Crimson and Clover
03-31-2003, 06:20 PM
By NANCY CACIOPPO
THE JOURNAL NEWS
(Original publication: March 29, 2003)
SUFFERN - Shirley Young's 20-year-old son, Jesse, is serving with the U.S.
Army at Fort Lewis in Washington state, far from the Persian Gulf.
Her son's safe distance doesn't prevent her from objecting to the U.S. war
against Iraq.
Young is the regional representative for Military Families Speak Out, a
national organization of people who have family members in the military but
who are against the war.
The group, which claims about 300 families coast-to-coast, offers mutual
support, shares information via e-mail and says it provides an important
voice that's not often heard.
Young, who has participated in teach-ins and antiwar protests from
Washington, D.C., to the gates of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point,
knows she is in the minority as a member of a military family.
Still, Young feels compelled to express her concerns publicly.
There was no formal congressional declaration of war against Iraq - "which
is unconstitutional," she said - and "a pre-emptive strike is against
international law."
She said it was hypocritical to go after Saddam Hussein, a dictator "we
trained and armed with chemical weapons in the past."
"The president does not have the right to kill just to change the government
of a rogue nation," Young said.
"Our tax dollars are going to fight the war, and we're not getting more jobs
and schools. We could feed everyone in Iraq for $74 billion, and they would
love us, not hate us."
Young said she considered herself a patriot and was proud that her son
joined the military. But, she said, she doesn't want him to become the
"hated aggressor."
Young recalled a recent demonstration outside West Point and a sign carried
by a counterdemonstrator that read: "What about 9/11 and the people who
died?"
"Is it 'getting even' for 9/11 if you kill the same number or nine times the
number of people who died?" Young asked. "We teach our kids not to fight and
hit each other. This war is only going to cause more terrorism in the
world."
Boston residents Charley Richardson, the group's co-founder, and his wife,
Nancy Lessin, have a 25-year-old son in the Marine Corps in the Persian
Gulf. Richardson said Military Families Speak Out was started in November
when several military families found they had common ground in theiropposition to war.
"We were both in the antiwar movement during Vietnam," Richardson said of he
and his wife. "I'm not a pacifist. But we have members who are pacifists, as
well as people from long military traditions who say this war is wrong."
Richardson said he thought the war might be waged in large part because of
oil, and he is certain it's also about power politics.
"Iraq is a key to the region," he said. "And the idea of taking it over as a
power base has been around for a long time. But I would argue this war
violates the Constitution, the U.N. charter and other rules of international
behavior."
Although he thinks the war is unjust, Richardson said he supported the
troops and wanted to bring them home safely.
"I support the warrior - not the war," he said. "This is not about worrying
about my son or getting him out of harm's way. It's about getting 250,000
other troops, Iraqi civilians and the world out of harm's way."
Members of the organization have felt a lot of pressure to be silent, he
said, "as though speaking out against the war is somehow unpatriotic."
"We feel it's the most supportive, patriotic thing we can do for our troops
and our country - to stop the war from continuing," he said. "War is ruining
international relations, creating enemies all over the world and undermining
democracy in the United States. This war is setting a trend for U.S. foreign
policy and a precedent for military intervention."
Richardson said he was afraid the United States would become the world's
vigilante.
"My father said war is never a good thing, although sometimes it's
necessary," he said. "But this is not one of those times."
For more information about Military Families Speak Out, visit www.MFSO.org
THE JOURNAL NEWS
(Original publication: March 29, 2003)
SUFFERN - Shirley Young's 20-year-old son, Jesse, is serving with the U.S.
Army at Fort Lewis in Washington state, far from the Persian Gulf.
Her son's safe distance doesn't prevent her from objecting to the U.S. war
against Iraq.
Young is the regional representative for Military Families Speak Out, a
national organization of people who have family members in the military but
who are against the war.
The group, which claims about 300 families coast-to-coast, offers mutual
support, shares information via e-mail and says it provides an important
voice that's not often heard.
Young, who has participated in teach-ins and antiwar protests from
Washington, D.C., to the gates of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point,
knows she is in the minority as a member of a military family.
Still, Young feels compelled to express her concerns publicly.
There was no formal congressional declaration of war against Iraq - "which
is unconstitutional," she said - and "a pre-emptive strike is against
international law."
She said it was hypocritical to go after Saddam Hussein, a dictator "we
trained and armed with chemical weapons in the past."
"The president does not have the right to kill just to change the government
of a rogue nation," Young said.
"Our tax dollars are going to fight the war, and we're not getting more jobs
and schools. We could feed everyone in Iraq for $74 billion, and they would
love us, not hate us."
Young said she considered herself a patriot and was proud that her son
joined the military. But, she said, she doesn't want him to become the
"hated aggressor."
Young recalled a recent demonstration outside West Point and a sign carried
by a counterdemonstrator that read: "What about 9/11 and the people who
died?"
"Is it 'getting even' for 9/11 if you kill the same number or nine times the
number of people who died?" Young asked. "We teach our kids not to fight and
hit each other. This war is only going to cause more terrorism in the
world."
Boston residents Charley Richardson, the group's co-founder, and his wife,
Nancy Lessin, have a 25-year-old son in the Marine Corps in the Persian
Gulf. Richardson said Military Families Speak Out was started in November
when several military families found they had common ground in theiropposition to war.
"We were both in the antiwar movement during Vietnam," Richardson said of he
and his wife. "I'm not a pacifist. But we have members who are pacifists, as
well as people from long military traditions who say this war is wrong."
Richardson said he thought the war might be waged in large part because of
oil, and he is certain it's also about power politics.
"Iraq is a key to the region," he said. "And the idea of taking it over as a
power base has been around for a long time. But I would argue this war
violates the Constitution, the U.N. charter and other rules of international
behavior."
Although he thinks the war is unjust, Richardson said he supported the
troops and wanted to bring them home safely.
"I support the warrior - not the war," he said. "This is not about worrying
about my son or getting him out of harm's way. It's about getting 250,000
other troops, Iraqi civilians and the world out of harm's way."
Members of the organization have felt a lot of pressure to be silent, he
said, "as though speaking out against the war is somehow unpatriotic."
"We feel it's the most supportive, patriotic thing we can do for our troops
and our country - to stop the war from continuing," he said. "War is ruining
international relations, creating enemies all over the world and undermining
democracy in the United States. This war is setting a trend for U.S. foreign
policy and a precedent for military intervention."
Richardson said he was afraid the United States would become the world's
vigilante.
"My father said war is never a good thing, although sometimes it's
necessary," he said. "But this is not one of those times."
For more information about Military Families Speak Out, visit www.MFSO.org