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[casi] Re: to Gabriels response




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  ----- Original Message -----
  From: g
  To: casi-discuss@lists.casi.org.uk
  Sent: Friday, July 19, 2002 8:50 PM
  Subject: to Gabriels response


  Well, I'm sorry you didn't like my suggestion Gabriel, and while I'm certainly thankful for 
groups such as Voices in the Wilderness who are doing what they can, I honestly don't believe the 
presence of a handful of "seasoned protestors" will be enough to stop the US from dropping those 
bombs. It has already been shown that the US government does not particularly value the lives or 
civil or human rights of professional protestors. It was shown in Seattle, at the WTO protests, 
where many were illegally beaten by the police, it is shown to be the case, when Green Peace 
protestors are shot at, or run over, by the coast guard, it was shown to be the case, as far back 
as the Vietnam war, when unarmed college protestors were gunned down by the National Guard. Over 40 
children, at Waco, each and every one of them American citizens, was not enough to stop swat teams 
from setting the Koresh compound on fire, and burning everyone inside alive. There was no 
compassion shown for mothers and infants at Ruby Ridge. (where a mother was gunned down with a baby 
in her arms)  I'm not sure why you say it would be a "PR disaster". (Maybe you could explain that 
one to me, a little better?) Whatever works, I think, is what's important, whatever stops those 
bombs from falling, whatever prevents another Iraqi child from dying of starvation, bad water, or 
lack of medical care. I'm not sure "PR" should be the top priority here, since the people involved 
would not be participating, to further their own political careers as "professional activists", 
they would be doing it, out of a strong sense of urgency and a need to save these peoples lives, 
through whatever means necessary. The kind of protest I am talking about, would be more than a 
small gathering of seasoned activists, it would be more like a massive exodus of American, British, 
and other foreign citizens, who would not necessarily be professional activists, just ordinary 
people who care very much about what is going on there. (enough to risk their lives, in fact) I 
don't personally believe small groups of professional protestors will ever be enough to prevent 
"Uncle Sam" from nuking Baghdad, or completely annihilating the Iraqi people, they will just call 
that "collateral damage", or "unavoidable civilian casualties", and move on. However, if a very 
large number of ordinary citizens (men, women, and children) were to protest in such a manner, (Im 
talking thousands, or tens of thousands of people) that would be a bit different scenario. Of 
course, it would not be easy, it would be very difficult, it would require the cooperation of the 
Iraqi government, and quite a bit of help from them, as well. Imagine, if you will, tent cities 
encamped all around Iraq, full of foreign citizens, thousands of people, entire families, saying, 
"if you bomb them, you bomb us", now THAT would make a statement, which would be harder for the US 
government to ignore, or to pass off as "acceptable casualties". Of course, only people with a 
truly serious commitment to this cause, would be able to do this, it would not be a job for "career 
activists", (who intend to live on, to protest again, somewhere else), this would only be for those 
who are willing to risk their very lives, for this cause, as there is no guarantee that Uncle Sam 
will not drop the bomb on it's own, even in a situation such as this, at this point.


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