Paul Wellstone died two years ago today

[Padme Amidala]

Here is a poem that was written back then in his honor. Permission was given out to re-print it along with the copyright info.

MARTYR FOR THE PEOPLE
By Natasha H. (age 11)

When leaders wouldn’t lead
And the country was in need,
Wellstone chose to take a stand
Reaching out a helping hand.

With the wisdom of a Franklin,
The eloquence of Jefferson,
The courage of a Kennedy,
He fought for peace for you and me.

As heroic as Washington,
As honorable as Lincoln,
As inspiring as Patrick Henry,
He tried to keep us free.

And like our greatest heroes,
He stood strong against our foes;
With danger drawing near,
He refused to stop and fear.

Always putting his future last
In the votes he chose to cast,
The common people he did love
Like an angel from above

He put right high above might
And was martyred in his fight;
But for all he made us face,
The whole world’s a better place.


Copyright ©2002 by Natasha H

[AIJ Alom]

1. God bless you Paul Wellstone.

[annabanana]

2. He is sorely missed.......................

:cry:

[rockydem]

3. I miss that guy

I was living in St. Paul when his plan went down. I'll never forget it.

[West Coast Democrat]

4. I was depressed for days and days afterward...

[TaleWgnDg]

5. R.I.P, Senator Paul Wellstone . . . n/t

[patrice]

6. Wellstone is still with us.

Our lives are different because of Paul Wellstone. We are not what we would have been if he had never happened to us; we are more.

[West Coast Democrat]

7. From Wellstone Action email:

Two years ago today, a plane crash took the lives of Paul and Sheila Wellstone, their daughter Marcia, and three campaign aides - Mary McEvoy, Tom Lapic, and Will McLaughlin. On that horrible day, it seemed like the ground had fallen out from underneath all of us. It was, and still is, hard to imagine that they are gone.

Here at Wellstone Action, our work is focused on building progressive politics for the future. Yet as much as we look forward to that future, today is a day of remembrance. We miss our friends. We remember their commitment to the values we share, but more important we miss their presence in our lives - their sense of humor, their joy of life, and their friendship.

Marcia Markuson Wellstone was a talented and popular teacher who lit up a room with her contagious smile and effusive charm. Mary McEvoy was an eternal optimist with a great sense of humor, and she was one of the nation's leading experts on early childhood education. Will McLaughlin was talented, committed, and always by Paul's side, and his life ended while it just seemed to be getting started. Tom Lapic, who worked for many years as one of Paul's top aides in Washington and Minnesota, was a wise and comforting presence, and the essence of grace under pressure.

Paul and Sheila reminded us of the goodness in all of us. Sheila was soft-spoken and charming, yet she took on the issue of domestic violence with passion and conviction. She was fiercely committed to her family and loyal to her many friends, and she was Paul's partner in every aspect of their lives.

Paul was a loving husband, father, and grandfather. His grandchildren delighted him, and he himself had a childlike optimism and exuberance. He adored Sheila and loved taking her out to dinner and holding her hand on long walks. Paul found great joy in politics, in teaching, and in public service. He was an exceptional senator whose work made America and countless lives better.

Since the plane crash, so much has happened. We feel the absence of Paul's leadership more than ever, but we are moving forward and looking to the future. In just 18 months, Wellstone Action has grown into a 65,000-member strong organization, and we have trained thousands of progressive activists through our Camp Wellstone program. We are growing quickly and look forward to being a nationally recognized progressive organization for many years to come.

As we look ahead, we remember our friends and honor their memories. We miss them every day, but we carry with us their passion, commitment and hope for a better future. Thank you for being a part of building their legacy.

Sincerely,
Wellstone Action

www.wellstone.org

[Hell Hath No Fury]

8. And when we need a man like him...

more than ever, he is gone.

Thank heavens his work goes on with is family and the political movement they have started. I'm thrilled to be a contributor to Camp Wellstone.

RIP to them all...

[0rganism]

9. Just the thought that there was a Paul Wellstone in the Senate...

...gave me a lot of hope for our nation. When he died, it was like a dagger into my guts, it broke my heart.

And then the Minnesotans, in a fit of utter insanity, elected that foul creep Coleman to take his place. What a sad, sad month it was.

[NNguyenMD]

10. Legacy

He's left a bigger legacy in his lifetime than any career Senator or politician, and thats in the people he inspired to get up off their chairs and get involved. I'll never forget those words of his as he chopped his hand in the air, "we're going to organize, we're going to organize, we're going to organize"

[DS1]

11. I was in a rental car with matcom, with Pitt behind us on the way to DC

I remember the call very well :evilfrown:

[Oilwellian]

19. I remember the day well

I was on my way to D.C. to join you guys for the anti-war rally. Having listened to CD's all the way there, I had no idea he died til after getting to the DU gathering. It sure did dampen our spirits.

