By the time the war is over, the myth of a noble cause worth dying for will seem to have dissolved, but in the beginning dissent amounts to political suicide. Barbara J. Lee, instead of going along with the crowd and mouthing the popular view, chose to demand that we question and examine our society and ourselves. She apparently recognizes that when we stop doing that, our moral fabric is eroded and replaced by a warped version of reality. Ms. Lee refused to accept the warped version. She was willing to be the only representative to speak out against making a "preemptive strike," that is, invading a small country that did nothing to us. Thus, she risked being labeled "unpatriotic" which could lose her an election.

Artists, musicians, and poets are usually the socially conscious dissenters in society, but during wartime, art gets pushed out and replaced with waving flags, patriotic songs, sentimental dedications, and all the platitudes of patriotism.

More and more energy is devoted to covering up the lies and contradictions that accumulate over time in the government's effort to sustain the war. The last thing the government wants is for anyone, especially a Congresswoman,...

As time goes on, it requires less courage to be against the war and becomes less risky. But Senator Lee spoke out immediately. It is obvious from the speech she gave that her decision to vote against the bill was a painful one: "However difficult this vote may be, some of us must urge the use of restraint. Our country is in a state of mourning. Some of us must say, let's step back for a moment. Let's just pause, just for a minute and think through the implications of our actions today, so that this does not spiral out of control. Now I have agonized over this vote. But I came to grips with it today, and I came to grips with opposing this resolution during the very painful, yet very beautiful memorial service. As a member of the clergy so eloquently said, 'As we act, let us not become the evil that we deplore.'" In my book, this single act qualifies her as a true leader. It doesn't matter that nobody followed her example the first time. Most likely, we'll see more of Barbara Lee's leadership in the future, and eventually people will listen.