[Peace-discuss] Response to Criticism of AWARE?

[C. G. Estabrook]

[My response to the column in today's DI that David brought to
our attention.  Comments welcome. --CGE]


Editor, Daily Illini:

Several things are wrong with an August 26 column's account of
Sen. Barack Obama's recent "town meeting" (in fact, a PR
exercise).  I'll mention two:

First, I don't see how the writer can find the actions of the
local group AWARE ("Anti-War Anti-Racism Effort") "disruptive
and rude" -- unless he believes, with the national commander
of the American Legion, that all "public protests" should end.
For those who do believe in the First Amendment, AWARE's
experience at the rally was unsettling.  Serious efforts were
made to prevent their access to public space with anti-war
signs and flyers, until the senator, displaying public
magnanimity, invited them into his meeting.  But the authors
of the Bill of Rights did not think First Amendment rights
should depend on the permission of even a senator.

The second error is more serious -- the column omits any
discussion of the war.  But then, so did the senator, for the
most part: he took just one (gentle) question on the matter,
and never mentioned torture, Iran, the Downing Street minutes,
Israel, impeachment, imprisonment without trial by the US
government, etc.  Even more surprising was what he did say: 
he “hopes US troops could begin to leave Iraq next year, [but]
... Iraq would simply collapse if we left now."  That's the
administration's position, and it ignores the fact that a
majority of the Iraqis want us to leave now, understandably
enough. 

Sen. Obama revealed himself as a liberal enabler of the death
and destruction the US has brought to Iraq -- like most of the
Democratic party.  His position contrasts sharply with that
expressed by Cindy Sheehan, who points out that one is either
for the ending of the war and the withdrawal of the US from
Iraq, or for its continuance.  

C. G. ESTABROOK
Visiting Scholar, UIUC
109 Observatory [MC-190]
901 South Mathews Avenue
Urbana IL 61801
244.4105; 359.9466