| March
18, 2003
We
are now literally hours away from the start of the Iraqi war. I've
taken some time to reflect, and I want to share some things with
you during these final moments.
This
past Sunday, many of us participated in candlelight vigils in over
3000 cities around the world. On every continent, countless thousands
of people, just like you and me, added their voices to the call
for peace. Some vigils drew thousands, and some drew hundreds, while
others drew a handful of family and friends.
Here
in the Twin Cities, there were numerous gatherings, including a
few thousand at Lake Harriet. For me, I attended a small group at
the University of Minnesota, outside the Northrop Auditorium and
overlooking the most scenic view on campus. Most of the students
were away for Spring Break, drinking themselves into oblivion. Lucky
bastards.
These
may seem like dark days for the anti-war crowd. "President"
Bush is finally going to have his precious war, the Neoconservative
Hawks are on the path to their empire, and Dick Cheney (and Halliburton)
will get his oil.
That
brutal dictator, Saddam Hussein, will be replaced with, um, well,
whatever it is we have in Afghanistan. And hopefully, only a few
thousand civilians will be killed in the process; at least, until
the human rights organizations come in and start counting the bodies.
The
sad story of history is that powerful men often have their way.
"Manifest Destiny," the Spanish-American War, McCarthy-ism,
Jim Crow, Vietnam. Iraq is but the latest chapter in that story,
and, yes, there will be more tragedies in the future. Such is the
nature of the human condition.
By
all accounts, it may seem to you that the peace movement has failed;
that we have no real voice; that all our protests and letter campaigns
and candlelight vigils mount to nothing. Goodness knows, the American
media, dominated by greedy corporations and right-wing extremists,
will pound that into your heads every day. Get with the winning
side! Don't be a trouble-maker! You want to be a real patriot, don't
you?
Don't
believe any of it.
The
anti-war movement has been a resounding success. Consider that it
took Americans years before coming to grips with the horrors of
the Vietnam War. Today, millions have taken to the streets before
a single shot is fired. Hundreds of thousands march, time and time
again, on Washington, D.C., San Francisco, and all points in between.
All this happens while we are being told by the "liberal"
media that Americans are united behind Bush.
Around
the world, people of all colors, creeds, and nations have come together
in peace and unity. Millions have taken to the streets of Europe,
Asia, Africa, Australia; the scientists in Antarctica have even
joined in on the action. Across every nation, vast majorities of
the people oppose Bush's preemptive war on Iraq; without backing
by the UN, the opposition is almost unanimous. These are historic
events; we are witnessing the greatest voice for democracy the world
has ever seen.
And
it is at the United Nations that we have met our greatest success.
After the 15-0 approval of Security Council Resolution 1441, it
would seem all but inevitable that the Bush Administration would
eventually win a second vote authorizing war. But we took to the
streets, and made our voices heard. Think about that. The White
House tried every trick up its sleeve: phony evidence, scare tactics,
almost $50 billion worth in bribes, threats, intimidation, illegal
wiretapping.
At
the end of the day, despite all of the pressure, the nations on
the Security Council adhered to the will of the people. With only
four votes to speak of, the Bush Administration turned tail and
ran, refusing to even "show their cards" as Bush had promised.
This is, without question, the worst diplomatic fiasco in decades.
When
the bombs start falling, remember this, my friends: while we could
not stop Mr. Bush from taking Iraq, we robbed him of the one thing
that matters most of all. Mr. Bush has been robbed of his legitimacy.
And nothing can ever bring that back.
Your
thoughts, prayers, and efforts have succeeded, and Providence and
history will judge what we have done. We have spoken out for the
voiceless, the powerless, the hungry and the naked. We have spoken
out for those nameless thousands of innocent civilians who deserve
the same human rights as you and me. Conquering a nation that has
hurt no one will never do that. Democracy can never be achieved
at the barrel of a gun.
So
I want you to reflect on this, and remember that this will not be
in vain. And our voices will be needed now, more than ever. When
the war starts this week, you owe it to the world to make your voice
heard. Light a candle in your window, attend your local peace vigil,
make up some protest signs, write to your elected leaders (and yes,
Bush, too), take to the streets.
Believe
me, the war will not be over in a week. There will be other targets
in the Neocons' sights. |
