[Peace-discuss] NG letter: A responsibility to protest Iraq war

[Robert Naiman]

A responsibility to protest Iraq war
Wednesday January 3, 2007
http://www.news-gazette.com/news/opinions/letters/2007/01/03/a_responsibility__to_protest_iraq_war

AWARE, the local Anti-War, Anti-Racism Effort, sponsors a public event
called Main Event on the first Saturday of each month from 2 to 4 p.m.
at the corner of Main and Neil streets in downtown Champaign.

On Jan. 6, Main Event will recognize the loss of the 3,000th U.S.
soldier in Iraq. The number of U. S. soldiers killed in Iraq now
exceeds the number killed in the 9/11 bombings. It does not include
innumerable others – coalition forces, opponents, innocent civilians –
who have lost their lives. Neither does it include the uncountable
thousands who have been maimed and/or psychologically scarred from the
combat and destruction.

Why? To what end?

Although the memory of 9/11 was frequently evoked by the Bush
administration in the run-up to the invasion, no evidence has been
found connecting Iraq with those attacks. Our country's reputation
around the world has plunged. Terrorists have grown in numbers. And
yet the Bush administration is now considering increasing or "surging"
the number of our troops there.

Through AWARE-initiated advisory referenda, Urbana-Champaign joined
communities across the nation last fall in demanding that U.S. troops
be brought home and our occupation of Iraq ended. A recent postcard
campaign further signaled these wishes to Sens. Durbin and Obama and
Rep. Johnson. You, as concerned citizens, can reinforce the message by
joining the One Main event this Saturday. If patriotism implies
rescuing our nation from its misdeeds and protecting its integrity,
demonstrating against this war is a patriotic act and duty.

GARY and JAMIE STORM

Urbana