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Sunday, March 09, 2003 Page: 3B
IN IRAQ MY WORDS CAN ONLY BEGIN TO EXPRESS THE SENSE OF RELIEF I FELT WHILE
READING THE NEWS STORIES OF THE UNPRECEDENTED PROTESTS OF ALMOST 20 MILLION
PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD AGAINST THE FRANTIC PUSH TO WAR BY THE CURRENT
OFFICIALS OF THE U.S. I AM GLAD TO BE ONE OF THEM. OUR AMERICAN MEDIA NOW
ADMITS THAT A MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE OF THE WORLD ARE NOT FOOLED BY THE
DANGEROUS ILLOGICAL RHETORIC, AND FEAR TACTICS THAT HAVE BEEN USED TO EXPLOIT
AND MANIPULATE PEOPLE INTO WAR. LET US BE CLEAR ABOUT ONE THING: THIS PROPOSED
WAR IS ABOUT OIL AND POWER. WE HAVE PLANS TO SAFEGUARD IRAQ’S OIL FIELDS
IMMEDIATELY AFTER ATTACK. HOWEVER, WE HAVE NO SUCH PLANS TO DEAL WITH THE
“COLLATERAL DAMAGE” TO THE INNOCENT PEOPLE OF IRAQ. MANY INNOCENT MEN, WOMEN
AND CHILDREN WILL SUFFER AND DIE WHILE WE ARE BUSY RUNNING AROUND TRYING TO
PROTECT OIL FIELDS FROM BURNING. THE UNITED NATIONS ESTIMATED THAT IF WE START
A WAR WITH IRAQ IT WILL CAUSE 500,000 IRAQI CITIZENS TO NEED MEDICAL ATTENTION
AS A RESULT OF INJURIES, MALNUTRITION, DISEASE, AND A LACK OF SANITARY WATER,
AND MEDICINE. A MINIMUM OF TEN THOUSAND IRAQI CITIZENS ARE EXPECTED TO BE
KILLED. HALF OF THE CITIZENS OF IRAQI ARE CHILDREN BELOW THE AGE OF 15. THERE
ARE 12 MILLION VULNERABLE CHILDREN IN IRAQ. THOUSANDS OF INNOCENT CHILDREN
WILL BE KILLED AS VICTIMS OF BUSH’S WAR. IT WOULD NOT EVEN BE CLOSE TO BEING
A “MORAL WAR” TO “HELP THE PEOPLE OF IRAQ.” THE POPE, FORMER PRESIDENT
JIMMY CARTER, THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF CHURCHES, AND A HOST OF OTHER RELIGIONS
HAVE DECLARED THIS WOULD NOT BE A “JUST WAR.” BUSH IS REFUSING TO MEET WITH
THE LEADERS OF HIS OWN CHURCH WHO HAVE PLEADED TO MEET WITH HIM IN ORDER TO
DISSUADE HIM FROM WAR. BUSH IS OUT OF STEP WITH HIS OWN CHURCH. HIS CLAIM TO
BE DOING GOD’S WILL IS AS SHALLOW AS HIS LOGIC. WHILE PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD
ARE TRYING TO SHOW THERE ARE ALTERNATIVES, OUR PRESIDENT IS REFUSING TO
LISTEN. IT IS SAD AND SHAMEFUL THAT MOST OF THE OPPOSITION TO THE THINGS
PRESIDENT BUSH AND HIS ADMINISTRATION HAVE DONE (IN THE NAME OF FIGHTING
TERRORISM) HAS LARGELY BEEN KEPT SILENT. EVERYTHING FROM THE ENVIRONMENT, TO
CIVIL RIGHTS, TO THE ECONOMY HAS SUFFERED. NOT ONLY HAS MOST OF THE OPPOSITION
BEEN SILENCED UNTIL NOW, BUT MANY OF THOSE WHO SPEAK OUT HAVE BEEN LABELED
UNPATRIOTIC, OR EVEN TRAITOROUS. IF TRUTH IS THE FIRST CASUALTY OF WAR, THE
SECOND CASUALTY IS RESPECTING FREEDOM OF SPEECH. HOWEVER, OPPOSITION TO THE
BUSH ADMINISTRATION POLICIES HAS BEEN BUILDING STEADILY. PEOPLE HAVE BEEN
WATCHING AND WORRYING IN DISBELIEF. THERE IS NO LONGER ANY FLAG BIG ENOUGH FOR
BUSH TO HIDE THE TRUTH BEHIND. HISTORIAN HOWARD ZINN RECENTLY SAID, “TO
CRITICIZE THE GOVERNMENT WHEN YOU THINK IT IS WRONG IS THE HIGHEST ACT OF
PATRIOTISM.” MANY PEOPLE NOW REALIZE THE MANY CATASTROPHIC DANGERS OUR
CURRENT PRESIDENT IS LEADING US INTO, AND THE NUMBERS GROW STEADILY AS THE
TRUTH IS REVEALED. HOPEFULLY OUR PRESIDENT HAS NOT BEEN SO ISOLATED FROM WHAT
IS GOING ON IN THE REAL WORLD THAT HE IS UNABLE TO REALIZE WHAT MOST PEOPLE
REALLY WANT. HOPEFULLY, IF HE DOES SEE, HE WILL BE ABLE TO CHANGE HIS MIND AND
LEAD OUR COUNTRY FORWARD USING INTELLIGENCE, COMPASSION, CREATIVITY,
COOPERATION AND LONG-TERM POLICIES OF JUSTICE FOR ALL. THOSE ARE THE
CHARACTERISTICS THAT MAKE A LEADER AND A COUNTRY TRULY GREAT. I PRAY THAT IT’S
NOT TOO LATE FOR OUR PRESIDENT TO OPEN HIS EYES AND SEE. ADDICTION TO POWER,
HATRED, REVENGE AND GREED CAN BLIND A PERSON, AND EVEN A NATION. WE ARE AT A
PIVOTAL POINT IN WORLD HISTORY. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THE ONLY THING THAT MIGHT
PREVENT NEEDLESS DEATH, SUFFERING, MORE DIVISIVENESS, AND INCREDIBLE
INSTABILITY AT HOME AND AROUND THE WORLD, IS THE VOICE OF THE PEOPLE OF THE
WORLD. OUR FUTURE, AND OUR CHILDREN’S FUTURE IS AT STAKE. Jay Notartomaso
Shavertown