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Commemorating a War to the Rhythm of the Warriors
In March, there will be a marches to mark the fifth anniversary of Shock and Awe Iraq. It is a noteworthy date to remember, despite its arbitrariness, since the war in Iraq has been waged continuously by the United States since the first Gulf War in 1991, Desert Storm. On January 17, 1991, US troops invaded Iraq. That war, followed by the sanctions regime which took the lives of hundred of thousands of Iraqi’s and completed the destruction of the nation’s infrastructure, and then the military attack by the United State on March 22, 2003 which led to the overthrow of Saddam Hussein and the occupation of Iraq, bring us to the present dismal situation.
Another milestone that will soon be marked with demonstrations and protest, vigil and prayer, will be the 4000th officially counted death of a US service member in the Iraq theater. Again, this is an artificial milestone, since almost 500 US service people have died in Afghanistan, and hundreds of "coalition" soldiers have died. When did we commemorate the 400,000th Iraqi death in this vicious onslaught of empire? Did I miss that one?
A February 24 article in the New York Times Magazine by Elizabeth Rubin, "Battle Company is Out There" described the life of the Battle Company of the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team in the Korengal Valley of Kunar Province of Afghanistan. It is a history of attacks against a civilian population, with increasing resistance from the Taliban insurgency that lives in the region. Captain Dan Kearny, who leads this contingent, routinely has to make decisions that he knows will mean civilian death. He calls in airstrikes, smashes houses with heavy weaponry, and counts the ensuing dead.
This is arguably "legal" in terms of the rules of war, although the horror of the situation for the US troops who are dying and killing to fight an indigenous resistance is clear and not shied from in Rubin’s reporting. The question that immediately arises is, simply, "Why?"
These troops are not fighting to protect the United States in the mountains and plains of Kunar. They are fighting because the United States, with NATO and Canada, is occupying Afghanistan, and resistance to this occupation cannot be allowed to take hold anywhere, at any cost. That is the name of the game, and the rules of engagement are brutal, and without mercy on either side, occupier or resistance fighter.
The article brings to mind the murders at Haditha, in Iraq. As William Langewiesche points out in his 2006 article in Vanity Fair, "Rules of Engagement", the casual acceptance of US military command personnel of civilian casualties leads to a hell on the ground for the enlisted men and women who have no distance from the blood and death. The helicopter, jet and fighter pilots have the luxury of the antiseptic kill, the strike without splatter. They drop their 500 pound and heavier armaments, fire their sprays of deadly missiles and machine gun fire and swoop away. If they annihilate civilians, as they often do, it is within the rules of engagement. When a soldier riddles a family full of bullets at close range under the stress of engagement, it can be a crime.
The rounds of protests and commemorations of artificial dates and milestones by the US peace movement does not want to recognize the reality that the war is not being affected by their actions. I believe it is being encouraged, as those who see, report and read of our actions are reassured that the troops are still fighting for our right to protest. The vigils and protest are part of the wallpaper of the culture, to be consigned by Presidential Candidates such as Barack Obama as part of a politics of division from which we must now move beyond, or by Hilary Clinton as a right to free speech.
Neither wants to change the essential nature of the US economy or culture, and decrease military spending, decrease the size of the military, decrease US reliance on a nuclear option. Neither wants to change the sense that US strategic interests are wherever we say they are. McCain does not shy away from his position that the US will be in Iraq indefinitely, which is the reality of the policy under any of these candidates. None would change policy in Afghanistan.
I dread the upcoming campaign, as liberals who march against the war on the dates assigned to them by the flow of violence will flock to Obama, a candidate who wants to expand the military by 92,000 troops and bring the war to Pakistan and Iran.
So, my opinion? Don’t let the schedule of war determine your activism. If you would do something when the 4000th or 5000th service person dies, do it now, before that inevitable grim reminder of our failure occurs. If you are going to commemorate the 5th or 6th anniversary of the war, do it now, with an action that rips up some of your own life in order to bring forward to others the depths of crisis of this moment. Do not pay your taxes to a government that is sponsoring death in the Middle East, Africa and Latin America. . Think in terms of revolution, for there is no alternative. - Joe DeRaymond
Charlie Dent's seat conspicuously empty. Louise Legun of Veterans for Peace waits to speak.
Dent and the Local Media AWOL
at
Take a Stand Event
The Iraq Summer Campaign came to a close on August 28th nationally with Town Hall meetings all over the country inviting local Congressional representatives to participate in dialogue about the War. In the Lehigh Valley “The Take a Stand” event at the Bethlehem Steel Union Hall in Bethlehem Pennsylvania marked the end of this summer long campaign locally to lobby and convince Charlie Dent of the 13th Congressional District to change his stance on the war. Again Charlie Dent refused to have a dialogue with his constituents. In addition, the local press shirked their responsibility to cover this important fact.
The sixth summer of horror and death in Iraq is coming to a close too. This illegal and immoral war in Iraq continues as the US death toll fast approaches 4000 and the deaths of Iraqis attributed to war and occupation according to the Lancet Report has topped 1 million. Yes, you read that right. 1 million members of humanity; men, women, and children have died as a result of military occupation by our country. Download the full report here, http://www.indymedia.ie/article/78999. In addition, Syria is about to close its borders on September 10th to new Iraqi immigrants without work visas. Until now Syria has allowed an estimated one and half million Iraqi refugees fleeing the war and occupation to enter Syria freely. The number of Iraqi civilians seeking asylum is taxing the economy of Syria. The White House is pushing for another 50 billion in appropriations to continue the occupation which we can be assured based on his record Charlie Dent will vote for. Alberto Gonzales has resigned. Torture and unlawful surveillance however continues. Katrina is two years behind in our collective conscience, but thousands of displaced poor people mostly African Americans, have not been allowed to return to their homes in and around New Orleans. If you aren’t actively motivated and outraged to end this insanity, you aren’t paying attention.
Addison Bross speaks to Dent's Constituents
About 180 people came together and listened to Addison Bross introduce three speakers who spoke from differing perspectives about the War in Iraq. Louis Yako, who is attending Lehigh from Iraq, told stories of war and occupation that moved the audience. Dr. Steven Lammer, religion professor from Lafayette College spoke of this unjust war, and Louise Legun from Vets for Peace spoke about the growth of a local Veterans movement and what we can do locally. The audience listened intently with occasional rousing applause. The seat reserved for Charlie Dent was conspicuously empty despite the banner which lauded him to “Stand with Pennsylvanians to End the War”. Representative (we use that word tongue in check) Charlie Dent was invited a number of times according to organizer Aaron Swisher to attend and have a dialogue with his constituents about his reasons for maintaining firm support for the Bush administrations continued resistance to end the occupation. Indicative of past efforts by local activists to create dialogue with Charlie Dent, it was no surprise that he did not attend.
