[Peace] Fwd: Your interest in the Iraq War resolution

[Tammy Watts]

This is Councilman Roberts' letter:
   
  

droberts at uillinois.edu wrote:
        Hello to everyone who has e-mailed me concerning their views on the Iraq War and the expected end-the-war resolution.
  

  I have basically stated that I was "uncommitted" as of yet concerning the Iraq War Resolution which AWARE introduced in February during their Open Forum. AWARE representatives wish to bring this resolution to the Urbana City Council in March. I thought it was only fair for me to wait and allow the members on our City Council, who publicly support the resolution, to take the opportunity to talk about this step and to discuss their interest in bringing the resolution to the City Council. As you know it is fairly controversial. While many individuals are actively against the war, the City is not an individual, but a group of residents with wide-ranging feelings about our presence in Iraq. How does one censor the War when there are people in town who have "Support Our Troops" signs in front of their homes, and flags on their porches? Can the City thoughtfully act on a anti-war resolution while honoring the honest conscience of ALL of its residents? 
  

  A person in public office has to use "right discrimination" before making sweeping statements on what are basically moral and/ or political issues. In so many words, I think you have to look at these issues like judiciously. I believe "right discrimination" can not made through our emotions, even though the cause for wanting and advocating for a change must naturally come from a deep feeling of injustice, frustration, inspiration, or even anger. As an individual I can be outraged, but as an Alderman, and representative of the City, I believe I am required to act with mindful intent. And this is how I prefer to act as a member of City Council.
  

  I attended David Adam's talk at the Disciples meeting room in February. He is an eloquent and credible spokesperson from the group of Iraq Veterans who are against the war. His words as a first person observer said more about the reality of our involvement in Iraq than any activist hand-out.
  

  I also attended the Anti-War Forum in hosted by AWARE last month, and I believe I understand the point of view of the Anti-War group. Durl Kruse, as a spokesperson for AWARE, has also contacted me several times, and I did reply to him that, based on other controversial issues that were brought recently to Council, I did not think it likely that everyone on Council would choose to discuss this issue.
  

  To be truthful, I wanted to wait and hear from some of the members on City Council who are in support of this resolution and who wish to bring it forward, because I wanted to explore the position the City might take and I wanted to actually see the proposed ordinance before voicing my opinion on it. It was not made clear to me that the Resolution passed out at the Aware meeting would be the actual words we would be asked to ratify in Council. For, if they were, there are many statements that I, as an Alderman of the City, would not wish to make, whereas perhaps, I, as an individual, might.
  

  But as of the end of February, I had NO contact either by phone or e-mail from a member supporting this Resolution.
  

  I think that in handling this type of important legislation, we ought, in fairness, have the opportunity to discuss it a little before we bring it up to City Council. I think the members of Council should talk about it in the more informal venue of our Caucus, to see what we are doing and where we are going, and to allow members to talk about their reservations in handling this issue. Even if there isn't a discernable agreement in Caucus, we are at least allowed to relate to each other our wishes and concerns. This is a very democratic forum, and it allows a preliminary discussion which can be used to build a working consensus. The issue can still be brought to the Committee of the Whole or directly to Council for a vote, even where there is no consensus or actual opposition during Caucus.
  

  One reason that this would be useful is that if there is a way of customizing the wording of the Resolution in a way that would bring more members on board to support it, why not first learn that this is possible, and take the opportunity to hear what those items are?  If I state that I am uncommitted to supporting the Resolution, wouldn't you want to call me up and ask why?
  

  To offer my own viewpoint on this, since I was told that the Resolution will be brought to our Committee meeting on the 13th of March, I have taken the responsibility of contacting the members of City Council myself. I copy my letter, so you, who have taken the time to write or call me, can understand my thoughts. I indulge your patience as I repeat my letter here:
  

  

