Lincoln Peace Activist

As a member of the Nebraska Coalition for Peace, I’m here today to call upon all peace-loving Nebraskans to contact your senators and representatives and ask them to vote for peace, and to take action now to end the U. S. occupation and the U. S. war in Iraq.

In keeping with the purpose of World Peace Day, the coalition has visited the offices of Incumbents Ben Nelson, Chuck Hagel and Jeff Fortenberry, and the offices of Candidates Maxine Moul and Pete Ricketts. We explained the purpose of World Peace Day and left The Declaration of Peace Pledge for their consideration and hopefully, their signatures or their statements on peace. We will return to their offices tomorrow to pick up their pledges or statements. What is this Declaration of Peace?

“The Declaration of Peace is a commitment to take nonviolent steps for a comprehensive, concrete and rapid end to the U. S. war in Iraq including:

• Withdrawal of U. S. troops and all coalition forces
• Closure of U. S. military bases
• Support for an Iraqi-led peace process, including a peace conference….
• Return of Iraqi control over its oil resources and its political and economic life
• Reparations and reconstruction to address the destruction caused by the U. S. war and thirteen years of sanctions
• Increased support for U. S. veterans of the Iraq war, and
• No so-called “preventive” war against Iran or any other nation.”

As citizens of this country, we have a sacred duty to make our wishes known to our elected officials. President Bush and all members of his administration and all of our congressional members are fallible human beings, with feet of clay, even as you and I.

We must not live in fear of our own government officials, too afraid to speak out--following blindly like sheep. For we are still a democracy—beleaguered though it may be. But we the people have the power, and we can show that power by contacting our Washington representatives, over and over, and over again, telling them to vote for peace.

Let this be the generation to usher out all of the glorifications of war with all of its wanton death and destruction. We are a country that can do greater things than war. But let this generation usher in a new era –a new time when we can organize America history, not around our wars, but around our peace.

Coalition for Peace
contact: 402-499-6672
Page hosting for CFP courtesy of First Mennonite Church.