The War on Iraq: What Can I Do?
The War On Iraq: What Can I Do? is also available as a PDF.Researched by Ben D'Avanzo
Youth Office Intern, Summer
2004
If you disagree with the war in the Middle East and the administration's campaign against "terror" that is destroying the lives of millions there is much you can do!
Use the Media
Call into talk shows and express your views. Odds are you won't have much time on air, so plan ahead carefully to what you're going to say. Some suggested talking points could be:
- The torture of Iraqis in detention centers. Other countries can use this as
an excuse for their own tortures and war crimes. Armed groups in Iraq are using
these crimes as a reason to recruit more members and retaliate resulting in the
loss of more lives. The same international laws that the U.S. has been violating
are the same laws that would protect our own solders if they were taken
prisoner.
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Bring up the victims on both sides of the war. Research the casualties for
the U.S. and Iraq. It's astonishing once you see the hard numbers.
- The fact that there still hasn't been a clear proven reason for the invasion of Iraq. No serious weapons have been found; many top officials in England and the U.S. have come out saying odds are there never were any weapons to begin with. The whole war needs to be called into question and the public informed, before another one starts.
You can also write an editorial or letter to the editor for your newspaper. Again, plan ahead and be concise. Letters that are short, interesting, and to the point are more likely to be published. Be sure your facts are clear and informed. You can talk about the above points or use your own. Try sending your letter to more than one paper, local and larger newspapers. Local letters are much more likely to be published but larger papers will be read more. Many people read Op-Eds, and either way you'll get your opinions out there.
Call Your Representatives
Tell them that you oppose U.S. occupation in the Middle East. Tell them your opinion on the war, and how you feel the U.S. is doing. They have to listen; you elect or will be able to elect them in a few years. The capitol switchboard is 202-224-3121.
Organize a Vigil
Choose a public place and make sure everyone knows about it. Post posters, tell your friends and family, contact the media and local congregations and organizations that might be interested. Hand out flyers explaining why you're holding the vigil. Have candles to hand out or some equivalent. Contact a well-known speaker on the issue and invite them to speak. Again, I stress, make sure people know about the vigil. The more publicity you get, the more your voice will be heard.
Help our soldiers
Whether you oppose the war or not, the fact is we still have soldiers in there. It's important to support those people who are in difficult situations even if we don't support the war. Remember there are even some former and current UU (Unitarian Universalist) youth in Iraq.
- If you know anyone in the military you can send them a care package.
- If you don't know anyone in the military you can adopt a soldier.
- Operation AC also has an adopt a soldier program as well as a program sending air conditioners to deployed troops.
- Books for Soldiers is another program for sending requested books to soldiers.
Help Iraqis
The International Red Cross has quite a few programs for Iraq aid. Go to their website to find your local Red Cross organization.
For more information contact youth @ uua.org.
Last updated on Friday, April 18, 2008.
