This lull between the war in Iraq and whatever adventure the Bush neocons next drag us into provides an opportunity to focus on the war at home. The battlefield is mapped: tax cuts, military spending, environmental deregulation, booming prisons, a health care crisis, curtailed liberties … It is a first step to demonstrate on a weekend afternoon, directing anger and ridicule… return to article
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Reader Comments (8)Page 1 of 1 pagesIt’s time for:
Operation USA Freedom - Here At Home!We have so many issues here in our own backyard that we need to pay attention to that this is where the Peace movement is going.
This is how we as a Peace movement will grow also, since right now we must be able to identify with Americans who are in pain - seeing their jobs cut, seeing their education cuts (Parents in Oregon are giving Blood - literally - to pay for their teachers), seeing they are not able to pay for medical care.
Make signs that IDENTIFY with their Personal Pain. Then you got their attention. Later they can learn about other more complex issues around the world, but FIRST reach out to something they feel daily - make your signs Personal.
Then you got their attention - and a new person joins our Peace movement.
Here are some suggestions for the Anti-War Signs Now as of May 19:
Stop Media Monopoly!
Stop the FCC June 2!
Education, Health Care and Jobs - NOT WAR
Teachers & Books - Not Bombs
Operation USA Freedom - Here At Home (with Peace Signs!)
No More Bush!
Corporate Accountability - Including Bush and Cheney
SAVE OUR CONSITITUTION!
SAVE THE U.S.A. - PATRIOTS FOR PEACE !
REGIME CHANGE BEGINS AT HOME!
Stop Violence Here At Home
Stop the War HERE AT HOME
Decent Jobs Wanted Here At Home
Help Our Gulf War Vets ñ www.GulfWarVets.com
Tax Cuts for the Rich ñ Hurt US Here At Home !
Stop Hurting Our Citizens Here At Home, Bush!
Stop Media Lies!
No More Media Monopoly!
Our Future Here At Home ñ ourfuture.org
Patriots For Peace ñ And For A Better America!
Support GW Vets ñ Donít CUT their Benefits!
Stop Hurting Our Vets ñ Stop CUTTING Aid!
Stop Layoffs- Give Us Jobs Here At Home!
Stop Patriot Act 2 ñ Stop Attacking Our Civil Liberties!
(By now, you get the point: there are so many attacks on us people here at home, that any issue that you are feeling the pain in is probably what other people here at home feel, too.
By reaching out to them and keeping your Peace Vigils or other Peace Actions in Your Local Communities, you acknowledge their pain and can bring them into the peace movement.
It is so important that the Anti-War movement stays visible now—more than ever, the American People need to see that Peace IS Patriotic - And that they are NOT Alone ! )
Posted by Nicole on May 19, 2003 at 8:56 PM Good article, except the point on Nader, do you really think the country would be better off he were president? Would you really support a max-income of 100,000 dollars? That’s what he proposed.
You’re also forgetting about Joe Lieberman (who was for the war) who is definitely the favorite to go against Bush, but it’s no matter, Bush is very popular and the candidates on the left aren’t exactly murderer’s row.
Posted by Brad on May 21, 2003 at 11:22 PM You keep talking about a Peace movement, you should really watch the news, the war’s over.
By the way, there is no media monopoly. The Brits have a media monopoly. We don’t. Fox, NBC, CBS, ABC, and CNN are all owned by different people.
Posted by Brad on May 24, 2003 at 8:03 PM Brad -
The peace movement is not only for peace. Nicole’s post shows many of the issues we are focusing on.
We don’t have a media monopoly by the strict definition—at least not yet. Certainly right now only one corporation doesn’t own all of the major media networks, but there isn’t much differenciation between each of them. They fail to show any viewpoint other than that of the ruling party and they (esp. Fox News) have regularly denounced protestors. When they do show an alternate view, they tend to cut the person off in the middle of a sentence.
Plus, the FCC will be voting on June 2 on “relaxing” restrictions on who owns the media. The resulting mergers will cause even more concentration and even less liberal views. The free press is being choked and we are being silenced..Personally, I think Lieberman is a pathetic excuse for a democrat. He’s an opportunist. He constantly contradicts himself. The argument in favor of him is that he will win over “swing voters,” but he can’t win swing voters by being Bush-Lite.
And yes, I would support a max-income limit.
Posted by Amanda on May 29, 2003 at 6:20 PM Here we are in the year 2003 and yet i get the distinct feeling that we are in the dark ages for so many reasons. Everything is black and truth is replaced by twisted “superstitions.” Second, we are being ruled by a king and a not so noble “noble” class so far from us that we all feel utterly hopeless. And lastly, the majority of people have been brainwashed into this inane idea of national loyalty that they have all been blinded to the truth. This leaves the few of us not blinded being attacked and “burnt at the stake” by constant critizism and paranoid accusations. We have to find a way to get bush out of office. All the damage he put us through will take a good 20 years to repair. Bush has been so retroactive… Hail to the theif…
Posted by Lana on May 30, 2003 at 4:57 AM Amanda: Nader wants a 100,000 dollar limit, I hope you understand what that means. It means that the amount of money that will go to the government is more than we could imagine, and government money is always misspent (100 billion erroniously on medicare alone). People need money, and the only thing it will result in is everyone getting a pay cut, becuase if the ceo’s dont get their millions then their will be tons of layoffs and paycuts. You’re supporting a socialist government, I hope you realize how missguided you are.
Lana- Kings rule until they die or retire, Bush has about 5 years left, so what are you talking about?
Posted by Brad on May 30, 2003 at 6:33 PM How sad that many in this country missed the point when considering the views of the “peace movement”. Did they not know that many such as I, only wanted to speak out so as to try to save our AMERICAN fighting men and women from the casualty lists? Can they not see that our AMERICAN credibility and security has been damaged by this ill advised war? IMO, many of us patriots whom love this country want to leave our children with an America that is known for truth and liberty, not conjecture, half truths and subjugation. Our fathers and grandfathers did not fight for us so that a small group of neo-cons with tenacles attached to a foreign country could dictate policy that could result in the loss of our young military people. As Americans, we have the freedom to speak up and voice our views. I intent to continue to excercise that freedom.
Posted by Chet Polwin on Jun 2, 2003 at 12:40 AM “I would support a max-income limit”
Amanda, may I ask, where do you live? In an apartment, a room, a house? Did you or you parents ever live in a house of their own?
Have you any children or siblings?
Do you want the max-income limit to be less than you earn now? Why or why not?
Have you ever lived in NYC? Do you think that $10,000 buys the same in goods and services in NYC as it does in Altoona, PA?
Posted by Nus on Jun 3, 2003 at 7:50 PM Page 1 of 1 pages -
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