Iraqi graduate student Louis Yako speaks with passion about his experiences in Iraq
While it is uplifting that it became a standing room only event, it seemed sorely lacking in dynamics that one might expect to receive at an anti war event six years into a war that is about to expand into Iran rather than end anytime soon. There was little mention of the three upcoming marches/mobilizations on Washington, D.C.; September 15th, organized by the A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition (http://answer.pephost.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ANS_homepage&JServSessionIdr005=ntby203775.app2a), September 29th, organized by the Troops Out Now Coalition (http://www.troopsoutnow.org/healthcarenotwarfare.html), and October 27th National Mobilization to End the War in Iraq, 10 Massive Demonstrations for Peace Across the U.S organized by http://www.unitedforpeace.org . In addition, there was no discussion about the fact that the democratically led Congress is completely impotent. They have not stood up to President Bush and the Administration to de-fund the war, bring the troops home under a definitive timetable, and ultimately have taken impeachment off the table. The fact that the organizing groups behind the Iraq Summer program are democratically driven politically says volumes about why this event was lacking in spark and determination toward a true movement of resistance. It is one thing to listen to great speakers analyze and discuss the reasons for why we are moving more and more towards perpetual war, but quite another to actually discuss and motivate public apathy toward actual courageous actions of resistance. The Democrats who now lead Congress have no intention of REALLY ending this war. We can be assured that the Occupation in Iraq, along with the pending preemptive attack on Iran will drain our economic resources, send thousands more to their graves until the end of this administration in early 2009. And honestly, there isn’t much hope that a Democratic administration will do anything much differently. Just check out the voting records and real actions of the Democratic front runners. http://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/legislative/a_three_sections_with_teasers/votes.htm
More importantly than the absence of Charlie Dent at this event is the fact that not one member of the press was in attendance to cover that fact. One has to wonder if our government representatives and the media that should be watching over them really care to pay any attention to the voices of the people.
A quick lesson in Democracy: We laud the rights of hateful racist and homophobic people to promote intolerance and hate via the 1st Amendment. But the first amendment is even more important in its democratic foundation. Democracy is possible only when the people are informed by a free and arduous press responsible to the people not to large corporations and elite power structures. The people cannot possibly make informed decisions about whom to vote for if the press does not give them a fair analysis and complete coverage of how our representation in government behaves as our representative.
It is appalling that not one radio, television, or print media person was present to cover the fact that almost two hundred constituents of the 15th Congressional District came to speak with their representative and he chose not to attend. That should be news. That should be front page news. Charlie Dent has continually avoided discussions with constituents that go against his own political agenda and career. Charlie Dent does not represent the people of the 15th District. He is in this only to better his own political career and future. The Allentown Morning Call, a Tribune Broadcasting paper, the Easton Express Times, a Pennlive newspaper, and Channel 69, a Maranatha Broadcasting Company have given unwavering support to Dent in the past two elections.
It is time for Charlie Dent to answer to his constituents, not run and hide from them when the questions get difficult. It is time for the local media to cover all the stories about our representative not just those that they deem “newsworthy.” If we are living in a true Democracy then it is imperative that the press cover and investigate ALL sides’ of an issue like War with equal coverage. Why do Tribune Broadcasting, Pennlive, and Maranatha chose to ignore a story that would shed a negative light on Charlie Dent? Shame on Charlie Dent for hiding from his constituents. Shame on the Morning Call, the Express Times, and Channel 69 for not doing their job to tell us about it.
- Tim Chadwick
Local Governments' Efforts to Support the Troops - Or Gain Political Support Without Pain?
Last night, at the August 16 County Council meeting, Northampton County Council passed the "American Heroes Grant - Military Relief Program Ordinance". The bill was introduced by Charles Dertinger and Lamont McClure. It provides for relief from property taxes for any member of the armed forces who has served at least four months in Iraq during the calendar year. Lehigh County passed a similar ordinance last year. No veteran or service person in Lehigh County has yet taken advantage of the program, a salient reality uncovered by Ron Angle and Bernie O'Hare, of Lehigh Valley Ramblings.
Two local residents spoke at the public hearing on the bill. Joe DeRaymond (this writer) of Freemansburg, pointed out that returning service people did deserve our local support, but that if council truly wanted to help them, they should do it across the board, with an outright grant to every soldier who was a resident of Northampton County who qualified, not just those who owned real estate. A Bethlehem Township resident also spoke to the issue of the slippery slope that was implicit in starting another government program that may not accomplish what Council intended.
The proceedings were interrupted when Council member Ron Angle, who was attending the meeting by speaker phone, was disconnected several times. Occasionally, prior to this discussion, attendees of the meeting were treated to the disembodied voice of Mr. Angle from a speakerphone, "I can't hear" and "When will the cupola be done?", as he interrupted a presentation by George Moore of the Architectural Studio on the ongoing cupola preservation and restoration project. After Solicitor Leonard Zito informed councilmembers that Mr. Angle had the right to attend in this manner, and that Council also had the right to regulate its own proceedings, Council tried to connect to Mr. Angle's phone once more. They received a message directing them to a voice mailbox, and promptly voted 8-0 to end the teleconference.
Mr. Angle's two proposed amendments to the American Heroes Grant ordinance were not introduced by any other member. One amendment proposed to reduce the funds set aside to enact the ordinance from $100,000 to $50,000; the other was to insure that spouses of land owners who were serving in Iraq would be granted the benefits of the legislation.
In discussing the legislation, Councilmember Dertinger acknowledged that he had not corrected the legislation to conform to legal challenge, and solicitor Zito confirmed that the legislation as proposed was flawed. Both Dertinger and McClure pushed for passage, stating defects could be resolved by amendment at a later date. A motion to table the bill pending correction failed on a 4-4 vote. The ordinance passed 8-0, with Council President Wayne Grube stating he voted yes with reservations, but that "there were a lot of veterans out there".
