Little did I know that I would be endorsing something that sounded as crazy as blocking equipment coming back from Iraq. We are supposed to be happy, right? Having equipment returning is a good thing to some people who look at it as meaning the war is slowing down. To be clear we have more soldiers in Iraq then ever before and just as many contractors (i.e. mercenaries). The war rages on. 3,845 service members are dead and over 1,000 US contractors. 1 million Iraqis are dead, 4 million are refugees, the amount of wounded are enormous. Just because some troops are home safe - although many traumatized and severally injured - nothing changed.

To be blunt, we are doing little to stop it because we don't see the direct affects on our lives. I may not agree with all the tactics taken this coming week, but do realize that the reason people are acting is because of the fact that we have lost power.

We have lost the power of elections, lobbying and changing the minds of our elected officials. "Representative" Brian Baird is a shining example of our loss of power.

We have lost power over our media. A media which doesn't report the truth of the anti-war sentiment or the realities of soldiers lives in Iraq and the absolute devastation we have caused in that county. A media which has failed to report on the effects of depleted uranium has on our community as the contaminated material travels through our streets.

We have lost power over are ports. In a community that overwhelming disagrees with the occupation of Iraq, our Olympia port commission continues to ostensibly support the war by using our ports as extensions of the occupation. Shipments in or out makes our community a military depot.

I will support people who are willing to make change happen in one of the only areas where we still have power - our own communities. These people protesting are students, religious folks, veterans, mothers and workers. They are willing to make the sacrifices many of us cannot and are willing to take the next step in the antiwar movement.

With that said, stay safe and smart and take care of each others.