Monday, December 12th, 2005
Today in Philadelphia
A message from Celeste Zappala
I did not get in to see the President today. Wealthy patrons of the president filed in to hear for the third time this month his delusional justification for the war in Iraq. For three hours I stood with a fluid crowd of nearly 1000 people on blustery cold Broad Street in Philadelphia. We were there to witness our disgust and outrage against the war in Iraq. I had hoped to be able to find a ticket to the sold out World Affairs Council Luncheon where Bush spoke to a mostly supportive and mostly wealthy crowd.
Had I been able to get in I would have heard him finally note that 30,000 Iraqis have died, give or take a few, and 2100 Americans. I did not get to see Mr. Bush assure his doting admirers that he would do it all again, in spite of the bad intelligence, lack of WMD, and failure to capture Osama. From reports I could see that Bush was gleeful and chipper and even took a few unscripted questions from the audience, though his answers were illogical and deceptive.
His dance with the truth went unchallenged: at the event and later during an interview with Brian Williams on NBC Nightly News, (who it would appear, has been put on the paid staff of the Administration's propaganda corporation). Williams offered no retort to Bush when he denied torture charges and insisted he is well informed. Williams even seemed to congratulate Bush for actually looking at a newspaper. It was an appalling display of ring kissing.
Kevin and Joyce Lucey, who lost their son Jeffrey to the effects of PTSD, stand with Celeste Zappala holidng a picture of her fallen son Sgt. Sherwood Baker in Philadelphia
Meanwhile, outside on the cold street members of Military Families Speak Out, Iraq Vets Against the War, Vets for Peace, Brandywine Peace Committee and scores of other groups held posters, chanted, sang and tried to speak the truth about this immoral and disastrous war. Ann Roesler spoke about her agony as she waits through her son's third deployment. Sue Neiderer, mother of fallen soldier Seth Dvorin and I both carried huge pictures of our sons, and when George Bush finally left the opulent hotel, the crowd hissed and screamed at him "not one more death -- not one more dollar'
For a brief moment the limousine paused, was it possible I wondered, that for a second Bush was looking at the large picture of my Sherwood's face and did he for one moment feel shame that he had betrayed my noble son?
Peace be with you,
Celeste Zappala
Mother of Sgt Sherwood Baker, KIA 4/26/04-Baghdad while guarding the Iraq Survey Group as they looked for the weapons of mass destruction.
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