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CounterPunch
January
24, 2003
Time to Make
the Dream a Reality
Peace
as a Civil Right
by REP. DENNIS KUCINICH
(Lakewood Ministerial Alliance Martin
Luther King Day Celebration Lakewood Presbyterian Church Sunday,
January 19, 2003 Lakewood, Ohio.)
"Oh hear my song, thou God of all
the nations, a song of peace for their land and for mine."
This Is My Song, Finlandia
Jean Sibelius
The life of Dr. Martin Luther King shines like
the sun through the clouds which hover over this nation, casting
a beam of light whenever darkness seeks to envelope us, illuminating
our way over the rocky, perilous ground until we can envision
the upward path towards social and economic justice.
This evening let us reflect on his challenge
to America's prosecution of a war in Vietnam as we ponder an
America poised to once again use its destructive power against
a nation of people already broken by war, by US sanctions, by
an uncaring leader. America stands ready to accelerate the bombing
over major cities in Iraq, to destroy lives, families, houses,
buildings, water systems, electric systems, to light fires to
force populations to move, to engage in house to house combat.
All in the name of fighting terrorism. In the name of removing
weapons of mass destruction.
In his speech thirty five years ago at
Riverside Church in New York City, Dr. King created the synthesis
of peace and civil rights. "Somehow this madness must cease,"
Dr. King said then of the annihilation of the Vietnamese people
and their nation. "I speak as a child of God and brother
to the suffering poor of Vietnam. I speak for those whose land
is being laid waste, whose homes are being destroyed, whose culture
is being subverted."
Let us contemplate his words. "Somehow
this madness must cease." Tonight we call for an end to
the pretext for war. Tonight we call for the end of justification
for war. Tonight we call for the end of a military build up towards
war. Tonight we call for the end of war in the hearts of those
who desire war. Tonight we call for the beginning of compassion.
Tonight we call for human dignity. Tonight we call for human
unity.
"I speak for the poor of America
who are paying the double price of smashed hopes at home, and
death and corruption in Vietnam," Dr. King said.
Once again the hopes of people of two
nations are being smashed by weapons in the name of eliminating
weapons. Let us abolish weapons of mass destruction at home.
Joblessness is a weapon of mass destruction. Poverty is a weapon
of mass destruction. Hunger is a weapon of mass destruction.
Homelessness is a weapon of mass destruction. Poor health care
is a weapon of mass destruction. Poor education is a weapon of
mass destruction. Discrimination is a weapon of mass destruction.
Let us abolish such weapons of mass destruction
here at home. Let us use hundreds of billions of our tax dollars,
which some would cast upon Iraq in bombs and warring troops,
instead for the restoration of the American Dream, to rebuild
our economy and to expand opportunities for all. We have a duty
to assert our human needs as a people and not to yield them for
the base concerns of an unresponsive government: We have a right
to a job. We have a right to decent housing. We have a right
to health care. We have a right to food fit to eat, air fit to
breathe and water fit to drink. Peace is a civil right which
makes other human rights possible. Peace is the precondition
for our existence. Peace permits our continued existence.
"I speak as a citizen of the world,"
Dr. King said, "for the world, as it stands aghast at the
path we have taken. I speak as one who loves America, to the
leaders of our nation: The great initiative in this war is ours,
the initiative to stop it must be ours."
Today the world is watching, once again,
aghast at an America resolutely poised for war. The UN is already
predicting a war against Iraq will bring about at least 500,000
casualties among the men, women and children of Iraq who are
not foreigners, but are our brothers and sisters.
It is up to us to rally our countrymen
and countrywomen to the cause of peace, for the sake of peace,
and for the sake of the innocents and whatever innocence of our
own we may rescue. For the sake of truth too.
No justification whatsoever exists for
the United States, the United Nations or any institution whose
existence celebrates justice or human unity to wage war against
Iraq.
On September 12, 2001, a little more
than 24 hours after the planes hit the World Trade Center, the
Secretary of Defense, in a meeting at the White House, called
for immediate strikes against Iraq. "Rumsfeld was raising
the possibility that they could take advantage of the opportunity
offered by the terrorists attacks to go after Saddam immediately."
(Source: Bush At War by Robert Woodward, Pg. 49, paragraphs one
and two).
In sixteen months since America was attacked,
no credible evidence has been presented that Iraq perpetrated
9-11, or conspired in 9-11. Iraq was not responsible for the
anthrax attack on our country. Nor does Iraq have missile strike
capability against the U.S., usable weapons of mass destruction
nor the intention to use them against us.
It is more than strange that while no
credible connection has been made between Iraq and 9-11, that
the Administration blocked efforts at an early official inquiry
into 9-11, while beating the drums to attack Iraq.
