Refuse & Resist The Atmosphere of Retribution & Repression

In an instant the world changed. Fireballs, followed by days of dust and smoke . . . the rewind button seems to be permanently pressed: the twin towers, one then the other, disappearing into the earth; thousands running in terror chased by clouds of death; desperate faces, hoping against hope for friends and loved ones ripped away. Images replayed and rewound on TV and seared into our hearts.

People were moved to reach out. Everyone felt like family all different ages, nationalities, pulling together to help the victims. But at the same time, the government cold heartedly moved to strike back. Vengeance, War, and Punishment . . . This is the mantra and plan of the whole power structure in Washington --- from Bush to Congress. In an appeal and echo of his fundamentalist base, Bush vowed to unleash a “crusade against evildoers” conjuring up images of 21st century world-wide witch hunts and carnage. Cheney, Bush and Powell have called for the people to sacrifice for a multi-year war, and Congress has lined up beating the drums of war.

All this is wrapped in red, white and blue. The policy makers and the media speak and act as if history began on September 11, 2001 an “unprecedented” act of terror, they say. Those who want to ask why this happened feel pressured to stand behind the flag and the calls for
retribution. But, what about the more than ½ million Iraqi children dead as a result of the 10-year US embargo? What about tens of thousands of retreating Iraqi soldiers incinerated on the ‘highway of death’ by US bombs in 1992? What about the Palestinians who have endured US made missiles and munitions for decades? What about thousands in Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Chile killed by US-trained death squads? People from coast to coast wonder what horror will come next. Our response must be: The US government’s call for revenge and war needs to be opposed.

Today, people of Arab and Muslim descent fear for their lives and safety as scores of racist, pogromist attacks have been recorded. These attacks come alongside rampant racial profiling with intense scrutiny by police officers searching only for suspects of Middle Eastern and Indian origin. This anti-Arab sentiment has been unleashed by the holy war that Republicans and Democrats alike want to rain down on the Mideast and is fueled by radio jocks like Howard Stern and other rantings in the media. All attacks on Arab and Muslim people must be opposed.

Congress has only just begun enacting dangerous new police powers saying that we must re-adjust the equation between “freedom and safety.” With a wave of the flag, repressive and intrusive spying policies that have been in their pipeline of punishment for years are being rammed through. We need to oppose new repressive powers and laws.

All of this we pledge to refuse and resist. With great love and compassion for those who have suffered personal losses, we call on all people to act and accept responsibility for building a different future.

Oppose the US War Moves!
Oppose all attacks on Arabs and Muslims!
Oppose New Repressive Powers and Laws!

September 18, 2001