BY TAI MOSES, AlterNet
❤
WISH FOR PEACE ❤
Dark Days
As war on Iraq unfolds, peace activists persevere.
T
THANK YOU for your continued
support through difficult times . . .
❤ OUR FAMILY IS GRATEFUL ❤
❤ Twirl on by for a PIECE of the PIE! ❤
Check out our weekly sales!
Mon-Sat 10-8/ Sun 12-5
Corner of 11th & Willamette
In the ❤ of Downtown Eugene
n
Da
could create more than a million refugees in
he bombardment of Baghdad has
Iraq and neighboring countries. Sixty percent
begun.
of Iraq’s population depends for basic suste-
Despite the vocal opposition of
nance on the oil-for-food program, which was
millions of Americans, President George W.
suspended as soon as Bush issued his ultima-
Bush declared war on Iraq at 10:15 pm EST
tum. Online donations can be made to the
March 19. Explosions from the first U.S. air
U.N.’s World Food Programme, Aid interna-
strikes rocked the suburbs and the city center
tional, Oxfam America, and Working Assets
of the Iraqi capitol in the early morning
Iraqi Emergency Relief Fund.
hours of March 20.
And what of the troops?
All who paid attention to
“Honor our Troops, Bring
the obsessive manner in
them Home, Peace Is
which Bush pursued his
Patriotic,” reads the mar-
course knew in their
quee on my local movie
hearts that war was in-
theater. We wholeheart-
evitable, that inspec-
edly support the idea of
tions were never meant
protecting the lives of
to work, that a diplo-
our soldiers by bringing
matic solution was never
them safely home. Our
a real priority. Yet, as
opposition to the war is
footage of the air
based on respect for
strikes flashed across
human life, be it an Iraqi
our television screens,
grandmother or a pri-
we were heartbroken,
When someone questions vate in the U.S. army.
angry and fearful —
fearful for the Iraqi
the patriotism of antiwar But we do not support
people, for the stability protesters, remind them of the mission these sol-
diers have been sent on:
of the Middle East, and
the administration’s
to kill thousands of
for the future of our
hypocrisy.
Iraqis. So how can we in
own country as it
good conscience honor
charts its dangerous,
the military?
unpopular course toward imperialism.
Our own commander-in-chief has shown
Still, people are in the streets, protesting
little respect for the men and women he has
and chanting and committing civil disobedi-
sent into harm’s way. Even as Bush has or-
ence, staging die-ins and sit-ins and walk-outs,
dered more than 200,000 troops into combat,
phoning, faxing and e-mailing their represen-
the Republicans in the House Budget
tatives, circulating petitions, marching and
Committee voted to cut $25 billion from the
showing no sign of letting up. The massive en-
Department of Veterans Affairs’ budget over
ergy and momentum that went into the antiwar
the next 10 years; just when wounded or ill
movement over the past few months is being
Gulf War II combat vets are sure to need bene-
funneled into continued and vigorous action.
fits the most. This is unprecedented; it is al-
Millions have signed up at www.MoveOn.org
ways difficult to get money for vets in peace-
and put lights in their windows to signal their
time, but to slash veterans’ pensions and dis-
ongoing commitment to antiwar work. Protest
ability compensation at the beginning of a war
campaigns organized by the broad coalition
defies belief. So when someone questions the
Win Without War and United for Peace and
patriotism of antiwar protesters, remind them
Justice are in full swing.
of the administration’s hypocrisy.
Our visible efforts will let our friends, in
What to do with our discouragement, our
Europe and Asia and Latin America and
horror, our exhaustion? If you have invested
everywhere else where people have declared
any of your energy and heart in resisting the
their opposition to the war, know that
war efforts of Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld et al.,
Americans continue to stand with them in sol-
depression is going to be your occasional
idarity despite the actions of our government.
companion. We can try to avoid despair in
But as intent as we are on the work of wag-
these dark times by recognizing that we each
ing peace, we must also turn our attention to
have a valuable place in the continuum that is
the future, because we have another vital mis-
the struggle for peace, which has existed as
sion to fulfill next year. Starting today, we
long as there has been war. “It is not necessary
must set our sights on this goal: regime change
for you to complete the work, but neither are
in the White House in November 2004. If
you free to desist from it,” said the Talmudic
nothing else, Bush taught us a useful lesson;
sage Rabbi Tarphon.
persistence in the face of overwhelming oppo-
There is a roar of protest around the world
sition. If we employ the same resolute, stub-
that is rising in volume even now. One month
born determination he used to push our nation
ago, many of us took part in the largest coordi-
into war, we will surely prevail in the 2004
nated single-day antiwar demonstration in the
presidential election.
history of the world. Bush did not listen to us,
And what now, as the bombs pound
but we heard each other. When the wartime
Baghdad and terrified residents cower, as a
blues begin to get you down, remember: There
new generation of American soldiers experi-
is a one-term president in the White House,
ences the horror of killing other human beings.
and that good fight has just begun.
What now?
ew
Uppermost in our minds should be our re-
Tai Moses is senior editor of AlterNet
sponsibility to help feed and care for those
(www.alternet.org).
who will bear the brunt of this war, which
ck
le
Or
Excludes Discounted Items and Liquid Formulas
MARCH 27, 2003 9