-Joe DeRaymond
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Surge is "Success", According to Gates, McCain and Media Syncophants
The latest White House propaganda effort on the Iraq Occupation is to spin the surge as a success. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates appeared on the talking heads circuit on August 5, and stated the surge is a success as a military strategy, and that the political shortfalls of the Iraqi leadership of the US-installed government are a surprise to the administration. This reasoning is echoed dutifully by much of the press.
For example, Kevin O’Brien’s Op-ed of August 3, “Bad News for Democrats: Surge Working”, published in the Express-Times, tries to make us believe that the surge is working, and that this is an embarassment for those opposing the war in Congress. His article, however, is long on spin and very short on facts. Mr. O’Brien does not cite one indicator of the success of the surge. His source is Senator John McCain, the one presidential candidate totally supportive of war as a solution in the Middle East. (Remember, “bomb bomb bomb, bomb bomb Iran”?)
The surge has definitely meant a heightened war. June produced the highest daily average of insurgent attacks against coalition troops, Iraqi security forces, civilians and infrastructure – 5335 attacks. In the four months of the surge, 446 United States troops gave their lives. Baghdad residents receive electricity service one or two hours a day. A recent report to Congress stated corruption in the country, including fraud, theft and skimming amounts to a second insurgency and is hindering the rebuilding effort. 28% of Iraqi children are malnourished, 70% of Iraqis suffer from a lack of adequate water. There are 2 million Iraqis displaced within Iraq, and 2 million external refugees. Tens of thousands a month continue to flee. International aid organizations have declared a humanitarian emergency in Iraq. United States policies focus on winning a war, while the civilian population literally is dying. This is a war crime.
The surge is a strategy to extend and make permanent the occupation of Iraq. It is intended to solidify a long-term presence of the United States military in Iraq. While there will be drawdowns in troop levels in coming months, these will be for two reasons unrelated to ending the war/occupation. The first will be for domestic political purposes, to deflect anti-war sentiment. The second reason is that troop drawdowns are also a matter of necessity, as our tapped-out military has exhausted troop rotations with the surge strategy. There will be no change in policy, however, coming from the Bush administration, or demanded by the Democrats in Congress looking only to elect a corporate President from the Democratic wing of our one party government.
Our media continues to focus daily reporting on Iraqis killed, Al-Qaida leaders captured or killed, as a function of military success. These types of reports are always an indication of failure. For every Iraqi killed in the occupation, the United States creates more Al-Qaida recruits, more people committed to expelling the occupation. As Britain learned in Iraq and Afghanistan numerous times, and as France learned in Algeria, and as the United States was shown in Vietnam, it is impossible to win a war of occupation against a population insistent on its liberty and self-determination. Just as happened a generation ago in Vietnam, the United States is leaving itself without a good policy option in a war of Empire.
This Fall, citizens will have a chance to make their voices heard. There will be major demonstrations in Washington and around the country in September and October. Local groups will be organizing participation in these broadly based attempts to change US policy in Iraq. We will continue to cover these efforts and will have concrete ways for you to support an end to the occupation in Iraq, and for new US policies at home and abroad. -Joe DeRaymond (a shorter version of this piece was submitted to the Express-Timesas a Letter to the Editor)
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Specter Supports Bush - Casey Votes to Change Bush Policies
16 Lehigh Valley Residents Rally at Specter Office in Allentown
Protesters gather at Federal Building in Allentown to protest Specter vote
An energetic group of citizens brought together by the Iraq Summer Campaign chanted, held signs and talked to the press at noon on Wednesday, July 18, to protest Arlen Specter's refusal to represent his constituents by voting for a change in Iraq Policy. Allentown Armory Activists were out in force, passing out leaflets for the Cindy Sheehan appearance, and eliciting the support of many who drove or walked by the demonstration. Aaron Swisher of Iraq Summer obtained Statements of Conscience from passersby, and the response from motorists was a series of honks, peace signs and waves, with very few middle fingers, curses or imprecations to find employment.
Senator Casey voted to challenge the Bush program, a welcome development for this new Senator who has had a mixed record so far on the war. Channel 69 interviewed this writer about the event, and asked the question of the moment for those who wish to continue the Bush program, "What will happen when the troops leave?" I responded, "We just built an Embassy for $600 million. There is no way we have to worry about an instant departure of US troops." This is the reality for peace activists - the key is to begin a change in policy, to change the troop mission, to end the shooting war for the United States and begin constructive work in Iraq. Iraq has over 4 million refugees, an infrastructure that is not functioning, and a population living in constant fear. The US presence must shift from an occupying force taking sides in a civil war to a reconstructive, non-military peacekeeping presence.
I do not believe that such a policy is possible with a Bush regime running this country like a group of Colonels without oversight. The congressional lack of fortitude to confront Bush on the Gonzalez politicial manipulation of the Justice Department, illegal domestic spying, torture, rendition, instigating an illegal war in violation of international law, the lies of Scooter Libby, Karl Rove and Dick Cheney means that Bush has been granted impunity to pursue policies that are ravaging the troops, the Iraqi people, and the domestic wellbeing of the United States.
Senator Specter has the intelligence, the legal understanding to know that Bush should be opposed. His steadfast support of the administration will not be a proud moment in his decades-long legacy in the US Senate. -Joe DeRaymond
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Pennsylvania Senators Support Iraq War - Iraq Summer Call-in Day for Arlen Specter
Action Alert!!!
With important votes coming in the Senate next week, it's time to focus our attention on putting a little heat to the feet of Sen. Arlen Specter. The details of an event planned for next Wednesday follow, please spread the word far and wide.
Event: Wednesday, July 18th, 2007 Phone-In to Specter's regional offices: 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon The phone number is (610) 434-1444. Please tell the people in the office that you want US troops redeployed out of Iraq. Also, if you get a chance, email hereor call Aaron at 202-210-2080 and mention you called in; we'll tally the number of calls statewide and give it to the media during the vigil. Simply put "I called" in the subject line and send it along. Simultaneous Vigils outside Specter's offices: 12:00 noon – 1:00 p.m. (Specter's office in Allentown is in the Federal Bldg. on the corner of 5th and Hamilton Blvd. The same corner where Rev. Fowler has his Thursday vigil.) We'll have signs if you need one.
Below are the votes of the Senators Specter and Casey on the Iraq War this year. Note that Specter voted with Bush on all three, and Casey voted for the war in the case of the May cloture vote, and also supported the final bill which had no language on withdrawal. See the Voices for Creative Non-Violence websitefor voting records on the war in the House and Senate.
