Like Jonathon and others, I thought long and hard about whether I should join the protest march in Portland this weekend.
My daughter marched in Tacoma on Saturday with a friend who was pregnant and due Saturday. I’m proud my daughter marched, and I hope for my grandchildren’s sake that America see the error of its ways and learns to work in cooperation with other countries, not ignore world opinion.
I think the real reason I didn’t march was my memory of the anti-war Vietnam marches I came home to in 1966. I was so damn mad when I got off that airplane from Saigon that I nearly had to be restrained from screaming back at the protestors. I fought the war my country asked me to fight. I didn’t want to fight there, but I felt it was my responsibility to honor my military commitment. When I was advised not to wear my uniform home on the airplane, I ignored that advice, daring anyone to confront me.
There are still too many bad memories to participate in an anti-war march even today. Hopefully today’s protestors will make it clear that they are against the Bush administration, not the soldiers who will lose the most if we do attack. As for me, I’m afraid old memories die hard.
I will continue to protest the war on my blog and will vote for those willing to stand up the administration, and against those who go blindly along with it. I will send money to those who actively oppose the war and the attack on the environment, but unfortunately I won’t be marching anytime soon.