Letter from Michael McPhearson to the Peace Movement

From Michael T. McPhearson
Executive Director, Veterans For Peace
Co-Chair, United For Peace and Justice

To the Anti-war/ Peace and Justice Movements,

Thank You For Your Support of Iraq Veterans Against the War and Winter Soldier

March 13-16, 2008 Iraq Veterans Against the War held Winter Solider: Iraq and Afghanistan (Eyewitness Accounts of the Occupations) in Silver Springs, Maryland. The event was a great success and I would like to thank the greater anti-war/peace movements for your support in helping IVAW, Vietnam Veterans Against the War and Veterans For Peace in our efforts.

There were many of us who wanted to have a large mass mobilization that weekend. IVAW asked all of us to hold off on a mobilization and local actions in Washington, DC during the testimonies so that the event would be the most prominent activity during that time period. Everyone was not in full agreement that this was the best tactic for this moment and a heated debate ensued. But over time the movements united, activists put their shoulders to the wheel and ensured Winter Soldier and the subsequent activities on March 19th to mark the end of the 5th and beginning of the 6th year of the occupation was well attended and in the spotlight. I am personally grateful to all of you for pulling together in our collective effort to make the war visible to the American public and demand that our government end the occupation of Iraq.

We all know we are in a critical time as we continue to resist the illegal and immoral policies of the Bush administration. Most of us are frustrated at the slow pace of change and the lack of an apparent end to this nightmare. We know President Bush will not change course. Congress has abdicated nearly all of its responsibilities to control the Executive Branch and the major parties’ presidential candidates give us little cause to celebrate. It should appear to the realist that the prospects of ending the occupation are bleak. Fortunately for us we do not use the eyes of realists to chart our future; we are activists. Of course we must be pragmatic in our assessments, decision making and planning, but as activists we are in the business of shaping the future and making the change we want to see. With the new tool of Winter Soldier we all possess the voices of Iraq and Afghan veterans to share with our friends, neighbors, relatives, Congress persons and political adversaries. We no longer need to find a person to talk about the occupation. We no longer have to wonder about the truth of the occupation. We now have the truth easily accessible. The tasks at hand are to show and tell the story, step up our organizing, continue to speak truth to power and turn out in mass numbers to demand an end to the occupation.

Lastly, I ask all of us not to fear, because our time is coming. There are far too many examples of those who have come before us facing insurmountable odds; armed with little or nothing, and yet they stood strong in the face of power and changed history. The names are too numerous to mention, but I will attempt to share a few of the movements. Shay’s Rebellion, the Abolitionist Movement to end slavery, the 1st Wave of the Women’s Movement, Labor Movements, the Civil Right Movement, the Student Movement, the Vietnam Veterans Movement, the 2nd Wave of the Women’s Movement, the American Indian Movement, The Gay, Lesbian, Bi Sexual, Transgender and Queer Movements, and others. We have a responsibility to take heart and move forward because our struggle to end this occupation and stop the onslaught of U.S. Imperialism is just beginning and like those who have come before us we will make the impossible possible.

Michael T. McPhearson

Executive Director, Veterans For Peace

Co-Chair, United For Peace and Justice

Visit www.ivaw.org for Winter Soldier Iraq and Afghanistan information and video

peace: One step at a time.

Support VFP http://www.veteransforpeace.org/Donate.vp.html