H.R. 1591 – This is the Senate’s amended version of the supplemental spending bill which it voted upon in March 2007. This version provided for the phased redeployment of U.S. troops out of Iraq within 120 days of enactment, with the goal being the redeployment of combat brigades from Iraq by March 2008 except to: protect U.S. and coalition personnel and infrastructure; train and equip Iraqi forces; and conduct “targeted counter-terrorism operations.” Casey voted YES, Specter voted NO.
MAY CLOTURE VOTE – This was the Senate vote on the cloture motion to end debate on the Feingold amendment to the Water Resources Development Act of 2007. A “Yes” vote on cloture meant that the Senator wanted to end debate on the Feingold Amendment which would have brought the amendment to the floor of the Senate for a full vote. Therefore, a “Yes” vote is an antiwar vote. A “No” vote prevented cloture and therefore ensured that the amendment could not be brought to the floor for a full vote by the Senate. Therefore, a “No” vote is a prowar vote. Both Casey and Specter voted NO.
The Feingold Amendment would have required the redeployment of U.S. forces out of Iraq within 120 days of enactment with redeployment to be completed by March 31, 2008 except that troops could remain in Iraq to conduct targeted counter-terrorism actions; to protect U.S. personnel and infrastructure; and to train and equip Iraqi security forces. HR 2206 – This is the final Senate vote on the Iraq – Afghanistan war supplemental. It contains no language on the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. Both Casey and Specter voted YES
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Iraq Summer Kicks Off with Petition to Charlie Dent
Iraq Summer Supporters Gather at Dent's Office on 7/5/2007
July 5, 2007 - As the War and Occupation in Iraq continues through its 5th year, a majority of citizens of the US oppose the continuation of the conflict. Yet, our Congress, Executive Branch, and our Courts will not recognize the will of the people to withdraw our troops from Iraq and seek a new policy in Iraq and the Mideast Region. George Bush, Dick Cheney, and the supporters of War in Iraq have ignored the results of the 2006 election, and instead have instituted a policy of escalation of the War, rather than a responsible withdrawal of troops with the goal of beginning a policy that can lead to peace in Iraq.
The Coalition Americans Against Escalation in Iraq is conducting a summer campaign to influence the votes of key Congresspeople in order to move the Congress to establish a new Iraq policy by the end of this summer, THIS YEAR, So much energy is being devoted to 2008, toward the distraction of who will be our next President. There is a job to be done NOW, as US service people and Iraqi civiliians die in this futile War of Empire.
Coalition organizers Aaron Swisher and Dorothellia Mills will be working with Lehigh Valley individuals and groups to mobilize support for a new Iraq policy, and to energize the constituency to make their views known to Congressman Dent.
The picket line at Dent's office on 7/5/07
The goals of the Summer Campaign are to Strengthen US security by responsibly ending the US military mission in Iraq, to redeploy US troops from Iraq's civil wars in one year, strengthen US ground forces and National Guard, and stabilize the Middle East through intensified diplomacy. For more information or to participate in the Summer Campaign, contact Aaron Swisher 202-210-2080 or Dorothellia Mills 202-485-1586. Yard signs and further approaches to Mr. Dent require your help - LET'S STOP THIS BLOODY WAR AND OCCUPATION.
As Congress and our President fiddle with the political distractions of a campaign aimed at delaying any action on the War or on pressing domestic issues, it is the citizenry who must create the space for new policies. This campaign is a welcome injection of energy into this summer that should not be wasted on waiting - let's join together and restore a sense of democracy to our government.
It is worth noting that no media outlets covered the event on 7/5/07. Evidently, the Morning Call and Express-Times have not been given permission by Dent's office to cover anti-war petitions by the citizenry to their Congress. Again, we will have to pass the word on our own that change is possible, that the Constitution has meaning, that the will of the people will be followed.
Citizens signing the petition to Charlie Dent, which was delivered to his office staff - Charlie himself did not deign to meet with us. We were told by Gregg Bortz, his public relations aide, that he would not be in the office this week and would be in Washington next week. - Joe DeRaymond
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Dent 9 Case on Appeal - The Time for Dissent is Now
On January 17, 2006, I was one of nine people, Tim Chadwick, Sarah Snider, Bernie Berg, Maria Weick, Art Landis,Ana Maria Caldara, Susan Ravitz, Robert Daniels, and Joe DeRaymond myself, who entered Congressman Charles Dent’s office in Bethlehem in mid-afternoon. We initially had some interactions with office staff regarding the following petition:
PETITION TO END THE UNITED STATES WAR IN IRAQ
Daily reports of mayhem and a body count of over 2200 US servicemen have convinced many people of the futility of the Iraq War, yet these facts only tell part of the story, for our media and our Congress have hidden much of the ugly reality of the United States invasion and occupation. US policies of torture, assassination, and military attacks against the civilian population are not being reported to the United States by our media, and certainly not being addressed by Congress. When phosphorus explosives were shown to have been used against civilians in the obliteration of Fallujah, and the military first lied about their use, then claimed its “legality”, this was judged acceptable. When reports of death squads arise, it is viewed as business as usual. When torture is proven, it is never identified as policy, despite White House opposition to any restrictions of domestic or international law on the use of torture. Soldiers become the scapegoats for a culture of abuse, and the abuse continues.
Polls tell us a majority wants the United States to withdraw our troops from Iraq, yet political leverage and political will is lacking. Congress has voted overwhelmingly to keep the troops in harm’s way on this benighted mission, and appropriates over $5 billion a month to maintain a war effort in Iraq. Meanwhile, the troops, and the Iraqi population, pay with their lives. Representative John Murtha of Pennsylvania has stood up for an end to this madness, and we believe he deserves support.
When the mechanisms for redress of grievances have disappeared and the institutions of a free society fail to address crimes against humanity, international law and moral principles demand of individuals an increased duty. "Individuals have international duties which transcend the national obligations of obedience... therefore [individuals] have the duty to violate domestic laws to prevent crimes against peace and humanity from occurring."- Nürnberg International Military Tribunal.
Therefore, we petition the Congressional delegation of Pennsylvania, which includes Representative Charles Dent of the 15th Congressional District, to support Representative John Murtha’s call to Bring the Troops Home Now, for the following reasons:
1. The initial invasion of Iraq was illegal. The Bush administration lied about the weapons of mass destruction, and ignored any intelligence regarding the woeful state of affairs of Saddam’s military. Iraq was badly weakened by a decade of sanctions, and was no threat to the region and certainly not to the United States. The Downing Street memo shows the intent of the Bush administration to go to war, regardless of the realities in Iraq.
