Friday 19th of April 2024

Perhaps It Makes A Difference.

In front of Alexander Downer's office, we stood with our placard to mark the third anniversary of the Iraq invasion.  We weren't many, sadly on 20 or so,  but in the late afternoon city bustle we were certainly noticed by a few hundred. 

A friend of mine had dressed herself in a shirt covered with blood-oozing bullet holes, and stood near where she's scrawled AWB on the footpath.  A quick-eyed, fast framing photographer snapped a shot of the two of us with the letters in the foreground out our feet I('d love a copy, if you're reading this)and went away.  Perhaps we sent messages in different directions... I hope so.

Up one of the main city intersections about fift y of us walked the green lights with signs and placards, to the appreciation of many of the waiting drivers before us.  I reckon that in the space of an hour at least a couple of thousand people would have read our messages.

Ripples expand over time.  What we did was worth it.

It does

After reading Dubai Company May Take Over Some US Weapons Plants and then contemplating the advantages of learning Arabic as a second language, I came across Frank Brennan's Annual Manning Clark Lecture: 5 R's for the Enlargers: Race, Religion, Respect, Rights and the Republic

Now I understand why so few, but that's a beginning.

10,000 March in Portland

Oregon, that, is, not Victoria's Alcoa support facility.  Still it goes to show that it can still happen.

T.G.  It's been way too long! How are you?