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Protest to Our Elected War Criminals - Protect Them from Prosecution and Punishment

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King quoted the words of the Italian poet Dante, that those who sit on the fence in times of moral crisis and maintain neutrality have the hottest fires in Hell reserved for them. Protesting while one is aware that wars have never been brought to an end or prevented through protest yet not calling for their prosecution can be seen as in effect only trying to look like one is not sitting on the fence.

In the nation made superpower through its wealthy, its banks, and its major corporations, having heavily invested in Adolph Hitler for years in full awareness of Nazi calls for Jews and communists to be brutally punished, [3] continuous US wars and militarism at home has long become second nature and 'working for peace' has become a lucrative business and profession.

Their are all kinds of organizations that feature the word 'peace.' At the extreme end of hypocrisy exist a veritable plethora of well established organizations funded by groups of wealthy members of the wars creating corporatist class or the US government and CIA. The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace is a foreign-policy think tank with centers in Washington, D.C., Moscow, Beirut, Beijing, and Brussels. The organization describes itself as being dedicated to advancing cooperation between nations and promoting active international engagement by the United States.[Wikipedia] The Church Center building across from the UN, in the past, a venue for many antiwar speeches by former US Attorney General Ramsey Clark, is filled with of the offices NGOs in the peace business. Last week security advised me, "you just can't go up to visit. You need an appointment!" That day there was not even a roster of the offices listed in the lobby. One might suspect that the main purpose of most peace organizations affiliated with the UN, is to promote the media fostered idea that the UN, across the street, is maintaining peace in the world, and not facilitating the deadly foreign policy of its single world superpower member. But the purpose of this article is not to cast insinuation, so no further names will be mentioned here. Suffice to say, that there at least hundreds if not thousands of organizations pro peace in a way like all the presidents from Truman on, while they ordered covert mayhem, assassinations, bombings and invasions of smaller nations. Some good many of these organizations even hold to the idea that most of these president were paragons of virtue - a widespread and continuing affection for JFK, 'Ike' and Regean, in spite of documentation they ordered crimes against humanity, comes to mind.

A word might be added that although churches and all houses of worship are by tradition peace promoting institutions, the Martin Luther King International Awareness campaign has as yet found no congregation in America that will endorse Rev. Dr. Kings condemnations of US wars and predatory investments, [*] although every Baptist church in America of predominately African-America congregation with listed email was contacted. Outside the US is a different story, yesterday the head of a congregation in Cameroon telephoned to endorse, and Archbishop Desmond Tutu early on sent his best wishes for King Condemned US Wars, [2] calling for its widest possible propagation.

When the King Condemned US Wars International Awareness Campaign [2] was kicked off at the venue of Martin Luther King Jr.' sermon, Beyond Vietnam - a Time to Break Silence, some fourteen months ago, yours truly, was quite naive about well known peace organizations and expected most of them to be enthusiastic about endorsing Martin Luther King Jr.' condemnation of US wars. At first I was taken aback by the many cold shoulders (even from the very organization that had pensioned Rev. Dr. King). It has become an important gain of information for this peoples historian in sorting out responses , i.e., flat rejection, "not our policy," "not at this time," "have already positioned ourselves against the Iraq war," "all our constituent members not in agreement with King's broad view," "the person who could make that decision is not ever available", etc. On the other hand, if one reviews the list of some seventy endorsers on the King Condemned US Wars web site[2] it is easy to imagine the thrill had in welcoming and thanking the wonderfully dedicated various both clergy connected and secular organizations, groups, and celebrities sincerely devoted to activities intended to bring an end to ongoing crimes against humanity.

This past spring, a week-end national conference of antiwar and justice organizations at a Hilton Hotel in a large metropolis in New England saw the introduction of a prescient proposed resolution by a Korean war veteran, long a member of Veterans For Peace,

The resolution, at last report not yet decided upon, is the same resolution presented at the August yearly Veterans Peace Convention held in Miami, this time by a past president, Elliot Adams, that has likewise not yet been decided upon. Elliot Adams made the newspapers when arrested near the Drone Air Base at Hancock, New York, at the gates of which was read Adam's written indictment of President Obama and all who have obeyed his criminal orders.[4]  Adams, a hero for King followers, most often himself is under counter indictment for trespassing or resisting arrest. His exploits in defense of humanity are described on the educational web site Prosecute US Crimes Against Humanity Now. click here [5]

Appended below is the text of the resolution which caused and is apparently is still causing much consternation among the committee members that steered both these past conventions and continue to have responsibilities that carry forward. The resolution calling for the promotion of public awareness that American presidents (there are five still alive), should be prosecuted for crimes against humanity, can be quite uncomfortable for those enjoying a socializing peace and justice vocation or avocation, and not looking for disapproval from the mass of the war supporting population. (Veterans For Peace was an early endorser of King Condemned US Wars ,and most of the Steering Committee of that national conference held in that Hilton Hotel were also endorsers, though the conference weekend activities had almost nothing to do with ending US wars.

The resolution:

"Whereas during WW II and the Allied occupation of Germany afterward, we soldiers, our folks back home and the citizens of the Germany invaded, bombed, and occupied nations in their hearts, to a great degree, held the German people responsible for the crimes of their soldiers and government, and

- whereas there be few adult Americans, who are not in some way or another complicit in the crimes committed by Americans against their brothers and sisters in colonially impoverished nations since WW II,

Be it resolved -
- that those here assembled will seek to make the public aware of its power to end war acceptance; end war capability in our society; be aware of our citizen responsibility for the crimes against humanity illegally ordered by our elected public servants; and consider the shame of our participation. For during the year before his assassination, Martin Luther King Jr. demanded Americans take responsibility for the wars that were atrocities, agonizing over his own previous silence."

furthermore:

"whereas Martin Luther King Jr. finding no court willing to prosecute racist crimes, successfully led their prosecution in the court of public opinion;

- whereas Mahatma Gandhi finding no court would prosecute the crimes of the British Empire, successfully led their prosecution in the court of public opinion;

- and whereas the people of Iran finding their courts unwilling to prosecute the crimes of the Shah, successfully led their peoples prosecution in the court of public opinion;

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Jay Janson is an archival research peoples historian activist, musician and writer; has lived and worked on all continents; articles on media published in China, Italy, UK, India, in Germany & Sweden Einartysken,and in the US by Dissident (more...)
 

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