Vigil flyer

2005-01-06

Here is a flyer that two friends and I wrote, for giving out at our vigil against the war -- we hold the vigil weekly for one hour in downtown Highland Park, Illinois -- dressed in black, with signs held up showing the increasing numbers of military and civilian dead -- and the people going by are mostly supportive, though some wondered why are we standing there. So we will give out this flyer:

WHY DO WE STAND HERE?

• TWENTY-ONE MONTHS HAVE NOW ELAPSED SINCE THE INVASION OF IRAQ, AND IT HAS BECOME OBVIOUS THAT THERE IS NO END IN SIGHT. WE HAVE BEEN REPEATEDLY TOLD THAT "VICTORY" IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER.
• FIRST IT WAS THE "END OF MAJOR COMBAT OPERATIONS" -- NEXT IT WAS THE CAPTURE OF SADDAM HUSSEIN -- AFTER THAT IT WAS THE JUNE 30TH TURNOVER OF POWER TO THE INTERIM GOVERNMENT -- FINALLY WE ARE PROMISED THAT THE JANUARY 30TH ELECTIONS WILL BE THE PANACEA THAT FIXES ALL THAT IS WRONG.
• WITH EACH SUCCESSIVE MILESTONE WE HAVE WITNESSED ONLY INCREASED VIOLENCE AND ESCALATION IN THE BODY COUNTS ON BOTH SIDES. WE ARE BECOMING A NATION WHOSE POLICY IS THE TORTURE OF PRISONERS, A NATION THAT BOMBS CIVILIANS AND TURNS ENTIRE CITIES INTO RUBBLE IN THE NAME OF DEMOCRACY.
• THESE ACTS ARE NOW THE AMERICAN WAY OF WAR. IF THIS CONTINUES, HOW LONG BEFORE THEY BECOME THE AMERICAN WAY OF LIFE?
• IT'S TIME WE STOOD UP AND TOOK RESPONSIBILITY FOR WHAT WE HAVE CREATED -- AND WHAT WE HAVE DESTROYED. IT'S TIME TO STOP HIDING AND ADMIT THAT IN ATTEMPTING TO STOP A MONSTER WE HAVE BECOME ONE OURSELVES. IT'S TIME TO REMEMBER WHAT AMERICA USED TO BE,COULD BE AND SHOULD ALWAYS BE -- A PLACE WHERE HONESTY IS NOT TREASON, WHERE PEACE IS PREFERABLE TO WAR, AND WHERE THE LIFE OF EACH AND EVERY MAN, WOMAN AND CHILD IN THIS WORLD HAS VALUE TO US ALL.
• STOP THE KILLING -- STOP THE TORTURE -- STOP THE WAR. BRING OUR TROOPS HOME NOW.