    Hi fellow Council Members  
  I feel it is extremely extremely odd the I am the one who has to initiate this, but here goes:  
  The AWARE group has held a public forum to generate public support for a resolution they would like the City to endorse which calls for the immediate withdraw of American troops from Iraq.  
  I actually have not personally heard from any member of our City Council concerning this Resolution.  So effectively, there is no resolution to consider.  
  I understand there is a pretty strong feeling that this is one of those issues in which this Council probably ought not get involved. The Iraq War Resolution is much like the Chief Issue, which I brought forth and attempted to schedule to discuss in Caucus a year ago. The Chief question is a social and a human rights question, specific to our community, and no other. Guidance on the Chief issue from this City and the City's own Human Relations Commission could have benefited our community by offering leadership in encouraging the university to finally and definitely seek a meaningful resolution, hopefully based on the findings of our own Human Relations Commission.  
  But among the members of Council there was a universal feeling that, as we could not directly affect the outcome of that controversy, it was not appropriate to bring this into City Council discussion.  
  While I disagree to a great extent with this premise, I honored the informal decision of the mayor and members of Council.  
  What can we learn from this? Perhaps we need to understand that in deciding one such issue, we may well face others, such as resolutions on abortion rights, the death penalty, or any other such subject which comes to our attention through advocate groups.  
  I myself am not against having the City take a stand where leadership and guidance is a benefit to the residents of Urbana. I do not think we were elected to our posts here to "not think." Our job is to have the total welfare of our community in sight, and to be able to have to the ability to talk on difficult issues. We were not elected just to rubber stamp municipal projects introduced by city staff. Our position is to be leaders in this community, and to represent this community's greatest interests, even its hopes and aspirations. And it may not be limited just to who should own our water system.  
  Getting back to the Iraq War Resolution.  
  If action concerning this Resolution IS going to be introduced at Council, I believe the appropriate place to begin is in Caucus session, not in Committee.  
  I applaud the effort of AWARE to bring this significant cause to our attention. In fairness to AWARE, from whose members I have recently received quite a few e-mails, I suggest someone on Council who definitely supports this resolution should decide if we are going to do anything with it.  
  As was the case in "adopting" the WUNA "white paper report", which came to us two months ago, I feel the AWARE resolution, as it was offered in the handout at the recent public forum, has a need of serious discussion and possible revision if it is to be used as the official mouth piece for the City of Urbana. The revision of the WUNA white paper by Alderman Smythe was a significantly responsible act of leadership to bring into harmony the wishes of the West Urbana Neighborhood community and the various real reservations concerning the document held by members of City Council. The final product as adopted was far better for its revision, and was ultimately stated in a way that all members of Council could support.  
  Those Council members who would like to see action on the Iraq Resolution should work in a similar manner to achieve consensus and ultimately, their goal.  
  I think it is only fair to this community and to the advocates of this resolution, who have very optimistic hopes about this cause, to get things right out there on the table, if anyone hopes this is going to happen.  
  Sincerely,  Dennis Roberts  Ward 5 Alderman  

  

  Having said the above, I was contacted by Charlie Smythe by e-mail. I gave him my thoughts as to how the Resolution might be edited to receive the greater support of Council. It was interesting to me that in a phone conversation yesterday, the the Mayor voiced an almost exact concern as I had outlined to Alderman Smythe. Our City has had such a negative reputation concerning its various public stands on policies, the Mayor has a sensitivity to keep the City's head above water and to avoid laying us open to cheap slandering pot-shots, when possible (these are my words, not the Mayor's). I think, considering the economic and ideological struggles we seem to have with Champaign, this is a reasonable concern. We will undoubtedly get 3 days of free bad press via editorials and letters to the editor in The News-Gazette.
  

  So - how can we proceed in a way that makes us look thoughtful and reasoning, and still meet the objective of AWARE and other proponents of this Resolution? How can we do this and honor in our midst that part of our community who have sons and daughters actually fighting in the war today? 
  

  The AWARE sponsored Resolution has many of what I'd call emotionally charged passages. When we have statements in the preamble "whereas" sections of the Resolution which include comments sucs as: "misled its citizens",  and  "false and distorted evidence" - these are made as value statements, and the CITY should not indulge in this type of dialoguing. It does not need to do this, when there are other completely tangible reasons to detest this war. 
  

  We have to be a little more sensitive. Remember, many in the community, even in my neighborhood,  may have sons or daughters who are stationed overseas and who still believe in the concept of "fighting for freedom and democracy". There are many in town who support the patriotic aspects of this war. We do not have to cross swords with these groups. Let's step around that altogether.
  

  If we can make this Resolution very short, and based on the economic devastation the a prolonged war is having on this City and it's ability to secure adequate federal funding to provide social services, developmental funds, decent education, and federal assistance grants for our residents, I would easily support the Resolution.
  

  In the strictest sense I would omit or rewrite "Whereas-es" nos. 2., 3., 4., 5., 6., and 7. which read as opinions and address issues that are out of the bounds of the City's direct purveyance. But I could see supporting and even expanding  on  "Whereas" no. 8. - the billions spent on the war -  as the main reason this City must speak up and tell the Federal administration that we are fed up. OK, honestly, I'd include a humanitarian reason too, such as "Whereas" no. 3.
  

  I have sent my thoughts on this to Alderman Smythe, and I hope he will take the initiative to somewhat rewrite or condense the elements in the proposed AWARE Resolution in a way that I and even Alderwoman Lynne Barnes and the Mayor could support. As a member of City Council I think it is possible for the City of Urbana to take a stand against the War's continuance,  be thoughtful of all her residents, while still act decisively as good guardians of her welfare.
  

  Sincerely,
  Dennis Roberts
  Ward 5 Alderman
  drobertscitycouncil at yahoo.com


		
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