March in September

The A.N.S.W.E.R. organization is organizing an anti-war march in Washington, D.C., on 15 September, 2007.

SEPTEMBER 15
Mass March in Washington DC!

Join Iraq Veterans Against the War, Veterans for Peace, the ANSWER Coalition, Muslim American Society Freedom Foundation, and thousands of others in Washington DC on September 15 for a huge antiwar protest timed to coincide with the report by General Petraeus on the “Surge” in Iraq.

ANSWER isn’t my favourite organization; I think their events are too multipurpose and unfocused. People who oppose the war in Iraq have differing views on other topics, and those who think we have to fix things elsewhere might or might not agree about Iraq. Regardless of the overall mission of an organization, its public events should be focused and clear, and ANSWER’s generally are not. Often the result is that some fringe sub-element gets a lot of press and distracts people from seeing the goal at hand.

That said, it’s time for another large rally, and this is the one we have. I’d rather see it from, say, MoveOn.org, which is opting for a lower-key event:

Stand Up In September Vigil

This September, after hearing the White House‘s report on the “surge,” Congress will decide whether we bring our troops home or spend another year fighting an unwinnable religious civil war. As Congress heads back to DC, we’re here to tell them that it’s time to take a stand.

We’re holding candlelight vigils and Town Hall meetings in cities all over the nation on August 28—National Take a Stand Day—to remember the human cost of the war and urge our members of Congress to stand up in September and end this endless war.

I aim to try to make it to DC for the ANSWER march. If you can’t be there, why not participate in one of the MoveOn.org vigils?

Stand up and show how many of us there are.

Do something.