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The Unitarian Church of All Souls • 1157 Lexington Avenue • New York, NY 10021 email: peacetaskforcenyc@yahoo.com
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Ann Wright Talks On Her Forthcoming
"Dissent: Voices of Conscience" October 23, 2007 Review by Phoebe Hoss "Peace cannot be made through occupation." This is the forthright statement Ann Wright reported making recently to Ryan Crocker, our present ambassador to Iraq. Ms Wright -- a distinguished career diplomat and retired colonel in the U.S. army -- resigned from the U.S. Foreign Service on March 19, 2003, in protest over the Bush administration's policies at home and abroad. Her second appearance at All Souls on the evening of October 23 was sponsored by our Peace Task Force, Resistance Cinema, and Action of Justice of Community Church of New York. Ann began her talk by telling us about her recent attempt to go to Canada where she was expected to speak to members of that nation's parliament. She was initially denied entrance, however, and held up for hours owing to the fact that her several convictions for the misdemeanor of peaceful nonviolent protest had put her in the F.B.I.'s database along with felons such as sex offenders. (During the Vietnam War, Canada was willing to harbor war resisters, but no longer; today someone who resists being called to Iraq and goes to Canada can hope only for refugee status – an issue that is now before the courts.) On that occasion, Ms Wright was finally allowed in for three days if she paid $200 – as she did. Other such nonviolent protesters have been turned back at the border – actions that are reported on by the Canadian, but not by the American, press. Ms Wright spoke also about her forthcoming Dissent: Voices of Conscience, and read us a few lines from the foreword Daniel Ellsberg wrote for the book. There were no copies of it on hand to buy as the text has not yet released by the State Department. (If you want a copy, please let the Peace Task Force know, and one will be ordered when they become available.) In her book, she and her co-author, Susan Dixon, tell about the "voices of conscience" – the men and women, both civilian and military (some of the latter on active duty), from the United States and the United Kingdom (twice as many resigned in the latter as in the former) as well as other countries -- who have spoken out in the last seven years against the Bush Administration and its policies and revealed information about its activities that it and its various departments tried to keep hidden. Ann also spoke of her protests in Washington, in congressional hearings – which, she says, too few people attend. She firmly believes that we need to hold our leaders accountable for their actions – especially for the grievous mistakes they have been making in Iraq. Thus, we now need to keep pressing the Democrats to go after the people who have broken the law. She reported on a recent protest in the office of the Michigan Democratic Congressman John Conyers, who said that "winning the '08 election was more important than getting out of Iraq." Thus, he is not willing to call the administration to account for its lies. If we want accountability, Ms Wright said, we have to push for it. If we want to get out of Iraq, we have to push for it. It's critical that we don't slack off. The Iraqis are going to continue to attack us. Among the questions she answered were:
Also, look ahead to other events: on October 27, there will be demonstrations all over the United States. Or demonstrate on March 19, 2008, the fifth anniversary of the start of the war.
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