a sad day for america and the world

March 21, 2003—I can't remember ever seeing a sadder and darker time for my country and the world. The un-elected leader of the United States, George W. Bush, along with his sinister agents such as Dick Cheney, Paul Wolfowitz, Donald Rumsfeld, and the "Prince Of Darkness" himself, Richard Perle, has launched a campaign of horror against untold thousands of innocent human beings in Iraq; a campaign that is almost certain to plunge America and the world into an abyss of fear, hatred, revenge, and untold sadness.

This is not the first time that the U.S. has chosen the low road to immorality. In our 200-plus years of history, we have committed many atrocities. We have a record of enslaving people from Africa and committing genocide against Native Americans. We have overthrown democratically elected governments and trained terrorists on our own soil, only to send them back to their own countries where they slaughtered their fellow countrymen and innocent civilians.

In 1968, Henry Kissinger sabotaged the Paris Peace Talks in order to help Richard Nixon get elected. As a result, the Vietnam War dragged on and another 20,000 young Americans, along with countless Vietnamese, lost their lives unnecessarily. But none of these or other injustices committed by the United States compares with the brazen acts now being committed by the Bush administration.

It is said that the first casualty of war is the truth. In the case of U.S. policy toward Iraq, truth fell victim long before the first shot was ever fired. For months now, the Bush administration has been pumping propaganda through a news media that is all but government controlled. Since September 11, the illegitimate crew in the White House have been feeding the American people outright lies, designed to demonize and perpetuate fear in order to gain the consent of the governed for the bloodbath that is now taking place.

Claims against Iraq made by the Bush administration have continually been discredited by the international community. Recent evidence brought before the nations of the world concerning Iraq's attempts to secure uranium from Africa have been declared "fraudulent." Still, the campaign of lies and fear-mongering have been very successful in convincing Americans that George Bush's campaign of genocide is just; it isn't.

The regime in Washington has also propagated fear in order to undermine civil liberties at home by intimidating Congress into passing the USA PATRIOT Act, and the Homeland Security Act. Now, waiting in the wings is a dreadful piece of legislation called the Domestic Security Enhancement Act. Was Bush waiting for his war in order to spring this draconian act upon a frightened Congress and the American people? Or will he wait for a retaliatory terror strike from somewhere among the growing numbers of people who are coming to hate the United States because of its arrogant, belligerent and ruthless treatment of human beings in various parts of the world?

In spite of the many wrong turns that America has sometimes taken, there have been some wonderful things we have done in times past. Often, when tragedy struck somewhere else in the world, we were the first to send aid. The United States helped rebuild much of Europe after the devastation of World War II, and we helped bring democracy to Japan and Germany; both countries former enemies.

Under George W. Bush however, democracy is a meaningless term. One has to wonder how he can promise democracy in Iraq when he is undermining it at home. How can a democratization of the Middle East take place, when the U.S. is bribing Turkish politicians to allow us use of their country as a military launching area against the wishes of 95 percent of that country's people and its parliament?

Because of the rogue administration which now rules our country, an international order built upon the hard work of statesmen and diplomats for some 60 years is breaking down. Though itself far from perfect, the United Nations has at least served as a forum by which nations can work out their differences without war. All of this is now being replaced by a new law of the jungle; a frightful situation in an age of nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons.

This truly is a sad day for America and all the world. And while I am mourning for the loss of life in the theater of Iraq that has already begun to take place, I am equally saddened by the complacency of so many Americans who either support the madness that is taking place, or just seem to not be affected by it one way or the other.

It is certainly true that the corporate-owned media has been feeding the public Bushista propaganda and must be held responsible for the lack of understanding among so many. Still, anyone who cared enough to investigate, anyone who cared to listen to the voices of their heart and soul, anyone who dared to consider the religious/spiritual principles they claim to believe in could easily have sought out and found the truth. This is where the apparent majority of Americans have failed miserably.

At this point it appears too late to prevent the plunge into the abyss that George Bush has prepared for the world. His genocidal actions in Iraq will almost surely, release forces around the planet that will not be containable. We have entered an age of perhaps, unparalleled deeds of brutality, contamination, death, suffering and uncertainty. Time will reveal what now lies ahead of us and whether or not my, and the predictions of many, will prove true.

Throughout all of this many have shone the light of peace, truth and justice. In recent weeks and months, millions around the world, recognizing the insanity of Bush's policies, have taken to the streets to voice their opposition. In America and abroad, good people have used every non-violent means available to prevent this war and plunge into darkness.

From the politicians who spoke out or resigned their positions in protest, to the human shields who have put their bodies on the line in Iraq, the light of hope is still shining. From those protestors lying down in front of military convoys, to the women of Code Pink who disrobed and blocked a major intersection in my own community Wednesday, the light still shines.

All of those who have worked so hard for peace in recent times have taught me that the light can still shine through the darkness. While I believe this to be the darkest time in the history of my country, and perhaps for the world, I can still have faith in humanity, for the true heroes of the world are rising up against the hideous intentions of George W. Bush. Just where we are going to end up I do not know. But in my heart of hearts I know that it's not over yet.