About a War . . .

[DP]

File this one under the “You’re never to old to . . .” category. I’m 47 years old – going on 48 – and last month I did something for the first time in my life. I met with my representatives in the U.S. Senate. Both of them.

Well, actually, I didn’t meet with them personally; I met with their aides. On April 15th, I spoke with Senator Patty Murray’s aide, a dignified and soft-spoken woman named Ardis, in the senator’s Federal Building office in downtown Seattle. A week later I met with Senator Maria Cantwell’s aide, an enthusiastic young man named Nate, at a coffee shop in West Seattle. At both meetings I brought along a few like-minded friends from a local group I belong to, the West Seattle Neighbors for Peace and Justice. (Or maybe they brought me along; I can’t remember.)

Anyway, the meeting was about a war. The Iraq war, specifically. My friends and I wanted to ask the senators to stop using our money to fund the occupation of Iraq. We wanted them to vote against the next war appropriations bill proposed by the president.

In Senator Murray’s office we went around the room, introduced ourselves, and shared our feelings about the war. Some people read statements; some spoke from notes; some spoke straight from the heart. One fellow talked about America getting a bad reputation around the world for torturing people. Another person focused on how much the war was costing in lives and money. Someone else thanked Senator Murray for voting against the war back in 2003 but wondered why now, five years later, she was voting for it. When it was my turn I read from a letter I’d prepared. “Senator Murray,” I said, looking straight at Ardis, “We’ve destroyed Iraq and scattered its people, yet still the war goes on. It’s not a question of winning anymore, because by any objective standard, we’ve already lost. How many more people need to die before you pull the plug?”

Ardis listened patiently as we aired our grievances against her boss. Oddly enough, when she did speak, she made it sound as if the senator agreed with us completely.

“The senator has been very critical of President Bush,” she said. “Especially on the war.”

“If the senator agrees with us, then why doesn’t she vote to end the occupation?” we asked.

“She’s tried to,” Ardis said. “She’s voted for every bill that includes a timeline for ending the war, but the president has threatened to veto them, and there aren’t been enough votes to override his veto.”

“Well, if she can’t get a bill with a timeline, why doesn’t she just vote to cut off the funds for the war?” we said. “Why doesn’t she show some leadership on this issue?”

Ardis had a lot of answers, but she didn’t have an answer for that one.

“Wait till November,” she said. “When we get a bigger majority in Congress then maybe we can do something.”

Yeah. Maybe.

On the way out of the senator’s office I noticed a poster from some Army division fighting in the desert. It showed a soldier firing a mortar off into the distance. “Thanks for your support, Senator Murray!” it said.

With Senator Cantwell’s aide, Nate, it was the same “I feel your pain” story – except that Nate did a lot more talking. At first he seemed a little confused as to what we were about. He started off by castigating people in “the Beltway” who don’t hear what the folks back home are saying. “I understand your concerns,” he said, “and let me tell you that Senator Cantwell has worked very hard to support injured vets!”

“Excuse me,” I interrupted, “but from a veteran’s point of view, what do you think is better: To get your legs blown off and then get state-of-the-art rehab treatment? Or not to get your legs blown off in the first place?”

“You already know the answer to that question,” Nate shot back, “or you wouldn’t have asked it.”

(He was right.)

When someone mentioned the toll the Iraq war was taking on our infrastructure and social spending here at home, Nate sympathized. He told us a poignant story about the local food bank he volunteers at. It seems that lately they’ve been running out of food and have had to turn people away.

When a woman in our group related a personal experience with violence and expressed her fear that the war was hurting Iraqi children and sowing the seeds of future wars, Nate told us an anecdote about his own hardscrabble upbringing.

When Nate finally got down to the nitty-gritty he gave us the same response as Senator Murray’s aide had: Senator Cantwell is against the occupation. She just doesn’t believe in cutting off the funding, because that’s not “supporting the troops.” And besides, it’s politically risky.

Someone accused both Murray and Cantwell of having no guts.