2. The conduct of the war has been illegal. The United States has been involved in attacks against the civilian population, in torture, in illegal detainment and has failed to protect the occuppied civilian population. All of these acts are violations of the Geneva Conventions.
3. Over 2100 US soldiers have died, and many thousands have been wounded severely in this war. They have not been adequately equipped, and a failure to provide adequate medical care, benefits. pay and housing have left many soldiers and their families in jeopardy. They are fighting now without a mission – bring them home.
4. Iraqi losses of life under the occupation continue to be enormous and reconstruction under a US military occupation will not be possible. The first Prime Minister of the US-supported Iraqi government, Ayad Allawi, stated on November 26, “People are doing the same as [in] Saddam's time and worse. It is an appropriate comparison. People are remembering the days of Saddam. These were the precise reasons that we fought Saddam and now we are seeing the same things.” Let us remember how vehemently President Bush stated in 2000 that he would not engage in nation building. Nations can only be built by their citizens, not by occupying armies. The sooner we arrange for our troops’ departure, the sooner Iraq can begin to reform. The people of Iraq, who have suffered tens of thousands of deaths, the loss of much of their infrastructure, and their sovereignty under the occupation need to be freed from a US presence that will never bring peace.
5. Crucial human needs, such as education, health care, nutrition, employment, housing, veteran’s benefits, and reconstruction after the hurricane season are being neglected as war funding enriches the military contracting corporations such as Halliburton. Deficits balloon as these fatcat, connected corporations grow rich at the expense of the lives of our troops, and the Iraqi people. Our leaders’ job is to protect our people, not to impoverish us in the name of empire.
For these reasons, as citizens petitioning a government that has lost touch with its people, we read, with respect, the names of the dead of the Iraq War, on this day, at this office of our Congressman, in the hope that we can move him to use his office to end the war in Iraq, bring the troops home, and start a process to heal rather than destroy.
We then proceeded to read the names, starting with the Pennsylvania troops who have died in Iraq, alternating each US name with the name of an Iraqi civilian who has been killed in the occupation.
We were told by office staffperson Carol Halper that Congressman Dent was not going to be in the office, and that he had informed her by phone he could not support our petition. We continued to read the names, and the office informed us that we would be arrested if we remained. We indicated we intended to finish the reading of the names.
At 5:15 PM, we were arrested by the Bethlehem Police, booked on a charge of Defiant Trespass, and released later that evening on our own recognizance. We were giving a pre-trial hearing date before Magistrate Wayne Maura of Bethlehem for March, which was later changed to mid-April.
At our hearing before District Justice Wayne Maura, the State was represented by First District Attorney Maria Dantos. She pushed Maura hard that the elements of the case were being met by the Commonwealth, despite the failure of the Commonwealth to demonstrate that the elements of the crime of Defiant Trespass at the Misdemeanour level had not been met.
Attorneys Martricia McLaughlin and Donald Miles made excellent presentations to Maura, who was nevertheless bullied by Dantos into finding sufficient facts to present the case to a Lehigh County jury. Our arraignment and subsequent trial was handled by President Judge William Platt. We had a misdemeanour case being handled by the First District Attorney and President Judge.
At the arraignment, Judge Platt informed the defendants that there would be no mercy about the level of the crime to trial. He also stated he was a “close personal friend” of Charlie Dent. At the pre-trial hearing, Dantos and Platt reduced the charge to a summary offense, in order to avoid a jury decision. He denied our request that he remove himself from the case due to his relationship with Dent. He further denied that he had read my article about the Dennis Counterman case, which was prosecuted during his tenure as DA. During that case, his First Assistant, Richard Tomsho, engaged in unethical conduct that resulted in a death penalty verdict for Dennis. This was later overturned when the facts of Tomsho’s conduct reached Judge Brenner. Dennis later made an Alford plea to a lesser offense and was released after serving 18 years in prison, 6 years on death row, for a crime he did not commit.
At our trial, Judge Platt ignored our arguments that our First Amendment rights and our understanding of international law gave us a belief that we had a right to be in Dent’s office. This argument, if accepted, would have overcome the element of the Defiant Trespass statute that requires that there be an intent to violate the law in a person’s actions for there to exist a crime. Platt ruled guilty, and assessed over $600 in fines and costs.
With Attorney Martricia McLaughlin, eight of the nine appealed to the Superior Court of Pennsylvania. We argued in our brief that Judge Platt should have recused himself, that he should have recognized our arguments regarding meeting the legal standard of Defiant Trespass, and that our First Amendment and Free Speech rights under the Pennsylvania Constitution took precedence over the Defiant Trespass statute. Oral argument was held on May 22, 2007, in Philadelphia, before Judges Robert E. Colville, Michael T. Joyce, and President Judge Emeritus Stephen J. McEwen, Jr.
I attended the argument with Attorney McLaughlin, and even before we got to make our arguments, I had a sinking feeling about the Court. First, the full size portrait of a much younger Judge McEwen, Jr. leered down at us from the wall. Apropos of nothing, before our case, both Judge McEwen and Judge Colville bragged of being police officers early in their working lives, then District Attorneys. Judge Joycre claimed to be a defense attorney. As our argument began, there was some favorable murmurings about Judge Platt, who would have been a DA at the same time as two of the venerable legal minds sitting before us. Then, as Martricia began her argument, she was interrupted by Judge Joyce, who said, “You are fine up to the point you are told by the police you are breaking the law.” This is not a good sign, when a Judge makes the argument that the final arbiter of the legal nuances of a statute are the arresting police officers. He continues to pursue this point – how could we expect to have rights if we are told by the police to leave? I am thinking, “Why bother with courts? Just let the cops decide at the scene if the law has been broken, it would save time, money, and the career paths of Judges would be much simpler – they could just stay cops and deliver justice at the moment of arrest.”
It got worse. The Eminent Judge McEwen remarked that it was his understanding of Ghandian civil disobedience that the perpetrator of the dissent accept the punishment. This brought forth images of Martin Luther King whipping out a checkbook to pay a fine, or Ghandi meekly accepting the judgments of the British Courts. We had never alleged to be committing civil disobedience, never pleaded justification, and only wanted the consideration of our legal arguments from this Court, not a political examination of our case.
