relationships with our allies and so on.

I don't believe that we can go into another country, overthrow it's government, and so on... then just walk right back out. That would be irresponsible on our behalf. The damage has been done. And while there HAS been good that has come out of this (a sadist is no longer in power, women are able to vote and be educated, etc.) there has also been too many tragic things that have taken place. The thousands of soldiers that have died protecting our freedom and then fighting a war that most of them don't even know if they believe in, among that.

But there has to be a solution. There has to be a plan in place for Iraq and Iraquis to step up to the plate and get their country under control. We may not have had any business going in there in the first place, but you can't rewrite history. And now we have to take the steps to help THEM help THEMSELVES and get out troops out there.

This war has to end before it becomes another Vietnam. I think that Bush believed in what he was doing and had good intentions at the very beginning... but now, it has become nothing more than a power struggle, a game of politics, and hidden agendas by a corrupt government. He has embarrassed our country and tarnished the reputation for what it stands.

There are no marches going on where I live or really any other type of political movements. But I can, and do, pray that the horrors end. That the next president and the government can get it together, work TOGETHER, and come up with the solutions that are so desperately needed to bring peace. To end this now senseless war.

I'm proud of you for marching and taking a stand. I didn't mean for this comment to be an outlet of my own personal beliefs and opinions about the war... but I guess that's kind of what it turned into. I hope nothing I've said offends you. And just for the record... while I don't support this war any longer, or the president/government calling the shots... I WHOLE HEARTEDLY support our troops. The ones risking their lives to protect the freedoms that we Americans take for granted every day.

I look forward to more posts -- about whatever it is that you have to say, Miss Quin. You are an admirable, amazing, woman -- full of courage and conviction. I respect and admire you very, very, much.

quin browne said...

*making arrangements to marry amber to a son*

golfwidow said...

Why don't stores ever try to give me items I didn't pay for?

Writeprocrastinator said...

"My usual 90 minute commute from Penn Station to home took three hours."

Wow, I would've commandeer some type of vehicle at that point or have lost my sanity. Congrats to the unusual amount of patience and getting out there in the march, I always sit on the sidelines and my action are restricted to my voting.

quin browne said...

gw~it takes 470 people and 4 cashiers. we'll go to jack's.

wp~you vote! HURRAH! vote your morals, your conscience, your beliefs.. and a taxi to staten island would cost more than a liver transplant. plus, with my luck, i'd get a liver from one of the people who live in the subway tunnels.. and they don't look like vincent from 'beauty and the beast'. with that liver, i'd have a chance of recovery.