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Christmas Demonstrators Want Peace on Earth - Including In Iraq
For most people, Christmas is a time to unwrap presents and eat huge meals. For Steven Simon, it's a time to wear a Santa suit and go to the intersection of Blackstone and Shaw avenues to criticize U.S. foreign policy.
"I delivered some coal to the president on the way here," joked Simon, a student at the University of California at Los Angeles.
Simon and about 30 others joined up at the busy intersection Tuesday afternoon for what has become a holiday tradition -- an annual Christmas war protest held by the advocacy group Peace Fresno.
It might strike some as an unusual way to spend the holiday, but organizers say the goal -- peace -- is what the season is all about.
Participants held signs with anti-war slogans. They also incorporated some holiday fun. Some sang revamped versions of holiday songs, even if some of the lyrics didn't exactly fit the melody.
"We don't want toys of war, underneath the tree," went one refrain in a new version of "Jingle Bells."
"Let's forget the shopping spree, let's give the gift of love," they sang in another song, a take on "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer."
Some drivers passing the protest honked their horns and flashed peace signs or gave a thumbs up. The group has received a more negative response in the past, members say.
Valley residents have become more receptive of Peace Fresno as they've become less supportive of the Iraq war, said Scott Key, Peace Fresno's president.
"This is an illegal and immoral war," said Key, sporting a Santa cap.
President Bush lied about key points used as justification for the war, Key said, such as Iraq having weapons of mass destruction and ties to terrorists involved in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
Peace Fresno has faced strident opposition, and even suspicion. Peace Fresno received national attention when Michael Moore included the group in his documentary "Fahrenheit 9/11." The reason: Then-Sheriff Richard Pierce reportedly had an undercover agent infiltrate the group.
The office of then-California Attorney General Bill Lockyer investigated, and Lockyer said the Sheriff's Department's actions may have violated group members' civil rights. Pierce disagreed with Lockyer's opinion, although he didn't deny the infiltration.
Since then, Peace Fresno has continued to grow, with about 300 dues-paying members and 900 "friends" on the group's mailing lists, said Key, an education professor at Fresno Pacific University.
That doesn't mean unified support for the Christmas protest. Count Key's two children as opponents.
Rachel, 11, and Joshua, 9, would have preferred to stay at home, playing with presents they had opened earlier.
Instead, Joshua was holding a sign with a drawing of cross hairs over a school, to indicate military recruiters who target students.
"This is boring," Joshua said. "It's Christmas."
The reporter can be reached at bbranan@fresnobee.com
© 2007 The Fresno Bee
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16 Comments so far
Show AllWe have the ability to live in peace.
When Christmas becomes more about buying and consuming things and less about fostering peace on Earth, it is time we get off our couches and do something about it.
Happy Birthday Jesus. Sorry about the merchants in the temple.
Attention demostrators! Neither the democrats nor the republicans give a crap about what you are saying or doing.
If you want peace, but keep voting war-mongers into office, don't cry and moan when you get...you guessed it....WAR.
keyinside December 26th, 2007 2:02 pm
I was thinking the same thing... How many of these dopes are voting for OBama and Hillary? Which is basically, Bush again for another 4 years.
We're in Iraq for 25+ years, with a permanent imperial presense. get use to it.
"Some drivers passing the protest honked their horns and flashed peace signs or gave a thumbs up"
That statement sums up quite nicely precisely why the there will be no foreseeable end to the occupation in Iraq : most Americans don't care.
"This is boring," Joshua said. "It's Christmas."
Compare this reaction with the reality of the mass protest(300,000 out of a population of 1.7 million ) by families in Estonia defiantly singing their national anthem in 1990 (+or-). Seems harmless until you know that the occupying Red Army made it a criminal offense.
If only a few stalwart Americans speak out then ALL Americans will inherit the dictatorship that the compliant ones deserve.
Ahhh, the pagan Roman Saturnalias, the "rebirth of the Sun" celebrating the annual return of longer daylight hours, with much wine and merriment,orgies etc. etc. etc.... What! Emperor Constantine changed the name to "Christmas"? How dare he!... Oh, only the name has been changed. The practices are to remain the same, you say. Oh,OK. That's better....Whew!
keys,
141 Democrats and 1 Republican voted against the war funding. Which one is the war party? How can you say they are alike when they are so different? Your denial of reality is costing us dearly.
It's perverse that the necons in government (including the military, intelligence and law enforcement agencies), the conservative Christian community and the media consider advocacy of peace, justice and human rights treasonous and unchristian. The Founding Fathers and Jesus would certainly have joined the protest movement.
Maybe if we would stop being against anyone---repub or dems and simply give our wholehearted support to the "peace makers" we will finaly live in peace. We energize anything we are against, so we have to start being FOR what it is we want to see happen. PEACE is a good place to start. If you are passionate about creating a peaceful world, find peace in your own heart and start sending it out to every corner of the earth.
STAR OF THE SEA -- Simply Inspirational: "find peace in your own heart and start sending it out to every corner of the earth"
« We must be the change we wish to see in the world »
… … … … … … … … … … … … Mahatma Gandhi
You know an idea has taken hold in middle america when peace demonstrations happen in Fresno, CA. This is about as knee-jerk patriotic a place as exists anywhere in the USA. That Peace Fresno (the same group of Fahrenheit 911 fame?) can get honks of support and thumbs up from motorists is an indication of deep dissatisfaction with the bush admin policies in general and with the war in Iraq specifically.
They want PEACE?! Don't they know that's considered treasonous in war-loving America?!
What a lovely demonstration for Christmas! After all, if one chooses to celebrate Christmas, the celebration is about The Prince of Peace. Remember? "Blessed are the peacemakers..."
Isn't it fascinating that, decade after decade, history
classes have taught us volumes about battles, generals, wars. Thus, many of us can recite these since this is the
stuff that's been taught to us. What about the other side
which hasn't been taught to us? For openers, what about the teachings of Howard Zinn's "A People's History of the United States"? Is that a textbook in history classes, too?
Or, who has been teaching us about non-violence? What books about non-violence and the great peacemakers have we studied and been taught in school? Or, since we can rattle off the names of the generals, how many worldwide peacemakers throughout history have we studied and can also name? And do we know what are some of the characteristics, attributes and choices of the peacemakers...?
Notice anything lopsided in so-called "education?"
And what if, instead of war and its terrorism and horrific suffering, the war $billions were spent on eliminating poverty and hunger, wholesome societal activities and enterprises such as improved infrastructure, proper medical care for the citizenry, new inventions, cleaning up water and air, substantive education, more parks and green spaces, meaningful work for people... what kind of lives might we be living then? What kind of world might we be living in if it were a non-violent world?
M.K. Gandhi identified seven human blunders he believed
led to all violence in the world:
~wealth without work
~politics without principles
~commerce without morality
~pleasure without conscience
~worship without sacrifice
~knowledge without character
~science without humanity
~rights without responsibilities (added by grandson,
Arun Gandhi)
What if we had a U.S. Department of Peace...
http://www.thepeacealliance.org/
These noble wisemen filled their day with a gift like no other to show the world it was safe to gather as patriots do and give a gift that has no monetary value but is priceless when we speak the truth and out loud for all to gather as we the american people never supported war or did we support invading iraq and we never will and we choose peace over violence as we only wish to walk beside our fellow human being and not in front of them
To all the people in the world we have bombed. "Please forgive us; for we know not what we do."
We know what we're doing. Killing for profit.