It seems that McEwen fancies himself an expert on punishing dissent. A google search shows that he wrote an article, “The Protester: A Sentencing Dilemma”, published the Notre Dame Journal of Law, Ethics and Public Policy in 1991. I was unable to obtain a copy before writing this article. In the meantime, the prediction here is that the prospects for success before the Superior Court appear to be dim for the Dent 9.
Our petition to Charlie Dent was treated harshly by Charlie, who did not deign to even talk to us and has sponsored a full scale prosecution. It was viewed as unworthy of mention by the local press, who viewed it with indifference. It has been treated harshly by the Lehigh County Courts, who made sure that we would be punished for having the temerity to challenge the local power structure for their complicity in war crimes. It has been dismal to watch this country devote 17 more months to this savage and illegal occupation of Iraq, at the cost of tens of thousands of Iraqi and US lives, regional instability, and immense social and fiscal cost. I continue to be proud of our act, believe it is the right thing to do to challenge those who are committing crimes against humanity. With each day, the circles of complicity widen – how much do you know about our Iraq War, Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo, domestic spying, illegal rendition, torture and deceit against the people? At what point will you demand action, and, as the Pennsylvania Constitution states, exercise your right to “remonstrate” your government officials?
-Joe DeRaymond
A 2007 Memorial Day Story
(editor's note: I received this from Lane Anderson, a Veteran for Peace who was on the Rutilio Grande delegation and who takes an active and forthright attitude toward his peacework. Arlington Westis an installation of crosses in Santa Monica, California, one cross per US service man or woman killed in Iraq, on the Pacific Beach. The website is worth a visit - the photo above is from the site.)
May 29, 2007 - Memorial Day being over, perhaps we don't need to hear another story about our men and women serving in Iraq. This weekend however, we had an active duty Marine visit the Arlington West display at the beach who related her personal experience to me.
I thought others would be interested in her story. It is not special, only typical of the Iraq Veterans who come to find the name of a fallen comrade. A young, very attractive girl, (I guess in her twenties) was introduced to me by her friend, a Viet Nam vet. He asked me to "Take care of her." We immediately bonded even though I was old enough to be her father, I believe because I had served during the Viet Nam era.
She wanted to find a name among the crosses. I found the name and she began to weep uncontrollably. I held her and asked her how she knew this female soldier. She replied that it had been her duty to send her out on patrol the night she was killed.
She then asked for another name. I found it. She asked if it could be placed with the other soldier. I replied, "Of course" and asked her how she knew this soldier. She said he was returning from another assignment and stopped to talk to her friend when a suicide bomber detonated his device killing both soldiers. Again she lost all composure. I assured her that it was all right to cry as I had seen many male Marines cry just as hard. She then asked for another name. I found it and brought it to her. The cause of death said "killed in non-combat related incident." I asked her how he died. She replied, "He put a gun to his head and committed suicide."
By this time, I could take no more and was in tears myself. As a nation, we must become more cognizant of the heavy price we are paying for this fiasco in Iraq. It is our duty to question the decisions of our politicians because those who serve cannot. Before leaving, this young lady informed me that she had just reenlisted for another four years. I told her I did not like that decision but would be proud of her if she were my own daughter. I fear for her as if she is my own daughter. -Rodney Brown, member, Veterans for Peace, American Legion, Veterans United for Truth
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Cindy Submits Resignation - War Will Continue
May 29, 2007 - Below is an article I wrote in 2005, which deserves to be revisited as we read of Cindy Sheehan's Memorial Day weekend "resignation" as the leader of the anti-war movement. Cindy, after two years of activism, has burned out. She stated, "The first conclusion is that I was the darling of the so-called left as long as I limited my protests to George Bush and the Republican Party. ... when I started to hold the Democratic Party to the same standards that I held the Republican Party, support for my cause started to erode" and "The most devastating conclusion that I reached this morning, however, was that Casey did indeed die for nothing". I believe she will be back, because she will not be able to remain silent given what she now understands about the reality of the Imperial Nation 2007. Here is her complete statement.
It does put the question to those who have followed her, placed SO much weight on her person. Of course, the Democratic Party is bankrupt and cannot be truly anti-imperialist, despite the appearance every four years of a Dennis Kucinich. His program cannot succeed, because it is offered from a political base that will sell out, again and again. Certainly, Dennis is the least fascist among fascists.
Cindy has gone from the Democratic Party to civil disobedience, and back - I cannot fault her for backing away from a movement that cannot face reality, and has used her without committing to her struggle. I challenge those who have projected Cindy to the forefront of a movement to continue their efforts to stop an Imperial War in Iraq, and to change an Imperial Culture here, within the USA. -Joe DeRaymond
Cindy Sheehan’s Movement – Toward What?
“Don’t ever forget, that the least fascist among fascists are also fascists.” A poem by Roque Dalton, from “Clandestine Poems”
I went to a demo last week, a Cindy Sheehan demo, the one called by Movebackward.org, in solidarity with Cindy and her campaign to meet with The Twisted President on a lawn or in a ditch in Crawford, Texas. I took along my favorite sign, an eight-foot glowing yellow background ANSWER coalition GUILTY OF WAR CRIMES, ImpeachBush.org sign that I had hauled with my friend Sarah on the DC subway away from the Bush Anti-inaugural. We splash this sign all over this region of Pennsylvania, hanging it over highway overpasses, along city streets, at the Peace Coalition demos twice a week. We get a good response often, a thumbs up, a peace sign, or we get the finger and a curse, or the inane, “GET A JOB”. The Steeler colors help. It makes for some good media, and what passes these days as a dialog with the public.
The organizer of the Cindy vigil, however, asked us to “fold it up, please”. She said this rally is not about THAT, it is about peace, and grief, and the loss of a son. They were passing out candles, and ready, I guess, to support Cindy, with their TALK TO CINDY and MEET WITH CINDY and GOD BLESS CINDY signs. We left. They had the numbers, anyway, over a 100, while we struggle to get a dozen at our weekly, straightout, anti-war vigils.
I am not surprised to read that Camp Casey had a problem with the International Socialist Organization. The ISO is committed, direct and reasonable in its socialist approach. It is clear about the need for fundamental, programmatic change in the United States. According to Greg Moses (“Raw Talk Revival at Camp Casey II, August 22, Counterpunch), at Camp Casey it (the ISO) is supposed to make like the vegetarians and accommodate itself, keep silent and learn from the grieving mothers of the Cindy Sheehan movement.
