Who will carry the US Constitution now that Senator Byrd is gone?

As you heard, the longest serving senator in US history, Senator Robert Byrd (D-WVA), passed away during the night at age 92.

After his 50+ years of service, had he lived down an unfortunate membership in the Klan in his youth? Opponents would say nay, yet I forgave him long ago based on his exemplary record serving in the US Senate, and most especially for delivering the speech Today, I Weep for My Country which was heard on the senate floor on behalf of common decency, Constitutional law, the American people, and the people of Iraq who at the time were only hours from being bombed by the Bush-Cheney administration in March 2003, a conflict still grinding on these 7 years later with no end in sight, and much to what should be America's eternal shame.

I well remember the months-long campaign with war drums beating on the afternoon of March 19, 2003, for I was weeping, too.

For even this *Saturnian astrologer knows that karma is what we reap from what we've sown, and Hades and chaos in the Middle East are what America has sown. No one welcomes foreign occupation of their country and that goes for Afghanistan as well. Would you?

So here is what I blogged on the 5th anniversary of the Iraq invasion with a link to Senator Byrd's heartfelt speech included. As soon as Senator Byrd finished speaking, (VP Cheney directed) the Theodore-Roosevelt-worshiping Senator John McCain to stand up and defend the war hawks' 'decision' to wage their war of choice with its visions of world domination and obscene profits.

You'll find McCain's speech included and I find it fascinating to compare the two senators' sentiments now in light of how things have turned out so far in Iraq.

Or you may wish to skip my ramblings and go directly to the text of both speeches, compliments of Information Clearing House

Now the war-promoting senator that day is the same John McCain who tossed out a "maybe more troops in Afghanistan" on Meet the Press yesterday, a statement which almost made me lose my brunch. For if Afghanistan isn't a perfect historical example of bashing one's head against a brick wall, I don't know what is, though 'stone' wall would be more to the point.

And so the tattered copy of the US Constitution which Senator Byrd carried in his pocket through the years must now be sadly laid aside with his passing. Without Senator Byrd's spirit of vigilance, let us hope that this laying aside is not indicative of a further and deeper loss of constitutional principles.

~:~

*Saturnian astrologer as opposed to Uranian astrologer is my understanding of one who sees heredity and DNA in cell-like horoscopes where others see past lives and reincarnation.