Members of PSAWI: Debunking myths about the anti-war movement

For the past two weeks of armed conflict, we, as Penn Students Against War on Iraq, have been engaged in nearly constant protest. Hours before the bombing began, we established an anti-war action center and safe space in Houston Hall. Since then, we have used this space to facilitate visible anti-war activity.

While we have been engaging in debate and criticism, we have also become the subject of debate and criticism. We'd like to use this space to answer some commonly-asked questions. We hope that anyone with further interest will engage us in dialogue or perhaps join us in our efforts.

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The war has begun -- why do you still protest?

We protest because we oppose and challenge the pre-emptive and unilateral process by which the Bush administration entered us into this war. We protest because, as members of a democratic state, it is our obligation to be involved in the civil discourse of government. We protest on campus as a means to educate our fellow students with information missing from the continual CNN updates.

We failed to stop this war, but, by mobilizing our collective voice, we strive to prevent further unwise, unilateral actions by the U.S. government. We are also concerned about U.S. plans for post-war Iraq and consider a respectful, peaceful and just conclusion to this conflict to be a top priority.

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Do you think the military should immediately pull out of Iraq?

Our members have many different ideas about how to effect the wisest and most peaceful resolution to this conflict. Opposing this war does not necessarily entail promoting an immediate and total withdrawal, nor does it necessarily entail calling for an aggressive military conquest. We encourage thoughtful and respectful discussion on this important issue.

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Don't you understand that we're fighting this war to protect our freedom?

No terrorist attack, not even the worst hypothetical catastrophe conjured to justify this war, would take away our freedom. The terrorist threat is real, and perhaps even more likely in light of the current conflict, but it threatens only our security. Downsizing our freedom is the government's choice. So, our current military actions don't help secure our freedom. We can preserve that freedom and reverse infringements upon it, but only by questioning and protesting the administration's threats to our civil liberties.

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Don't you support our troops?

Of course we support our troops. We are deeply concerned for the safety of American lives, and our opposition to this war is not a death wish for American soldiers. We understand that troops are not policy makers. We do not, however, endorse the actions taken by the administration to needlessly jeopardize their lives.

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Why have you taken over Houston Hall?

We have maintained this space in order to educate the Penn community about our stance and to serve as a welcoming gathering space for those opposed to this war. We invite those questioning the legitimacy of this war to read our literature and look at the displayed photographs of the innocent Iraqi civilians whose lives are in danger at this very moment. For the past two weeks, Houston Hall has been a center for discussions, meetings, actions, teach-ins, vigils and prayer. As a place of artistic expression, we have also hosted movies, plays and concerts. We encourage all to join us.

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You just hate George W. Bush, right?

Simply, no. Our protest should not be construed as a character assassination of George W. Bush himself, but rather as fervent opposition to the policies and actions for which he is responsible as acting president of the United States of America.

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You think this war is just about oil, don't you?

We take no official position on the motivations behind this war. That said, we encourage an active exploration of foreign and independent media so that individuals can come to their own conclusions regarding the many biases and conflicts of interest involved in this crisis. There are many curious aspects of this administration, beyond simply ties to oil, that may or may not be motivating factors. On the other hand, this war could also be the result of a mere miscalculation. It is up to the individual to decide.

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Again, we encourage self-education on these issues, and offer our Web site, www.psawi.org, as a good place to start.

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