NYCLAW Statement in Fayetteville

GI RESISTANCE: NYCLAW 3.19 Statement in Fayetteville

The following was delivered at the March 19 antiwar rally in Fayetteville, North Carolina (home of Ft. Bragg), by NYCLAW representative Thomas Barton, publisher of GI Special <http://www.militaryproject.org/> .

Comments by other Fayetteville rally speakers are posted at: <http://www.traprockpeace.org/fayetteville_rally_1.html> <http://www.traprockpeace.org/fayetteville_rally_2.html>

—————
Let’s Get to Work

Greetings from New York City Labor Against the War; GI Special; Traveling Soldier newsletter, produced by Pham Binh; and the Military Project organizing committee.

Here is a blinding flash of the obvious.

During the Vietnam war, the antiwar movement at home was necessary to stop the war, but it was not sufficient.

The resistance in Vietnam was necessary to stop the war, but it was not sufficient.

But the rebellion against the war in the armed forces was both necessary and sufficient to stop the war. And the war stopped.

It was the greatest insurrection against an Imperial war since the rebellion of the Russian army in 1917.

But you don’t have to believe me about that, and you shouldn’t.

Check out: Heinl, Jr., Col. Robert D., THE COLLAPSE OF THE ARMED FORCES, Armed Forces Journal, 1971.

Lots of soldiers can fight in wars.

It takes something very special in soldiers to stop one. Honor and respect to them all.

Respect also to the civilians who forged the links to the antiwar troops, gave them aid and comfort, and helped make that rebellion possible.

Now it is time for us to follow the instruction of the prophet:

Go thou and do likewise.

Today, the anti war movement is necessary to stop the war in Iraq, but it is not sufficient.

Today, the Iraqi resistance to Imperial invasion and occupation is necessary to stop the war, but it is not sufficient.

But the coming rebellion in the armed forces will be both necessary and sufficient. It may not come as soon as we might wish, but it will come. And the war will stop.

But you don’t have to take my word for that, and you shouldn’t.

Here is what one 1st ID member from a group of anti-war soldiers in Iraq wrote to GI Special:

*Before any soldier risks going to prison he should realize that his ability to communicate with other troops will be limited.

*We choose our battles and continue to speak out in our underground action.

*There has to be a point when we reach a high enough number of troops in our peace effort that a unified boycott of all military action will have a desired effect.

Nothing is more important today than forging new links with the troops turning against this war.

Our job is to help them do what is necessary to stop this war and end forever the power of the predators who rule in this society.

If we act together to take back our lives and our futures from those who would steal both, there is no force on earth that can stop us.

We need our troops by our side.

Without them we are truly lost.

With them, everything is possible.

Let’s get to work.