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Please note that it is not a critique against real well-hearted
pacifist, but those closet fascists who tried to sell us that motto:
"there's nothing else we could do, just bomb them".
Give special attention to the paragraphs:
"...I know very clearly that these are people whose families are
being executed, or driven from their homes. I know they feel like
every peaceful alternative has been exhausted..."
and that collaborationist
"What's a pacifist to do? "
Regards,
Fco. Javier Bernal
Taken from
http://www.igc.org/igc/pn/hg/pacifist.html
What's a Pacifist to Do?
A tale of two demonstrations.
Patti Mallin, PeaceNet Coordinator
Living in a suburb of Washington, DC, presents all sorts of
opportunity for national-level activism, and observation thereof.
Wednesday, March 31 was such an opportunity. As the PeaceNet
coordinator I try to keep my eye on the actions taking place here in
the neighborhood, so that I can cover them for IGC, if only in
photos. I learned from the network that on March 31st, there would be
not one but two demonstrations related to the NATO air strikes in
Yugoslavia. I packed up the camera and prepared to spend the day in
front of the White House.
Shortly after 11 A.M., I arrived in Lafayette Park to attend a rally
sponsored by the National Albanian American Council. It was promoted
as a rally to "Stop the Genocide." I was prepared for an emotional
experience, but not at all ready for what I actually encountered. I
will say at the outset that I am horrified at the slaughter and the
violent displacement of ethnic Albanians in Kosova. In my heart and
in my mind I know this needs to stop. I was expecting to be swept up
in the moment.
As I approached I saw a large crowd waving American Flags shouting "U-
S-A! U-S-A!" I wondered if I was in the wrong place. It reminded me
of the Olympics or a national political party convention. As I got
closer the Albanian flags came into view. I did see much of what I
anticipated -- parents and children worried about their grandparents,
people chanting about independence for Kosova, and bringing an end to
the genocide. But then my stomach turned.
There was a NATO pep rally going on around me. Adults and children
alike yelling, "Bomb, NATO, bomb!" Signs saying "Send in the ground
troops!" And a Yugoslavian flag was burned. I know very clearly that
these are people whose families are being executed, or driven from
their homes. I know they feel like every peaceful alternative has
been exhausted. "We signed the peace accord, we lived up to our
part." But it really truly stunned me to see the vehement call for
more violence. There was no shortage of passion in this rally.
Granted most participants had been bussed in from other cities as
Washington has a very small Albanian community, but orchestrated or
not the passion was real.
>From the stage, speaker after speaker -- representing the
administration, Albanian-American organizations, the American Jewish
Committee and others demanded stronger actions from NATO. "The only
solution is to get troops on the ground as soon as possible." "NATO
must be on the ground as soon as possible." "Inaction would deepen
despair." Only the former ambassador to Albania acknowledged that
bombing meant more killing, not less.
My heart broke a little more when a child spoke from the stage and
said, "I may only be nine years old, so I don't kow how to bring
Milosevic to the bargaining table. I do know the only way to stop him
is to bomb him."
What's a pacifist to do? I can't bring myself to believe that
dropping bombs or sending in ground troops is a morally responsible
action. And yet, what are the alternatives?
So later in the day I crossed the street to the White House where a
"Stop the Bombing" protest was taking place. Here's where I'd find my
answers about the alternatives. Here's where my pacifist leanings
would be strengthened again. At least that is what I thought.
What I found was a protest without heart or soul. The passion, the
spirit I saw earlier was nowhere in evidence. I saw mostly the usual
suspects walking their slow oval on the sidewalk in front of 1600
Pennsylvania Avenue, being led through a series of chants. "Clinton,
Clinton, you can't hide, bombing equals genocide!" Yes, I agree. But
tell me something more than that dropping bombs is bad. Tell me what
to do. Help me think this through.
There were more tourists pushing past the line of sign-bearers to
peer through the fence at the White House than in the protest itself.
Most folks took a photo and moved on. A man approached me and asked
if he could tell me why he was protesting. I eagerly said, "Yes,
please do!" and he handed me a photocopied sheet of paper and walked
away. It basically said that bombing is bad.
Please tell me I don't have to choose between escalated bombing and
escalated ethnic cleansing. What's a pacifist to do?
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