“That’s wrong!” Nate snapped. “You should have seen Senator Murray stand up to John McCain on the Boeing supertanker deal! And you should have heard Maria criticizing the Chinese government about human rights!”

Huh!? A U.S. senator standing up for military contractors is not exactly what I call courageous. And criticizing other countries on their human rights records – while your own president is splitting hairs on the definition of torture – is a little disingenuous, if you ask me. But what do I know? I’m just an ordinary citizen. I don’t ask much of my senators, really. All I want is for them to stop spending my money to screw up other countries.

Ending the war in Iraq seems pretty straightforward to me, but if you ask Washington’s senators why they won’t vote to do it, you won’t get straightforward answers. What you’ll get is excuses. They’ll tell you about how complicated it all is, how they don’t have the votes behind them, and so on. They’ll sympathize with you completely, then they’ll tell you there’s nothing they can do.

I really don’t get that. As I read the Constitution, when it comes to starting or stopping a war, there’s everything Congress can do. It’s not that complicated. It’s as simple as drawing the purse strings closed in fact – with or without the blessing of the president.

How much “guts” does that take?

Apparently more than my senators have.

–D.P.

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[c@lbob]

The most egregious act of gutlessness I’ve seen so far, from Cantwell and McCain, is their failure to support the New GI Bill of Rights. Both claim to be introducing alternatives. Both alternatives are weak and useless. As far as I’m concerned, anyone who doesn’t support extension of the benefits the troops *have earned* should just shut up about support. The “excuse” for not supporting the most generous GI Bill is that if they get adequate benefits for leaving, they will (are you sitting down?) leave! I think that’s called involuntary servitude and some other war was fought to end it.

Thanks s much for going to talk with them, and for the informative report, DP.

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[JoB]

DP…

don’t let your first experience visiting your Senators stop you from going back.

I get the same kinds of responses to my visits and letters as you do.. but we need to keep going back anyway…

The only way to convince them we won’t take platitudes for an answer is to turn up repeatedly… and in ever growing numbers… on their doorsteps.

Good for you for taking your first step in what I hope will be many years of activism. Just think how much more time you will have to bug them once you retire:)

it’s something to look forward to.

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[TheHouse]

I disagree with how much we spend on Medicare, Welfare, Costs associated with Illegal Aliens and how much of our tax $$ are wasted on an inefficient government. That doesn’t mean that I can march down to my Senators office and pull the plug on all of these items.

I’ve stated this before….you can place whatever blame on our President and Congress for getting into this war, but a complete and immediate withdrawal is not a viable option based on instability in the country. Placing blame on things that occurred in the past doesn’t do anything constructive. Instead, propose a calculated plan that will solve all of our current issues over there.

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[JoB]

theHouse..

nobody gets to pull the plug on anything by visiting their Senators… but they will listen to anyone… even you.

so.. if it bothers you… go talk to them about it.

we would all get better service from our government if we did.

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[WSMom]

Don’t read this on an empty stomach….

http://www.theweekdaily.com/news_opinion/briefing/40617/briefing_the_iraq_money_pit.html

“The credit card war”

“The Iraq war, says economist Joseph Stiglitz, is “the first U.S. war financed entirely on credit.” When the war started, the Bush administration said it would cost no more than $60 billion. But the U.S. budget was already in deficit, so the administration had to borrow money to finance the invasion. About 40 percent of the money was borrowed from China and other international investors—the first time since the Revolutionary War that foreigners financed a U.S. war. At the same time, the administration and Congress lowered taxes instead of raising them, as is customary in wartime. The Federal Reserve kept interest rates low, which encouraged middle-class Americans to go on a consumption binge financed by credit cards and home-equity loans. Today, say Stiglitz and other economists, the bills for the country’s spending spree are starting to come due, in the form of higher prices, a weakened dollar, and lower living standards. “There’s no such thing as a free war,” Stiglitz said. “The U.S.—and the world—will be paying the price for decades to come.””

