Today, we remember the victims of the attacks on September 11, 2001, their families and friends, and we honor those who gave their lives in the rescue effort.(1)
Today, we remember the victims of the war in Afghanistan and all those humanitarian workers who try to reach out to provide food and comfort.(2)
Today, we remember the victims, civilian and military, of the 13 year-long, U.S. led war against Iraq: the “first” war in 1991, 13 years of economic sanctions, and the “second” war-occupation in 2003. And we remember all those who oppose these policies through nonviolent means.(3)
Today, we remember the victims of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, disproportionately Palestinians.(4)
Today, we remember all the present and future victims of the “war on terrorism” which, we are told, will last indefinitely and which targets over 60 countries.(5)
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We say NO! to war. No, to the injustice and oppression that is the seedbed of “terrorist” actions. No, to trading in arms which fuel vast death and destruction.(6)
We say NO! to the U.S. plans for global hegemony, the militarization of the economy, the dismantling of domestic achievements that have been won by popular struggle over the past century, and we say no to U.S. efforts that will make it nearly impossible to recover these achievements.(7)
We say NO! to racial profiling and imprisonment in Guantanamo Bay Naval Station and elsewhere without due process of law.
We recall
the words of some of the relatives of those killed on September 11:
“Our grief is not a cry for war” (www.peacefultomorrows.org)
We recall
the words of former NATO commander General Wesley Clark who attributed
much of the world terrorism problem to a struggle between the haves and
have-nots:
“There is widespread resentment over the fact that the U.S. has less
than 5 percent of the world’s population but consumes nearly 25 percent
of it natural resources.” (Chicago Tribune 8/14/02)
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We honor the victims by saying YES! to nonviolent conflict resolution at all levels of society. We uphold the right to oppose unjust structures. We pledge to stand with those who are the object of attack and discrimination. We will resist nonviolently the scape-goating and murder of whole communities, religions and nations to protect national interests.
ACTIONS
1) Join the Campaign Calling for Congress to establish a Commission
of Inquiry into the justifications for the Iraq War. This independent bipartisan
commission would investigate the reasons for the war.
Download the petition at www.grassrootsvoices.org
or sign-up online.
2) Contact President Bush and your elected representatives and say no
more victims of violence.
President@whitehouse.gov
www.senate.gov/senators/index.cfm
www.congress.gov
3) Print, share and discuss this Bulletin with family, friends, coworkers and your faith community.
END
NOTES
(1) Over 3,000 persons died during the attacks on September 11, 2001.
(2) Over 3,000 Afghans died during just the first 8-1/2 weeks of the
U.S. bombing campaign against Afghanistan (http://pubpages.unh.edu/~mwherold/).
(3) Over 2,500 Iraqis civilians died in the “first” war in 1991 (www.vicpeace.org/fact-sheets/FactSheet3vpn.pdf);
one million Iraqis died from sanctions (www.nonviolence.org/vitw);
over 6,000 Iraqi civilians died in the “recent” war (www.iraqbodycount.net/bodycount.htm).
(4) www.electronicintifada.net
(5) The U.S. has already moved troops into countries such as the Philippines,
Indonesia & Yemen (www.cdi.org).
(6) The U.S. continues to fill the Middle East, and other areas, with
vast quantities of weapons (www.cdi.org).
(7) States have cut $49 Billion in social services in 2002 from education,
health and welfare; an additional $26 Billion is being cut in 2003. The
Bush administration has spent $73 Billion (www.costofwar.com)
for this illegal war and now wants $87 Billion more.
(8) For steps to ensure a just peace in Iraq, see “Petition for an
Emergency U.N. Resolution on Iraq”: www.petitiononline.com/MayDay03/