Sit down for peace

[Independent_Liberal]

http://www.counterpunch.org/ferner09212005.html

>>>>snip

September 21, 2005
Sit Down in DC
Will We Use the Power We Have on September 24?
By MIKE FERNER

All last week I had a rare opportunity ­ to join several impressive speakers on the "Bring Them Home Now" tour's northern route. Al Zappala, whose son was killed in Iraq last year; Tammara Rosenleaf, whose husband is due to deploy to Iraq this fall; Stacy Bannerman, whose husband has already served a tour in Iraq; Carlos Arredondo, whose son was killed during a second tour in Iraq; Elliott Adams, former Army paratrooper in Viet Nam; and two Iraq war veterans: former Marine, Michael Hoffman, and Cody Camacho, former Army Specialist.

At each stop I was with them: Detroit, Buffalo, Syracuse, Rochester, Albany, Amherst, and Boston, we explained what motivated us to be on the tour. We condemned the war and ongoing occupation. We urged people to attend the massive demonstrations planned for September 24-26 in Washington, D.C.

In each city I saved part of my five minutes to go beyond urging participation in the march and rally on the 24th, and plead for people to consider participating in the civil disobedience planned for the 26th as well. This quote from Howard Zinn was particularly well-received.

"Civil disobedience is not our problem. Our problem is civil obedience. Our problem is that people all over the world have obeyed the dictates of leadersand millions have been killed because of this obedienceOur problem is that people are obedient all over the world in the face of poverty and starvation and stupidity, and war, and cruelty. Our problem is that people are obedient while the jails are full of petty thieves(and) the grand thieves are running the country. That's our problem."

More at http://www.counterpunch.org/ferner09212005.html