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[JoB]

This is the hidden truth that will be the most powerful tool we have in recruiting older voters for the democratic candidate… especially older women.

They remember the sacrifices they made during the great war(s) and won’t be too happy about the republicans mortgaging that security away…

not to mention the burden that is left for future generations….

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[WSMom]

My fourteen year old son wrote an opinion piece for school about the Iraq War. When I asked him where he got his facts he replied that these were his opinions and he didn’t need to use facts lol (I thought that was funny, he’s quite stubborn). Most of his points were correct, he must be paying attention to the news and dinner conversation, but one point was very wrong. He stated that the war has increased our taxes. You should have seen the look on his face when I informed him that actually, he needed to change that statement because we’re financing the debt and saving the repayment for he and his children. All he could say was “NO WAY!!” Thanks to W, I think he will be a Democrat for life.

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[Shibaguyz]

DP,

Just a question… what exactly did you want these two people you were meeting with to tell you? I’m just curious because it sounds like it was exactly what you expected to hear. If that was the case, what type of meeting did you think it was going to be? What outcome would have made you happy?

Vote. That is the only way to make change. And, as a precursor to the vote, get out there to the general public and tell them your side of the story so they can make an informed, intelligent decision when they vote.

Yes, I’ve written letters asking my representatives in local and state government to clarify themselves so I could make a better choice in the next election. But I didn’t expect them and certainly not their aides to give me the change I wanted right there on the spot. They met with you, they heard what you said and responded the best an aide could respond.

Again, what responses were you looking for going into the meeting? What was your hoped-for outcome?

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[JoB]

shibbaguyz..

i have to respectfully disagree with you…

i have been lobbying my Senators for a long time now. I haven’t yet met these two.. or to be more accurate… their local representatives since i moved back to Washington… but i will.

I find that stopping by on a somewhat regular basis… by myself or with one other person.. is quite effective.

over time you build up a relationship which generally moves on their part from defensiveness to actually listening over time.

i will admit that it is always more effective to go alone or in very small groups than in larger groups… you get time for actual conversation that way.

And like all relationships.. it helps if you get to know them better before you really lambast them for their Senator’s stand:)

but over time an individual can be quite effective.

I can’t say i have been as satisfied with some of the stock answers to my letters in which the only relevance can be the repetition of the key phrase containing my subject.

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[Shibaguyz]

JoB,

You can disagree but I still hold to my original point. What has been accomplished as far as changing the minds of these people when you “drop in” on them?

I don’t exactly see what you are disagreeing with me on.

Second, I still would like to know specifically from DP the answer to my questions regarding the expectations for the meeting and what, if any, answers would have been satisfactory from a political aide?

That seems to be where the frustration stemmed from.

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[JoB]

Shibbaguyz…

i am also interested in what DP has to say…

but for myself.. i have been lobbying for research funds for fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome.. and have been personally responsible for changing the attitudes of two senators towards these illnesses through my persistence, patience, humor and example…

My efforts.. combined with those of others… have been responsible for making certain that funds allocated to chronic fatigue syndrome at the CDC were actually spent on research pertaining to that illness.. which has clarified the medical community’s understanding of the scope of the illness somewhat…

and our lobbying for more substantive research has helped to steer some research dollars away from psychiatric inquiry into areas that may lead to diagnostic tests for these devastating illnesses.

We also succeeded in having fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome granted a classification number in the social security disability process.. thereby speeding the claims of those who are severely disabled by this illness.

These may be small steps.. and may well be too late to lead to answers in my lifetime.. but they have been well worth my time and effort.

And as a side note..

i have done this by putting a personal face on this illness… by using my own story and my familiarity with the stories of others through my education and advocacy work… i have been able to personalize this issue.. and increase it’s importance…

One person speaking consistently and passionately about what matters to them.. how they are personally impacted by policy.. can make a difference… and nothing makes an impact quite like a human face.

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[Shibaguyz]

JoB – again, I’m not disagreeing with you… so I don’t see how what you are saying is any different than what I am saying. You’re just talking about something different than this post is about.

