Quaker House 40th Anniversary

Submitted by heuer on Sun, 10/18/2009 - 8:02pm

On Saturday, Oct. 17, Fayetteville's Quaker House celebrated "40 years of frontline peace witness--and just getting started." Fayetteville (aka FayetteNam and FayetteStan) is also the major launching pad for US imperial misadventures.

Retired Us Army Ranger officer Stan Goff spoke about the catastrophic prospects of US escalation of the war in Afghanistan.

10 year veterans of the GI Rights Hotline, Steve Woolford and Lenore Yarger spoke about the varieties of miltary experiences that persuade service members to inquire about conscientious objection to war.

Winston-Salem attorney Hoppy Elliot spoke about defending Guantanamo detainees who had confessions tortured out of them.

Finally, War Resistor League organizers Coleman Smith and Clare Hanrahan spoke about their recent travels from Tennessee to Alabama, Georgia, Viginia, and the Carolinas, working to galvanize the peace movement in the South.

Come to The Unitarian-Universalist Fellowship of Raleigh, 3313 Wade Avenue on Tuesday, Oct. 27, 7:00pm, to hear the last of 5 NC appearances of the "Peace Mom and the Patriot" speaking tour of Cindy Sheehan and Col. Bob Bowman, sponsored by NC Veterans for Peace, CodePink women for Peace, NC Peace Action, Women's Int'l League for Peace and Freedom.

Thanks, heuer!

Submitted by Betsy Muse on Mon, 10/19/2009 - 7:05am.

Will add that date to our calendar.



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Currently lacking a witty signature.

War Resisters League

Submitted by James on Mon, 10/19/2009 - 12:29pm.

My son interned for them in NYC about 10 years ago, following in his daddy's quiet footsteps.

Wow !! This might be too "far" left for me

Submitted by Foxtrot on Mon, 10/19/2009 - 5:05pm.

I'm definately someone that works for the democratic party and do my part speaking my peace about the liberal agenda in our country as it applies to the "change" I personally believe we need and why I worked for and voted for President Obama. But, I draw the line at not going after those that perpetrated 911. For me, that was a defining point in my dedication to my country. I was against our involvement in Iraq and remain so. But, to believe that our great country should not go after and eventually give justice to the people that killed nearly 3,000 of our citizens and gave our nation a black eye is unforgiveable to me.

Maybe I am seen as some kind of radical or some kind of weak democrat. If that is how I am seen, then I will accept that. I know the arguments to what I've said. God knows I have seen what the people that defend against what I say have said. It does not affect my inner feelings. To me, we were attacked, we lost thousands of Americans and we must bring those that did this to justice, whatever it takes. I firmly believe if we don't, we will realize far greater atrocities in our country.

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Republicans are the party that says government doesn't work and then they get elected and prove it.
__ P.J. O'Rourke

Even more people have died fighting these phony wars

Submitted by Stan on Sun, 11/08/2009 - 11:06pm.

and to what good, lasting, meaningful result? The only thing I can think of is that Saddam Hussein and his two beastly offspring are dead. Hardly worth the cost in lives, anguish and so on...in my opinion. There are other ways. And, I suspect the Saudi's had a lot more to do with 9/11 than Iraq ... and Afghanistan is a foolish undertaking. Ask the Brits and Russians.

Some of us remember (vividly) a place called Vietnam...and the 58,000+ lives lost for NOTHING.

We should have quietly and stealthily arranged for some mishaps for those involved and responsible...leaving an unmistakeable signature of justice achieved. It could have been done. Still could.

Stan Bozarth

Reasonable people can disagree...

Submitted by AynRand on Mon, 10/19/2009 - 5:26pm.

regarding the "merits" of waging a conventional war in Afghanistan. Quite the thorny issue. Glad that you are thinking and not in lockstep, Foxtrot.

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Who is John Galt?

Conventional war?

Submitted by Foxtrot on Mon, 10/19/2009 - 6:45pm.

