Honk for PEACE!
Photographs & Article
by Julie MARDIN
(New York) On March 8, International Women’s
Day, Brooklyn Parents for Peace and Brooklyn Heights Peace
Action organized a rally in front of Hillary Clinton’s
midtown New York office.
There were several other anti-war events in the
city that day, and this was just one more spark in what
was already apparent as a massive world wide movement.
This particular event was to send a warning to
the "missing in action" Senator, calling on
her to find her voice on this war or these constituents
would be missing in action for her come next election
time. They
were there to issue her a pink slip, as members of the
colorful women's anti-war group Code Pink had done in
her Washington office just the day before.
One estimate of the turnout was about 600 people,
the sidewalk filled with families, from toddlers to dignified,
silver-haired citizens, sporting pink capes, scarves and
feather boas.
The
music and speeches took place amidst the ongoing sounds
of car honks, in response to the protestors’ Honk
for Peace Signs.
With a line up that included college professors
and cross dressers, one group, the Missile Dick Chicks,
wore missiles as big silver phalluses, plugged their ears
and pretended to dismiss the speeches of their colleagues.
Along
with all the creative and theatrical modes of expression,
there was a very high level of analysis to the speeches,
stressing the contradictions between Hillary's purported
support for children and her decision to vote for the
War Powers Resolution.
Many called for her now, five months later, with
the president declaring his right to unilateralism and
pre-emptive war, to support the Kennedy-Byrd Resolution
demanding a new vote.
As
the crowd broke up, many were still lingering and exchanging
ideas for tactics and possible strategies.
One lady who had come all the way from Canada elucidated
on the possibility for the UN General Assembly stepping
in where the Security Council had failed to uphold the
UN mission. Another
lady spoke of the circumstances by which the US could
be taken to the International Court of Justice.
Now that the US has fully engaged itself in this
war, these possibilities have to be looked into and pursued
as quickly as possible.
Can we find ways to halt the madness?
Sign
a petition to support UN Resolution 388, calling for the
General Assembly to call for a cease fire:
http://www.ufp.ht.st/
If
our leaders won't act responsibly and humanely than who
will but the American people?
We have to hold our leaders accountable.
Sign a petition supporting the movement towards
impeachment:
http://www.votetoimpeach.org/
E-mail:
juliemardin@earthlink.net
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