Being right does not benefit the movement to stop the war and impeach Bush/Cheney. Nothing is accomplished by groups who have members that are trying to advance their point of view in whatever coalition/group they are affiliated with at the expense of achieving goals/objectives. Fighting for an end to the imperialism in the Middle East and impeachment of Bush and Cheney can only be achieved by those that allow all people to join, come to an agreement on a resounding message, and put together an action that will break the sound barrier in Washington, D.C. and be heard by members of Congress who have the power to bring our troops home now and impeach Bush/Cheney.
This does not mean that people have to pursue an end to war and impeachment through a weak message and a weak set of actions. It does mean that unity and appreciation for a plurality of voices be upheld. This is tough for those that already have reached the extreme level of rejecting the entire framework that exists in America---democracy. For those who know their history, know how the system is broken and rigged, and have lost faith in repairing it, just plain doing something out on the streets is all they can see as effective because pressure on elected leaders is not worth it.
Essentially, these extremists forfeit their voice. By not applying pressure, they effectively say that those elected leaders do not represent them and give those in Congress a right to ignore their urgent calls for action. Ignoring Congress only makes Congress members’ jobs easier because now they do not have to oppose the status quo. If the people aren’t demanding that they act out against it, they can play it safe, easily keep their job, and not have to take tough positions on issues for the benefit of the people.
Congress does not have to be the check on Executive Power that it was set up to be.
All of the above is a long preface to the question of, “What can students do to end the war and impeach Bush/Cheney?”
Students recently showed the power they have by blocking an intersection on the premises of Capitol Hill and calling for Congress to be “stop-lossed.”
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This was a systematic and finely orchestrated action that had press and legal observers present. It was the culmination of a “Stop-Loss Congress” campaign that went from March 10th through to March 12th.
On the final day, the students, with the help of a few Veterans for Peace activists, marched into the middle of an intersection and sat down. Arms linked, they sat in front of banners and nearby flag-draped coffins while others spoke on loudspeakers the reasons for blocking the intersection today.
The event was impressive, but impressive is not even the word for it. This is a strategically impressive thing to do. Calling for Congress to be treated the way the students’ peers in the military are being treated is a genius idea that the people of America could and should truly support.
(VIDEOS of the Stop-Loss Congress actions are up but may be removed by YouTube so watch now before Viacom violates these students' First Amendment rights.)