I have been a member of countless political activist groups over the relatively short time I have been on this planet. I am all for speaking out for causes. I guess I’m being too subtle here because I’m trying to be nice about it.

I don’t think getting a group of people together and attacking a political aide is very effective. If you are just wanting someone to vent to, then you are only looking to help yourself and ease your mind that you have now done something. If that is your desired outcome, it sounds like it worked in this case.

If you are looking for that aide to say “Okay, we’ll do that right away” then you are just delusional. There is NOTHING that can be done overnight about this situation we have ourselves in and no meeting with some political aide is going to do anything to change that.

There is a process that must be followed. They must go through channels to start and stop a war. Since that is the case, what was the outcome you were hoping for by sitting down with these two people? Did you want to vent? Did you want them to tell you they would somehow change the political process? Or did you just want them to lie to your face in order to appease you so you would go away?

I am saying that if you are going to go into these meetings, you must first define what the outcome is you are looking for. If you just go in there attacking someone, all you are going to get is deflected and will, most likely, leave frustrated. If you just want someone to listen to you so you now feel better about having said your piece, then you most likely will have that say and leave happy.

All I’m asking, once again, is what DP is so angry about based on what the expected outcome of these two meetings were? Or, once again, was this thread just started as a way of venting to feel like you were able to say something and not really discuss? I’m just askin’…

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[DP]

Hi Shibaguyz, JoB, WSMom, et al.

Sorry for taking so long to answer your question, Shib. You had asked:

“What has been accomplished as far as changing the minds of [Senators Murray and Cantwell] when you ‘drop in’ on them?”

–Strictly speaking, we didn’t just drop in on them. In each case we had an appointment. But to answer your question: honestly, I wasn’t expecting much from either senator because I was already well aware of their “blank check” support for the continued occupation of Iraq. However, I was expecting them to listen to me and my friends as we expressed our opinions about the issue. And that’s what they did — or rather, that’s what their aides did. We also listened to the Senators’ points of view (as channeled by their aides) and I think I did a good job of capturing the flavor of the conversation in my posting above. The discussions were polite, I assure you.

Now I would throw your question back to you, Shibaguyz. Have you ever expressed your disagreement with someone, even though you were reasonably certain that it wouldn’t change the person’s mind? Or are you the type of person who won’t speak unless you’re sure you can win the point?

Sometimes politicians respond to reasoned arguments. Sometimes they respond to impassioned arguments. Sometimes the only thing they’ll respond to is numbers. In my group: West Seattle Neighbors for Peace and Justice, we try to use all three, just to make sure we’re covering all the bases.

–DP

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[Shibaguyz]

I speak plenty without knowing or caring if I can win the point. You don’t know me so I won’t go into my background regarding those types of topics. Let is suffice to say that it has never been a problem for me to speak my mind in a forum political or otherwise. And, by the way, that was not my question to you so I’m not sure what you mean by saying you are throwing my question back at me.

The “drop in” comment was in response to JoB, not to something you had said. I understood you that you had an appointment.

My question to you, DP, came from the apparent annoyance in your original posting at something not happening the way you wanted it to go in your meeting with the aides. I was asking you, specifically, what you had expected out of the meeting that didn’t happen. You seemed very upset about the answers you received. My question was, what exactly did you expect an aide to tell you or do about your issues?

Yes, I understand that you were frustrated. Yes, I have sat in MANY meetings where we worked at getting our point across. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn’t. I have laid on the steps in Olympia doused in red food coloring as part of a radical activist group. I have stood and chanted in protest, I have spoken at community meetings, I have marched down the streets and I have spoken quietly as a member of a committee. My point is, know what to expect when you go into a meeting of this sort. If your frustration you were expressing comes from not getting what you wanted from that meeting, my question to you was what could you have been expecting to be different?

Again, I ask you and again I will wait for an answer. What were you expecting to happen from that meeting that didn’t happen that resulted in your post. And, further, I will add my point in asking you, what do you propose we do about it? If you didn’t get the result, what is your call to action if any?

