Stephen Rohde
08/31/05
Statement of Stephen Rohde, civil liberties lawyer and peace and justice activist, in support of "The World Can’t Wait!" Mobilization on November 2:
As the horrible tragedy in the wake of Hurricane Katrina unfolds, we see the gruesome evidence of the terrible toll that George Bush’s war against Iraq is taking back at home.
The funds that should have gone (and should now be going) to flood control, to rebuilding the levees, to disaster relief, to helicopters, to National Guardsmen, to water and food and shelter, has instead gone (and continues to go) to support Bush’s illegal war against Iraq.
To fuel this illegal war, Bush has drained the resources of America. He has stolen the lives of almost 2000 young men and women serving in the US military, hundreds more from other countries and tens of thousands of innocent Iraqi lives. He has caused permanent injuries to countless soldiers and civilians. He has laid waste to the infrastructure of Iraq.
In all this, Bush has made the world a more dangerous place, fomenting hatred against the United States and our allies in London and elsewhere, feeding our image as the aggressor and oppressor, making us more vulnerable to attack. And at every turn, Bush has violated international law abroad and civil liberties at home, not only undermining the rule of law and the Constitution, but stripping Americans of reciprocal protections.
In the face of all this, Bush is bereft any coherent policy, except the mindless mantra to "stay the course."
He must be stopped.
To that end, on November 2, the first anniversary of Bush’s "re-election", people across America will take a major step by organizing a truly massive day of resistance all over this country. People everywhere will walk out of school, they will take off work, they will come to their downtowns and town squares and set out from there, going through the streets and calling on many more to JOIN US.
They will repudiate this criminal regime, making a powerful statement:
"NO! THIS REGIME DOES NOT REPRESENT US! AND WE WILL DRIVE IT OUT!"
THE WORLD CAN’T WAIT!
DRIVE OUT THE BUSH REGIME!
Mobilize for November 2, 2005