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August 23, 2005
What Are You Doing?
Alexander (the Great) and his generals were surveying the recent slaughter of a town in ancient Persia that had refused to surrender itself to his dominion. His usual answer to such rejection was to unleash his forces upon the holdout, slay those who opposed him and enslave the survivors.
A woman of that town being marched off to slavery was passing by Alexander's entourage, her tunic wet with mother's milk and spattered in blood. As she passed, she reached down and snatched up a handful of mud and flung it at Alexander striking him.
His generals were quick to respond, and drew their weapons to cut her down for the slight.
But Alexander quickly stayed their hands with these words, "What are you doing? Can you not see she has just lost her child? Pitching stones at me is all she has left. Do not take that away from her."
Now I put to you that President Bush is no Alexander the Great, no more than Mrs. Sheehan is an enslaved woman of a defeated unnamed tribe of ancient Persia. But her grief is no less real.
To those who would accuse her of dishonouring her son's memory, or of undermining America's resolve or whatever, I ask you this: What are you doing? Can you not see she has just lost her child? Peaceful protest is all she has left. Do not take that away from her.
And, no, I am no Alexander the Great either.
Posted by Tacitus at August 23, 2005 08:32 PM