Congress’ approval rating is about 15 to 19 percent and a widely held belief (although it may be false) is that Democrats were voted for in 2006 by some if not all Americans to end this war and hold the Bush administration accountable for its actions over the past five years. Holding accountable would mean censuring, holding leaders in contempt, holding hearings for impeachment, etc.
Remember, Congress voted for a war, this Iraq war, before George W. Bush had publicly committed to going to war (even though he was committed to going to war in private meetings). This abrogation of the Constitutional process granted power to the Executive Branch before that branch had even asked Congress to approve a war. Therefore, Congress is most definitely an institution that deserves to bear the brunt of the antiwar and impeach movement in America.
(At this point, only Congressman Dennis Kucinich has agreed to be "stop-lossed" and remain at his desk when Congress is to leave for a break. He has also agreed to meet with Our Spring Break students.)
This action with exact focus showed how closely linked impeachment and ending the war is. Impeachment hearings that resulted in the resignation of Cheney then Bush would ultimately lead to a rapid withdrawal because much of what Cheney and Bush deserve to be impeached for is related to the illegal invasion of Iraq.
Considering that the UN Charter is a ratified treaty, when Bush and Cheney chose to violate it and invade Iraq, they violated the constitution. This violation clearly makes them impeachable and clearly links the war to impeachment.
More actions like the one carried out by students “stop-lossing” Congress should be held and will be held in the next week by those who are part of Our Spring Break.
Several schools will be going to Washington, D.C. to fight for the Constitution instead of flying to Cancun for a vacation.
Students nationwide have the responsibility of planning effective follow-up efforts to the actions that occur with students at the forefront.
Recognizing the opportunities that are opened up for the antiwar movement by the actions that are taken in the next week is imperative. Putting together resources and getting organized to respond to actions by students in D.C. is what students should be doing.
Adopt a message to impeach Bush and Cheney so that this war can be brought to an end. Bush and Cheney are preventing an end to this war and until they are removed from office, this illegal war of aggression cannot be ended. Students’ peers in the military cannot leave harm’s way until Bush and Cheney face impeachment hearings.
With the events surrounding Winter Soldier and the unfortunate fifth anniversary, the last thing student groups should be talking about is the need to just “DO SOMETHING.”
As Scott Ritter says on page 13 of Waging Peace:
“…If there ever was a plaintive cry in the dark for help, this is it. Do something. Just don’t organize along proven lines for success, Don’t think outside the box that has been constructed by a distinct minority of the public who dominate a movement (whether one calls it “antiwar” or “peace”) which should be, and could be, readily embraced by a majority of Americans. In short, don’t win. Continue losing. This seems to be what the “antiwar” movement is best at doing. Losing, and rationalizing away their unending string of defeats, and failing to take responsibility for why they are being whipped by their opponents at nearly every turn. Losing has become so prevalent that it seems to have been absorbed into the very essence of the “antiwar” culture.”
Much of the antiwar movement believes the actions by many in Berkeley to be their savior. The town’s counterrecruitment actions have become the model for actions for the past month and a half. And the walkouts by more than 700 students to show solidarity with the city council's decision to label the marine recruitment center as an unwelcome entity was profound. But has any reaction other than a backlash led by Republicans occurred? No.
