PACIFICA COMMENTARY FOR DECEMBER 10

PACIFICA COMMENTARY FOR DECEMBER 10. 2002

PEACE ON EARTH! NO WAR ON IRAQ!

This is Blase Bonpane with a comment.

We celebrate the life of Phil Berrigan with so many memories. He reminded us of Isaiah,

Jeremiah or John the Baptist. In 1968 thirteen of us sat in a basement at 1620 "S" Street in Washington, D.C. as he presented a plan to napalm the draft files at Catonsville, Maryland. The question for the people of the United States: "Is it better to burn paper or people?" Nine of the thirteen entered into the action. Many of us were present at that famous trial with William Kuntzler, Bishop Pike, Dorothy Day and so many other peace makers. We went on to form the Berrigan Defense Committee on the West Coast. This draft file burning action was imitated about one hundred times in the United States. A good deal of paper was incinerated. We are not aware of any injury to any person in this wave of nonviolent civil disobedience.

We can't afford the luxury of many such reminiscences, however, the present moment is even more challenging. PHIL BERRIGAN, PRESENTE! You stand out as a beacon of light in a very dark hour and you will be remembered long after the current gallery of psychotic warmongers is rightfully forgotten.

And now we stand at the verge of an unnecessary, illegal, immoral slaughter. We must rise to the occasion in resistance. We were betrayed by our congress as they gave in to the powers of corporate greed.

Once again we must take to the streets in massive numbers. We will join hundreds of thousands in Washington, D.C. on January 18, 2003. This is the Martin Luther King Weekend and we will honor him as we recall his words at Riverside Church on April 4, 1967: "The greatest purveyor of violence in the world today is my own government."

On January 19 the Grassroots Peace Congress will be convened in Washington, D.C. . As we oppose this criminal war in the Middle East we will demand that our hard earned tax money be used for education, healthcare, housing and human needs rather than mass murder.

We are especially happy about the coming together of four peace groups to plan a Los Angeles Vigil (No War on Iraq) for December 14th. This event is a joint venture of the Coalition for World Peace, ANSWER (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism), Not in Our Name (NION) and the Interfaith Communities United for Justice and Peace (ICUJP).

Our hope is that we will be able to continue this partnering for upcoming national events. Please join us on Friday, December 14th at the intersection of Hollywood Blvd. and Highland for this peace Vigil. There will be but one speaker and that will be the Reverend James Lawson, Pastor Emeritus of the Homan United Methodist Church.

A final quote from Phil Berrigan

"War on terrorism by the U.S. is impossible.

We are the number one terrorist."

For a free copy of this commentary or further information on Friday's Vigil call 323/852- 9808 323/852-9808…This is Blase Bonpane