Nashville protest

A protest in Nashville

People of faith in Nashville protest to Bush against his war plans

One community takes a stand for peace
[9-21-02]

This reported has been forwarded from Nashville by Witherspoon Issues Analyst Gene TeSelle.

In Nashville, religious leaders organized what they consider a very successful witness for peace, warning against the rush toward a unilateral attack on Iraq. They wondered whether they were the first, since the media had not mentioned other such activities in other cities. Now they learn that the media cannot be trusted to give full or accurate reporting. So they decided to get the word out to people of faith in other communities, with a few "how to" suggestions based on their own experience. They would welcome similar narratives from other cities.

Can you report on local actions in your area? Please send a note and we'll share it here.

Jane Hanna reports on anti-war efforts in Santa Fe, NM

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Here's the story:

When President Bush came to Nashville on September 18 to raise funds for Senate candidate Lamar Alexander and make what turned out to be a major speech responding to Iraq's offer to allow weapons inspections, he was greeted by crowd of about 300 people who gathered to raise questions about the administration's rush toward a unilateral attack on Iraq. Old-timers said it was the biggest and most representative turnout since the civil rights and Vietnam actions of the sixties.

About ten days before the scheduled event, several ministers got the idea of making some kind of public witness for peace. They called an open meeting to explore the idea, making sure that an interracial and interfaith group gathered at an accessible site. Then word was passed through a number of networks--African American ministers, mainline churches and synagogues, the Interfaith Alliance, the Nashville Peace and Justice Center, involved congregations, the Green Party, and so on. Then a larger and more representative gathering approved a statement (actually a series of questions) and worked out the details. Some people said they received the notice on their computers as many as thirty times. In hindsight, one reason the act of witness was successful is that it began among people of faith. That way people knew how it would be "framed." Then word spread through a variety of networks. The turnout had the full range of racial and ethnic groups, ages, and lifestyles (the Green Party, for example, enlivened the occasion by holding tall bamboo poles decorated with streamers). It certainly helped that Naomi Tutu, daughter of Desmond Tutu, teaches at Fisk University and was present to make a statement.

The news reports were a mixed bag. Most of them voiced brief cliches about a "protest" or "demonstration" and gave equal time to a group of about twenty Iraqi demonstrators who wanted to topple Saddam Hussein by any means possible. A few reported on Naomi Tutu. National Public Radio spoke of a "protest" by "about a hundred people," despite a hard count of three hundred. It makes you wonder how much you can trust the media, even NPR, to give a straight report on anything.

Here is the statement prepared by the group.

WHY ARE WE HERE?

A number of people in middle Tennessee, clergy and laity, have been extremely concerned about the buildup toward a U.S. attack on Iraq. Serious issues are involved, and the President's visit to Nashville compels us to reflect upon them. As people of faith we are called to seek peace wherever we can. We therefore urge the President and other elected officials to consider these issues seriously, and we call on them to search for solutions other than all-out war. We abhor the prospect of bloodshed and suffering, and we also fear the uncertainties resulting from a unilateral attack by the U.S. upon Iraq.

1. What has led several members of the previous Bush administration, and several Republican leaders in Congress, to caution against a hasty decision to attack Iraq?

2. Why have most other governments, including NATO allies and the Arab states, expressed concern or outright opposition to an attack on Iraq?

3. What use has been made of diplomatic channels, including the United Nations, to resolve current tensions?

4. Will Congress be fully consulted, and will it receive all pertinent information before it is asked to vote?

5. How seriously is international law being taken, since it permits acts of war only in self-defense and prohibits pre-emptive attacks? Would an unprovoked attack against Iraq set a dangerous precedent that would undermine the very foundations of international security?

6. Would a U.S. war against an Arab nation destabilize the Gulf region and the Middle East, adding fuel to the fires of violence already at work?

7. Are we prepared for the financial and human costs of a campaign?

8. Since one of the stated goals is "regime change" in Iraq, would existing tensions within Iraq and with its neighbors really be resolved?

We call upon all persons of faith to join with us in a witness for peace, crying out to the President and elected leaders to resolve these issues peacefully and avoid a military intervention in Iraq.