Article: Where was the Democratic leadership during the March on Washington???

This past weekend over between 200,000 to 300,000 people gathered in Washington, D.C. in the largest anti-war demonstration since the Vietnam War. We came by bus, car, plane or train from every part of the country, some at great sacrifice to their families and their finances. We came because we believe that it was important to manifest a physical presence to underscore the message to our national leadership that we believe this war was wrong when it began, that it is still wrong today and that it needs to end immediately. Many of us were veteran war protesters from the days of Vietnam, but our numbers were closely matched this time by young high school and college aged people, joined also by mothers with babies in strollers, military vets, active duty soldiers and a multitude who have never been to a protest rally before. Some of us stayed just for the day to march and rally, while others remained for the weekend with plans to lobby their representatives in Congress or to emphasize the message through acts of civil disobedience resulting in arrest.

The people were there, but where was the Democratic leadership from the House and Senate? Where were the sixty-six Democratic congressional representatives who are part of the Get out of Iraq caucus who claim to be in support of the same message we were expressing through this mass mobilization? Did they stand with those of us whose work they claim to support? Granted, we are all doing our work to end this war on different levels, in different arenas and with different skills and strategies- as any successful movement would. But did they leave the halls of those esteemed buildings in D.C. where they spend a good deal of their time, to walk across the lush green Washington landscape to join us at the Ellipse or at the Washington Monument on Saturday? Having known about this march and rally for months, did they plan to stay in town an extra day in order to join forces with their constituency who came many miles to make a statement to the world? To my knowledge, Congresswomen Cynthia McKinney from Georgia and Barbara Lee and Lynn Woolsey from California may have been the lone representative from the House to stand with us. Perhaps there were more with us that we didnt hear from or see. So I suggest we all make an inquiry to those who represent us and claim to be working to end this war to find out whether they did stand with us this past weekend. And if not, why not? If you believe as I do in the concept that credibility and trust are earned when we put our bodies where our mouths are, then we need to ask our representatives in the House and Senate where their bodies were over this past weekend. The strategy for bringing an end to this war will fall heavily on the shoulders of those in positions of national leadership in the House and Senate. It will clearly not come from the Cheney Administration, as they are not listening, nor do they intend to. They have an agenda which they plan to complete regardless of financial or human cost. But those who we have elected to represent us in Washington do need to listen , do need to hear us, and if they say they support our efforts, then they need to literally stand in solidarity with us on this issue of such grave consequence. I suggest we find out directly from them if they did.

Submitted by Dickelle Fonda, Sugrcreek@aol.com , antiwar activist since 1969, community organizer in Evanston, Illinois, psychotherapist and mother!