Open discussion on the potential war on Iraq (and its consequences)
    Location: Normal Public Library Community Room 
    October 26, 2002

Thoughts from Participants

    - Those that deny peace and justice to others deny it to themselves.
    - An activist theme for the Vietnam War was "Bring the war home." Here are ways we brought the war home: Veterans' coffins draped with US flags; dependence on foreign oil; technology in the US military; and drug addiction.
    - Something is happening globally that is bigger than we realize, that we don't understand.
    - The terrorist within the government: recent police actions that have used excessive force
    - But we need to acknowledge a positive police presence, too: Nathan's Frisbee incident where police arrived on the scene and assisted in scary/threatening situation.
    - It's the economy, stupid. We're seeing billions of dollars budgeted for War on Iraq even as so very many social service organizations are struggling, going under. It's painful.
    - We feel a deep SENSE OF URGENCY. Now is the time to make our voices heard-to call, write, march. We must prevent war from starting, because once we're started it's so much more difficult to stop.
    - We need to make President Bush understand that if/when he starts, he'll have a SERIOUS problem on his hands. The mainstream US public does not support this war.
    - Frustration with violence that is a national psychosis. Check out the TV ad for the computer game, "Hit Man II." It's all about the player picking out a target and then picking off a victim out there. What are we doing as a society? We are proud to be American, and we fear that our society is going crazy with violence. This very motivating for a peacemaker!
    - Police power, violence - too often without accountability. So is there tacit justification by US culture for the violence we see and sell? 
    - U.S. prisons are filled to overflowing. Our country imprisons more people than any other country by far. So we sell violence and then we put people away for perpetrating it.
    - The U.S. media needs to cover the whole story about Iraq and the international situation in general. What can we do to pressure media outlets to do this?
    - Get out the vote. We need to put the right people in office. Vote with informed voice on this issue. Dick Durbin is the only representative of people in Central Illinois who resisted the pressure to vote in support of the Bush Administration's Iraq resolution. He deserves the votes of people who want to stop the cycle of violence.
    - I've felt anger about U.S. foreign policy for a long time. But now I feel a new fear. Given our recent actions, how can people in other countries think anything but that we are evil? I keep feeling that I wake up in a new, unfamiliar place. What will it take for us to figure out that we need to change course to one away from bullying and violence as a country?
    - We feel outrage at the pre-emptive violence and the targeting of civilians that we saw here in the U.S. on Sept. 11, 2001. It was absolutely a part of the global cycle of violence. But how does our response to date look any different from the terrorists' actions? And what about the additional actions currently being proposed? 
    - Make and post YARD SIGNS. People can't drive by your house anymore and think "there's another family that agrees with what we're doing." It's about becoming publicly visible. 
Letters to the Editor. The Editorial/Letters page is the most-read page in the newspaper. Letters don't have to be long or complex to be powerful. 
    - We just don't hear, internationally or locally, any groundswell of support for US militarism.
It's so frustrating to be faced election after election with uncontested local seats.
Our views on this war are NOT in the minority. (That's nice for a change!)
    - Legitimate position: "I am a patriot who is opposed to this war." 

Prospective Actions

    - Peace Minute: Advertised, promoted community-wide 
    - "White Fliers" in response to today's survey questions. Like especially those that talk about the people who will be impacted by our actions: #s 4,11,13
    - Could someone come to theology classes at Catholic + other high schools to educate on these issues?
    - Pitch to legislators: budget, $$. Go see the politicians steadily, constantly. Not just during emergencies
    - Sustained, organized letters/calls
    - Cost out the war: What will it cost? 2 hours of Desert Storm cost the equivalent of the entire year's education budget.
    - Network with/draw out local churches whose national leadership have written documents opposing the war. Bell ringing? 
    - Political action as a part of the curriculum
    - Yard signs. ("Lightning Rod") 
    - Build coalitions with other like-minded groups-though let's look for groups with whom we might not expect to align ourselves. For example, elder care facility administrators whose funding is being cut.
    - Vigils and marches are an easy way for like minds to come together
    - Election day action - visible, audible reminder?
    - Electronic activism 
    - Internal communication: How do we keep BNCPJ talking to itself? Connected?