March 19, 2003, a day that deeply saddened me for what we had become, an aggressor nation not unlike Nero’s Rome or Napoleon’s France. I suspect that many of you felt the same sadness; the same degree of disgust for what America was doing in our name.

Perhaps you felt a deep sense of shame, perhaps the feeling that our government simply didn’t care what the majority of Americans were thinking. We may have thought that in the Bush Administrations reckless pursuit of empire human life was viewed as a cost of achieving their objectives or of doing their business.

Together, we marched in the streets by the millions, emailed, wrote letters, telephoned our Representatives, held candle light vigils, displayed yard signs and organized. Yes we organized! In this organizing lays the great story that the anti-war movement is and the possibility we could achieve far greater things if we continue.

Let there be no doubt about it, I do not believe we have failed. Among our ranks are church leaders, business people, college students, mothers, grandparents and school children, Christians, Muslims and Jews.

We are a slice of Americana. This is an impressive coming together from many disparate groups. We have affected public opinion in the United States and in the World and have the opportunity to do so much more if we grasp it.

But will we?

Right now, we are wrongly at war with another nation that has done nothing to us, but yet there is another war, equal in its importance for the future of our children. We are at war within, a war being fought for the very soul of a nation and her peoples. In many ways, this war presents a greater danger to all of us and to the future of mankind.

Newt Gingrich referred to politics as war by other means an idea that is fully embraced by neo-cons and the power structure of the Republican Party. These same people now control all branches of the government, have a lock on media outlets, are well funded and on message.

They propose to rape our environment and take from the poorest among us, as government further becomes the great benefactor of the wealthy. This war like the one in Iraq is a well-planned assault on freedom loving people throughout the world.

This war within our nation is the war we can least afford to lose. We have no choice but to stay organized and focus our energy beyond the present as our very democracy is at stake. Preserving our democracy and enacting change that benefits all of society must be our challenge.

Today liberal and progressive voices within the Democratic Party are in full retreat much like the British at Dunkirk.

Beaten badly but not defeated as even the British came back from horrible defeat, survived a long bombing campaign, re-organized and claimed victory. Herein we see the great lesson of history in that the moral will of the people always prevails.

Perhaps we need to peacefully and within the constraints of our laws strike at the heart of an impressive Republican war machine.

We could come together to take away the rights of corporations to influence politics removing at once their ability to contribute to campaigns and influence policy.

We could continue in removing the vestiges of legalized bribery from our leaders by forcing change that removed special interests from politics.

We could fight to make it illegal for any member of government to profit from military or human concerns.

We could fight to enact change that brings fairness and responsibility to the media.

We could continue the fight to ensure free trade meant protecting American workers first and force corporations that do business in America to pay taxes in America.

We could do so much to ensure our basic liberties are protected and our children have a better America to call home. But it is our choice to make.

It is now time to coalesce as a movement into a broader movement not only for peace, but also for social justice and the ideals of fairness. If we do not, if we fail, if we surrender the fight, we will have deserved a future that I care not look into.

One man with dedication can change the world. Won’t you join me?

With the Deepest Admiration for all Patriots Who Protest,

Charles H Bornemann

American Citizen

chasman@direcpc.com

www.charlesbornemann.com

www.amendtheconstitution.com