By Michael Travis
Editor in Chief
“It’s courage to stand up for what you believe in.” —Victoria Cunningham, Code Pink coordinator
A few weeks ago, a firestorm of controversy surrounded one college athlete who chose to voice her opposition to war with Iraq in what seemed to be the smallest of ways — turning her back on the American flag during “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
It seems senior guard Toni Smith hit a nerve. As word spread, nothing short of a hullabaloo erupted — with sellout crowds, television cameras and reporters descending on the Manhattanville College gym in New York to catch sight of someone who deviated from the norm.
Though she has endured quite a bit of name-calling and criticism for her actions, Smith remains loyal to her original purpose, and continues to turn away from the flag during the National Anthem during her team’s games.
Like Smith, those against war with Iraq have also been the target of criticism and labels, from “peacenik” to “hippie” to President George W. Bush’s “un-American” tag. What inspires someone to stand before their peers in the face of such adversity? What makes a protester protest?
“It’s courage to stand up for what you believe in,” said Victoria Cunningham, coordinator of Code Pink, a women’s activist group in Washington, D.C. “The people who are pro-war have been identified as the mainstream by the media, so when someone is against the war they are considered against the mainstream, like a rebel or an outcast. Going against that takes a lot of guts.”
Judy Newman, an active member of Malibu Citizens for Peace, an organization that also organizes peace rallies, claims that this view is a dangerous one.
“We must dispel the trend of thinking that dissent (on war with Iraq) is un-American,” Newman said. “It is actually just the opposite. It shows that the people care enough to speak out. That is the most patriotic and most American thing that somebody can do, whether they are for or against the war.”
In fact, the First Amendment seems to be a cornerstone of what anti-war activists believe.
“The people who are silent on this issue are just as guilty as those who are doing evil,” Cunningham said. “We all have to be responsible and take part in what our government does. It’s a principle this country was founded on.”
Even some supporters of the war seem to agree on the fact that freedom of speech is important, whether or not they agree with what is being said.
“I would rather talk to a passionate person than a passive person any day,” sophomore Brett Webster said.
Webster is an active member of Pepperdine’s College Republicans and has taken part in some pro-war rallies.
“I don’t think anti-war protests are un-American at all. Free speech is part of the American system and I respect those who exercise their freedom.”
Opponents of peace demonstrations point to things like Saddam Hussein’s recent speech thanking protesters around the world for supporting his country.
“We don’t protest because any of us support Saddam Hussein,” Mona Loo, executive director of the Malibu Community Labor Exchange, said. Loo has also been an active participant in demonstrations around the Los Angeles area.
“I’m not a pacifist — he hasn’t attacked me so why should I support an attack on him and his country?” she said. “There are just too many negative consequences that would come out of war that don’t justify the United States’ reason for going into Iraq.”
Some also find fault with the way some protests seem to target military troops themselves.
“I get angry when people bash military men and women for serving their country,” Webster said. “We are enjoying the liberty of freedom and the military personnel make sure that happens.”
Cunningham says that this point of view is usually a misperception and that most protests do not directly target the actual people in the military.
“I personally have people who are very dear to me in Kuwait right now,” Cunningham said. “I support the troops, I support the people, but I don’t support what our government is intending on doing with them.”
Newman claims the focus of most demonstrations is much wider than most realize.
“Our bottom line is to sustain life on this planet,” Newman said. “Politics can’t be run on a ‘me first’ basis anymore. Everything that we do has to take into account everyone else in the world, because we want it intact for our children and our children’s children.”
According to Newman, this global perspective plays a much more significant role in situations like war with Iraq than most people realize.
“There are two superpowers in the world,” Newman said. “The United States is the first superpower, and global public opinion is the second. We are seeing people take to the streets and demonstrate in a way that has never been seen before. The leaders have to listen to the voice of the people.”
Webster also agreed that protests have political power.
“Protests definitely give politicians a heads up as to what people are thinking,” he said. “I don’t think it will affect their decisions in the long run, but it will do something. The day President Bush thinks that this war will cost him his reelection is the day that he will start changing his approach to Iraq.”
Cunningham said that change is possible, with enough support from people who care.
“If someone wears a button, if someone sings a song, if someone stands up and says ‘I am against the war,’ it gives others the courage to say what they believe,” Cunningham said. “(The courage) will grow, and eventually it will be shown that there is a significant amount of people that disagree with what the Bush administration is doing.”
Newman also encourages people to become involved in the political process. The more people that are involved, she said, the better place the country will be, regardless if you are for or against the war.
“Just speak out a little bit,” Newman said. “And your courage will grow. Just reach out to one person, if that’s all you can do, and take the risk. You will be able to see that one person can make a difference.”
Newman also pointed out that the issue of war with Iraq is too important to allow the perspectives of others to influence an individual’s opinion.
“This is an issue that transcends all the lines and barriers between classes, races and political parties,” Newman said. “Human life and the planet Earth are on the line. Use what you have been given inside, your moral sense, to decide what you think is right. Know the issue. Be informed, and you can make a difference.”
March 27, 2003
