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Standing United for Peace
By John Anderson, Norfolk
Since the war against Iraq has begun, antiwar activists have been told that they should now stop their protests and stand united, supporting the President and the troops. If not, their patriotism and loyalty is questioned. I have personally witnessed attempts by some to intimidate, ridicule and humiliate those who have dared to stand united for peace and against war. From my experience, the vast majority of antiwar protestors, like pro-war advocates, support our troops. But we do not support the President's actions in Iraq. We cannot be asked to change our moral or ethical positions because our country is now at war. That would only demonstrate a lack of integrity and conviction. Some of us may change our approach to adjust to these new circumstances, but that does not mean we are any less adamant about our cause. To those who ask us now to stand united: Why won't you stand with us, united for peace and justice?
It may be difficult for those who want our government to take us to war to understand how a peace activist could support the troops. If we examine what it means to "support our troops," perhaps we can find the commonality. Those of us with family and friends in the military, many of whom are now serving in Iraq, want them to return home alive and well. This is support. We also don't want them to kill another human being, and especially don't want them to be responsible for the killing of an innocent civilian or fellow soldier, which is inevitable in war. As in past conflicts, killing will weigh heavily on the hearts of those who return. A smaller but still significant percentage will return unable to control their violent instincts in peacetime.
Many of us are doing what we can to bring our soldiers home safely. Some think standing behind the President and cheering the troops on to war is the way to do this. Others believe a terrifying "shock and awe" attack on Iraq will stop an unjust regime and quickly end the hostilities, with limited loss of life. And then there are many of us who believe that choosing a path other than war would minimize the death and destruction.
Soldiers fight when told to fight, that's their job. It is our elected officials who send them to war, for good or bad reasons. It is the position of many of us that the best way we can support our troops and preserve life in general is to stop the politicians from subjecting our dedicated men and women in uniform to an elective war. Soldiers do not have the ability to question the objectives of those in power; those of us staying behind are required as U.S. citizens to question the motives and means of those in power as well as their espoused goals. If any of these goals are suspected or determined to be unjust or contrary to the interests of the American people or will bring harm to others who are innocent, then we must act to counter those policies and activities.
Therefore, I and many others believe that not only are protests against this war our way of supporting our troops by bringing them home now, but it is also our patriotic duty to dissent against what we perceive as a foreign policy that unnecessarily risks American lives, as well as those of Iraqi civilians.
Pro-war advocates have accused antiwar activists of supporting Saddam Hussein's regime. I think I speak for all U.S. peace activists when I tell you none of us believe his regime is anything but extremely brutal and oppressive. We agree with the end goals to disarm Iraq and free the Iraqi people, but we differ in the means we would choose to accomplish this.
Others shout at peace activists: "Have you forgotten 9/11?" Obviously not! I must be blunt: this question is a really pathetic and ignorant attempt to discredit a well-reasoned protest. It is the fallback of many when they search for arguments to support military action. It is based on our sense of fear or desire for revenge over these horrific events. But we cannot not permit our government to create policy or take action based on primal emotions and instincts. Revenge is not a good reason to send our children off to die. We certainly would denounce any attack against us motivated by revenge.
The Constitutional provision for the common defense does not include offensive or preemptive warfare. Besides, we cannot consider going after every country that poses a threat to us. There are at least 40 regimes that we would consider brutal dictatorships that support terrorism and oppression. We have friendly relations with several of them. We must find a way other than war and occupation to solve the problem of terrorism. We must understand its causes and find novel ways to reduce and eventually eliminate it. Those of us protesting this war do not believe that the attack on Iraq will solve this problem, and is instead likely to exasperate it.
There has not been enough discussion and information on solutions to disarm Iraq and similar countries and putting an end to terrorism. We use our military might when we can think of no other way to deal with a situation, and it is too easy for us, since we are The Superpower. What would we be doing if Iraq's military matched ours? Or how would we respond to terrorism if we had no military? Some of our citizens and politicians would certainly feel powerless, but others would work and sacrifice to create security without diminishment of their moral integrity.
Benjamin Franklin said that those who are willing to give up their liberties for increased security deserve neither liberty nor security. So, the greatest potential threat to our liberties comes from those in power within our own government, not from an outside force. It is imperative that we resist reduction of our liberties at home and unjust actions abroad. This is how we, in the comfort of our homes and the safety of our public commons, can best support our troops. We love them, we want them to return to our comfortable homes soon, and we don't want them to be told to kill for an unjust or unnecessary cause.
War is not inevitable. Peace is always possible. But the path of peace is difficult and complicated and sometimes long. The path of war is always violent, crude, and often too easy of a sale to a people aching for revenge. Good statesmanship and the rule of law carry us above our baser instincts and must be the foundation for good leadership. Patriots keep America strong by never losing their moral compasses.
Those who see the wisdom of peace should continue to pressure their elected officials to end this war. Instead, our officials should behave like statesmen and apply wise diplomacy. We must also keep the debate alive by making our views public and informing our fellow citizens. I urge you attend the peace vigils in Winsted, Litchfield and Salisbury, or start a new one in your own community. We can also set up public forums to provide information and allow everyone a voice. We are in dangerous times and no one can afford to sit on the sidelines, only to watch our security, liberties and morality slip away.
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