No problem. Glad you asked.
When I first wrote about the Moratorium, back on Sept. 11, McBride -- the one who says " I don't read liberal blogs" had a snide response , pretty much suggesting I was naive to think it could make any difference, and that it bordered on treasonous to say anything against the war on September 11. (That's apparently a new national holiday, War Day.)
Some of her thoughtful commentary:
On the anniversary of Sept. 11, on the day after our top general in Iraq states that Iraq is considered the central front in the war against Al-Qaida, and shortly after Osama bin Laden releases a video saying the same.... the man known as Xoff pushes an Iraq war "moratorium"....Well, Friday's Moratorium Day #3, and McBride will be surprised to learn it's gained a pretty solid foothold and continuing to grow, expand and escalate. There might even be a few schools closed.
Xoff's suggested moratorium, borrowed from another group, includes such gems as "closing schools" (whatever that's about... how is Xoff planning to close a school?)...
So ... as I walk down to the vending machine at UWM to get some cheap coffee, am I suddenly supposed to stop in my tracks and rant and rave about the war and the evil neocons who are in cahoots with Halliburton and the Saudis?
What's going on? Well, for starters, from an article I did for BuzzFlash :
On Friday, Nov. 16, antiwar activists will take the "Anti-Torture Train" to San Jose, Calif., where more than 20 groups are sponsoring a march, picket, and news conference in front of a corporation that organizers say profits from illegal kidnappings and torture by handling the logistics for the CIA's so-called "extraordinary rendition" flights -- torture flights.Will it stop the war?
On the way, they will leaflet Caltrain passengers to educate them about U.S. torture policy, the CIA's "extraordinary rendition" of suspects to other countries for abusive interrogation, and efforts in Congress to end the practice.
In New York City, a morning rush hour action at Union Square will feature hand-painted Pietas and black-clad leafleters.
Protesters in a number of cities will bang pots and pans in front of Congressional offices, as part of the Raise Hell for Molly Ivins campaign, inspired by the late progressive columnist and activist.
In Minneapolis and St. Paul, a student walkout is planned at a number of schools and campuses at noon, with an all-day teach-in and workshops, reminiscent of the 1969 Vietnam War Moratorium, at Macalester College.
Students from 15 colleges and universities in the Boston area, dressed in black, will walk in a silent procession to call for an end to the war in Iraq.
In Conway, Ark., boots representing fallen Alabama service members will be displayed during a rally that includes an open microphone for people who want to speak, sing a song, or read a poem.
In hundreds of other communities across the country, groups will hold vigils or rallies, while tens of thousands of individuals take some personal action to call for an end to the war.
The question is, will anything stop the war?
One thing I know: Doing something is infinitely more likely to stop the war than doing nothing.
That's the whole idea behind the Moratorium, which doesn't try to tell anyone what to do on Moratorium Day, the third Friday of every month. It merely asks that they do something to show that they want the war to end.
There are plenty of suggestions on the Moratorium website, as well as a listing of events and actions around the country, including several in Wisconsin.
Please do something, whatever you're comfortable with, on Friday, even if it's only wearing a button or emailing your representatives in Congress.
Of course, if you want to steal McBride's idea and "rant and rave about the war and the evil neocons who are in cahoots with Halliburton ..." that's OK, too.
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