LETTER
March 8, 2003
Still Hope
Re: Doom & Gloom from ...whom?/
David I usually like your writing but I think this Jeremiad needs a change in tone. The local group to which I belong over the last 3 months organized the anti-war resolution of city of LA. about the hundredth city to pass such a resolution. Our group has grown from ten people demonstrating weekly at an intersection in LA to eight (at last count)groups of 30 to 130 demonstrating weekly. . The number of similar groups in SCal is over sixty and growing weekly. Haven't you read about the marches, sit-ins, walkouts, phone and fax marathons across the country? Even the Democrats have been emboldened to mount a filibuster against a federal judge appointee, the first squeak they've managed since 1-2002 and some of their "leaders" are hedging their bets about their pro-war stance, even that shyster Lieberman. . There are two large marches planned in LA this weekend and a huge one March 15. It may not be enough who can say but it is not sleepwalking and its not nothing.
Writers of the World Unite, You have a world to gainAll the Best.
Jonathan.
Hey Jonathan,
I just read your letter and I basically agree with everything you are saying. I'll have to look back at what I wrote with that in mind so I can try to put my finger on what you are referring to.
I very definitely have experienced the incredible rush of the peace rallies, whatever you call them. I went to the one at Central Park in September, the one in DC on Oct. 26 and the one in New York on February 15. Each one expanded massively over the one before. The movement is unbelievably dramatic. I certainly share that feeling with you, at least in my own way.
I find your second and third sentences (below) extremely inspiring, especially the third:
It encourages the belief that only you and possibly the reader know what's going on, that consequently no one is doing anything about it, and that isolation and resignation are the only responses. None of these beliefs are true.
I never mean to encourage isolation and resignation, but maybe you are right that I was projecting that. The idea that this war can still be stopped at this point is a beautiful thing. I guess I was feeling that it couldn't be stopped any more -- not that the movement would not eventually dethrone these clowns, but that this particular thing was going to happen first. But I love your idea that it can. And of course when I consider it, in my mind I can see it and how it could. And that is a beautiful picture. That would be a major historical moment, something on par perhaps with the Declaration of Independence, or the fall of the Soviet empire a decade or so ago.
And it could happen. If everyone who feels strongly about it just pushes, just gives it one big strong push it would be a power like no one has ever seen on this earth. I'm going to have to think about this for a minute. Excuse me.
Please send me any more ideas about how you think the energy that we have seen, the energy that grew to a mind-blowing scale on February 15, could be channeled to stop this war.
We should encourage everyone to make a list of 10 things people could do to protest, to raise havoc. I've been very into the consumer power thing. I've been giving Discover a hard time because I heard that they sponsor that rodent O'Reilly. When I called they said they didn't. So I said I'll check my facts before I cancel my card. Do you know, do they sponsor that show. I'll be damned if I'm going to start watching the thing to find out who sponsors it. I'll make myself ill.
Jonathan, please write me back and tell me lots of ways this political and consumer power and just sheer energy can be channeled to stop this war.
Thanks a lot,
David
I think I'm going to post this, if you don't mind.
(let me know if you do)