BRATTLEBORO — I find myself in tears for the men and women we send into war (our veterans), for the victims, and the many families harmed by Bashar Hafez al-Assad's callous and venal use of chemical weapons. There is no joy in this for me.
I wanted our president, Barack Obama, to actually rise to his own rhetoric. I admit to being a fool. And I would again willingly pay the price for my hopefulness. I will still back him if he shows the heart to do so.
But with the escalating prospects of military conflict in Syria, I am sorry to find myself again outside the gates and, again, at odds with the government of my nation.
* * *
There is a difference between serving the interests of those who have means and serving the interests of those who are barely surviving. And, given the choice, I will always side with those who are barely surviving, heedless of the cost.
Our lives are not about privilege or money. We are here to serve some other priority. We have been charged to serve one and other.
Speak, act, profit from love, from peace, from compassion.
These prices, I will always pay. Patriotism and self-righteousness do not make the cut. Being “right” in absolute terms only gets someone else killed.
I hope you, whoever you are, will join me is supporting healing, peace, compassion, and resisting violence, self-righteousness, and judgement.
I am weeping tonight for the suffering caused by venal, selfish men.
And I pray that our president will not join their cause, but ours.