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Letters to National Leaders Urging Peace
Women's Action for New Directions of Northern Indiana
(Formerly Peace Links of Elkhart County)
1616 North Bay Drive
Elkhart, IN 46514
September 27, 2001 Dear President Bush,
As we fly the flag and display our patriotism in these difficult days, we stand united in defiance of the heinous crimes that have been committed against us. We fly the flag as a symbol of our resolve never to submit to murder and intimidation.
But we must not let our patriotism become a pretense for war. The call to arms may satisfy our natural instinct for revenge, but we must resist the impulse for a massive violent response. Bombing Afghanistan or other countries will not bring those responsible for these crimes to justice. Nor will it save American lives by preventing future terrorist attacks.
On the contrary, if we lash out with military force before the evidence is presented and before we have rallied allies, we may do more harm than good. If wholesale military retaliation kills more innocents than terrorists, as is likely, it will only breed more anti-American hatred. The result would be new recruits for those who promote anti-American jihad, and new and more terrible attacks in the future.
We the undersigned urge you to cooperate with other nations through the UN Security Council to create an international criminal tribunal. Let us use this tribunal to indict and apprehend those responsible for these barbaric acts, and to mobilize all peoples, especially in the Islamic world, to cooperate in eliminating the scourge of terrorism.
From the ashes of this destruction rises an unprecedented opportunity as the world watches our response to this unimaginable violence, the United States can set a profound example by heeding the advice put forth in the following statement which was issued at the end of the recent three day WAND Conference, Women Building a Secure Future, held in Washington, D.C.:
- One: WAND implores our government to exercise restraint so that no more innocent lives are destroyed.
- Two: WAND urges Congress to fulfill its responsibility to debate and shape our responses instead of allowing unilateral decisions on the part of the administration.
- Three: WAND rejects the funding of national missile defense - it doesn't work, it will drain resources needed for true security, and it will make us less secure by sparking a new arms race.
- Four: WAND calls for all of us to respect civil liberties, maintain a free and informed press, and encourage open dialogue.
- Five: WAND encourages a deeper understanding of the reasons for this crisis so it won't happen again.
- Two: WAND urges Congress to fulfill its responsibility to debate and shape our responses instead of allowing unilateral decisions on the part of the administration.
WAND believes true security is based not only in a strong, appropriate defense, but also in meeting human needs such as the education of our children, job security for our workers, adequate health care for all, and a clean environment. We must build a world free of fear by removing nuclear weapons from hair-trigger alert with the goal of eliminating nuclear weapons.
Sincerely,
(Signatories)
Women's Action for New Directions of Northern Indiana
(Formerly Peace Links of Elkhart County)
1616 North Bay Drive
Elkhart, IN 46514
Senator Richard G. Lugar
306 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Fax: 202-228-0360Dear Senator Lugar,
Last Thursday, September 27, members of the above named group met for a luncheon in Elkhart to hear Bruce Gagnon, coordinator of the Global Network Against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space, speak about the U.S. government's and military's goals and objectives for dominating space. The basis of his talk revolved around the U.S. Space Command's booklet, Vision for 2020. In his talk, Gagnon argues that the proposed National Missile Defense is just a small part, a "Trojan Horse," for the larger mission of the militarization of space. We object to this "vision" and believe it will not create any security for our children and will further deplete resources desperately needed for the creation of true national security, funding human needs.
It is apparent from the terrible tragedy of September 11 that pouring billions of dollars into the military does not provide increased national security. Gagnon's evidence indicates that our government plans to spend even more money on technology that will only secure the future of weapons manufactures and spark an unimaginable arms race. It will not create true national security for all Americans. We are all as vulnerable as the innocent victims of the terrible tragedy. Spending billions of dollars on the militarization of space will make us even less secure and bankrupt the country for a false security.
On September 22-25, Doloris Cogan and I attended the WAND national conference, "Children Ask the World of Us: Women Building A Secure Future" in Washington, D.C. She and I traveled to D.C. at a time when few American's dared to travel away from home and we did so against our family's wishes. We both felt that the conference was vitally important, made even more so because of the terrible tragedy. At that conference the 130 participants crafted a joint statement defining an appropriate, humane and just response to the tragic terrorist event. This statement may have already reached your office as Betty Bumpers planned to hand deliver it to all congressional offices.
Our local group incorporated five points from that WAND statement with David Cortright's recent commentary heard on our local public radio station, WVPE, to create our letter to President Bush. During Gagnon's talk we asked our members to sign the letter to President Bush. Attached please find a copy of it with the signatures and addresses of the 27 people who attended Gagnon's talk.
I am sure that by this time you are aware of the "Call for Peace" that was placed as an ad in the Goshen News, Elkhart Truth and South Bend Tribune with over 1800 signatures. The organizers of that effort have announced that the number of people who have signed since the ads ran last Tuesday has increased and that they are planning on running the ad again with the additional signatures.
I hope that you will heed the cry from your constituents and do everything in your power to prevent more innocent people from dying and that there will be a just and right response to this horrible crime committed by terrorists. Heed the declaration given by Gandhi and Dr. M.L. King, Jr, "An eye-for-an-eye will leave the whole nation blind."
Sincerely,
Karen A. Jacob
WAND of Northern Indiana Representative
- One: WAND implores our government to exercise restraint so that no more innocent lives are destroyed.
