There is no glory in the violence we choose to inflict upon other human beings.
There is no justice for the victims of our collective hate. There is only the suffering of the many made possible by the decisions of a few. Do not come to me with open arms or begging bowl when the alliance you seek is one of kinship or dispensation for your brutality. I am not your brother or your keeper.
There are children standing here,
Arms outstretched into the sky,
Tears drying on their face.
He has been here.
Brothers lie in shallow graves.
Fathers lost without a trace.
A nation blind to their disgrace,
Since he's been here.
You who walk on marbled floors behind the gates that keep you isolated from the realities of your decisions
to kill with impunity and destroy the lives of innocents to feed your tortured egos and fill your swollen coffers, you who glorify the hatred you breed in the hearts of the ignorant, I accuse you.
You who profit from the fear that is beaten into the collective consciousness of the masses under the pretense of patriotism, of honor, of duty, of country. I accuse you.
You who defend the indefensible with your lies and omissions, who obscure the truth with your false commissions, who with turn of phrase, through bright shiny perfect teeth, smile and give permission to kill and to maim and to rape and to die blind and happy in the pursuit of all these things we hold self evident under the illusion of exceptionality and freedom I accuse you.
The purpose of this diary is to share with you a few of my thoughts and to share this powerful video.
The song was written by a former soldier while deployed to the Balkans. It is through imagery and words and sound that we create anchors in our emotional landscape. Anchors that can serve to remind us of our humanity, our consciousness, and our struggle.
This video does that for me. It reminds me of why we struggle, why we fight the good fight, and why we cannot let any more war mongers anywhere near the White House. It is imperative that we end the occupation of Iraq, bring our soldiers home, and give them the support they will need to reintegrate into their families, lives and communities.
And I see no bravery,
No bravery in your eyes anymore.
Only sadness.
Houses burnt beyond repair.
The smell of death is in the air.
A woman weeping in despair says,
He has been here.
Tracer lighting up the sky.
It's another families' turn to die.
A child afraid to even cry out says,
He has been here.
And I see no bravery,
No bravery in your eyes anymore.
Only sadness.
There are children standing here,
Arms outstretched into the sky,
But no one asks the question why,
He has been here.
Old men kneel and accept their fate.
Wives and daughters cut and raped.
A generation drenched in hate.
Yes, he has been here.
And I see no bravery,
No bravery in your eyes anymore.
Only sadness.
The occupation of Iraq has gone on long enough. I urge you to learn the truth.
The Iraq veterans against the war website is a good place to start.
I found this video in a diary last night written by 8ackgr0und-n015e and I thank them for sharing it.
And lastly, from a peacemaker and great human being Frank Fools Crow who lived his life as a hollow bone.
peace.
Update: Thanks to Cronsense for this link: A flash presentation of this song, and commentary, on the occupation of Iraq from our own Ava Lou.
Peace takes Courage
And finally, another video that encapsulates the title of this diary.
Soldier Alexis Janicki. His story is heartbreaking.