Elizabeth Edwards: Courage and Peace and Mercy

[Sapphire Blue]

Courage and Peace and Mercy
Elizabeth Edwards in News
4/16/2007 at 9:12 PM EST


In between the screams of horror, somewhere lost in the outrage, there is a small, sad voice. The horror of the moments today will fade, will become -- as too many moments before it have become -- but a dark shadow on our national soul. The outrage will dissipate as a new insult to humanity erupts -- as we know too well it will. But the small, sad voice will stay with us, should stay with us, must stay with us.

The voice of parents and brothers and sisters, of grandparents and fiances, of lovers and friends and roommates. The voices of those who lay beside them, of those who carried them from Norris or West A.J., of those who tried to heal and those who prayed for life. We need to keep that voice alive, the voice that first and last reminds us of the promise of the lives that were lost today.

I remember writing after the death of the 1000th American in Iraq -- and there were 40 more names released this week who died in Iraq and Afghanistan bringing the total to over 3300 -- that it wasn't one thousand but a thousand ones, each with a family, each with corsages or boutonnieres pressed between the pages of a book, each with dreams and plans. And so it is again with at least thirty-two young people of promise. At least thirty-two ones, each a treasure, each a joy, each a story to learn and repeat, so that the madness that took their breath will not also steal their stories.

We don't know the stories yet, but surely we will. And we don't know why, and likely we will never really know and certainly we will never truly understand. But for each of them, we have to try, we have to learn why this tragedy repeats itself here, in this country of the greatest possibilities, a country built on the right to pursue happiness. Why here? We have to figure this out. And then we have to get about the business of fixing it.
For them, and for us all.

Courage and peace and mercy.


http://blog.johnedwards.com/story/2007/4/16/211240/384

[ronnykmarshall]

1. Love to you Elizabeth!

:loveya:

[Missy Vixen]

2. Very moving and very true

>And then we have to get about the business of fixing it.<

Yes, we must.

Thank you, Elizabeth.
Julie

[waiting for hope]

3. K&R....

She's is such a lovely person -

[AspenRose]

4. One of things I appreciate about Elizabeth Edwards

She is always full of hope in the midst of despair. She's a wise, strong woman.

Thank you, Elizabeth. :hug:

[EFerrari]

5. K&R

[Monkeyman]

6. K&R

[crappyjazz]

7. She is class and dignity

thank you for posting this

[Decruiter]

8. Wow. This woman is amazing. I'm in tears and she just really says

it all. See you all later tonight or tomorrow, DU.

Lots of peace and hugs to you all.

[Tejanocrat]

9. My favor waivers among John Edwards, Obama, Kucinich and the rest, but my favor for Elizabeth never

waivers.

[Sapphire Blue]

17. Welcome to DU, Tejanocrat.

[Tejanocrat]

20. Thanks!

[Jacklyn75]

10. I adore you Elizabeth! n/t

[JNelson6563]

11. I looked up the words grace and eloquence

found this at both:



:toast:

[Madspirit]

12. K&R...n/t

[FloridaJudy]

13. What lovely, healing words.

I'm in awe.

[rasputin1952]

14. Thank you for posting this...

:kick: and R

[ChiciB1]

15. She Embodies True Compassion... I Respect This Woman More

and more every time I hear her speak! What a WONDERFUL First LADY she will make!

[SalmonChantedEvening]

16. Bless you Elizabeth. Courage and Peace and Mercy to you as well.

Thank you for this SB, it brought on a few long overdue tears.

:hi: :hug: :loveya:

[aaronbees]

18. She gets it ... what a great woman

"At least thirty-two ones, each a treasure, each a joy..."

That's it right there.

[Sapphire Blue]

19. ..

:kick: for courage and peace and mercy... and :grouphug: for Elizabeth.

[Catchawave]

21. "...a thousand ones..."

Elizabeth understands :hug:

[bobbolink]

22. The voices who try to keep peace alive get stomped on, and eventually give up because of lack of

support and love themselves.

Unless/until we, as a nation, learn to care deeply for each other, and ACCEPT each other as we are, all of this will continue, and those of us with compassion and heart will .......

...........give up.

Yeah, I'll get stomped for being so "negative".

It's not popular to see things as they are.

I'm glad you have the support and love in your life to continue on, Elizabeth, but not all of us are so lucky.

I don't have the exact wording, but this is what Elizabeth said previously:

"People talk about how strong I am. There is a secret to being strong. That secret is being loved and having support."