We miss you Paul (photo essay)

Today is the fifth anniversary of the death of Senator Paul Wellstone (D, MN). His life and death changed the lives of many people.  He leaves a wonderful legacy. 

I felt like I was represented when he was my senator.  He stood up to the corporate interests, and he had guts. He didn’t test the wind before he took a stand on something. He had convictions and a backbone. Our politicians today can take a lesson out of his book.

Twenty days before his death, he voted against the authorization for Bush to attack Iraq. The following block quotes are from an article posted on  Common Dreams.

“There is lots at stake,” Wellstone conceded as he boarded the sleek subway from the Senate chamber back to his office. “I was asked this morning if this would hurt me politically. I don’t have any idea. But what would hurt me for sure would be to utter words on the floor of the Senate that I don’t believe or to vote for something I am against, especially on a question of life and death.”

Wellstone recognized the costs associated with war and who, ultimately, makes the sacrifice.

He called Hussein a “brutal, ruthless dictator” and a menace to the world.

But he added: “Our decisions finally must have the informed consent of the American people, who will be asked to bear the costs in blood….”

He was truly a man of principle. His vote against the authorization was made in an election year, but politics wasn’t in the equation.

“I was telling my family that here I am, 58 years old, and I’ve really tried to always do what I believe is right,” he said. “And at 58, I’m not going to change that. I believe this is the right decision, the right vote.”

Paul Wellstone, his wife Sheila, their daughter Marcia and 3 campaign workers died when their plane crashed in Northern Minnesota.  Their deaths inspired a memorial wall outside of the Wellstone campaign headquarters in St Paul where citizens paid their respects.

A memorial service followed on the University of Minnesota campus that probably represented a gathering of more US senators with ordinary citizens than at any other time in history outside of Washington DC. The wedge of black suits in the blurry handheld photo represents the senators and some of their guests.

A close up of the photo shows some familiar faces; Trent Lott looked right at me as I took the photo.

Since Paul Wellstone’s death, a grassroots organization has started in his name. The group, Wellstone Action, offers camps that train activists and aspiring politicians.

In Minnesota, we see Wellstone bumper stickers and T shirts everyday. 
  The young woman in the photo below was kicked out of a Bush campaign event in 2004 for wearing a T shirt with Wellstone’s name on it.

Republicans want to stamp out what he stood for. But we won’t listen. We won’t cower to their media power and propaganda.

But we miss you Paul……