The Justice

Media Credit: Rebecca Ney END THE WAR

Media Credit: Rebecca Ney PEACE RALLY

This past Wednesday, students here at Brandeis University mobilized to loudly express their views on the ill-conceived war in Iraq. A concern I heard in the lead-up to the protest was that it was preaching to the choir and that at liberal Brandeis, no one needs to be told that war is bad. Anyone who shows up to a rally is already a steadfast peacenik, so why bother making a lot of noise?

Yet today, after five years of war in Iraq, protesting anywhere would be preaching to the already converted. The majority of Americans oppose the occupation in Iraq, President Bush's approval ratings have dropped 40 points since the invasion and America's reputation worldwide is sinking. At this point, if the raw statistics (4,000 Americans and as many as one million Iraqis killed and $526 billion spent) have not persuaded people to oppose the war, not much will, least of all a simplistic chant like, "Five years too many, not worth a single penny!"

Brandeis students brought the Iraq War back to the forefront of the American mindset. We have proven that we are not only fed up with the war but also ready to organize and act to end it. The goal of a protest is not to convince, but to energize. It is to show the public not what you believe, but how strongly you believe it. It is an invitation to join a thriving movement and transform passive opposition into action. Brandeis students achieved this goal on March 19, along with activists across the country.

It is often said that our generation embodies a new kind of digital activism and that the methods of the 1960s-Vietnam protests marches, rallies and civil disobedience-are obsolete in today's impersonal world. This sentiment is counterproductive; while adaptation to new media is necessary, personal grassroots interaction and organization are still the centerpieces of activism because they invigorate people to overcome their apathy and join a larger movement.

A blog post can never compare with the noises, sights and adrenaline rushes that come with an old-fashioned rally. Joining an anti-war Facebook group is not enough because it doesn't excite anyone. On the Internet, an activist is another statistic with an opinion.

But as part of a real-life mass movement, an activist has a face, a personality and passion. It is far more effective to arouse emotion in an uninvolved bystander than to inspire a nod of agreement when working to end a war.

That being said, events like the protest and vigil on March 19 are necessary, but they are only the first steps. The excitement displayed Wednesday must be sustained and directed toward new actions and campaigns. We must be part of the movement to spread awareness about the failures of the war in Iraq on local and national levels. We must embrace our responsibility as citizens of the United States to end the horrific waste of lives and resources that could be directed towards health care, clean energy, education, and global poverty.

We must make adjustments in our individual lives, such as cutting off support for war profiteers, contacting legislators with our opinions about the war and making peace a regular part of our lives through events like the campus chaplains' weekly peace vigils.

If anyone read this article rolls his eyes, and says "I know, I know already," then he is exactly the target of protest. As members of the choir, it is our responsibility to eventually become one of the preachers by working for what we believe is right. In the face of this national travesty, the only thing worse than not caring is not doing.



The writer is a member of the Class of 2011 and Brandeis Students Against the War.

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