Dennis Kucinich
Imannuel Presbyterian Church
Los Angeles
I'm not religious, but it seemed appropriate to be going to a church on this day. Like a lot of other people, I am looking for a Messiah. I had been to Immanuel Presbyterian before, as there have been other events there, and a good friend is a member of the congregation.
The sanctuary is huge, and usually when I've been there I have seen maybe 100 people (church service) or 400 (Christmas Eve concert). As I approached the lobby, I wondered how many people would be showing up today, looking for a Messiah, wondering if Ohio Democratic Rep. Dennis Kucinich could be the one.
How many?
One whole heck of a lot:
I mean, just a whole lot:
I guess you attract a crowd when you say things like this:
Stop
the war now. This war has been advanced on lie upon lie. Iraq was not
responsible for 9/11. Iraq was not responsible for any role al-Qaeda
may have had in 9/11. Iraq was not responsible for the anthrax attacks
on this country. Iraq did not tried to acquire nuclear weapons
technology from Niger. This war is built on falsehood.
Dennis Kucinich, on the House floor, 4-1-03
Dennis Kucinich, on the House floor, 4-1-03
They had to open the balconies, which I've never seen happen before:
The liberal media was there:
Lots of them:
I grabbed my place among them on the floor and waited. Like a lot of people there, no doubt, I was hoping against hope that Dennis Kucinich would convince me that an anti-war candidate could become elected President.
Someone who says things like this (from the same speech on the House floor April 1):
Stop
this war now. Seventy-five billion dollars more for war. Three-quarters
of a trillion dollars for tax cuts, but no money for veterans '
benefits. Money for war. No money for health care in America, but money
for war. No money for social security, but money for war. We have money
to blow up bridges over the Tigris and the Euphrates, but no money to
build bridges in our own cities. We have money to ruin the health of
the Iraqi children, but no money to repair the health of our own
children and our educational programs.
Stop this war now. It is wrong. It is illegal. It is unjust and it will come to no good for this country.
Stop this war now. Show our wisdom and our humanity, to be able to stop it, to bring back the United Nations into the process. Rescue this moment. Rescue this nation from a war that is wrong, that is unjust, that is immoral.
Stop this war now.
Stop this war now. It is wrong. It is illegal. It is unjust and it will come to no good for this country.
Stop this war now. Show our wisdom and our humanity, to be able to stop it, to bring back the United Nations into the process. Rescue this moment. Rescue this nation from a war that is wrong, that is unjust, that is immoral.
Stop this war now.
Ed Asner, of course, spoke first. By law, Ed Asner must speak first at all events such as this in Los Angeles. Ed said, "I had no idea there were so many Baptists in Los Angeles." The crowd started shouting out, "Presbyterian, Presbyterian!" Ed pretended not to understand for a bit, then said, "Well, to a Jew what difference does it make?"
Always start with a joke.
Ed introduced Congresswoman Diane Watson, a colleague of Dennis Kucinich's. Watson said, about the Bush Administration, "This is the most dishonest, the most conspiratorial...and the most onerous Administration I have lived through." She used a lot of other adjectives, but I couldn't write fast enough. "They have done all they can to quiet the voices of dissent. But they will never be able to quiet a Dennis Kucinich or a Diane Watson!" Thunderous applause.
And then, she introduced the man...
