But politics do not begin and end in Washington. So it is that the antiwar messages most likely to be heard and acted upon by Congressional Democrats and wavering Republicans trying to figure out how the war will play at the polls in November will come from their hometowns. It is there, at the grassroots, that a growing number of activists are organizing with an eye toward communicating to Congress that, as Wisconsinite Keith Schmitz says, “It’s OK to oppose the war.”
In daily conversations, with friends, neighbors, associates, in the grocery store line, we need to make mention how the war is hurting us here at home. Here’s an example I used yesterday talking to friends from Shaftsbury VT.
Me: ” I went to a meeting yesterday (Saturday) at the Bennington Public Library where Vermont House speaker Gaye Symington held a Town Meeting discussion.
Friends: “Oh, I heard about her, she’s quite attractive”…
Me: “Yes indeed, and smart too. We had a very good discussion on the challenges of funding healthcare in Vermont and helping the uninsured”.
“The town meeting was videotaped by Catamount Public Access TV and will be playing on TV soon”
Friends: “If we could just get out of this war in Iraq, we’d have some money to do other things here at home”.
Me: “Exactly! That’s the first thing I said to some people when I left the meeting at the library”!
This is an example of bringing the war home. We are setting the stage for letting friends know that its OK to oppose the war.
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url= BRINGING THE WAR HOME
