Report Back From Chicago

 I was honored to be part of the Vets for Peace contingent that escorted Iraq and Afghan vets to the final stage of their Anti-NATO march. We then gathered below the stage and listened to them denounce the war, one by one, and throw their medals to the street behind.

How they struggled with what they had done in the Middle East. How they fought to recover their basic humanity. They denounced the patriotic lies that they had been taught. One said simply, "I didn't do my homework."

Some ended in fury, grabbing at the medals pinned to their chests and throwing them as far as they could. The most moving of all, however, were those who said their were sorry for what they had done. Many in the audience simply cried through these parts, especially those older vets who have spent a lifetime seeking forgiveness. Killing another removes one from the human race, and many war vets spend their lives trying recover. That is the infinite sadness of war; it is heartbreaking.

I have included a few shots of Amy Goodman, on stage and walking with the young vets. She was the only journalist whom they trusted to be with them the whole way, right up to the stage at the end. Of course, Jesse Jackson was also there, having walked with them too.

I must say that Amy is also the only nationally known American journalist whom I trust. Her show, Democracy Now!, is an inspiration to anyone trying to report what is really happening in the empire.