Letters from Julie Colombero

During a recent hearing which aired on my new favorite channel, C-Span, an interesting exchange took place between Senator Robert Byrd and Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld. For me, it was a very symbolic moment, symbolizing the people standing up to abusive power. In response to Rumsfeld’s arrogant and condescending answers regarding Iraq, Senator Robert Byrd asked out loud, “how do you respond to a sneer?”

During the same hearing, Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) told Rumsfeld, “I’m here to tell you, sir in the most patriotic state that I can imagine, people are beginning to question. And I don’t think it’s a blip on the radar screen.”

I am pleased to see that for the moment, the American public is slowly waking up out its political stupor and asking, finally, what is going on in Iraq. This is how we respond to the sneer of our government officials. We pay attention. We ask questions. We demand answers. We stop electing people who send our friends and family to war based on lies.