This search for truth from Cindy is not serious activism, it is poster child activism. Those who have projected Cindy Sheehan into the forefront of the anti-war movement do so out of a failure of their own initiative and imagination. Where are the leaders of the Anybody But Bush contingent when it comes to bringing charges against this war criminal? Are they buried in the Regressive Democrats of America, waving a flag with those who have supported this ugly war? Have they simply sold out, willing to settle for their own comfort while they undertake a token, academic resistance? Are we hiding behind Cindy, letting her take the fire? Cindy Sheehan is a mother who lost a son, as American as Apple Pie, a safe hero for nervous times. Putting Cindy Sheehan forward means that your analysis focuses on the US losses in this war, when we know the Iraqi losses are exponentially greater. It plays to shallow analysis, easy answers, hopes for reconciliation and change with Bush. This is Bullshit – Bush must go for this war to end, and our drive must be to remove him from office, not to convince him of the fallacies of his ways.
There is not time to wait for the next great white hope in the next corrrupt election - other wars are waiting. Iran, and Syria, and Colombia or Venezuela, and there is ever Israeli occupation to fund, Haiti to subjugate. Cindy has stood for her beliefs, but she cannot be a movement. Our respect for her loss cannot exceed our respect for Iraqi losses, or replace the need to deepen our understanding of the crisis of this moment. Her strength is her reality as a person. She challenges our ability to bring our lives into the struggle, as she has brought hers. I do not believe she would have asked me to remove the IMPEACH BUSH sign - I do not want to believe that she has joined the lesser fascists. –Joe DeRaymond
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THE WAR IN IRAQ:
EMPIRE, LIES AND WAR CRIMES
Why are we at war in Iraq? What justifies this madness?
The Empire and Its Lies
In 2007, a citizen of the United States is a citizen of empire. The United States sits atop the world, the SUPER POWER, with military bases in 59 countries, over 7000 nuclear warheads, billions of dollars in arms sales each year, a major war in Iraq, and ongoing wars in Afghanistan, the Koreas, and Colombia. The US military budget totals over $400 billion - more than the next 20 largest spending countries combined. We are a war- making nation with a war economy. We have military power, and we use it.
The United States has been at war since 1940: the Second World War, the Cold War, the War Against Drugs,. The War Against Terror, Korea, Vietnam, Panama, Grenada, the former Yugoslavia, Lebanon, Cuba, twice in Iraq. It has overthrown democratic governments in Guatemala, Iran and Chile. The Empire has supported dictators and military governments in El Salvador, Nicaragua, Paraguay, the Phillipines, Iran, Iraq, Haiti, Guatemala, Chile. (These are not comprehensive lists.) There is always talk of democracy, and a constant push for "elections", but the elections are twisted by widely imbalanced economies, and manipulated by threats as happened in El Salvador in 2001, or by massive infusions of cash, as happened in the Ukraine this year (Yuschenko received $65 million in US aid during his "opposition" campaign).
Today, the war in Iraq consumes our attention, our lives, our economy. Each day, the United States spends almost $300 million on this war. The US has lost more than 3500 US troops, and the Iraqis have paid with tens of thousands of lives. Why are we fighting in Iraq? Why are we paying this high price, in lives and in resources. The war sold, initially, to remove the weapons of mass destruction controlled by the madman Saddam Hussein. This was a lie. Then we were told that Saddam himself was a threat – this, also, was a lie: the United States, history has already shown, was never at risk from the Iraq of Saddam Hussein in the 21st Century. His military capabilities were never sufficient to challenge the United States, since the.Iraqi people and Saddam’s cruel government were weakened by the first Persian Gulf War and by a decade of brutal sanctions that claimed the wealth of the nation, in lives and resources. Next, we were told that the invasion was part of the War Against Terror. This is a lie, since no one has demonstrated a link between Al Quaeda and Saddam’s secular regime, and definitely there is no link between Saddam and the attacks of 9/11. Osama is not in Iraq. Al Quaeda was not in Iraq, although one of the contradictions of this policy is that Al Qaeda has benefited greatly from the instability and repression of the invasion.
Now, we have to "bring democracy" to Iraq. These words certainly have a hollow ring, as we support dictatorships and sham democracies around the world. The truth does not come out of the mouths of President Bush or Donald Rumsfeld, for they are in the war business, and truth is not compatible with the demands of war. We must look elsewhere for the reasons for this carnage.
It is no accident that we are fighting, dying and paying for this war in a nation that has huge oil reserves, for the Empire runs on oil. Further, Iraq sits like a keystone state in this most oil-rich region of the earth, and has been identified by Rice, Powell, Cheney and Bush as a fulcrum for an imperial presence in the region. For this reason, despite the lies about democracy and peace, the United States is building a long-term presence in Iraq, and does not plan to leave any time soon. Bases are being constructed, businesses established, a systematic plundering of human and natural resources initiated. It is a war, finally, for domination of a region, a war of Empire.
For this, our fellow US citizens are fighting, killing, torturing, and dying in Iraq. At this moment in Iraq, we are not fighting terrorism, or Osama, or Saddam, we are fighting an insurgency based on the desire by Iraqis for independence. The US soldiers in Iraq are not fighting a war to keep us free - they are fighting a war to keep some of us wealthy, at the expense of the people of Iraq. In this sense, the Iraqi resistance has the moral high ground, and is fighting their own war of independence against foreign invaders.
The Case for War Crimes
For many centuries, the nations of the world have negotiated treaties, drafted principles, and made laws to attempt to bring the world community into a code of conduct that would prevent war, and ameliorate the consequences of war on civilian populations and noncombatants. In the 20th Century, The United States ratified many of these treaties, which become law in the United States. The 6th Article of the Constitution states, “The Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursuance thereof; and all Treaties made, or which shall be made, under the Authority of the United States, shall be the supreme Law of the Land; and the Judges in every State shall be bound thereby, any Thing in the Constitution or Laws of any State to the Contrary notwithstanding.” (see Bush War: Military Necessity or War Crimes? By Jennifer Van Bergen & Charles B. Gittings t r u t h o u t | Tuesday, 15 July 2003, for a more complete analysis.)
