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To me, the notion that we are preparing to go to war feels strange and surreal. I don’t know anyone — not a single friend or acquaintance — who supports that direction. According to a recent CBS News poll, only 29% of Americans believe the U.S. should take militarCharles Alkire, Not In Our Name, NION, Greenlake Peace Vigil action in Iraq, yet 74% of us expect war to happen. Many of us were horrified by passage of the Homeland Security bill and the resultant sweeping changes to our civil rights. Increasingly, it feels like the actions of our elected officials are out of touch with the values and wishes of the American people. Participating in the Not In Our Name project is one way to voice your opinion. A powerful declaration of conscience, the NION statement has been publicized with ads in local and national publications (including a full-page ad in the Seattle Times/P.I. on December 29) as well as through grassroots efforts. The statement has been signed by more than 40,000 Americans to date, including noteworthy artists, activists, spiritual leaders, and politicians like Susan Sarandon, Martin Sheen, Alice Walker, Gloria Steinem, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, and Washington state Representative Jim McDermott. The NION statement advises President Bush, "We refuse to allow you to speak for all the American people," and proclaims, "We refuse to be party to these wars and we repudiate any inference that they are being waged in our name or for our welfare." The entire statement can be viewed (and signed) online at <www.nion.us>. Interestingly, some who oppose war have criticized the NION statement because it raises moral objections to war rather than addressing issues of national interest. Apparently, what’s best for the United States strategically and financially should be our main concern. It may be true that the war machine is more interested in such issues. A well constructed argument about the negative impact of war on "American interests" may be more persuasive to the guy with his finger on the button. And that’s the problem, in a nutshell. From red-white-and-blue to "God bless America," the message that U.S. interests are important — more important than anything else — is certainly pervasive. But we can’t "do the right thing" from a position of nationalism. When the moral cost is so high, the right thing must be bigger than what’s most profitable for us or what we think will make us feel safe. We have to replace American interests with human interests — and ultimately with global interests. We have to enlarge our perspectives. The world is getting smaller, and the stakes are getting higher. It’s tempting to hide under the covers — or maybe in the "white light" — and hope the big bad will just go away. Sadly, it doesn’t work that way. Hope and faith are great places to start, but action is necessary too, if we want to change the world. And we need to change the world, because it isn’t working so well. There are plenty of ways to get involved. The Greenlake Peace Vigil, which convenes every Sunday from 2:00-3:00 p.m. at 63rd and East Greenlake Way, has attracted more than three hundred protesters in recent weeks. The vigil’s website <www.greenlakepeacevigil.org> features a comprehensive list of anti-war activities around the Puget Sound. Speak out, sign a petition, march for peace, get angry, get compasssionate, pray, or protest — and please vote. Don’t wait for someone else to take the lead; participate in creating the future of this planet. It’s up to us. There’s no one else here. |