Are we a country at peace with being at war?
by Kevin Gosztola / www.opednews.com / October 11, 2008
Have Americans finally reached the point where they are ready to rise up and fight for their country? Are they ready to wrest control from those in power that have perpetrated atrocities on innocent people and who are now engaging in one of the worst acts of economic terrorism in the history of this country?
The Wall Street bailout and our nation’s financial turmoil have become the elephant in the room that will be on the minds of everyone, but today, thousands across America will go out into the streets to once again call for an end to wars being waged in the Middle East.
The Oct 11th action originated in Boston and was brought to a National Antiwar Assembly in Cleveland, OH in June. The idea gained support and collectively antiwar forces agreed to a national day of action on the anniversary of the Iraq War authorization.
Boston will demand the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of all occupation forces from Iraq and the closing of all military bases at 11:00 am.
Chicago will make a pre-election demand of ALL candidates running this election year and call for no more death and destruction/bring all troops home now, legalize the undocumented/stop the raids and deportations, and fund human needs, not wars abroad and Wall Street bailouts at home at 2 pm at the corner of Devon Avenue and Leavitt Street right in the heart of the Pakistani community in Chicago.
Cleveland will at 1:30 pm at 128th & Buckeye Passport Project Community Center gather to demand an end to wars and occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan, money for jobs, education, health care, and housing instead of wars and occupations, and no sanctions or attack on Iran. They will demand the racist scapegoating of Arabs and Muslims, the assault on human rights and civil liberties, and the bailout of Wall Street come to a halt now.
Columbus, OH, will hold a “How Can We Help Fix the Economy?” event that calls for us to stop the war now so we can do just that. At noon at the corner of North Broadway and High and at the corner of North High St. and Rt 161 in Worthington people will gather to protest.
In Connecticut, students will be taking a stand. An event was held on Oct 9th to call for troops to be brought home and this Saturday, to coincide with all other national antiwar actions, Connecticut students at Trinity College will from 11 am to 1 pm protest the war. From 3 to 6 pm, at the University of Connecticut, a “Funk the War!” event will occur. And then on Oct 13th, a Sir! No Sir! screening will take place.
Dayton, OH, will “broaden [their] reach to those who want to see an end to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and want to avoid a broadening of the war into Iran and potentially other countries in the Middle East and beyond” by holding an event to grow a grassroots opposition. At noon at Far Hills and Stroop Rd the event will take place.
In Duluth, MN, from 11:30 am to 12 pm at the Leif Erickson Park on London Road music and entertainment and then a march to a rally will take place to bring attention to the unfortunate anniversary of the October 11 Iraq War authorization.
Englewood, NH, will at noon meet at the Monument on Palisades Ave. and protest the war as called for by the Bergen Peace and Justice Coalition.
Minneapolis/St. Paul will hold an event hosted by the Iraq Peace Action Coalition.
New York, at 7 pm will hold a forum on 11th St. at 6th Ave. in Manhattan. Organizers say, “Whether Obama or McCain is elected in November, the drive by those who control the policies of this nation for global military hegemony will continue. And the war at home-to destroy civil liberties in the name of “national security,” to further the interests of the rich at the expense of the poor and oppressed-will continue as well.”
Philadelphia conducted a demonstration and informational picket on Friday from 4 pm to 6 pm where they made demands similar to Cleveland.
Providence, RI will be celebrating resistance to empire at 12:30 pm at the Dexter-Training Grounds beside the
Rockland County, NY planned to hold an antiwar vigil and rally at the northwest corner of Route 59 and Middletown Rd in Nanuet, NY.Salt Lake City will call for an end to the exploitation of American Indians, the U.S. to get out of Iraq and Afghanistan, no more war for oil, carbon use reduction, and universal single-payer health care. They are organization under the slogan, “Five Centuries of Racist Colonialism are Enough!”
Lastly, Seattle will through a newly formed, diverse and democratic coalition bring a massive antiwar message to Seattle to “inject the antiwar agenda into the intensifying debate and to say no to the devastation of war abroad and its crippling economic effects at home.”(Madison, WI will hold their event on Oct 12th. See website for more details.)
As reports are gathered from these events, they will be posted. If something is happening in your area, please go out and raise your voice.
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
http://www.zeitgeistmovie.com
Join the Movement
…and just what movement is that, Oli? I’ve been part of ‘the movement’ for many years, bro. the civil rights movement, the anti-Vietnam war movement, the women’s movement, all the way up to today, as I’ve been part of the anti-Iraq war movement, and also the movement for social justice, for peace, for community democracy.
Very presumptuous of you to assume that the rest of us need to ‘join the movement’. Is this your movement? If it is, where are you leading it? Is it democratic? will your movement survive repression, recession & drought? will it survive cynicism, burn-out, and disillusionment?
Pray tell, bro, what movement are we supposed to join? I started watching your movie, but after a few minutes I had to turn it off.
Well let me ask you the same question “bro”. What exactly did you do in the civil rights, Vietnam and Anti-Iraq movement? I think it is equally presumptuous of you to question my motives for posting a simple three word comment. What gives you the right to question my values?
I was using the word “movement” to outline a need for social awareness, why does that word seem to offend you so much? Just because I didn’t live through the Vietnam era doesn’t mean I’m some naive punk kid who’s just pissed off at life and needs some outlet for his anger. I’m quite suprised that someone who lived through the social justice movements of the 1960’s and 1970’s would be so judgemental of someone who is just trying to make a point in light of a critical issue.
Kick back, Molly, Kick back…
Oli – just a cautionary note: a lot of readers don’t respond to earlier comments. You could try to draw Molly’s attention by commenting on something more recent. Just a thought.
Hey Oli – I think we got off on the wrong foot here. I did check out your movie and could not relate to it, and assumed, wrongly I suppose, that the ‘movement’ you want everyone to join is represented by the video, which seemed to reflect this spaced out, weird, tangential head-trip, saying perhaps that before you join any movement, one must change their head first. I’ve been hearing that since the seventies, and maybe I just over-reacted to the video. What’s up with that anyways?
I guess we’re all part of the general ‘movement’ for social change. In the old days, however, ‘the movement’ was the social force we belonged to and identified with that did stretch from the civil-rights days to the anti-Vietnam war days. There was no one organization. But we all felt part of it.
I’m not certain of what today’s ‘movement’is. So, listen, Mr. Oli, here’s an opening to explain yourself. (you’re lucky I found your comment here – why not converse on someplace more current?)