Linked below are two "End of the Iraq War" commentaries I offer for your reading.
I should clarify I met Kathy Kelly at her River's Edge presentation a couple of years ago when she talked about her then recent visit to Afghanistan and recounted for us her meeting with Afghan families who had endured night raids and drone attacks. She spoke with a directness and simplicity that went straight to the heart, conveyed the suffering of those families with passion and power.
The closest I ever got to Mr. Kucinich was when I brushed past him at a Trader Joe's on the east side. He was there with his wife doing the family shopping and though I felt compelled to extend a word of support I thought it best not to breach their privacy.
Physically, Ms. Kelly is not impressive. As she approached the podium she explained she would have to slip on her high heels so as to be seen above the lectern. Next to her the diminutive Mr. Kucinich would appear of normal stature. When she related being hurled to the ground by an MP when she was protesting at a drone site in NY I couldn't imagine the army having one small enough for the job.
Although I sympathize with the Kucinich piece, it's a document written by a politician--lengthy, weighty with analogies--however much sincerely intended. The Kelly document by comparison invites your empathy. It's brief but comprehensive, affecting but not phrased to be a speech, and drawn from her direct experience with those who suffered.
Not that we don't benefit from Kucinich's efforts--he also speaks the truth--but Ms. Kelly uses far fewer words to urge us in the right direction:
Has it been so long in America that we have forgotten the war in Iraq?
Love, Peace, and Hope,
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