i want to share a story from democracy now today:
Officer Jailed 45 Days For Tossing Iraqis In River
Meanwhile a U.S. army platoon leader was sentenced Tuesday to 45 days in military prison. Lieutenant Jack Saville pleaded guilty that he ordered his troops to throw two Iraqi prisoners into the Tigris River. One of the prisoners has never been found and is believed to have drowned. Saville is one of the first officers to be tried for abusing prisoners in Iraq. His sentence was kept to just 45 days because he had agreed to testify in another military trial. In that trial, Saville revealed that his captain had once given him a hit list of five Iraqis who were to be executed on the spot if they were captured in a raid.
look at that last sentence: in that trial, saville revealed that his captain had once given him a hit list of five iraqis who were to be executed on the spot if they were captured in a raid.
who were the 5?
does it matter to you?
does it bother you that we have shoot on sight orders?
like me, are you wondering where the captain got his orders?
so we target people in our 'bringing freedom mission?'
does it matter.
it matters if we see ourselves a certain way. it matters if we're still believing the lie that we're doing anything over there except running an occupation.
maybe you do care.
maybe you cared before the war broke out? you were against it and said so in whatever way you were comfortable with.
but the war started, the propoganda got louder, when truth finally started coming out people on both sides were too busy chanting 'support the troops' to deal with reality and you started thinking what difference does it make?
not that you didn't care about the people dying, but you just thought 'i was against it before and it didn't matter, no 1 listens anyway.'
if you're thinking that or feeling that, i want to direct you to the common ills which has an entry today:
While we're noting MoveOn and Sojourners upcoming peace events, let's take a moment to note CodePink's as well:
March 19-20 marks the two-year anniversary of the U.S. bombing and invasion of Iraq. After all of the death and destruction and with the Bush administration claiming a mandate to continue their war, there's a new urgency and a stronger determination within the global antiwar movement to bring the troops home now.
CODEPINK will organize vigils, rallies, marches and nonviolent civil disobedience throughout the country to call an end to the needless suffering, devastation, and loss of life. Help us let the Bush administration know loud and clear the world’s mandate has been and continues to be one of peace. Read the renewed Iraq Pledge of Resistance.
Actions:
LOCAL ACTIONS NATIONWIDE
Organize vigils, rallies, marches, or nonviolent civil disobedience in your community and let us know by emailing info@codepinkalert.org and publishing it on the United For Peace and Justice calendar - or join an event near you.
MAJOR REGIONAL PROTEST IN FAYETTEVILLE, N.C.
There will also be a major regional demonstration in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Fayetteville is home to Fort Bragg - ground zero for the 82nd Airborne Division and many of the Army's elite units. Beyond Fort Bragg, North Carolina hosts four other of the nation's largest military bases, making the state one of the friendliest to the military-industrial complex. For more information about CodePink, visit their homepage as well as the CodePink alert notice.
So we've covered the peace events for Code Pink and MoveOn & Sojourners (see previous entry). If you know of an event that we haven't covered, please e-mail this site (common_ills@yahoo.com).
[For those in a hurry: "To participate in a peace vigil they provide a link to Sojourners that will let you know if there's one in your area." Clicking the link will provide you with information on the peace events Sojourners & MoveOn will be holding.]
The Green Party's Green Party Peace Action Committee offers this announcement and information:
March 18-20 marks the two-year anniversary of the U.S. bombing and invasion of Iraq.
Greens all over the country are participating in local actions that call for the end of the war and to bring our troops home.
Check back frequently for updated information, Green Party literature and other resources for your local actions.
If you are organizing a local action, please send the information to peace@gp.org, so we can post it on the national online calendar.
