My wife and I attended a Peace Vigil tonight organized by MoveOn.org. It was a nation-wide event, and was designed to simply get people together and experience 45 minutes of collective consciousness about the 1,000 plus American military members who have lost their lives in Iraq. I also chose to meditate about all the other innocent human beings who have died as a result of this unjust war, attempting to at least give them a voice in my thoughts and a place in my heart.

We stood in Ventura, Ca in front of the Government center at the corner of Telephone & Victoria, a very busy intersection and the site of many other protests of all shapes and textures. As I stood there, silently contemplating and watching the world go by, I began to notice the vehicles streaming along just a few feet from where I was standing; BMWs, Acuras, RVs, Harleys, Hondas, tons of SUV's, commercial vehicles, city buses, etc...some of the drivers honked their approval, but most passed us by without even glancing at our gathering. As I watched this constant procession of vehicles, I began to consider the connection between oil and the deaths I was there to honor. I wondered how many gallons of gas does one death purchase? Do you get more gallons for an American death than an Iraqui death (abbreviated as GPD). If my own loved one had been killed, would I still believe in protecting the "American way of life" at all costs, and do I even believe that now?

I don't think most people in this country really grasp the significance of what freedom means, and how fortunate anybody living in this country is relative to the rest of the world. Most Americans think freedom means doing whatever the hell one wants, grasping the brass ring and spending our way towards the perception of happiness and bliss. Sadly, most Americans have forgotten the responsibility part of the freedom equation, and that these freedoms erode without nourishment and awareness of what really matters in life. Money and power won't give you happiness, nor will they keep freedom alive and vibrant. True freedom is a state of awareness and can only be truly protected by honoring others, regardless of where they live, how they talk, or what they look like. How free are we when we feel compelled to live in great excess, and have to constantly protect this manner of living by impinging our will upon other cultures and people through superior military might? To be truly free, doesn't one have to be free of fear, especially fear of the other guy? We can only work on ourselves ultimately...but that would seem to be an excellent place to begin.