Where is Their Memorial, Senator?

Desiree Fairooz

As the 4th of July approaches we wistfully remember how our country struggled to become free from the reign of King George III. Today, suffering a similar monarchy, we must again struggle from the shackles of the new King George and his lackeys. One of those lackeys, Kay Bailey Hutchison, a Bushistas from Texas, is my senator.

On her website, Kay Bailey regurgitates Bush rhetoric as if it were the proclamation made by the town crier of old:

Our brave servicemen and women are fighting terrorism in Iraq, in Afghanistan and around the world so the terrorists will not be able to export their heinous crimes to America.

As we celebrate this Fourth of July, we send our special thoughts and earnest prayers to those American men and women who fight to defend our way of life. Our founding fathers pledged everything they had to secure our freedom. Today, we honor the men and women who follow in their footsteps to preserve it, and carry on our legacy of liberty.

"Kay Bailey", I would ask, "if you are so gung ho about this war and so proud of the men and women who fight to defend, as YOU say, our way of life, why is it that you do not have at least a photo memorial for those same men and women?"

I encountered my senator 5 times this week and each time she avoided ME, her constituent. Knowing very well that she does not care to think about the welfare of others, I hoped she would squirm as she attempted to answer that question. Trapped all alone at the entrance to CNN studios by our CODEPINK mobile memorial, Kay Bailey lied and said that she DID have one. (I wondered where. In her nightmares?)

In the tunnel of the Russell building she ignored me. Slipping behind the giant "Miss Freedom" and zipping past the Capitol Police to the trolley.

In the hallway at her Texas tea, surrounded by families of ignorant, yet loyal Texans for their photo op, her jaw dropped and her eyes widened as I slid past her Barbie & Ken doll aides and posed the question again. But no answer was forthcoming. I almost felt sorry for her. She is not used to reproach. She surrounds herself in a bubble of young assistants who lamely deflect negative attention.

But then again, I am reminded of Daniel Torres, Russell Nahvi and Christian Schultz, beautiful young Texans no longer with us. I am reminded of the container of pictures in the basement of the CODEPINK house, a huge container full of photos of the 331 some other Texans. I am reminded of the 3,000 + other Americans and the lives of at least a million innocent Iraqis. How many containers would their pictures fill, I wonder.

As our most patriotic of all holidays nears, I beseech all true Texans to join us here in the nation's capital with all true patriots to once again unite and overthrow the reign of King George IV and his lackeys. May the Texas Tyrant (yes I know he's really from Lieberman's state) and his loyalists go.