vision2020
Fwd: Peace Rally
- To: vision2020@moscow.com
- Subject: Fwd: Peace Rally
- From: kkhowe@moscow.com
- Date: Thu, 11 Oct 2001 21:39:08 GMT
- Resent-Date: Thu, 11 Oct 2001 14:43:22 -0700 (PDT)
- Resent-From: vision2020@moscow.com
- Resent-Message-ID: <X-fKR.A.wzM.kJhx7@whale.fsr.net>
- Resent-Sender: vision2020-request@moscow.com
Forwarded Message:
> From: "Tara Howe" <elsewhere10@hotmail.com>
> Subject: Peace Rally
> Date: Thu, 11 Oct 2001 20:11:59
> -----
>
> I have received several of the negative commentaries on the Peace Rally to
> be held this Saturday via forwards to my address.
>
> As an organizer in the peace rally, I write this letter now because the
> responses I've seen are so very opposite the intention of a rally based on
> Peace- a comment made by Keith Howe in his response to Duncan Palmatier's
> letter. This Peace Rally is not intended to be a divisive action. Two huge
> events have just occured: a terrorist attack on Sept. 11 and a declaration
> of war. Innocent lives have been taken because of each. But to advocate
> peace does not suggest we condone terrorism.
>
> No one who is organizing this rally supports the actions of Bin laden or the
> Taliban. Speakers residing in various regions in the Middle East spoke at a
> conference at WSU yesterday and agreed to the fact that the majority of
> folks in the Middle East also do not support the Taliban. There are many
> forms of retaliation. Keith brings up the very good point that it sometimes
> requires an act of violence to maintain the peace. I believe there are many
> ways to approach such a situation and would never claim to 'have the
> answer'. To the same effect, we should all be careful when believing we
> have the answer; strong belief is what any kind of fundamentalism is based
> upon.
>
> Still, the organizers of this peace rally do not support further bombing of
> the Afghanistan nation. We are concerned that people may forget there are
> indeed people in Afghanistan being directly affected. I understand that we
> have lost people here too. But as it always is, the governments attacking
> are not typically the arenas in which lives are lost; it is always the
> civilians. Whatever our actions as a nation, we must at very least
> acknowledge this further loss of innocent lives- even if many believe it is
> in the name of good.
>
> Now, in the same vein, this is the time we must also acknowledge the ways in
> which our lives here in the U.S. can often play a negative role in the lives
> of others, both here and abroad. This is not to say in anyway that we
> deserve a terrorist act. Terrorism is never the answer. But while we are
> here, searching for answers and looking for ways to live in a world of this
> size, we must acknowledge that Americans are not exempt from scrutiny.
>
> As a Canadian coming to the States I can attest first hand to all the
> wonderful benefits of entering a country with a strong economy and real,
> viable options for work and education, entrepreneurialship and such. I have
> used these options available to me and am greatly indebted to a nation in
> which this is possible.
> As part of this education, however, I am coming to grips with certain
> realities about American and global histories not relayed in everyday media.
> Mixed in with the positive aspects of life in America and the spread of
> corporatization throughout the world- a process largely funded by American
> companies and backed by the U.S. military- there are problems. En masse,
> corporatization of the world (not simply an AMerican phenomenon, but a
> process in which we do have to take responsibility for our role) is
> oppressing many for the few.
> In talking about peace, how can we even get anywhere near the idea without
> dismantling so many of the inequalities inherent in today's political
> structure? But how do we do this without educating ourselves as the to
> nature of global politics AND acknowledging that we play a role in this
> schema that is at once positive and negative?
>
> This Peace Rally is foremost an arena for the education and for dialogue.
> WE chose the arts as a medium for expression because that is an arena which
> many of the organizers use for expression, and it is a very powerful medium
> for synthesizing the intellect with the emotions.
> Unfortunately it tends to take dire situations to finally snap people into
> action; not only should we have had a rally on Sept. 11th, we should have
> had a rally when it first became apparent there was an imbalance in the
> world requiring action. There are many people throughout this country and
> throughout the world already striving to effect change and broaden the
> general understanding. Here, we finally reached a critical mass.
> Regardless, here we all are in the middle of something bigger than us all,
> and we need to communicate.
>
> I ask that folks remain cynical of the news coverage and dig deeper into the
> books gracing our public libraries; books we are actually able to read
> freely because we live in a country that values freedom and democracy. In
> these books, there is a global history that sheds light on how we came to be
> at this point in time.
> There will be speakers at the Rally who will speak to this effect.
> there will be informational pamphlets to further educate.
> We will have lists of readings and alternate news sources to which folks can
> turn for a balanced coverage of the events.
>
> I am not attacking America. The statement, 'we are terrorists in our own
> right' has a very good foundation in the historical facts, but it must sound
> very out of place at this point in time if one is unaware of the absolute
> interconnectedness of global politics.
> Please come down to the peace rally so we can all find a forum to discuss
> the issues at hand. To strive for peace is in no way to attack.
>
> We are not running about blindly yelling 'peace' without recognizing the
> complexities at hand nor are we saying that nothing should be done; it is in
> recognition of the extreme nature of this situation that we hope to bring
> everyone together to work through the ideas rather than leave everyone to
> individual isolation in which misperceptions can lead to uncalled for
> retalliatory acts, or misguided non-action.
>
> We are all a part of this world we live in. We can decide to create further
> violence, or we can set a precedence more befitting a nation based on life
> and liberty, and come together in support of Peace as a larger notion, much
> larger than the simple end of war.
>
> with sincere regards,
> tara howe
>
> _________________________________________________________________
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