Here’s footage of the Code Pink protesters being ejected yesterday from the Petraeus hearings. Today, I got this back-slapping message from Code Pink, a group I support.
The clip and the e-mail both make me cringe. Much as I admire the passion of these well-intentioned folks, I fear that their message is lost on those who most need to hear it. It also risks alienating allies who worry that these sort of antics only serve to marginalize anti-war activists by making us look — well — goofy.
Code Pink says it is all for “embarrassing ourselves” and being “rude for peace.” Fine. I’m all for civil disobedience; sometimes it’s the right card to play. But I don’t think this latest theater did anything to advance our position and, in fact, may likely have set us back.
We don’t often criticize our own, because as activists we are so glad to see people doing ANYTHING that we dare not question their tactics. But it’s been my experience that we spend too little time thinking strategically in our impatience to “do something.” It’s ironic, I think. Too little strategy, too much posturing — isn’t that exactly how we got into Iraq?
Becci Robbins
***********
From Code Pink:
Sept. 11, 2007
Dear becci,
Remember when Colin Powell stood in front of the UN in 2003 to make his case for war? Remember how he lied about weapons of mass destruction? Remember how the country was fooled into entering a disastrous war? Well, the Bush administration is pulling the same tricks again with the Petraeus report.
Yesterday afternoon when General Petraeus presented to Congress what amounted to lies, exaggeration and p.r. spin about the “successes” of the so-called U.S. “troop surge” in Iraq, we were expected to sit in the room and quietly listen. When polite political discourse in the halls of Congress countenances torture, murder, theft of resources, and ongoing occupation, we think that rudeness is the correct response. If it’s embarrassing for women to shout out, “War criminal” at war criminals in expensive suits and military uniforms, then we are all for embarrassing ourselves.
Our CODEPINK heroes Medea, Liz, Desiree, Leslie and Mona made a distinctly unladylike scene in the Petaeus hearing. They stood up for truth in the face of official lies. They stood up for the 2.2 million internally displaced Iraqis, the 2.5 million Iraqi refugees, and the 650,000 Iraqis and 3,700 U.S. soldiers — more Americans than those killed in the horrific attacks on US soil six years ago today — who have died in this miserable war and occupation.
Thankfully some members of Congress are waking up. Today, Rep. Tom Lantos (D-CA) plainly said “I don’t buy it” to General Petraeus. Please help us get more of our Reps to stop buying Bush’s war by signing our pledge to “Whip Congress into Shape.” When you pledge to do a simple action every week to end the war, you will get a personalized pledge page to pass around to your friends, invite them to sign on, and watch your impact spread across the country! The CODEPINK member who inspires the most pledges by the end of each month will win an unforgettable trip to the CODEPINK house in DC!
This week, we’re asking everyone to call your Senators (202.224.3121) and say “Petraeus can only betray us. Don’t be duped again. Don’t buy Bush’s war.”
Proud to be rude for peace,
Dana, Desiree, Farida, Gael, Gayle, Jodie, Karin, Liz, Medea, Nancy, Pamela, Patricia, Rae, Samantha, and Vanessa