After the Second World War, the United States signed the Nuremberg Principles, which arose from the trials of the leaders of Japan and Germany who had waged the Second World War. Here is Principle VI.:
The crimes hereinafter set out are punishable as crimes under international law:
(a) Crimes against peace:
(i) Planning, preparation, initiation or waging of a war of aggression or a war in violation of international treaties, agreements or assurances;
(ii) Participation in a common plan or conspiracy for the accomplishment of any of the acts mentioned under (i).
(b) War crimes: Violations of the laws or customs of war which include, but are not limited to, murder, ill-treatment or deportation to slave-labour or for any other purpose of the civilian population of or in occupied territory; murder or ill-treatment of prisoners of war, of persons on the Seas, killing of hostages, plunder of public or private property, wanton destruction of cities, towns, or villages, or devastation not justified by military necessity.
(c) Crimes against humanity: Murder, extermination, enslavement, deportation and other inhuman acts done against any civilian population, or persecutions on political, racial or religious grounds, when such acts are done or such persecutions are carried on in execution of or in connection with any crime against peace or any war crime.
First, given that there is no justification for the Iraq War, except the pursuit of empire building, it is a war of aggression, and the planners and plotters of the war are arguably guilty of war crimes, of crimes against humanity. Second, the conduct of the war has been to brutalize the civilian population, to torture prisoners of war and members of the civilian population, to wantonly destroy public and private property outside of military necessity. The United States military is in constant violation of these Principles.
As for the citizens of the United States, Principle VII states: Complicity in the commission of a crime against peace, a war crime, or a crime against humanity as set forth in Principle VI is a crime under international law.
Who among us is not complicit in this illegal war? What are our responsibilities as taxpayers, soldiers, workers and citizens to stop the slaughter and destruction? These are difficult questions to confront, and even more difficult to answer.
The Geneva Conventions
Another pertinent body of international law that bears directly on United States conduct in the invasion of Iraq is the Geneva Conventions. The Geneva Conventions are a series of accords developed since 1866 that govern conduct of nations during wartime. The Geneva Conventions of 1949, signed by the United States, apply directly to the Bush administration’s conduct. First, they call for protection of the civilian population during an occupation by a controlling power. This is not being done in Iraq. Second, our treatment of prisoners at Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo is torture under the conventions and furthermore, the prisoners are not being provided their basic rights to legal counsel, trial, or determination of status under these laws. Third, the United States forces are killing and maiming non-combatants and people whose status is not defined: again, a punishable crime. Section 2441 of Title 18 of the United States Code applies to the Geneva Conventions. It states that “Whoever, whether inside or outside the United States, commits a war crime … shall be fined under this title or imprisoned for life or any term of years, or both, and if death results to the victim, shall also be subject to the penalty of death.” In its pertinent part, subsection (c) defines a war crime as: (1) a grave breach in any of the international conventions signed at Geneva 12 August 1949, or any protocol to such convention to which the United States is a party; 2) prohibited by Article 23, 25, 27, or 28 of the Annex to the Hague Convention IV, Respecting the Laws and Customs of War on Land, signed 18 October 1907; (3) which constitutes a violation of common Article 3 of the international conventions signed at Geneva, 12 August 1949, or any protocol to such convention to which the United States is a party.
The Search for Justice
Reality meets common sense when we talk about a forum to try the leaders of a superpower. In fact, no leader of a victorious nation has ever been tried for a war crime, for who would have the temerity or the power to bring such charges. The generals and civilian leaders of the United States during the Second World War know that they would have been found guilty by a victorious Axis of war crimes, for the fire bombing of civilian populations, for the dropping of the atom bomb. We live in a world that continues to be ruled and governed by the powerful. The Bush administration’s aversion to the International Court of Justice makes sense when we note that the officials of this government could be tried by such a Court. Certainly, Bush and US governments will resist any efforts to establish international forums for justice in matters of war.
Yet, Augusto Pinochet is being brought to justice in Chile, slowly, slowly. Rios Montt is facing charges for his slaughter of the Mayan population of Guatemala, not yet in Guatemala, but if he leaves…There is a general recognition that the actions of Henry Kissinger during Vietnam, in allowing the bombing of Cambodia, which was not a party to the conflict, constituted war crimes. Milosevic sits in the dock at the Hague, and individuals and leaders are being tried for the slaughter in Rwanda.
There will come a time when Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Powell, Rice and various soldiers and military leaders will face justice for their crimes. Already, an international group of lawyers and jurists has called for their trial in Canada. German citizens have called for an investigation of war crimes in Iraq. Yet, what of the responsibility of the citizenry of Empire?
The citizens of the United States are buried in lives of consumption, work, corporate media and spectator sports. We cannot see what we have become. War has been institutionalized in the United States culture. It is a familiar presence in the life of the United States since World War II. We have been trained to accept it, even when we know it is unjust and makes no sense.
The energies of generations have been squandered in this myth. The “greatest generation” which endured the depression, then fought the Great War, has squandered its promise in the blind pursuit of consumption and the jingoistic support of Empire. It has failed to bring democracy, peace and justice to the world, and instead has created a society of slavish obedience to power that has doomed half to a marginal existence, and half to lives of meaningless consumption.
My generation, the “baby boom generation” has lost its way in the society of consumerism, in the Humvee, the suburban lifestyle, the comforts and seductions of middle class life. We fought and died in a pointless war in Vietnam, and now watch our young sons and grandsons fight and die in Iraq. What shape will the Iraq memorial take? Will Tom Hanks insist on honoring the warriors of the Great War of the Middle East in his dotage years with an appropriate monument, perhaps a gilt oilrig on a desert plain? Will there be room on the Great Mall in Washington, DC for all the monuments for all the wars between now and 2050?
Let us find a way out of this madness, let us step back from our lives and look with the eyes of an Iraqi child staring out at a devastated Fallujah, or an African child who has lost both parents to AIDS, or an Indian girl doomed to a short life in a brothel in Calcutta, or a Wendy’s worker here in the USA who cannot afford to pay for both rent and fuel this winter, or a returning GI missing an arm or a leg, or a family of a dead GI, wondering about the value of a war fought not for freedom but for the puffed-up imperial dreams of men and women who never killed, died or served in war. We can do better, let us find a way, let us resist the warmongers, let us build a better world. Let us begin by protesting, resisting and ending the United States role in the war in Iraq, and redirecting our economy to production and human needs. Let us continue by working to feed, clothe, provide health care, educate, and learn about our world and universe instead of lashing out at it in mindless fear, at the bidding of small-minded leaders. -Joe DeRaymond
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