The Yellow Rose on Capital Hill
by Caroll Spelke
Capital Hill gracefully displays its rich historical witness to the many movements that have danced along its doorstep. Each dance deeply rooted in traditional expressions of hope, courage and love. Today's dance is a collection of brightly colored tents congregating at the foot of the Capital Building.
The tents display their banners and peace flags in hopes of change. These people's courage is made known through their actions and efforts to penetrtae the barricaded minds of congress. They are living proof of love. Their love for others and for country is evident for it is tangible in their work, their history, and their experiences.
"This is not my America. I don't want the blood (of war) on my hands" said Jim Goodnow while inspecting the orderliness of his home.
His home was neatly decorated with photos of loved ones and past events in his life. They reminded me of the photos my parents keep in albums, that have inspired my imagination to piece together multiple renditions of random thoughts and memories I have collected about a time I have never lived.
Jim makes it evident his home is welcome to all who share peaceful dreams and ideas. His home is an ever-growing shrine for the victims of war and a place of refuge for AWAL soldiers who left the prisonous facade of shame and lies in Iraq.
His home has been the Yellow Rose of Texas Peace Bus for the past two years. It has sheltered him and many others during the 40,000 miles he has treked since September 13, 2005.
"This bus will be on the road until the war ends and George Bush is tried under the court of law" declared Jim.
Silently processing this statement I want to believe George Bush will be held accountable to the American people who have lost their friends and family members in the "War on Terror" for the expansion of explotation.
This thought fades into studying Jim and the 3 other veterans sitting in the bus with me and my collegue.
Jim's grey hair and joyful spirit reminds me of the sterotypical 1960's flower child. He is considerably older than the other vets in the bus and maintains a deep calmness about him that is not present among the younger trio. Maybe it is because he has done this before and the only difference is the name on the side of the bus reading "Impeach Bush" instead of "Impeach Nixon".
The heat of the humid summer day is hard to ignore sitting on the leather couch in the thick stagnant air of the bus. Sweat demands to be recognized while permeating everyone's skin. Despite the uncomfortability of the heat, my ears, eyes and notebook absorb the verbal vibrations James Cirello pours out: "Don't let your buddies down.. you might be the one set of eyes that spots an attack before it happens and save their lives"
"BULLSHIT!" I blurted enraged and disgusted by the sleazy cowardish manipulation tactics our leaders are utilizing in order to keep our troops from questioning their actions or motives. This type of propaganda is what contributed to prolonging Jame's stay in Iraq.
He also wanted the democratic peace dove spread its wings after making its home in congress. No such dove ever came over that telecommunication horizon, thus leaving James one option... AWAL.
James sits to my right and shares the same sticky seat. His restlessness made the same dramatic entrance as his tall and large, disciplined frame did when he stepped onto the bus. It is obvious that his uneasiness is a symtom of a greater cause. A deep wound within his soul shrouded by uncertainty, empathy, powerlessness and regret.
The anxiousness slowly disipates during the duration of his story. He becomes calm and present in his seat while sincerely addressing his fellow soldiers active in Iraq. The words he speaks shoots out of his mouth with compassion, integrity and courage. His words litter my heart with bullet casings which makes it sink to the floor and flood my eyes with tears. All I could do to keep my composure was stare at my notebook intentionally and intently writing down every word.
The question I asked that prompted this response was.. "What would you say to the active soldiers in Iraq if offered the chance?".
James' reply was "The anti-war community is not against them. It is not us versus them. It is their duty to defend their oath to defend and protect this constitution. They should resist because what is going on over there is illegal. They suck you in with lies...Get out and come find me."
When my discussion first started with James, he said he did not want to remain anonymous for he wants to set an example for his collegues. He understand the potential consequences for his actions. I am guessing that the military made damn sure to instill those fears to ensure the protection of capital machines like Haliburton. It only took James and Mark Train, the veteran sitting to my left, a simple amount of independent research mixed with their personal experiences to drive them to the conclusion that efforts in Iraq are driven by incentives for profit, not humanitarian liberation for the Iraqi people.
The internet and the effects of hurricane Katrina seem to be very powerful assets to the anti_war movement.
For James and Mark these two things were the driving forces in which they started to question the justification for the Iraq war. This type of research and questioning is what killed Mark's military career. Who knew anonymous blog spaces with pie-charts displaying current national spending and fiscal cycles was a threat to national security?
As Mark explained "All I said was extensive funding to the war in Iraq is a risk to national security to vulnerable communities like New Orleans here at home"
Mark speaks fast and uses military terms, phrases and acronims generously.. many of which go way over my head. He is opinionated in his thoughts and makes his opinion clear. There is no doubt his intellect was an asset to his unit. However, his opinion did not match those of his higher ranking officers and he was discharged for "violating operational security standards".
Disappointment lingers in his voice for Mark expresses deep pride for the work he accomplished and the contributions he made to his unit.
Mark makes it a point to tell me about the many Social Justice organizations he has been involved in.. outreach and education in relation to the anti-war movement. It seems these organizations have given him a platform in which he may speak about his experience and opinions freely.
I can't help but think that this may be a way for Mark to channel his frustrations, battle his anger, and find peace through communicating and educating the idividuals the recruiters are targeting.
Before meeting these men, my reaction to seeing military personal was simply anger. I have carried much shame about this, for someone special once told me to "blame the game and not the players".
I have never been able to process this phrase or have it hold meaning to me until now. After having had the privilege and the honor of listening and learning from Jim, James and Mark.. I now have a better understanding of how I can, and where I should direct my anger constructively, that is in the peaceful trenches of democratic expression parked strategically at a parking meter point blank with our nation's capital.
All I can simply say is Thank You.
Caroll Spelke