Veterans Speak Out Against the War

August 12

SAN FRANCISCO – War veterans, military families, activists and concerned citizens gathered together to demand an end to war and imperialism at the 2003 Veterans For Peace Conference held at the Herbst Theatre in San Francisco this weekend.

"Defeating Militarism and the Politics of Fear" was the theme of this year’s conference held Friday through Sunday which included 25 workshops and featured speeches by veteran advocates Congressmen Jim McDermott and presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich, as well as a bevy of peace and justice activists.

"This is our biggest convention yet," said gravelly-voice Vietnam vet and VFP President David Cline. "This year we have over 400 paid registrants as opposed to about 200 to 250.in previous years."

"The war has given us a boost in support," said Cline. "People are seeing through the lies. Where are the Weapons of Mass Destruction? Where is the Sadaam-Al-Queda connection? There is none."

Cline summed up the feelings of many of the vets and speakers at the convention, "This is a war about oil and empire and the U.S. population has been duped by the lies and manipulation of this administration."

On Saturday, the public was invited to attend a commemorative ceremony to honor posthumously anti-war activists Rachel Corrie and Phillip Berrigan.

Under a banner that read "’Bring Em On’? We Say Bring Them Home!" Chris and Craig Corrie, parents of Rachel, and Kate Berrigan, Philip Berrigan’s daughter, were there to accept the honorary membership award for their loved ones.

Both families read from letters and writings of the activists who worked tirelessly for peace.

Commenting on the outpouring of support for his daughter Rachel who died violently while attempting to defend a Palestinian home from being bulldozed, Craig Corrie thanked the audience for their support. "I am an old veteran of Vietnam, and I am proud that she is being honored by this group. I know Rachel would be honored."

Indicating a sea-change in expressing opposition against the war, Nancy Lessin, cofounder of Military Families Speak Out, commented on the growing number of military families who are coming out against the war and against Bush’s policies.

"We started last November with two families speaking out against a U.S. invasion of Iraq. We have now grown to 600 families and we are growing every day!

"Voicing our opposition to the war was the only thing that kept us sane," says Lessin in a recent phone interview. "Because of our love for our son, for the troops and for the innocent people of Iraq, we had to speak out. This government is using our troops for canon fodder, to fight for oil and empire. To stand up and say no was the only thing we could do."

Co-founder of MFSO, Charlie Richardson, whose son Joe returned back from Iraq on Memorial Day had this to say about the war:

"Because as Joe returns, our friend Susan’s son Justin remains in Iraq and our friend Stan’s son Jesse is sitting at an airfield waiting to be sent over to Baghdad.

"It is not acceptable to replace Joe with Japanese troops or Spanish troops or even with Iraqis under U.S. control.

"They tried to fool us that way during the Vietnam War. They called it Vietnamization. It was simply different people dying for the good of the rich and we oppose it today."

On Sunday, these veterans and families continued to speak out at the "Hands Around the Livermore Lab" demonstration. Brian Wilson, Anti-war activist and member of Veterans For Peace spoke on how American’s lavish lifestyle helps promote war and empire.

"We in the U.S. need a reality check about how incredibly violent our country is in order to maintain our way of life. Maybe Bush is a gift from Heaven to give us an opportunity to see how destructive our way of thinking is not only for the rest of humanity but ourselves as well."

For more information about Veterans for Peace, visit http://www.veteransforpeace.org. For Military Families Speak Out, visit, http://www.mfso.org