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The new "face" of the anti-war movement is going to Kansas


Yesterday Adam Kokesh of Iraq Veterans Against the War and his attorney held a press conference at Union Station shortly before departing for a military hearing in Kansas. What awaits this brave member of IVAW and the individual ready reserves of the US Marines is a possible re-discharge to "other than honorable." This is unheard of, as the individual ready reserves have typically already been discharged. Why is this being done? Simple: Adam Kokesh has been vocal in his opposition to the war and continuing occupation in Iraq.

At the press conference, Adam quoted Thomas Jefferson: "Dissent is the highest form of patriotism."

So, if the media needs a new "face" of the anti-war movement, let it be Adam. Yesterday he, Tina Richards from the Swarm on Congress and several other supporters boarded the Yellow Rose of Texas Peace bus bound for Kansas. They will fight this assault on veterans' First Amendment rights.

Interestingly enough at the press conference, someone was handing out Act Now to Stop War and End Racism (ANSWER)'s new proposal. They start off by saying that the anti-war movement is at a crossroads and turning point and stating that we need a new direction, but then it goes on to say we need more of the same. ANSWER, a fading coalition which is now no where big as United For Peace and Justice (UFPJ), is calling for all peace and justice coalitions to unite in yet another major one-day weekend mobilization.

We do not need more of the same. We need more people to assume a little bit of self-sacrifice. If you are going to mobilize -- start doing it on weekdays, shutdown business. Also, we need more willing to risk arrest in continual acts of nonviolent resistance. This is what we need -- the Occupation Project and Code Pink's activities on Capitol Hill were definitely having an impact -- we need more of this, we need more people to participate and be willing to take a risk. We should all be willing to do our part for peace and justice, beyond just marching around in a circle on a Saturday.

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