Message From a Small Town

By: Michael A. Lewis

Today my wife and I joined 5,000 people protesting against war and witnessing for peace in the small town of Santa Cruz, California, population 50,000, on the north shore of Monterey Bay.

This was not the big show of New York, London, or even San Francisco.

This was just my neighbors and friends who care enough to come out on a cool cloudy day to raise their voices in protest to the war mongers in our nation's capital. We're sick and tired of the unelected President driving our country to kill, maim, and destroy in our name.

We 5,000 walked today to send a clear and unambiguous message to the world that we do not support this murder of innocent people to line the pockets of politicians and corporate CEO's. We are not party to this despicable scheme to subvert the will of the people of the United States for corporate and political greed. If George W. Bush and his gang of thugs succeed in their unilateral push for war, they do so without our blessing or approval.

Our sign read: "WAR KILLS fathers, brothers, mothers, sisters, babies, children, grandparents, dogs, cats, horses, birds, lizards, trees, flowers, Earth's fragile biosphere." We carried our Earth Flag to remind all that war is the ultimate environmental destruction. We were accompanied on the walk by fathers, brothers, mothers, sisters, babies, children, grandparents, dogs, trees, flowers, and Earth's fragile biosphere.

Bush and his cadre of professional killers may succeed in their war aims, but they can never claim they did so with the democratic approval of the citizens of their country. We do not approve, we do not condone, we do not support this unprovoked attack on innocent people who offer no threat to our own. This is purely an attempt to gain political and economic domination over a nation that has no ability to defend itself against the overwhelming power of the United States military.

If George W. Bush continues this attack, we will have no recourse but to seek the impeachment and removal of the President, the Vice President, and their close council of advisors for subverting and destroying the Constitution of the United States of America.

Our community is nothing special in the United States. The people are protesting across the land and throughout the world. If those in power in our nation's capitals continue to ignore the will of the people, they do so at their own peril. The masses may be slow to be aroused, but we are sure in our desire for peace and justice.