American Views Abroad


Monday, September 26, 2005
 





Americans Against the War in France at their demonstration on Saturday in Paris. The strategic placement at Place Concorde allowed AAW to meet many Americans who were coming out from Tuileries and people signed up to join them and be on their e-mail list. In Florence, Italy numerous U.S. students stopped by and participated in the vigil and expressed their intention of working with opponents to the war over the next year. In Rome an American couple from Massachusetts celebrating their 25 wedding anniversary decided to reschedule a privately arranged tour to join demonstrators in front of the U.S. Embassy. www.peaceandjustice.it

It takes lots of small steps to make a movement. Last weekend I had the opportunity of meeting a young US soldier who recently decided to apply for Conscientious Objector status. He did not take this step lightly, but rather thought very long and hard about it. He had attended and graduated from a Bible college and could quote scripture on why one shouldn't kill, in particular in a situation like Iraq. 'How', he asked, 'do I know if who I might be shooting and killing is actually a terrorist or just a simple Iraqi citizen going about his or her daily chores?' In today's Hamburg newspaper an article on the anti-war march in front of the White House quotes The Washington Post on how the image of the US abroad could not be worse. It talks about very broad, deeply felt anger at US policies and actions and how, according to polls, majorities in the Middle East see Bush as a greater threat than Osama bin Laden.

I asked the young soldier what the tone of conversation on current events on base is like. His answer was they never talk about current events or politics. His feeling was that close to 75% probably do not want to be sent to Iraq, but the Army operates on a 'buddy' system. To question or to decide not to fight means putting your buddies in danger or letting them down. There is a Military Counseling Network (MCN) in Germany run by the Deutsches Mennitisches Friedenskomitee (DMFK), known as the Mennonite Mission Network in the USA. MCN is a network of organizations prepared to provide a service to those soldiers who are questioning going to war or want to know more about military discharges and regulations. They are a non-profit, civilian organization where all conversations and correspondence is confidential. http://www.mc-network.de/ or email: mcn@dmfk.de.

A first hand account plus interviews with 30+ protestors at Voices from the Frontlines of Protest, Washington, DC at www.tomdispatch.com.

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