they put the memorial on the mall. between the capitol and the washington monument. right where i marched for women's rights.

dole made a good point, saying our democracy is not a perfect one, but today it is more perfect than washington's or jefferson's or lincoln's or roosevelt's thanks to the people and events of not only world war ii but every movement of our people since our inception. watching something like this makes me sad and vaguely bemused but reflective and quiet.

i always said with such vehemence i would be a draft dodger i would be a draft dodger...

but i realized i don't think i would.

it makes me sick, the whole business of war makes me sick, but i think i might hold more pride for my country and more cynicism for utopianism than i do a fear of death or even deep disgust of violence against one's fellow man. i don't know.

i won't know, until i am in that situation. and i won't be in that situation because i am a girl. and i will go back to the mall, and i will march again to attain those rights for which generations of people have fought and died and survived to tell the story. i'll fight my country because i am proud to possess the right to fight my country, and prouder that my country possesses the ability to bend. but i'll just as quickly fight for her in any way i can whenever the opportunity arises.

so now i write. tomorrow i will march. there are still battles to be won.

ink :: graphite