[Peace-discuss] NG & UCC

[C. G. Estabrook]

[This morning's maudlin meanderings by the editor of the News-Gazette,
anent the Urbana City Council's anti-war resolution, prompted me to send
the following note to our awful daily paper.  Regards, Carl]


In order to secure the ratification of the constitution of the second
republic of the United States, currently in force, the property party had
to concede that the document as written gave too much power to a central
government, and that limitations on that power had to be made by
amendment.  The very first such amendment stated, "Congress shall make no
law ... abridging ... the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and
to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

Those "peaceable assemblies," it was thought, would normally be state and
local councils and legislatures.  The Urbana City Council, like scores of
other local governments, is to be praised for exercising that right, and
condemning the "Government's" aggressive war, -- a war personally
dangerous to Urbana citizens and residents in the military, and truly a
grievance to all in the city, in that huge resources are being diverted
into a criminal activity that serves the interests only of the very rich
and powerful.

There is some danger to them, of course.  According to the judges at the
Nuremberg international tribunal after World War II, the great crime of
the political leaders of Germany in the 1940's was to launch an unprovoked
attack on a sovereign country offering no threat.  Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld,
Rice et al. must hope that they can remain above the law in a rogue state,
not subject to a new Nuremberg tribunal, for that is precisely what they
have done and propose to do. 

  ==============================================================
  Carl Estabrook
  University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign [MC-190]
  109 Observatory, 901 South Mathews Avenue, Urbana IL 61801 USA
  office: 217.244.4105 mobile: 217.369.5471 home: 217.359.9466   
  <www.carlforcongress.org>
  ===============================================================