Written after mass protests against the war in Iraq turned into attempts to block the afternoon commute in San Francisco.
When the headlines say "thousands protest in the streets," that gets a positive message across. When they say "hundreds arrested," the message is entirely different.
Not In Our Name suggests:
Saturday, March 22
March and Rally at Noon. Meet at SF Civic Center.
I admit, I don't know if this is the same kind of march and rally as the others I attended (or wanted to.) I don't know if it's indended to be peaceful and positive or angry and random. But I like to have the illusion that most Californians who're against the war are peaceful and positive people, and that most of us will be out there marching.
Today I'll be sending FAXes to my elected (and otherwise) officials, reminding them that we're all marching in part due to anger that our views are being ignored in this supposedly representative democracy. I'll send a different version to Barbara Lee, of course, and I'll most likely send copies to assorted newspapers and to NPR.
This may not be as big and flashy as "no business as usual," and it certainly won't make me a martyr, but I've always had pretty good luck getting my ideas across when I put sufficient time and caring into it.
Here's where my friend mentioned Gandhi.
Hmm, let's see what Ghandi had to say....
"Our peaceful non-co-operation must needs be constructive, not destructive"
"Reasoned and willing obedience to the laws of the State is the first lesson in non-co-operation."
"Non-co-operation in an angry atmosphere is an impossibility."
"In placing civil disobedience before constructive work I was wrong and I did not profit by the Himalayan blunder that I had committed."
"The principle of ahimsa is hurt by every evil thought, by undue haste, by lying, by hatred, by wishing ill to anybody."
"The best way of losing a cause is to abuse your opponent and to trade upon his weakness."
"It is the acid test of nonviolence that in a nonviolent conflict there is no rancor left behind, and in the end the enemies are converted into friends."
