PGHIMC - Pittsburgh Independent Media Center

THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING IN DC O26
by pjd Saturday, Oct. 19, 2002 at 1:11 PM
pdonahue@libcom.com 412-681-4408

Effective resistance against a war that could kill millions is at risk if failure due to what this writer percieves as petty bickering.

I am sure everyone reading this is aware of the rally and march planned in Washington DC on October 26. The importance of a huge turnout (at least quarter million) CANNOT be overstated! A weak turnout will be worse than no turnout at all.

An yet, I percieve an odd sort of apathy regarding this event among the student-activist organizations in Pittsburgh. I was shocked to find this on POG's site:

"Last years anti-war movement dissolved due to lack of direction, fading interest, and constant in-fighting.
The Thomas Merton Center has done a awesome job this time around as war approaches. We don't know what type of role our group can fill, but we are eager to see what results the Thomas Merton Center can help Pittsburgh attain."

Additionally, I understand that a good number of activists are planning on not going to DC because the organizers are affiliated with political groups which are rather authoritarian in their perspectives.

Well, it seems to me these perspectives are pretty petty, considering the millions of human lives that could be threatened by this war.

The idea of ANY activist organizing group sitting on the sidelines to see what other groups can do on such an urgent issue incredibly irresponsible.

Let me make a rather obvious suggestions of what "type of role" your group can fulfill:

1. First, you can make sure your own warm body is in DC expressing your rage on October 26.

2. Second, you can make sure as many other angry yelling bodies are there too, through flyering, cajoling, wahtever it takes.

3. Third, you can arrainge the appropriate transportation for fulfilling #1 and #2 above.

Pursuant to the above, I will be buying three tickets on one of the Merton Center buses. I will be using one of them. If the buses fill up, I will give all of them away and my Pickup with a cap is available as an overflow vehicle which can carry six including driver.

The most important thing is that, short of serious illness, ther are NO EXCUSES for not being in DC on O26.

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