why i'm against the war
well, we're at war.
and i haven't been to any protests yet. i'm not sure why. but i feel the need to do something, anything. so here it is, i guess.
i suppose that really i'm against all wars. i was reading on the portland indymedia website about how nine people protested the war by hanging out in a federal building, sit-in style. there was this inspirational part of the article. it went like this:
The Nuremberg Tribunal, which convened after World War II, ruled that when a government commits War Crimes, Crimes against Peace, or Crimes against Humanity, citizens are required to end their complicity in those crimes by acting to prevent them.
and i was thinking, "isn't murder a crime?" well, it sure is. so, if murder is a crime, then war itself is a crime, and we're all obliged to do our part to prevent the criminal actions of our government.
so why haven't i been to a protest? is it because i don't believe in protests? no. is it because i'm not really against the war? no. why then? because i'm lazy. content. too busy with my own things. blah blah blah.
so to the iraqi people that are dying because of my inaction, i humbly apologize. to the american and british forces that are forced to kill or be killed because their government says so, i humbly apologize. to the generations in the future that will look at the faded colors on a flag that supposedly represents freedom and democracy, to the generations that will know of no such thing, i so humbly apologize.
if you can't make it to the protests, do something else. write your legislators, for a start. go to house.gov or senate.gov or whitehouse.gov. tell your leaders they are commiting crimes in your name and you'll no longer stand for it. tell them anything at all.
here's what i wrote to the president before the tragedy began, if you're interested (notice how i even used capitals...):
My voice is missing.
Mr. President.
I am scared.
I do not understand why we are so intent on attacking Iraq. I see no justification for killing anyone. Why are you so determined to go to war?
Mr. President, I know my voice is not strong, but my email represents countless others. Consider it a chorus. A chorus against any course of action that leads to war.
I am reminded of the Nuremburg Tribunal, and their statement that citizens are required to end their complicity in war crimes by acting against them. Mr. President, if murder is a crime, then any war is a crime. The US population is required by the Nuremburg Tribunal to stand up against your unjust war.
Already your support in this country is eroding. It is not too late to save yourself from being known as the president that ended the UN and started world conflict. World war. Mr. President, the U.S. is part of the UN and not above it. The UN is a democracy Mr. President. You claim to uphold democracy. Though they may be slow and careful to enact their responsibilities, we cannot both strive for democracy and go against the will of the UN. Uphold the will of the UN by delaying your actions for war until you have the proper support from them. The proper support from the people.
No war is justified.
don.