Why is the Administration targeting Iraq?
Oil. America has become increasingly reliant on imported oil.
The future of an oil-dominated economy rests in the Gulf region.
Instead of a new energy policy, we get a new war of "good"
acting against "evil".
To be sure, the dictator Saddam Hussein
is an easy target, for murder of his own people. He was an easy
target, too, years ago when supported by the United States, notwithstanding
his cruelty.
When war is already in the hearts of
those who lead this nation, because our leaders aspire to dominate
oil markets, or expand arms trade or desire world empire, or
to distract from failures domestically, what are the American
people to do? Do we just sit and watch while the United States
moves next to declare war against North Korea, or Iran?
In the spirit of Dr. King, we must reject
this White House war mentality and the unfortunate energy policy
which spawns it, or we are facing endless war over diminishing
resources. The Administration has made its intentions for war
known. Now the American people must make our intentions known
for peace.
We must reject war with Iraq. We must
not let it happen. We must insist that the UN inspection process
continue. As long as the UN inspection presence is at work in
Iraq there is the possibility that Iraq can be disarmed, rebuilt
and reintegrated into the community of nations.
Yet predictions of war swirling around
the Capitol involve not if, but when and whether America "goes
it alone." The question is not whether we shall go to war
with the UN or without the UN. The question is why should we
go to war at all? Some have made a cause of twelve empty "war
heads" recently discovered. There is something lacking in
the war heads as there is something lacking in the heads of those
who want war.
The narrow-minded drive for regime change
will have severe consequences. Regime change means war. Regime
change means invasion. It means occupation. It means colonization.
It means the death of countless Iraqi citizens and the deaths
of countless American service men and service women. And the
waste of up to $1.9 trillion in our tax dollars, wrecking our
economy while, at the same time, the Administration gives out
a trillion dollar tax cut to the wealthy.
If the goal of our leaders continues
to be regime change, then let regime change begin at home. We
must be prepared to continue to provide lawful, nonviolent, civil
resistance in this nation. We must be prepared to exercise our
constitutionally protected rights to assemble, to free speech,
to free press, to challenge the government in the streets, on
campuses, in town halls, in labor halls, in churches, wherever
people gather, wherever people meet, in a manner consistent with
the finest democratic traditions.
If we are successful in disarming Iraq
nonviolently, then our nation needs to hasten our efforts to
lead the way for disarmament world wide. Seventeen nations are
seeking, have or are capable of acquiring nuclear weapons of
mass destruction, twenty nations -- biological weapons, twenty
six nations -- chemical weapons.
Over twenty nations have or are at work
on missile technologies to deliver those weapons. America has
much work to do as a nation among nations, furthering peace through
disarmament.
We are at a transformational opportunity
in this nation. It is no less significant than the spirit of
the times which gave birth to this nation over two hundred and
twenty six years ago.
In his exploration of the philosophical
underpinnings of America, in a work entitled "To Begin the
World Anew," Bernard Bailyn writes of that long ago moment
of democratic ferment which produced the world's grandest experiment
with democracy through ". . . the recasting of the world
of power, the re-formation of the structure of public authority,
of the accepted forms of governance, obedience, and resistance,
in practice as well as in theory."
Such was the creativity of our Founders.
They used the creative energy of their hearts and spirits to
change the world. Why has our creativity turned destructive?
We need no longer to be destructive with war. It is time to be
creative in peace.
Dr. Martin Luther King had a dream. It
is time to make his dream a reality. It is time to take the evolutionary
life of Dr. King and make non-violence an organizing principle
in our society. It is the practical and pragmatic thing to do
in order to continue life on this planet. We can do so. And we
must do so. Legislation to create a Department of Peace would
build not only a structure for peace within our government, but
infuse a consciousness for peace within our society, as has the
Department of Defense reflected a consciousness of war.
It is time to create new possibilities
in human relations, in economics, in governance, in politics
and in all areas of endeavor. We can make war and poverty archaic
and usher in a new era of human dignity by making peace and prosperity
our daily work.
This day is a day to reflect on the ability
of one person to make a difference. This day is a day to reflect
on how one person can change the thinking of a nation and the
world. This day is to celebrate our human potential to transform
any condition, to change darkness into light, slavery into freedom,
poverty into prosperity, war into peace, let us honor America's
apostle of non-violence by truly rededicating ourselves to his
work. Let us make the vision of Dr. King, that vision of liberty
and harmony, a reality. Let us confirm our commitment to all
civil rights and let us declare peace a civil right in a democracy,
a human right in this world. Thank you.
Dennis Kucinich
is a congressman from Cleveland, Ohio. He can be reached at dkucinich@aol.com.
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