...you need to say "When."

"In the beginning of a change, the patriot is a scarce man, and brave, and hated and scorned. When his cause succeeds, the timid join him, for then it costs nothing to be a patriot." - Mark Twain (1904)

We are young and we are old. We are male and we are female. We are all colors, races, ethnicities, and nationalities. We are mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, daughters, sons, aunts, uncles, grandmothers, and grandfathers. We come from all backgrounds and walks of life.

We are members of all political parties - and we are disillusioned and belong to none. We have used our voices, both spoken and with the written word, to make our feelings known in the past - and we are just learning to exercise our right to free speech. We are experienced voters who feel the heavy burden of true patriotism - and we are untested voters, joyful in our newly-gained responsibility.

We feel that many currently in positions of leadership, both Republican and Democrat, are refusing to listen to us and have forgotten who WE are - the people for whom they work. The faith and trust that was put in the people chosen to represent us has been dishonored and abused for personal power and selfish gain. The truth has become something to scoff at, manipulate, and blatantly disregard. The constant threat of harm is used to restrict our thoughts and actions. The rights and freedoms our forefathers fought so valiantly for have been eroded away in the name of "Patriotism" and "Security" - and our safety has never been in more jeopardy. The laws of human decency and true morality are being severely compromised and we are in jeopardy of becoming that which we despise.

Some of us believed in the war at the outset - and most of us have hated it from its inception. We watch with anguish, regardless of our initial stance, as our young men and women go off to fight a war that cannot be won - to satisfy the greed and egos of those in power, many of whom have never made that sacrifice. We support the brave men and women who have fought; those who continue to fight; and those who, unfortunately, will fight in the future - and our position of having had enough does not, in any way, negate that support. We want them all safely home. Now.

We will make our opinion know without force or violence, and without disrespect; but make no mistake - our anger is real and growing daily.

We are choosing a recognizable way to show our beliefs and make our statement - not only to those who agree with us but, more importantly, to those who think they are acting on our behalf.

We have come to see this as a black-and-white issue - no more room for negotiation. We have given it time. We have "stayed the course." We have waited and watched. We have had enough.

We believe it's time to say "When."