Here's a good (if beautiful) reason why it's rarely a good idea to drive to Wellfleet at dusk.
After staying up for the eclipse, I had a less productive Tuesday than I had originally planned. Still, the eclipse was great and I did manage to grab a few hours of pillow time in the morning, and so had a little energy to spare in the evening, when I drove to Wellfleet for a Peace Vigil on the town hall lawn.
I was in town early enough to wander around a little and enjoy one of our last beautiful summer evenings before the vigil got underway.
As attendees gathered, the nightly drumming vigil for Caleb Potter's recovery was underway, and one event flowed into the next, as candles were lit and arranged in a circle.
Our crowd was a small one, about 35 people, but no less caring for that. Those present seemed to represent nearly every generation and a variety of social backgrounds. As is often the case on the Outer Cape, the canine population was well-represented, too.
Clusters of folks strolled along Main Street, stopping to linger near the vigil on their way to other plans. It seemed pretty clear how tired people are of our war on Iraq and the policies of our government.
Since the start of the war in Iraq, 3,728 American service men and women have given their lives, a number which now exceeds the number of Americans lost on 9/11. Even the most conservative estimates of Iraqi war dead start around 20,000. Pretty intense figures for a war built on lies.
Two years after Hurricane Katrina, the people of New Orleans still struggle to recover, despite lip service from the Executive Branch.
It's clear there are things the US government cares about, but the American people (or the Iraqi people, or any people for that matter...except maybe the wealthy) don't seem to count among them.
We need to stand up for what we believe in and to find new ways to bring change to our world. War is never the right answer.
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