Yesterday there was a very moving interfaith memorial service for the victims, held in San Francisco's Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, the city's version of Madison Square Garden. Thousands attended. The 2-hour service began with a procession into the auditorium of over 100 clergy from many religions. A Muslim cleric, followed by a cantor, sung opening prayers. The pols were represented by California's governor, two Senators, SF's congressional rep, Mayor, and former Secretary of State George Schultz, who lives in SF. Religious leaders - an Archbishop, a Rabbi, Muslim cleric, Presbyterian, Unitarian, Bahaii and Baptist ministers, a Priest from Hawaii, a Buddhist, and a Sikh all spoke and gave prayers. The partner of Mark Bingham, one of the three who alledgedly rushed the hijackers in the plane that crashed in Pennsylvania, gave a personal portrait of him, and was given an award on behalf of Mark Bingham. The message and mood was one of national purpose, patriotism, solidarity with American Arabs who are experiencing harassment, and a call for national unity in the struggle against terrorism. It was a mighty show of unity. After the closing benediction, Lou Rawls sang "God Bless America" as everyone filed out. Everyone was then welcome to take roses that were handed out, and bring them to a memorial for the police and firefighters who died, and for all the victims, that was set up in the civic center plaza. The only blight was a very inapropriate speech by a minister who took the occasion to make a political speech about America's foibles, decrying our walkout of the U.N. conference on racism, among others. No matter who agrees with him or not, it was pretty tasteless for him to go off like that in the midst of a memorial. He was rebuked by Rep. Nancy Pelosi, who spoke soon after him. All told, it was San Francisco at its finest - unified, compassionate, patriotic, and firm. Shame it takes a national tragedy to bring that out, but it's good to know people can respond in that way, and that those feelings are there.

-chanteyranger