“Books not Bombs” will be the phrase of the day Wednesday as students across the nation, including some at Oregon State University, strike against the potential war on Iraq.
OSU activist group Wrench, which seeks “to promote equality, freedom, community, democracy and an end to all forms of exploitation and oppression,” is organizing the day-long anti-war protest at OSU’s Memorial Union. More than 150 other colleges are planning similar events.
The strike’s main goal is to call for more funding on education and less spending on military aggression in the Middle East. OSU junior and Wrench member Cody Donahue said while students will not attend classes during the strike, they will still be learning. He said they will learn about warfare and education and have access to different perspectives than those presented in the popular media.
The strike will include sign-making, informational picketing, facilitated discussions and presentations from faculty members, including OSU Dean of Students Rich Shintaku, on issues ranging from the role of women during wartime to whether the United States is an imperial power. There will also be small marches, a rally and poetry readings. Donahue said he believes violence is never the answer to any dispute, but he is against this war in particular because the government’s priorities are skewed. He said while the country is dealing with severe education cuts, high unemployment rates and a collapsing economy, the government is spending more money on the military and an unnecessary war that will “only endanger the lives of Americans domestic and abroad.”
An article at www.warresisters.org states that the $1.1 billion it will take to wage a single day of war in Iraq could prevent all current proposed education cuts.
OSU alumnus and Wrench member Angus McBrian said he also is against the war because of potential civilian and military casualties and the increased likelihood of anti-American terrorism.
While there is reason for concern about the political situation in Iraq, McBrian said there are “more appropriate ways of dealing with those concerns.” He said U.N. inspections and support of democratic and human rights movements would be suitable.
No strike is planned for the University of Oregon campus. Levi Strom, senior and co-founder of Students for Peace, which has organized several anti-war events on campus, said the group is not organizing a event for March 5 because it is planning an anti-war march from campus to the federal building on March 15. Strom said although the world should be worried about Saddam Hussein because he is a dictator, he is not a threat to the United States or neighboring Middle Eastern countries.
“There are more important issues — domestic and international — to worry about, like health care, education, North Korea and Israel and Palestine,” Strom said.
Sophomore KyleAnne Mabey said she also thinks important issues have been put on the back burner because the government is devoting resources to a potential war.
“The government is scrambling to find a reason to justify a war that just isn’t reasonable,”
she said.
OSU strike organizers said they have not heard of any organized resistance to the strike from groups supporting the war or from the school’s administration. However, all groups are invited to participate in the forum, as one of the strike’s stated goals is to create an open forum for discussion and debate.