For more information: http://www.unitedforpeace.org/
Local Peace Calendars:
New York (Capitol area): http://www.social-capital.org/calendar/
Maryland: http://www.mupj.org/pdfdocs/calendar2005january.pdf
Baltimore area: http://www.baltnvctr.org
Pittsburgh/Western Penn: http://www.thomasmertoncenter.org
Seattle are: http://www.scn.org/activism/calendar
Sacramento area: http://www.sacpeace.org/index.cfm
Colorado: http://www.rmpjc.org/
so read that list and find other resources. and ask yourself if there's some way you can participate because you can make your voice heard.
no, i don't expect that the media, outside of democracy now, will do a good job of covering the protests. but you'll see others concerned about peace. and you'll feel glad that you participated.
i know some of you might want to go but have never been to a rally. i don't just mean high school students like wally because according to common ills community member maria, the students are actually more active and involved than other generations.
but maybe you come here and you nod and you think 'i should do something.' but you're thinking that you've never been to a rally and maybe you're trying to find some 1 to go with you so that you won't be there alone. if that's the case, i've been to many rallies so let me clue you in.
you don't need a buddy to go with you. great if you have one, two or whatever. but the people at a rally are going to be concerned about the same thing you are and there will be people there who will make you feel welcome.
i got an e-mail this morning about the common ills post and the woman wrote 'rebecca, i really want to go but i'm really, really nervous in crowds.'
if you're nervous because of a medical condition, consult your doctor. if you're nervous because you're thinking you will be there and every 1 will know each other and no 1's going to talk to you, it's not like that. i was reading the e-mail this morning and it reminded me of the 1st time i went to a concert when i was 13. and i had friends who were going so i wasn't alone.
and i started thinking that maybe there was some 1 else that was feeling like this woman.
i've been there. when i was 13, 3 of us were going to a concert. i don't even remember now who it was. probably it was some guy i thought was hot. but what i remember most was feeling really nervous. i had gotten 'top heavy' very quickly. like over a 3 month period it seemed like i went from a 'training bra' with nothing to train to intense cleaveage.
and believe me, as every girl i knew seemed to be sporting breasts, i really, really wanted some boobs. but to sprout them like that and suddenly have guys staring at them made me nervous.
so here was a night thing with a crowd of people. my parents were out of town and my older sister really wanted me out to throw a party but she also, i think, really wanted me to go to my 1st concert.
i put on a bra, i put a shirt, i put on a plaid shirt over that, a vest and over that a coat.
and still i was thinking that maybe i'd bail. maybe hang out mickey dees for the duration of the concert, come back to the house, pass my sister in the hall (in the crowded hall) and swear it was unbelievable.
i really wanted to go to that concert. but i was so sure that i would stick out and that every 1 would stare and no 1 would talk to me but my friends who would probably get embarrassed at some point themselves and i'd just be sitting there or standing there feeling like the girl who really wants to be out on the floor dancing but no 1 asks.
that didn't happen. my friends were there. we met others there who were nice and friendly.
i had a great time.
but i almost didn't go.
and if some 1's never been in a situation with a lot of people around, maybe they're feeling something like i was then. it's okay to feel that way.
it's okay to be nervous about doing something you want to do.
with the concert, i probably told myself that i had to go because of whichever guy was going to be on stage. so if you're thinking about going and your anxiety is not from a medical condition, i encourage you to think about something else. such as?
coming together with others to show your support for peace. to show people in your area that you believe in peace. focus on that bigger purpose and just go.
i bet you have a great time. if you don't, you can gripe my ass out in an e-mail. you can cuss me out and rip me a new one. sexandpoliticsandscreeds@yahoo.com is the address. make a note of it. tell yourself, 'oh i'll go, but you better believe i will hold you responsible.' hold me responsible. but i don't think you'll have a bad time.
i think you'll find a lot of really cool people who will make a point to speak to you. and you'll be glad that you stood up for peace but you'll also be really proud of yourself for confronting a fear head on.
i know there's no sex in this entry and there's no attitude and no screed. but i think this is a really important issue so i just want to take a moment to speak to any 1 out there that really would like to go to a peace rally in their area but is nervous.
if we don't do our part to make a difference, then who will? not the bully boy. not the corporate press. so please find out about something in your area. figure out where it is if you don't know and then go.
the occupation will continue as long as we say 'well some 1 else will speak out' or 'some 1 else will march,' or 'some 1 else will attend the peace rally.' this is about free speech and it is about making your voice heard.
