Skip to main content

Where is the peace movement going?


What a busy week for me, the Washington Peace Center and the peace movement in general. The week began with those of us regular readers of afterdowningstreet.org and the DailyKoz knowing a full 24-hours ahead of most folks that Cindy Sheehan was calling it quits on being everyone's official peace mom. I have met Cindy on a couple of occasions, and think she is smart, warm and funny. She's articulate, marches to her own drum and has a sharp sense of humor. It turns out she has been both worn down by the demands and competing egos within the movement, and also by the continuing personal slams and death threats against her. She needs time off, and so she originally wrote that she is quitting. She says she felt betrayed by the Democrats who recently took power, and she wanted to see more of us in the peace movement actually begin to make sacrifices in order to change the murderous path that the U.S. government has been on for the last few decades.

I share much of Cindy's frustration, but I do see us gaining ground. During last year's military supplemental process there were maybe half a dozen arrests at four nonviolent protests, and two senators voted against the war/occupation funding for Iraq and Afghanistan. This time there were more than 300 arrests across the country, and 14 senators voted against the giving away of $94 billion of our hard-earned tax dollars to the Bush-Cheney war quagmire which is Iraq and Afghanistan. So there has been some success, but not enough to quite turn the tide yet. The people are ahead of the politicians. Most polls are showing more than 75% of the American public wants the troops home by the end of the year. In many ways the peace movement is winning. However, the large egos and the sacrifices being taken by too small of a number continues. Hopefully these two critical issues will be addressed.

Also, there's renewed hope as military resistance continues to grow. The Washington Peace Center's event at Foundry UMC last night was fantastic -- "Iraq Vets Speak Out." One of the panelists Adam Kokesh (Iraq Veterans Against the War) is now making the news, and tomorrow he leaves for Kansas to face a military trial trying to revoke his honorable discharge for wearing his combat uniform in political street theater here in DC. This is extremely odd, as he already essentially retired but is subject to the dreaded back door draft because he is in the Individual Ready Reserves. Press Conference and Rally begins at 5 PM tomorrow in the front of Union Station. It's young new faces in the movement like Adam which are providing some hope, and in fact some new direction for the movement.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Guantanamo put on trial -- May 27th

In eight days, Eve Tetaz, a 76-year old retired D.C. public schoolteacher, will enter a courthouse in Washington, D.C. and engage in the legal debate over the fate of America's detention facilities at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The name of Noor Muhammad has never appeared in an American criminal court. On May 27th, Tetaz will change that. On that day, she will appear at the Washington, D.C. Superior Court as Noor Muhammad. Tetaz was arrested, along with 78 others, at the U.S. Supreme Court on January 11, 2008, protesting the denial of habeas rights to and the torture of inmates at Guantanamo. Like her fellow protestors, Tetaz took the name of an inmate during her arrest. ( See the January 13 Washington Post article "Activists Pose as Guantanamo Prisoners" ) Tetaz says she felt compelled to participate in the protest at the Supreme Court because detainees are being tortured at Guantanamo. "Torture is a terrible crime and sin against humanity," she said. Thirty-four
6 comments
Read more

Sheehan to challenge Pelosi

I was there the day about three weeks ago when Cindy announced she was running against Pelosi. It was outside of Rep. John Conyers'office. I think change is in the air, and all politics is local. The San Fran area is perhaps the most staunchly progressive in the whole country. Tomorrow morning I will be dropping a check for Cindy's campaign in the mail. Peace activist seeks SF-area House seat Associated Press report Citing her son as inspiration, a tearful Cindy Sheehan announced her candidacy Thursday for the U.S. House of Representatives. The anti-war activist, a former resident of Vacaville, said she will run as an independent against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who has represented San Francisco in Congress since 1987. "The country is ripe for a change," said Sheehan, who spoke at a news conference in San Francisco, with her slain son's photograph attached to the podium. "It's going to start right here and right now." Sheehan's 24-year-old son
4 comments
Read more

William Thomas Dies

William Thomas, dedicated peace and anti-nuke activist, passed away Friday morning at home. He was co-pilot of the 24-hour seven-day a week vigil at the White House for 27 years. He is survived by his wife Ellen and vigil co-pilot Concepcion. I remember Thomas from my high school years years early in on his vigil. Millions of people from hundred of countries visited Thomas as he kept vigiling, warning them of the dangers of nuclear holocaust and the ravages of war. He will be greatly missed by the peace and justice movement. An excerpt from an article in The Washington Post by David Montgomery, published a couple years ago: WASHINGTON — William Thomas first introduced fanny to brick on the White House sidewalk on June 3, 1981. His sign said, "Wanted: Wisdom and Honesty." He's been there ever since, still squatting, still wanting. A few months after he began, he was joined by Concepcion Picciotto, who has remained similarly steadfast. War is not over, but the peace protest
4 comments
Read more