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Ordinary
People Say "No" to War According to USA Today and every TV news program, everyone loves the "war on terrorism." But all over the country, everyday people of all colors and walks of life are organizing to oppose Bush's war. Sabina Virgo is the president of a public service union in Los Angeles whose 4,000 members provide services to people with disabilities. Even before September 11, state social service budgets had been cut to the bone. Afterwards, Virgo recounts, the governor ordered an additional 15 percent cut "because of the war." Upcoming layoffs and hiring freezes are "because of the war." Workloads, already too large, will soon become impossible "because of the war." Virgo says, "Many members believe it's not the union's role to take positions on foreign policy. But when the question was asked if we should take a position on cuts in services that were war related-the answer was yes. The war affects us and the people we serve, and therefore, we can speak up on the issue." In Providence, Rhode Island, Sara Mersha remembers that on September 9 she was one of 800 trade unionists, community members and religious activists at a Jobs with Justice gathering. The meeting was hopeful, focusing on building a global movement for economic and human rights for all. Since September 11, Mersha said, the government has unleashed a right-wing agenda aimed at stopping that movement and rolling back rights and economic gains already won. Mersha, who works with a community group called Direct Action for Rights and Equality, spoke out: "We are directly hurt by the 'war on terrorism,' from watching the way our children are brainwashed into joining the military, to experiencing anti-Muslim, anti-people of color harassment, to losing jobs, to being deported. The 'war on terrorism' is an unjust war abroad, and it is also a war on people of color, immigrants, women and low-income people who were gaining ground" before September 11. In Atlanta, 100 people from eight southern states met to develop an anti-war organizing agenda in December of last year. Project South, an Atlanta-based group that fosters grassroots community leadership, spearheaded the gathering. A major focus was on the terrible impact of the USA Patriot Act on communities of color. Project South's Jerome Scott, an African American, believes "September 11 has become a huge teachable moment for all sectors of society. We're developing tools to help educate mainly low-income people about the effects of globalization on our communities." Network television
and corporate newspapers are hiding these and many other stories of opposition.
All over the country, everyday people oppose Bush's war and are standing
up to put an end to it. Chris Crass is an organizer with the Bay Area based anti-war group, Heads Up. |
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