A Tribute to A Great Lady

I wish I’d known Joan Collins all my life, but I first met her when she organized a meeting to oppose war with Iraq. All this retired school teacher really wanted was to enjoy her grandchildren. But, being Joan, she couldn’t truly enjoy them or feel good about their future if our country attacked the people of Iraq in what she believed was an immoral and unnecessary war.
Her heart ached for this county caught up in the lies about WMDs and the false connection of Saddam Hussein to the events of September 11, 2001. Her heart ached equally for the people of Iraq who would simply be “collateral damage.”
Instead of sitting back and enjoying her well-earned leisure, Joan stood up far taller than her 5’1” and acted. She gathered like-minded people around her to make plans to do something – anything - to communicate to the powers that be that war with Iraq would be a tragic mistake. She did her research and thought things through before speaking or acting. She wrote letters to this newspaper. Some ignored the truths in what she said and responded with ugly personal attacks that were like a crown of thorns to this gentle and loving woman. Even though deeply hurt by this, it was not in her to respond in kind. She kept writing, marching, meeting, and talking in the hope that her carefully researched and thought out opinions would at last be heard and acted upon.
She wanted nothing more than to be heard and to generate civil discourse on a subject that deserved the highest level of scrutiny. The acid responses saddened her deeply, but she fought on.
If my wish had come true and Joan were Queen of the World, her way would have been to invite the world’s leaders, nabobs, peaceniks and war mongers to dinner. After the world’s best ham ‘n beans and peach cobbler, she would gently lead the discussion towards resolving conflict. All would be well. It was a lovely fantasy, but it had at its base the notion that people are interested in civilly discussing issues, thinking them through, and compromising. Sadly, as the attacks she suffered attest, that's the real fantasy.
Joan left us July 31, 2010. We have lost a soft but strong voice that spoke for peace, for the disenfranchised, for our children, for you and for me. Joan was a soft-spoken gentlewoman. She was filled with compassion for anyone in need, and her work was not just in the peace movement. She created programs and projects to help local children. She could always find a way.
Many people’s lives have been improved by her gentle example. The world will be a lesser place without Joan. We have lost a reluctant leader who taught us to stand our ground and not lose the hope that our voices will be heard. May we all honor Joan by being slower to speak and quicker to think and by building rather than tearing down.