True Majority sent out an alert today asking people to email Harry Reid and tell him to support the resolution to de-fund the escalation. I sent my email, and showed Christopher, who is nine and not in school because it’s a snow day, what I was doing. When I got to the tell-a-friend screen, he suggested I send it to his mom. Then I asked him, “Well, is there anyone else who you think would send an email to say they don’t want more soldiers in Iraq?” He came up with ten people. I supplied the email addresses. Within two hours, three of them replied to say they had sent emails.
Chris was impressed. Have you sent your email?

I’m in Memphis at the National Conference for Media Reform, or you would’ve seen me on the streets in Portland (or maybe Hillsdale or Corbett) protesting this ridiculous Iraq escalation strategy Thursday evening.

I’ve read the text of the President’s remarks, and I think it’s fascinating how he is talking about “mistakes” instead of acknowledging that invasion is a failed strategy to create democracy. As a matter of fact, I think we should only refer to the invasion as “the failed invasion of Iraq.” Better do it it now… can we really afford, in terms of lives or money, to wait for six months and then talk about the “failed military escalation in Iraq?”

This week I went to the Interfaith service at the First Unitarian Church to mark the 3,000 dead US soldiers in the Iraqi occupation. The church was packed–I got there right as the service was starting and every pew was full. I wound up standing in the back with quite a few other people. The service was short and respectful, and they made sure to mention that the 3,000 deaths are only US soldiers, it does not acknowledge the hundreds of thousands of Iraqi dead. We lit candles and sang songs that I didn’t recognize (I asked someone about one song and she said it was an anti-Vietnam War song). There  was one news camera there, and I know that the next day someone told me they heard about it on KINK.

And there’s also the die-in scheduled for this Saturday at Pioneer Courthouse Square at noon. Don’t know much about it besides that.