Suggested Chants for the Upcoming Demonstrations and the March 17th March on the Pentagon
In less than two weeks groups of demonstrators will be making their way to Washington and other cities to try to influence Congress and the military to bring the troops home from Iraq, and to not allow the war-profiteering megalomaniacs in power now to begin a war with Iran that would destroy not only Iran but would have devastating effects on America and the entire world. A preemptive war against Iran would forever end any claim America ever had to being a "morally superior" nation. Not that we have much claim to moral superiority any more, or that if we are truthful about our history, we really ever did.
I have watched such anti-war demonstrations on C-Span before. And, while the speakers are often inspiring, the marches themselves do not have that much of an impact on the viewer/listener. The people mostly just march or shout meaningless obscenities. And, while some of the signs they carry are interesting, I believe the marchers would be more effective -- have more of an impact -- if they chanted. Chanted in cadence, in groups, one followed by another.
Certainly the anti-violence words of religious figures including Jesus and Mohammed would be appropriate, but, since these demonstrations are aimed at the military, I believe some of the most effective things people could chant -- particularly since they are marching on the Pentagon -- are the words of war heroes. Hearing the words of REAL war heroes should shame at least some military people if they happen to hear and reflect on those words. Most of the chants I include below are displayed on my "book truck."
A group of 10 or more could chant the words of a quotation and then shout the name of the General or other person they are quoting. All the groups could go through their chants and then the first group could say theirs again. Or, if the participants were far enough apart, they could just repeat their chants over and over again.
I have compiled chants below, but, of course, any group could come up with their own.
The one most fitting chant, in my opinion, would be the words of General Omar Bradley when he said:
"War can be prevented
As surely as it can be provoked,
And we who fail to prevent it
Must share the guilt for the dead."
SHOUT: "General Omar Bradley!"
The second group of 10 or so could chant
"A preventive war is an impossibility.
I don't believe there is such a thing, and...
I wouldn't...listen to anyone seriously
