So here's the deal: I need your help to let a pro-war columnist at a fairly powerful Bucks County newspaper know that people opposed to the occupation of Iraq will not let themselves be marginalized.
On Thursday, J.D. Mullane, a columnist for the Bucks County Courier Times, visited my local weekly peace vigil. He interviewed four or five of the fourteen or so people there and then wrote a column about his visit. The column ran in Sunday's paper, and is also available here.
When you read it, you will see that it is a flagrant attempt to tar the modern peace movement with one of the most divisive and widely accepted myths circulated about the peace movement during the Vietnam War, namely that only jobless, frivolous hippies are out on the ground protesting the war and the U.S. war economy in general.
As we all know, casting peace activists as young, directionless people who lack a serious understanding of the "realities" that require endless war is a deceitful attack aimed at dividing us along class and generational lines. I really don't want him to get away with it.
So I'm asking you to take immediate action to counteract this attempt to marginalize the 70% of Americans who opposed the occupation of Iraq and the thousands who make the time to vocally and visibly protest its continuation. Even if you don't live in Bucks County, please take action. His attack
is on the entire peace movement.
I'm not asking you to distance yourself from young people who protest the war - or from anyone who works for peace. I'm asking you to comment at the column immediately to let the readers know that YOU are the Peace Movement too.
I'm not asking you to reveal any personal information. A sample comment (my comment) looks like this:
I have participated in the weekly vigil on Route One in Lower Bucks County. I have three children and a husband. I hold a masters degree in education. I sit on the board of a local food cupboard. I volunteer at my children's schools. I currently work as the field coordinator for a progressive issues advocacy organization. I gladly pay taxes on the money I earn. I love my country. I vote. I don't want one more soldier to kill, die or be wounded in Iraq for the benefit of oil companies and war profiteers. I want the $12 billion dollars sent every month to make Iraq safe for Exxon to be spent making America safe for the people who live here. I am the Peace Movement.
Shorter or longer - it's all good - but please make it about you and whatever peace actions you take and please post it at the site immediately. We cannot let the enemies of peace divide us. We cannot let them define our movement. We are the movement.
Spread the word.
UPDATE: Posting comments at the paper's site is tricky. The registration process is clunky and people are saying that their posts are being eaten. Be sure to copy it before you try to publish it.
Just for fun, some videos from our peace vigil are below the fold.
How 'bout you fix your title?
Posted by: Avedon | August 04, 2008 at 12:38 PM
D'oh! I'm a free spirit, man. I won't be bound by your "spelling" "rules" ... fixed it. I'm a slave to The System.
Posted by: eRobin | August 04, 2008 at 02:03 PM
Sorry, but compared to most of the pro-war crap I read, you got off pretty lightly. All in all I'd say it's a good article. You seem to think that the reporter disparaged some of the protesters for being out of work, but I think he accurately outlined the nature of the forces arrayed against this war. The unemployed, under employed and those in social services will oppose this war, and thanks to Bush there are more unemployed every day.
Instead of criticizing the reporter, it would be better to have commenters compliment him on this important story, and then offer up their own stories of how they've worked to raise Americans consciousness of actual conditions in Iraq.
You have a chance to co-opt this guy. Fighting with him will just ensure that he's even pissier the next time around.
Posted by: Mark Gisleson | August 04, 2008 at 05:53 PM
Instead of criticizing the reporter, it would be better to have commenters compliment him on this important story, and then offer up their own stories of how they've worked to raise Americans consciousness of actual conditions in Iraq.
I don't want people to criticize the columnist. I want them to do what you said. Although obviously I disagree with you about the quality of the story.
Posted by: eRobin | August 04, 2008 at 09:09 PM