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OP-ED: Suppress your cynical voice and help stop the war
by Sarah Linet
Op-Ed | 3/18/08
Posted online at 2:06 AM EST on 3/18/08
You know that part in each and every one of us; that cynical voice inside that asks, "What is the point? Why vote? Why protest? Why waste time thinking about things that cannot be changed?" The voice inside that quietly mocks those who attend peace vigils, ardently support the creation of a Department of Peace and wear red for Burma. Maybe I am particularly jaded and cynical, but half of me (ok, on most days, at least two-thirds) thinks that any action I take is barely a drop in the bucket, that no matter what I do there will still be war, violence and injustice.
But a part of me, the part that I choose to pay more attention to, thinks that doing something for the causes I care about is better than doing nothing at all. It leads me to believe that wearing red for Burma underscores my beliefs, that attending peace vigils will make somebody stop and think and that advocating for a Department of Peace could actually result in a critical examination of exactly how our Department of Defense supports efforts that are anathema to our national interest.
Tomorrow, March 19th, 2008, marks the fifth anniversary of the War in Iraq. Five years ago students at my high school organized a walk-out to protest the war. I was against the war, but it seemed so abstract. I thought that the protest was a pathetic attempt to get out of going to class. I thought that while the war was a bad idea, it wouldn't last longer then a year at most, and that no one I knew would really be affected.
I had no idea that five years later we would be wondering if it would ever end, and I'd be coming to the realization that our children's generation will still be dealing with the consequences of the war. Indeed, this colossal mistake will have long-standing effects that are likely to rival those caused by the Vietnam War, a conflict that consumed our country and the Brandeis community, in particular during our parents' generation.
Four diverse Brandeis organizations have come together to make a statement against the Iraq war. Amnesty International, Brandeis Democrats, Democracy for America and Students for a Democratic Society have created Brandeis Students Against the War and are marking the fifth anniversary of the war with a variety of protests and actions culminating in a gathering at Shapiro Campus Center at 5:15 on Wednesday to march toward the Peace Circle where there will be a vigil.
But a part of me, the part that I choose to pay more attention to, thinks that doing something for the causes I care about is better than doing nothing at all. It leads me to believe that wearing red for Burma underscores my beliefs, that attending peace vigils will make somebody stop and think and that advocating for a Department of Peace could actually result in a critical examination of exactly how our Department of Defense supports efforts that are anathema to our national interest.
Tomorrow, March 19th, 2008, marks the fifth anniversary of the War in Iraq. Five years ago students at my high school organized a walk-out to protest the war. I was against the war, but it seemed so abstract. I thought that the protest was a pathetic attempt to get out of going to class. I thought that while the war was a bad idea, it wouldn't last longer then a year at most, and that no one I knew would really be affected.
I had no idea that five years later we would be wondering if it would ever end, and I'd be coming to the realization that our children's generation will still be dealing with the consequences of the war. Indeed, this colossal mistake will have long-standing effects that are likely to rival those caused by the Vietnam War, a conflict that consumed our country and the Brandeis community, in particular during our parents' generation.
Four diverse Brandeis organizations have come together to make a statement against the Iraq war. Amnesty International, Brandeis Democrats, Democracy for America and Students for a Democratic Society have created Brandeis Students Against the War and are marking the fifth anniversary of the war with a variety of protests and actions culminating in a gathering at Shapiro Campus Center at 5:15 on Wednesday to march toward the Peace Circle where there will be a vigil.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
Jane Matlaw
posted 3/19/08 @ 10:34 AM EST
As someone who grew up in the 60's and fought to end another horrible war, it gives me hope that young adults like you are engaged in trying to end this one and shape a better future. (Continued…)
Barry Bloch '82
posted 3/23/08 @ 3:18 PM EST
No one wants to have to fight a war. The problem with protests like the ones Ms. Linet supports is that they show we, as a nation, our divided over the question of supporting those Iraqis who wish to build a country based upon values similar to our own. (Continued…)
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