[BillZBubb]

12. Shhhh! Don't bring it up.

The wingnuts will get the CNN whores to claim we're turning a memorial into a political rally!

RIP Senator Wellstone! You have been missed.

[AlFrankenFan]

26. I've watched CNN, MSNBC, FOX, etc today

Not even a blurb about him :-(

[Gloria]

13. I was drawing precinct maps that day at our local coordinated

campaign headquarters....for the Congressional race and local races.
When the news came in, we just deflated. It was such an awful day.

[jeanmarc]

14. Best speaker in the Senate

Wellstone was awesome.

[G_j]

15. we miss you Paul!

rest in peace friend

[TahitiNut]

16. "Never separate the lives you live from the words you speak."

Remember.

[Shopaholic]

17. A true hero

who will be remembered in the hearts and minds of Democrats until the end of our days.

[wellstone dem]

18. I miss Paul so much.

I was home for lunch when the news came over the TV. I called my mom, and she answered the phone, already in tears. He was a honorable man. He made us so proud to be from Minnesota. But he hated being called a her. He told us that it was the folks working at food shelves, battered women's programs, legal aid offices, county action programs who were the true heroes.

[AlFrankenFan]

20. My post is in a thread I started in the Lounge last night...

I miss Paul so much....

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=105x1875297

[NightTrain]

21. I was at work when I heard the news.

The first things my boss said was, "Who's Paul Wellstone?" :grr:

[AlFrankenFan]

25. Response was the same from all my friends, family

Even today no one but you guys at DU could comfort me...

[genius]

28. I was really upset and told everyone I met about Paul that day

I was shocked that there were actually people who didn't know who he was. I explained that he would have been the next President.

[fujiyama]

22. You know

I didn't even know that today was the exact day, but for some reason I started thinking about him today as I was driving...It must have been a song on the radio, and I started remembering how terrible dark the days were - from his death, to the disasterous democratic showings in the polls that year, to the war itself.

The main thing that came to mind was we've gotta win this - partly in his memory, and for his legacy. Only by electing Kerry can we get something done in the spirity of him.

[Zorra]

23. Doreen Yellowbird: Wellstone's voice will be missed on reservation

Tue, Oct. 29, 2002

So, I repeat the advice from an old spiritual man, who said to look for a leader who selflessly has the whole tribe in mind - the whole nation, and not just those who can buy an election.

Paul Wellstone was one of those leaders, and his death is a personal loss for Native people.

http://www.grandforks.com/mld/grandforksherald/news/opinion/4392541.htm

[fla nocount]

24. Paul Wellstone was murdered two years ago for his much admired....

legislative seat. Let us never forget that Democratic candidates should never flit about in small aircraft where they and their entourage will be the only victims...........ffffffffffffft, Wellstone, Carnahan and John-John are somewhere together now and for the same reasons, IMHO.

[porkrind]

29. True

Like MLK, JFK, RFK, let's never forget he was murdered by those who hate democracy, the same people we fight today. The same people these heroes fought against for our sake. Let's keep up and win the fight.

[genius]

27. He was a great man. We could really use him now.

I bet, if he had lived, he would be running for President right now.

[senseandsensibility]

30. RIP Paul

We will always miss you, but your courage and optimism continue to inspire others.:loveya:

[amazona]

31. thanks for the poem

Hard to believe it's 2 years.

[Chicago Democrat]

32. What a disaster that was....

(crying sounds)


that was shit

[RummyTheDummy]

33. November 2, 2004

For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul! For Paul!

:kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick:

[Octafish]

34. "I represent the Democratic Wing of the Democratic Party."

And Paul Wellstone meant it and lived it and was it.

His colleagues called him the conscience of the Senate.

He was also a good man.

A REAL Democrat.

[Lost Creek]

35. We need a dozen more just like him.

I would like a dozen dozen.

[vinnievin777]

36. God Bless Mr. Wellstone he was a great man

And God Bless his family.



Vinnie Vin
http://www.vinnievin.com

[senseandsensibility]

37. Kick for Paul

A fifty dollar check to Wellstone was my first campaign contribution to any candidate. When I heard that * was targeting his seat, that was enough for me! I'm from California, but I admired his state for electing such a great man. When I learned of his death, I called my husband , who was at the public library. We both cried. To us, he was the perfect public servant, and I will always miss him. :kick:

[Jersey Devil]

38. Thank you God for Paul Wellstone

He was what we all should aspire to become.