SF Peace Activist Powwow: PeaceWork Fall ’08

On Sunday afternoon, September 21 (the 16th annual U.N. International Day of Peace), about fifty San Francisco Peace Activists met to discuss plans for the coming months. The event, “PeaceWork Fall ’08″, was held at the San Francisco Unitarian Universalist Church. It was organized jointly by the SF Iraq Moratorium Campaign, the Unitarian Universalists for Peace, and United for Peace & Justice.

The musical duo “Mokai” opened with traditional and original peace-songs. “Liberal Lattes” were served along with other refreshments. Organizer Dolores Perez Priem of UUs for Peace and Iraq Moratorium served as emcee.

Summary of program and following discussion:

Yes on Prop U: Tom Gallagher (Committee to End the War in Iraq) described SF Proposition U, which will be on the SF ballot in November. If passed, Prop U would require the SF Board of Supervisors to declare that it is San Francisco policy that our “elected representatives… should vote against any further funding for the deployment of United States armed forces in Iraq with the exception of funds specifically earmarked to provide for their safe and orderly withdrawal.” According to Gallagher, supporters of Prop U understand that its passage will not stop the Iraq war but nonetheless feel that it is necessary to protest. He called the current level of protest against the war “unacceptable”. He argued that San Franciscans need a way to register a clear vote against the war and that Prop U is provides that. He explained that Prop U was designed to be very focused and simple to garner as much support as possible. It does not mention Afghanistan or Iran. It does not mention time-tables. It contains no loopholes or conditions. It just says no further funding for the Iraq war except to withdraw the troops. He urged attendees to work to help pass Prop U. He noted that Prop U faces the obstacle that it is measure 21 on a long ballat.
No on Prop V: Kathy Lipscomb (of the Iraq Moratorium) described SF Proposition V, which also will be on the SF ballot. Prop V is a conservative response to the SF School Board’s recent decision to remove JROTC from San Francisco high-schools. It would force the school district to reverse that decision and continue to allow JROTC in its high schools. Lipscomb argued that JROTC is a recruiting tool for the military, which lures teenagers into the military with false promises about what military service is like. She urged attendees to vote NO on Prop V and to work to prevent its passage.
Truth in Military Recruitement: Siri Margerin (United for Peace & Justice) explained that San Franciscans have collectively paid about $2.2 billion for the Iraq War. She said that the military sends recruiters to local events, and that peace activsts plan to send anti-recruiters to the same events to demonstrate at the recruitment sites. Margerin urged attendees to participate in those anti-recruitment demonstrations.
Future Peace Dividend: Bill Simpich (Iraq Moratorium) argued that the reason that anti-war demonstrations and marches are attracting fewer people than before the war is not that fewer people oppose the war, but rather that people have concluded that such action does not work. He suggested that peace activists should consider new strategies, such as working within the system to promote legislation that mandates or promotes peace. One such initiative is the effort to pass a Peace Tax (an option on income tax returns to direct payments away from military spending, towards peaceful projects) or a Peace Tax Credit (a tax credit for personal expenditures that promote peace).
What’s Next: Elizabeth Boardman (Iraq Moratorium) talked about future Iraq Moratorium efforts. The Iraq Moratorium is a nation-wide attempt to get people to commit to taking action against the Iraq War at least once a month on the 3rd Friday. Actions can be individual or collective; they can be big, like organizing a demonstration, or small, like wearing a peace button. Boardman listed upcoming IM events and opportunities for action, e.g., ongoing monthly vigils, the campaigns for Prop U and against Prop V, etc. She urged attendees to get involved in these efforts, and invited them to a planning meeting on October 7, at 7 pm at the Friends (Quaker) Meetinghouse at 65 Ninth Street in San Francisco (near Civic Center BART-Muni).

After the presentations, the mike was opened for comments and questions from the audience. Two audience members — one of whom was from the San Francisco Libertarian Party — argued that regular peace-action should be put on hold until after the November election, to allow peace-activists to focus their energy on preventing the Republican party from winning the Presidency again. There was some discussion about this, but no consensus emerged.

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