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[DP]

I did answer your question, Shibaguyz.

I said: “I was expecting them to listen to me and my friends as we expressed our opinions about the issue. And that’s what they did — or rather, that’s what their aides did.”

I’m not angry at Murray and Cantwell’s aides; they’re just doing their jobs. I’m angry at the SENATORS, for their hypocrisy in not acting to end a war that they CLAIM to be against.

I thought that was pretty clear from the post . . .

My call to action? Well for one it would be: don’t vote for politicians who don’t represent you on important issues. For another it would be: join your local peace group.

Anyway, what’s YOUR opinion on the war and how to end it, Shibaguyz?

–D.P.

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[Shibaguyz]

I just wrote a very looooong, emotional response to the question “…what’s YOUR opinion on the war…”

Then I deleted it.

I’m gonna calm down and maybe respond later so this doesn’t turn into something ugly.

Peace…

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[JanS]

this might interest some of you…at Seattle Town Hall, 8th and Seneca…I would advise to get there early…

Testimony: Iraq Veterans Against the War

Saturday, May 31, 2008 | 12pm

Location: Great Hall, enter on 8th Avenue

Iraq Veterans Against the War was founded by Iraq war veterans in July 2004 to give voice to the large number of active duty service people and veterans who are against this war, but feel under pressure to remain silent. Veterans and active duty personnel give testimony about what they saw and experienced while deployed and Iraq and Afghanistan.

Admission by donation at the door. $5 minimum requested. Visit http://www.ivaw.org for more information.

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[DP]

Jan,

Thanks for posting the note about the Iraq Vets Against the War event at Town Hall. I’m planning on going. Note: It’s modeled on the “Winter Soldier” hearings that occurred during the Vietnam War.

Shibaguyz, thanks for your forebearance. I’m eager to hear your thoughts, eventually.

As a follow-up to my earlier postings:

I don’t really care what action people take against the war — as long as they do SOMETHING.

Voting alone is obviously not enough.

Complaining is not enough either.

If people are really against this war, there are dozens of things they can do to express their opinion in a constructive, powerful way — everything from wearing a peace pin, to signing a petition, to writing their congresspeople, to talking to their neighbors, to marching in demonstrations, to writing letters to the editor, to non-violent civil disobedience, and so on.

(The same goes for ANY issue you care deeply about, by the way, not just peace.)

I sit at a peace-related literature table in the West Seattle Junction sometimes and you’d be amazed at the number of people who say, “I TOTALLY support what you’re doing,” –but when I ask them if they can help out at the table or come to a demonstration or whatever, they have a hundred different excuses for why they can’t lift a finger.

If everyone who says they’re against the war actually took some kind of action to stop it, it would end tomorrow.

To people like “TheHouse” (who says that we must have a ‘viable’ withdrawal plan before we can withdraw from Iraq) I would say this:

Yes, a viable withdrawal plan would be nice. I think the U.S. government should present us with one. However, it’s been more than five years since “Mission Accomplished” and they have not done so. Meanwhile more people are suffering and dying and more new terrorists are being trained.

The situation is getting worse, not better.

Therefore, in the absence of a withdrawal plan I say it’s time to get out, “viable plan” or not.

Since you raised the topic, House, here’s the best plan I can think of, given the circumstances:

1) Apologize to the Iraqi people (and to the world) for destroying the country of Iraq and scattering its people.

2) Announce that we’re leaving within six months, bases and all.

3) Begin phased withdrawal immediately.

4) Establish a “reparations” fund for Iraq, with the proviso that the money will be handed over only to representatives of a stable government and that it must be used to fund reconstruction projects.

5) Enact legislation banning any U.S. corporations from participating in any further reconstruction efforts.

That’s my plan, House. Frankly, I don’t think there’ll be any takers in this government, but no matter. I’m willing to pare it down to the bare minimum: phased withdrawal within six months.

It’s time to stop the bleeding. Past time, in fact.

–DP

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