Protesting The Wars In Corvallis

I joined about 50 other people in Corvallis this evening for two separate vigils reacting to President Obama's speech last night. Cold as it was, it was heartening to know that there were thousands of similar events taking place all across the USA--events pulled together, in the main, at the last minute by "ordinary" people who don't want the wars and want the President to change direction.

There are rallies and events we go to because we think that we will make a difference by building critical mass or numbers, events we attend in solidarity with others, causes we join because joining is the right thing to do and events we attend out of anger at what's happening or out of love for the people things are happening to. I wasn't sure which category tonight's vigils fell into.

I attended because I want the better spirits sitting on the shoulders of the Democrats to be heard and followed. I want this president to succeed in living up to the hopes and dreams he gave so much play to when he was in campaign mode and just after having been elected. The more we embrace war the less we embrace social spending, creating real jobs, turning the US around, peace and anything that even faintly resembles a New Deal or a Great Society program.

Okay, we may not get these programs anyway with an economic crisis on, and Obama didn't run on a New Deal or Great Society ticket. I get that.

But I believe that the administration can still be moved in our left direction and that a nuanced approach is needed which marks the real differences between this administration and all others. And it is not just this administration that is different, but the country itself that is changing and that it could go any of a number of directions. It's crucial, then, for us to be a visible left with positive programs.

The problem seems to be that the administration and the Democrats don't want our offered support and leftwing welcome. They don't want us out on the streets with our signs indicating that it's safe for them them to turn leftward. They're playing to a different population, maybe a different America, and they're either taking us for granted or ignoring us completely or looking for ways to pacify or undercut us. That doesn't make them the enemy or the problem--it just means that we have to play harder and smarter.

It's okay to demand that they join us in a united front for peace, jobs, healthcare, equality, green demands and freddom.

And it's going to have to be okay to call them out when they refuse to cooperate or as we drag them our way with all of their kicking and screaming.

Support for our vigils seemed pretty strong this evening from passers-by. The cops showed up and told the one woman with a megaphone that she couldn't use it because she was too loud. Our crowd was as good inter-generational mix, men and women both, though it lacked people of color and working class people in the leadership. Many familiar left-wing faces were not there.

I don't know why I attended tonight except that it felt important to do so and because people need to see movement. We also need a united front geared to patient organizing and action which our liberal friends can't dominate, exploit, take for granted or ignore.