So here we are in the midst of December and the holidays are upon us. The New Year is just around the corner. I was sitting in my living room reflecting on my day at the hospital where I work as an art therapist. Today, during one of my groups, a couple of the patients were talking as they made art. One of the male patients was busy making a peace symbol with the words “peace, love, and understanding” around it. He mentioned of hearing about the couple who took flack from their condo association about hanging a peace wreath and how they were threatened with fines. He couldn’t believe that people would do such thing and commented on how crazy the country was getting.
This started a conversation about the violation of rights to
privacy and so on. And then he said it. “Yeah and they can arrest you
if they want to and hold you indefinitely.” I nearly fell out of my
chair. And I nearly fell out of my chair again when the other male
patient indicated he knew exactly what the other was speaking about. I
couldn’t believe it. These guys knew about the Military Commissions
Act. These are guys who came in for severe depression and alcohol and
drug dependence. Don’t get me wrong many of our patients are the most
intelligent, creative, and amazing people I’ve met. When we have
intellectuals, professionals, and seemingly together people in this
country who don’t even know what the MCA is….well the last thing I’d
expect is two severely depressed guys who’ve been using and drinking on
a daily basis to know what it is. I was ecstatic and it gave me much
hope. As I was reflecting on this, I thought about all the terrible
things we’ve seen come to pass this year under the Bush Regime and how
we have called it out and confronted it every step of the way. It has
been a long year and sometimes the fight has felt daunting to me. And
yet at the same time I have seen such bravery, courage, and righteous
acts that I can’t but believe that we as a movement are making an
impact.
As I sat there in the glow of Christmas tree lights, my
thoughts began to center on an historical event 230 years ago(almost to
the day). This event on December 23, 1776, was the writing and
distribution, of Thomas Paine’s The Crisis. I was struck by it’s
relevancy to the events and political climate of today. George
Washington was so moved and inspired by it that he ordered it read to
his troops at Valley Forge. Days later there was a significant victory
for our country. Paine, recognized the weariness and sometimes despair
of our fledgling nation. He assessed the deplorable conditions that our
Revolutionary Troops were living under. And he assessed the great odds
the country was up against. But he did not turn back in horror and
hopelessness. He seized upon this moment to inspire and encourage. He
reminded all of the rightness of their cause. The pamphlet opens as
follows:
These are the times that try men’s souls.
The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis,
shrink from the service of their country: but he that stands by it now,
deserves the love and thanks of a man and a woman. Tyranny, like hell,
is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the
harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.
And
there are many Americans who know the reality of the situation here.
They see what is happening to our democracy and they see the inaction
of those who govern us, to do anything about it. They see those who
govern us, from both sides of the isle, acting like a Tory. A Tory ever
so loyal to the mad King George. And these Americans feel hopeless.
They are paralyzed and mute. But, let them see us stand by the
democracy of our country and the rightness of our cause. Let them see
Cindy Sheehan, the lawyers representing detainees who have been wrongly
detained and tortured in our name, those who have been detained and
tortured and since released who are coming forth in our highest courts
despite their fear to make their case against the injustice they
endured, the over 1000 soldiers who have signed the Appeal of Redress,
military service men and women who refuse to fight this illegal war and
willing to be court martialed and imprisoned for doing so. Let them see
us who on daily basis fight this fight through protest, education, and
aggitation. Let them see it all and let us not “shrink back from” the
service of our country and democracy. And let them join us.
Despite
all we have seen come to pass under this terrible Regime, there is us
and there is all of the other organizations out there speaking truth to
power. And I’d like to think, I’d like to believe that those two
gentlemen in my group, heard the truth somewhere from someone like you
and me.
I will end this with another excerpt from The Crisis:
Let
it be told to the future world, that in the depth of winter, when
nothing but hope and virtue could survive, that the city and the
country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet and repulse
it.
-Jill, World Can’t Wait Chicago Chapter