January 2003 : PRC Points of Unity

 

The Progressive Resource/Action Cooperative (PRC), with a long history of organizing for peace with social justice, is absolutely opposed to President Bush's intentions to launch a new war against Iraq.

We call on the American people and the world community to:

Oppose a U.S. pre-emptive war against Iraq when Iraq has neither threatened to attack the U.S. or other countries, nor been shown to possess weapons of mass destruction;

Condemn the U.S.'s violation of international law and treaties and self-appointed role as "world cop," acting without the support or consensus of the United Nations;

Speak out against the U.S.'s own build-up of nuclear weapons;

Reject the use of a "voluntary" military designed to give young people access to educational opportunities, but which actually pulls them away from school, and which additionally enlists poor, non-white Americans for economic reasons while the advocates of war in corporate America benefit without suffering, and which additionally provides inadequate benefits to veterans;

Oppose an astronomical increase in the U.S. Military budget at the expense of funding for domestic programs such as education, health care, and jobs;

Work to end the on-going sanctions leveled against the Iraqi people that have been responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands of Iraqi children;

Resist the use of the new "war on terrorism" as reason to eliminate the civil liberties and rights of the American people;

Further, we call on all people of conscience to:

Educate yourself about Bush's war plans and the emerging anti-war movement. We suggest visiting www.unitedforpeace.org, www.moveon.org, and www.alternet.org/waroniraq;

Join with others in advocating for an alternative, socially-just U.S. foreign policy as a means of averting terrorism;

Contact your local representatives and tell them that you oppose the war:

Sen. Dick Durbin: (202) 224-2152, dick@durbin.senate.gov
Sen. Peter Fitzgerald: (202) 224-2854, senator_Fitzgerald@fitzgerald.senate.gov
Rep. Tim Johnson: (202) 225-2371, rep.Johnson@mail.house.gov;

In the event that the war occurs, attend PRC's emergency anti-war rally at 12 noon on the University of Illinois Quad the day after the war begins;

Attend PRC's educational panel discussion, "Against Bush's Military Adventures: Voices of Resistance" on Saturday February 22nd at 12 noon at the Illinois Disciples Foundation.