I did not say anything about waging a "conventional war" with Afghanistan. Not sure where that came from or maybe I misunderstood what you were getting at. In any case, there are many ways to get to the inner dealings with regard to Al Qaeda and/or the Taliban. We have a very highly developed intelligence system in America and sooner or later, Bin Laden and his band of thieves will be found and eliminated if we have the "stick-to-it-ness" to get-er-done. America, to me, is the greatest country that ever existed on this earth and will eventually do what is right. The radical muslim philosophy is to "wait it out" in a way that may take them decades to just overcome our diligence against their quest to eventually bring the entire world into their religious control. Radical? Perhaps. Possible? Any reasonable person knows it is. Without due diligence, it could eventually happen.

A huge percentage of the world is muslim. Europe is pretty much being innunendated by muslim immigration and they have been successful in changing their customs and heritage and overall culture a great deal. America is seeing more and more muslim influx and in some states we are seeing that culture demanding changes within our own customs and heritage and overall culture. It is just a matter of time. They haven't come here to blend into our culture as all others have. They have come here to CHANGE our culture to meet theirs. They are patient. They are taking incremental steps. They are smart.

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Republicans are the party that says government doesn't work and then they get elected and prove it.
__ P.J. O'Rourke

The desire for revenge is

Submitted by boball on Tue, 10/20/2009 - 11:40am.

completely understandable. After all if we kill the perpetrators of 9/11, then we will be safe(r). Or will we? There are these two questions that I have been thinking about. They are:

1) Why do we fight?

and

2) Why do they hate us?

If you conclude that "they" are out to get us and destroy us because of who we are, then we fight to preserve our way of life. This is one of the premises of the Bush Doctrine: they hate us for our liberties and our democracy and therefore preemption is required. The end justifies the means.

If you believe instead that they hate us not because of who we are, but that we occupy their lands and take their treasures (oil/resources), then a different approach might be required. Under this second assumption, merely killing the 9/11 planners will not necessarily improve our security because the underlying causes will remain.

Shane Ralston of Penn State wrote about this:

So, do they, the terrorists and dictators, hate us, Americans, for our freedoms? Surely not; though possibly they, including many non-terrorists and non-dictators, hate us for the Bush Doctrine. The Bush Doctrine is internally flawed when judged by the lights of its own core assumptions: (i) its conservatism and (ii) its universalism. When juxtaposed against Dewey’s theses that freedom is a function of culture and that democratic ends require democratic means, cracks in the armor of the Bush Doctrine become evident. Following from these juxtapositions, the most devastating objections are that the Bush Doctrine appeals to a culturally-specific tradition of freedom and democracy, demands widespread social-cultural reengineering and advocates undemocratic methods, such as excessive militarism and torture, to achieve democratic peace and security. So, despite what most will agree are its two core assumptions, the Bush Doctrine proves to be neither universal nor conservative.

-b
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There cannot fail to be more kinds of things, as nature grows further disclosed. - Sir Francis Bacon

Muslims in America=a danger?

Submitted by teenadvocatedan on Sat, 10/24/2009 - 9:16am.

Yes, there is a real threat of terror attacks on the US and yes, that threat comes from radical islamic groups. However, you seem to say here that because there are muslims immigrating to Europe and the US that it is only a matter of time. This seems to suggest that muslims are moving to america so they can execute their evil plot against the western world, or that just because someone practices islam they are an enemy. This is very wrong, and only a tiny tiny fraction of people who practice islam are radicals who want to blow things up. I find it ignorant and offensive to suggest otherwise.

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It is much more than that, Teen

Submitted by Foxtrot on Sat, 10/24/2009 - 4:38pm.

I know that the "youth driven" environment in America is far, far more liberal than most of the "elderly" groups in our country (which isn't a bad thing, really). I also know that the youths are being taught, in many ways, that we should accept cultures within our American boarders that, even if they do want to change our culture, should be accepted because accepting different cultures in America is part of our heritage. But, the key phrase I have put here is "even if they do want to change our culture". Other cultures (Irish, Italian, African, you name it) have come here and have "blended" into how we live as Americans. I am very suspect to what the Muslim community that is growing here will do after reading so many accounts of what this very community has done, is doing within Europe and Canada and even in some of our states. We should not be asked to change who we are to accomodate other's customs. Accepting them here is just fine, changing who we are as a country is not.

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Republicans are the party that says government doesn't work and then they get elected and prove it.
__ P.J. O'Rourke


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