Michael T. McPhearson: Sitting In To Stop The War

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http://www.tompaine.com/articles/2007/03/16/sitting_in_to_stop_the_war.php

Sitting In To Stop The War
Michael T. McPhearson
March 16, 2007

Michael T. McPhearson is the executive director of Veterans For Peace, which is supporting nonviolent civil disobedience in local cities across the United States March 16-19, 2007


My first open act of civil disobedience took place February 27 at the office of Rep. Russ Carnahan, D-Mo. I had gone with three veterans and other activists as part of the Occupation Project, to persuade Carnahan to vote against any bills that continue to provide funding for the war in Iraq. Jim Allen, a member of our entourage, and I, decided to sit in to protest Carnahan’s refusal to pledge not to continue funding for the war. As a result, Jim and I were arrested.

Carnahan’s basic rap is that he is against the escalation and believes the war must come to an end. He cannot promise to vote against a bill he has not seen. He thinks that Rep. John Murtha’s, D-Penn., plan is promising: to restrict, through oversight, the ability of the president to continue the war and placing high standards on troop readiness before deployment. But, he said, he does not want to de-fund the troops. We explained that de-funding the war is not de-funding the troops; legislative restrictions on the executive branch will not end the war. Giving money to the president for the war will only prolong the war.

We also told him that Democrats should put the president on the defensive and make him explain why he continues to wage war when Congress has demanded a change of course based on the mandate from the American people. We emphasized that every day Congress spends looking for less direct ways to end the war, on average three U.S. service members die, as do many Iraqi children, women and men.

Unfortunately, we reached little agreement beyond the obvious—the war must end. It appears that most Democrats and Veterans For Peace are on a different timetable.

Our sit-in at Rep. Carnahan’s office was part of weeks of outreach and meetings to change his mind. I decided that I was not leaving until I received a satisfactory answer. Thus I was willing to risk arrest.

There are many who ask, “Do you really think being arrested will make a difference?” No, I do not know if my refusal to leave and subsequent arrest will make a difference. However, I do know that inaction will change nothing.

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