A BUZZFLASH NEWS ANALYSIS
by Christine Bowman

Tuesday, August 28 was a rallying day for activists against the US-Iraq War. Thirty-one targeted US representatives and 9 senators felt the heat as Town Hall meetings and related protests across the country brought out crowds that let them know the American people want this war over now. Eighty anti-war events spanned 16 states.

Groups Continue to Pressure Lawmakers on Iraq [1] (The Caucus/NY Times)
[2]

BuzzFlash checked in at one such Town Hall protest held in Northbrook, Illinois. A coalition including MoveOn, Americans Against Escalation in Iraq, and Citizen Action/Illinois organized and manned the event, which brought out many hundreds of anti-war voters. Republican Congressman Mark Kirk, 10th Congressional District, was the focus of this particular group's ire. Rep. Kirk has voted 9 times to support the Bush war, the organizers indicated.

Rep. Jan Schakowsky, Democrat, 9th Congressional District, received a standing ovation and provided a stark contrast to the missing Mr. Kirk. A founder of the Out of Iraq congressional caucus, she had recently returned from a visit to Iraq. Security now, she indicated, requires heavy body armor and elaborate helicopter rides for even the briefest forays out of the Green Zone.

Schakowsky found it disturbing that her delegation was presented with an elaborate luncheon with Gen. Petraeus, featuring lobster tortellini, asparagus, and a ridiculous gilded menu. "Most disturbing of all," she said, though, were Petraeus' comments about the war's likely duration -- 9 to 10 more years. Despite that assessment, the commanding general also told the legislators, if the civilian leadership tells us we're getting out, we're getting out.

The need for citizen activism couldn't have been made any clearer. The need to change votes in Congress has reached a critical point.

Next up addressing the rally was Iraq War veteran Eugene Cherry. A medic who went AWOL for 16 months, without ever hearing from the Army, he eventually turned himself in, faced charges, and was discharged in July. Among the issues that he pointed out was that there must be some pretty big cracks in the military's record keeping, since the Army never even tried to look for him.

Another Iraq vet, Josh Lansdale, commented on the ominously large American Embassy built in Baghdad and described his videotaped efforts to urge Rep. Kirk to take a stand on Iraq. The video chase, posted at YouTube [3], has drawn 19,000 views.

Gold Star Mother Rose Marie Slavenas shared her outrage at needless deaths, including that of her son Brian, shot down over Fallujah. She also questioned why the National Guard and Coast Guard are in Iraq, not back home protecting us in the "homeland."

The anti-war, anti-Kirk rally ended as US Action [4] President William McNary invoked Martin Luther King, Jr. Echoing King's inspirational words aimed 40 years ago against the Viet Nam war, McNary brought the crowd to their feet once again.

Throughout the rally, Dan Seals was literally waiting in the wings. He is the Democratic congressional candidate who opposed Kirk in 2006 in the 10th district race. Seals' supporters were quietly gathering signatures on nominating petitions for a 2008 rematch.

http://www.noiraqescalation.org/ [5]

http://www.janschakowsky.org/ [6]

http://www.dansealsforcongress.com/ [7]

Mr. McNary quoted Dr. King's words, substituting "Iraq" for "Vietnam": "Somehow this madness must cease. We must stop now. I speak as a child of God and brother to the suffering poor of [Iraq]. I speak for those whose land is being laid waste, whose homes are being destroyed, whose culture is being subverted. I speak for the poor of America who are paying the double price of smashed hopes at home and death and corruption in [Iraq]. I speak as a citizen of the world, for the world as it stands aghast at the path we have taken. I speak as an American to the leaders of my own nation. The great initiative in this war is ours. The initiative to stop it must be ours."

http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/45a/058.html [8]

Perhaps the most ominous sign of discontent with the Iraq War and its supporters, such as GOP Congressman Kirk, was the turnout at the Northbrook, Illinois town meeting. 250 -300 voters supporting an end to the war had to be turned away from the event because the fire department capacity had been reached for the meeting room early on.

A BUZZFLASH NEWS ANALYSIS

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