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March 31, 2005

When It Finally Happened

This is how I felt this morning as the news of Terry came across my car radio:

when it happened (finally) there was no fanfare there was no victory march. the winners and the losers, such as they were, left together in a line of quiet, crying people.

there was still anger there,
of course,
there was still outrage,
but all the fire, the heat and
light, was dampened by
the wool-blanket heaviness of grief
and the guilty relief that now
(they were ashamed to think it)
things could return to normal.
there was no need to fall on
their swords. one tragedy
did not deserve another.

the vigilant packed up their
tents, their broken signs,
their melted candles, and
left. as they made their way
to cars of myriad origin,
the ones who paid
closest attention could
almost swear they heard
the gentle patter of
feathered wings, fluttering.

Thanks, Dave.

...and Hugh also puts a fine point on this matter:

Terri Schiavo has endured long enough to force nearly everyone to recognize the barbarity of a court order that forbids a mother from offering her dying daughter an ice-chip. The national shudder will have lasting effects, and those politicians who sought mercy for Terri Schiavo have nothing to fear from those effects.

Posted by bubba138 at March 31, 2005 04:41 PM