On April 20 people of goodwill from across our beautiful land will gather in our nation’s capital and demand in one voice that the reckless hand of the warmakers in the White House and elsewhere be stayed. They will demand a United Nations-led response to international terrorism, that peace come with justice, not a shredding of the safety net, and that sanity prevail over the lunacy that a nuclear war can be “fought and won.”
The Bush administration has unleashed a dangerous war policy that has little to do with “fighting terrorists” or making the world a safer place. Rather, the policy furthers a pro-corporate agenda of expanding U.S. military domination while securing profits for U.S. oil companies.
The war in oil-rich Afghanistan continues, with bombing already claiming the lives of nearly 4,000 civilians. Bush has now deployed U.S. troops in the Philippines and plans the same in Colombia, Yemen, the republics of Georgia and Uzbekistan, and Malaysia. Though couched in the language of his “war on terrorism,” the aim is to drastically expand the global network of U.S. military bases.
Now Bush is moving the world to the brink of a nuclear war. Bush’s Nuclear Posture Review calls for production and use of a new generation of nuclear weapons against China, Russia and five other nations. Such use would breach a nuclear firewall that has stood since nuclear arms were first used against Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the devasation of which is still felt today.
This crazed proposal comes while Bush is escalating the use of unilateral military force on a global scale. Vice President Richard Cheney warns that the U.S. can wage, alone, this war that will not end “in our lifetimes.”
To wage this never-ending war, Bush has asked for a $48 billion increase in the military budget, including funds for the deployment of his so-called Missile Defense program of nuclear weapons in space. Meanwhile Bush continues to slash funds for much-needed human needs programs such as Medicare.
Will the voices of peace prevail over the shrill sounds of war? Humanity has no other option!
We urge people to march on April 20 – our chance to stand up for world peace. Initially sponsored by a broad coalition of student and youth organizations, the April 20 action is gaining support by peace, labor and community organizations. Many groups are now working to fill buses for this rally at the Sylvan Theater, near the Washington Monument, and march to Capitol Hill.
We urge everyone to help mobilize their families, neighbors and co-workers for a truly massive show of unity for peace and justice. If you can’t be there, then call the White House and Congress on April 20 to say, “No more war or nuclear weapons! The survival of life on earth is at stake!” Together we can stop the greedy war drive and advance a people’s agenda.
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