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St. Cloud State University
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Commentary
Peace demonstrations need refreshing for effectiveness
Published:
Thursday, March 20, 2003
It was only a matter of hours ago that the U.S. went to war with Iraq.
It was only a matter of days ago that protesters were opposing war and demonstrating as much peace as they possibly could in order to fight the inevitable.
We have an infinite amount of future in front of us and a different plan of action must be taken.
We are actually at war now; it's not just a possibility or a fear--it is a reality.
So instead of complaining, worrying or presenting more peace demonstrations, the time has come to give our display of thoughts and feelings a makeover.
This is not a message to hinder expression. Complain, express concern and worry as much as it does to keep a person healthy, but our message to the general public is simple: we need to promote a different kind of peace.
Instead of opposing war so boisterously and complaining about Bush more, people should come together in this time of need. There are many soldiers for whom we all need to have lots of hope; there are many families worldwide that are going to be affected by the events that have taken place and may follow; there are countries at war right now and instead of falling apart about it, we need to be positive and come together to support one another.
So rather than protesting or taking more actions that publicly oppose war, every person should take out time in their day to at least think about all the people who are in need of support. Talking to a coworker, a friend or a relative about what can be done to remedy the situation rather than what can be done to oppose it will be much more peaceful and effective than any public rebellion.
We are at war; whether we like it or not, that's the way it is. It's time we show support for our troops and see that they make it back as safely as possible and hope that this war comes to an end in as little time as possible. These are our citizens, our spouses, our children, our relatives, our friends and our acquaintances out there; let's show them that we have faith in them, we are proud of them for being so courageous and that we can't wait for their return.
