MARCH!

Do you read Richard (RJ) Eskow at the Huffington Post?  I recommend his articles.  Today, he invites us all to join him in a march to protest the power of moony in politics, due to take place in Washington, DC.  I was tempted to get on a plane immediately.

I met Eskow last year at one of the Marymount College sponsored "Intentional Conversation" sessions. A former punk rocker, he also hosts The Breakdown, an activist radio station "for Washington DC, the United States and the World.  I'm sure you know his blog, Crooks & Liars.

I'm not sure whether I'm just getting more information in my email about Eskow's commentaries, but it seems to me that he's making his voice heard more frequently and more insistently than ever these days. I certainly welcome it.

In today's entry, he writes about the power of marching--which sometimes feels like such a futile and silly gesture in the face of entrenched political powers.  It seems that Dr. Spock, who made Vietnam protests respectable to the American middle class, we inspired to join the protest by a young woman who joined an early protest outside the White House along with just two or three other "mothers for peace."  She felt silly at the time, standing there with her protest sign.  But later the good doctor told the story of how he had seen this handful of women on their lonely vigil, and had "got to wondering why they felt so strongly."  As one who often wonders whether such lonely work is worth the time I put into it, I found this a particularly moving story.

I'll join this march in spirit at least.  And am writing about it now, to those who follow The Buddha Dairies.  We must all do what we can.

(A great "One Hour/One Painting" session, by the way, last night at Lora Schlesinger Gallery.  A small group, with a Michael Beck painting that turned out to have endless fascination.  You'll find an image at the gallery's website.  We all agreed that an hour was not enough...)