A German Emigrant Speaks: “This is a pity.”

By Bill Costley

Today I hitched from one train station to another
within my rich suburban town, as a prewar test:

A German emigrant picked me up: “You are lucky!
You are picked up by a European! We are against

your war, but we pick you up as hitch-hikers!” I said
I’m well known in this town & often on the frontpage

of the local weekly newspaper. “Why is this?” I do
the antiwar vigil in the center of town Friday nights;

I’ve done it for over 20 yrs, “There was no war then!”
It was for nuclear disarmament then, now this war.

“Wolfowitz, Rumsfeld & Bush in Washington, Blair
in England, have made Saddam their personal enemy.

This is a pity. Now the coalition against terrorism is
broken. This is a pity. It is also unfortunate. I tell you:

I love this country. That is why I am here! But now,
this new war makes me very sad. This is a pity.”

(11 MAR 03)