I can't beleieve it has been four years.

[FightingIrish]

Standing in the January cold with several hundred old friends, I confronted the stunning realization that I had been at this for four years now, the equivalent of a college career. In early January of 2003 I took part in the first anti-war protest of my life and, after four horrifying years, 3,000 American lives wasted and hundreds of thousands of Iraqis slaughtered, we still believe we can make a difference. I have gotten to know many of these same "perfect strangers" with whom I stood in the park hoping and praying for peace. Many others I just recognize from all the similar events we have shared since that day.

On that day before our unprovoked but pre-ordained invasion of Iraq, I naively believed that the mass protests around the world could somehow stand in the way of a very bad idea. Little did we know that we were confronting something that reason had no power to thwart. The last four years have taught us that we were up against liars and lunatics with unbridled power and very sinister ambitions.

During the past four years I have also gotten to know the anonymous drivers by, the local citizens who participate by waving, honking or occasionally flipping us off. Most of them would never think about standing with us, but more and more they show their agreement with our cause and today was remarkable for both their numbers and the enthusiasm of their waves and horn honking. The surly loudmouths in their monster pick-ups have all but vanished but the many who would prefer to just ignore us and our cause are still a frightening factor in our democracy. Maybe I am just imagining their guilty looks as they focus on the road ahead and ignore the mayhem we want them to help us stop. I now know how deadly complacency can be.

Have the songs sung, the miles marched and the names of the dead recited made any significant difference? Sadly they did not stop the carnage that continues but they have helped bring about change. Maybe we caught the ear of the John Murthas and the Keith Olbermanns of the world. Maybe we encouraged heroes like Lieutenant Erin Watada to defy orders to fight an illegal war. Maybe we caused a few to at least ask questions about why we are fighting a costly misadventure wherein victory is an oxymoron. Maybe we helped nudge the seismic shift of power last November.

As much as I love these kindred spirits I stand with, I really wish we could stop our protests and turn to more positive pursuits. I will be very disheartened if we must meet again next year for the same reason. This war has survived the outcry of the world, acts of brutality that shame our nation, another dubious presidential election and the steady drumbeat of military funerals in every state. Patience is no longer a virtue. As we stand on the verge of fatal escalation there is great urgency to end the madness now. Today The Decider cannot even decide on which day he will reveal his new plan. It is time for us to become a nation of deciders and act on the will of the majority that wants our troops removed from the killing fields of a sectarian civil war.