PGHIMC - Pittsburgh Independent Media Center

May day in New Castle/Education focus of tactics
by Isaac Ludwig Wednesday, Mar. 26, 2003 at 2:58 AM
ludwigih@westminster.edu 724-946-3815

May day call to action in New Castle and thoughts on future anti-war tactics education

This is a multi-purpose post because there are a few things on my mind right now that I would like to convey. First, to address the current looming controversy about civil disobedience, what it accomplishes and the justification in blocking traffic to illustrate a point. I would like to urge you all to read Dr. Martin Luther King Jr�s letter from the Birmingham jail (http://almaz.com/nobel/peace/MLK-jail.html). This well said piece orates key points about the background, usefulness, and justification of civil disobedience as well as some other things. I think Dr. King sums up the whole argument more eloquently than any seemingly endless ranting about the issue.

Secondly I would like to inform you all about my groups future anti-war plans and activities. This weekend we are planning on attending protests in Youngstown on the 29th and Pittsburgh on the 30th. As for the coming weeks we are planning on attending the Erie action on the 6th, DC the weekend of the 12th, and ongoing Pittsburgh actions. Also, on May first we are planning another day of protest in New Castle, PA. Anyone who would like to pledge their support in any way is more than welcome to call or e-mail me. In the next month we will be gathering another all-star speaking line-up, endorsements and launching another media campaign, which all take very much time and effort as I�m sure most of you know. Any help is always appreciated.

It is very important to me that this movement�s momentum keeps up, but I agree with Ben O'Dell in the earlier post about the changing of the movement�s focus. We must all realize that our country almost certainly not pull out unless this becomes a war which sustains many American causalities (which, for the more uneducated readers out there that we may have� almost all of the people in this movement don�t want to see). I have friends in the military, as do many other people who do not advocate this unjust war, and you would be right in assuming that I do not wish death upon my own friends.

As for a focus of a message that looks to the future as well as the present, I believe that while we should still be visibly opposed to the war, we need to take great strides to public education. The education of this engagement sets a dangerous pretext to preemptive war that some have already been speculating may be used to engage in future confrontation with countries such as North Korea, Iran, Libya, Syria, Colombia, and even Cuba. We need to make sure that this does not happen in the future.

The strides we have made in sociopolitical change cannot and will not stop here. We need to take our voice to the ballot. We need to vote for leaders who will change our country for the good. I do not wish to take this time to campaign for any certain party, I would like to take this time to urge you to simply be informed, active voters who vote for candidates who are genuine and will stand by their constituents. In closing please keep educating yourselves, don�t tear each other apart with petty arguments, wear your white armbands in solidarity with the anti-war movement, and stay active and vigilant in this wave of sociopolitical change.

Isaac Ludwig

Westminster College Green Party PR Chair

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