Did you know there is a Media Blackout on the Peace Movement in the U.S.? Corporate-owned mainstream TV and newspapers, and local ones too (just following along) would have you believe every American is in overwhelmingly favor of yet another War. The facts are across New Mexico (and the US) there are peace aware events, such as Teach-Ins, Marches, and Peace Vigils.
As an experiment, I sent letters to the editors to three papers in Las Cruces in October. Only one was published. The Roundup did not publish it. The Sun-News did not publish it. Only The Bulletin published my letter. I believe if enough people send in Letters to the Editor, some will get through. Even if One in Three gets through, then that is enough to let the public know that there is a growing and vital Peace Movement in the US. Send you Letters to Roundup@nmsu.edu, Sun Times tjaurigue@lcsun-news.com and Bulletin bulletin@zianet.com - Thanks David Boje, Ph.D.
When our local papers, do publish something about the Peace Movement, please write and tell them thank you. For Example, Sun-News had a reporter write one item (click here). Mostly the Peace Aware movement in Las Cruces gets the facts about the Peace Movement out through this web site www.PeaceAware.com and the weekly Peace Vigil News Letter (click for back issues).
Here are some letters published and unpublished in Las Crusces:
Sent on 10/16/02
Dear Editor:
The
Bush administration is rushing towards war in Iraq. It is time we the faculty,
students, and community enact a Teach-In and to Speak-Out for peace. I want
to inform you that concerned faculty, students, and members of our Las Cruces
community are organizing a Teach-In/Speak-Out for Peace to be held October 28 at
our campus in Corbett Center. This is not a time to sit idly by in our
classrooms and spew out lectures for the next test.
That is just a way for NMSU to be silent. As Abraham Lincoln said,
"To sin by silence when they should protest makes cowards of men."
A Teach-In is a
peaceful way to protest. It is a way to make the education process meaningful
and relevant to the world around us. I remember going to Vietnam when I was 21
years old and not really knowing how to separate fact from rhetoric. I listened
to Lyndon Johnson lie about the Tonkin gulf incident, then Nixon lie about no
bombing in Cambodia. I fear that we
are being drawn into war without adequate public debate.
Many will speak, share
poetry, theatre, and several bands are scheduled to play at the NMSU Teach-In. I
will be Speaking Out on the relation between our Oil-driven economy and
the quest for all that dark gold by the Oil-igarchy. It is not the only reason
war is being pursued, but it is one I have been researching.
I believe we have a
Congress that is too beholden to corporate oil contributions; our foreign policy
is about securing rights of way, through war, for pipeline and extraction
companies. We in the U.S. are greedy for Iraq oil reserves.
Oily Facts: According
to BP, the US oil reserves will run out in ten years. By 2020, according to
recent Department of Energy calculations, the US will import 17 million barrels
of oil per day. The world oil supply is estimated to last 43 years at current
rates of production and consumption. Iraq has the second larges oil reserve in
the world, next to Saudi Arabia; Iraq has 112.5 billion barrels of oil reserves
(and another 22 billion barrels in undiscovered oil reserves) that are expected
to last 128.9 years. Currently France and Russia have the big oil
contracts with Iraq. Bush and Cheney had a planned Iraq invasion before taking
their offices. There is a proposed puppet government the U.S. plans to install
in Iraq that will reissue oil contracts to the big time American and British oil
corporations. Those Iraq oil contracts are worth $1.1 trillion dollars.
If this Iraq war happens, it will be the 4th oil war in the Middle East
in 50 years. Big Oil elects too many of our politicians. Oil gave $26 million to
Bush, Cheney and their fellow Republicans in the 2000 election campaign; $1.7
million went to Bush; Gore $133,710.
Enron
contributed $736,800 directly to George W. Bush. Vice President Cheney’s Halliburton
Corporation is the largest US oil services company in the world. Halliburton
sold oil equipment to Iraq after the UN relaxed sanctions two years ago.
An Iraq War is a good
way to keep the attention off Enrongate and the U.S. economy. Ok, that’s
enough from me. Let’s hear from you.
We invite people from the community and NMSU to participate with talks, music, poetry and theater. The teach-in will take place at the Corbett Center outdoor stage from 9 am to 6 pm. It will be followed by more events in the Corbett Center Auditorium from 6 pm to 10 pm and will conclude with a candlelight vigil for peace. For information on contacts, updates and links go to the teach-in website at http://www.zianet.com/boje/peace.
Sincerely,
Sincerely,
David Boje (Management, 646-2391; dboje@nmsu.edu)
Other faculty involved include Neil Harvey (Government, 646-3220), and Christine
Boerner (Government, 646-2085). There are 11 NMSU student organizations
supporting the event.
==========================================================================
Dear "Letter to the Editor:"
Teach-IN Speak-OUT against war
published
in The Bulletin October 24, 2002: page 3).
The United States of America is setting the stage for a
preemptive strike on Iraq. This is against International Law. It is against the
advice of our own military leaders. Events in the region could easily spin out
of control, leading to another Vietnam. Why isn't President Bush listening to
the people in his administration who say that invading Iraq is a bad idea?
There is no evidence that Iraq, or Saddam Hussein, supports terrorism,
has connections to Al Qaeda, or has the intent or capability to attack the U.S.
with weapons of mass destruction. Instead we have a PR campaign with lots of
rhetoric that the mass media repeats in order to stir up fear against a common
enemy. This takes attention off the state of the economy, Enrongate, and why the
U.S. and U.K. are the only nations that think Iraq is a threat.
Already 500,000 children (1 million people) have died from the U.S.
sanctions on Iraq. Hundreds of New Mexicans and thousands of Americans will die
in this war. Spending $400 billion on this war will make a sorry economy worse,
and may bankrupt us all.
It is time to speak-out. On October 28th from 9AM to 10PM
there is a Teach-IN Speak-OUT for PEACE being held in Corbett Center (New Mexico
State University). It is open to the public. There will be an open mike, a
keynote speaker, Bert Sacks, the first
activist to be served a full $10,000 Penalty Notice by the Department of
Treasury for delivering medicine to Iraq in 1997. A dozen university faculty
will present facts and ideas about peace in Iraq. Several theatre, dance, and
music groups (rock, punk, folk) will make this a multi-media event. Come to the
Teach-In/Speak Out. More information is available at http://www.zianet.com/boje/peace/
Thank you for listening.
David Boje, Ph. D.
Professor of Management, NMSU-CBAE
Put your name, address, and phone
number as contact information when you send it.
Contact Info: David Boje, Ph.D.
505-532-1693
2831 Buena Vida Ct.
Las Cruces, NM 88011
Please send your own Letters to Editor: Roundup@nmsu.edu, Sun Times tjaurigue@lcsun-news.com and Bulletin bulletin@zianet.com When it gets published or if it doesn't, send a copy to www.PeaceAware.com