City Council Drafting Resolution Against "Bush's War" FREEP ALERT

I watched on TV last night these America haters drafting a resolution to oppose "The Resident Bush" and his plan to attack Iraq. Freepers we need you to freep the Arcata City Council today to tell them that you support Bush and you will boycout Arcata if they pass this resolution. Arcata City Council:

CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE 707-822-5953 Dan Hauser- City Manager 707-825-2100 City Council Office 707-825-2169 Jim Test - Mayor 707-441-9846 Robert Noble - Vice Mayor 707-441-9776 Connie Stewart 707-269-0392 Ultra Socialist Bob Ornelas 707-269-0398 Michael Machi 707-269-0394 City Hall FAX 707-822-8018

Arcatans speak out against war in Iraq By James Faulk The Times-Standard

ARCATA -- Roughly 200 people gathered at the Arcata Community Center on Tuesday to tell the City Council that war with Iraq is not the answer.

The council organized the Town Hall meeting to gauge public sentiment over a proposed stance by the city against a possible unilateral, pre-emptive strike by the United States against Iraq.

While the intention was dialogue between what some believed would be disparate points of view, those present spoke with one voice on the issue.

Arcata resident Carl Magruder, who spoke near the end of the two-hour meeting, said the issue to him boils down to one basic moral rule that should never be violated.

"You do not deliberately, knowingly kill other people -- ever," he said.

Attendees at the meeting included all five members of the City Council, sprinkled throughout the crowd, and several council candidates, including Dave Meserve, Elizabeth Conner, Dex Andersen and Cynthia Savage.

The local chapter of Veterans for Peace adopted their own anti-war stance and have put together a resolution for the city to consider. A similar resolution has been adopted by the Humboldt County Democratic Central Committee.

The Veterans for Peace resolution cites a number of reasons why the group believes the war would be unnecessary:

" ... There has been no credible evidence offered that Iraq possesses or is developing weapons of mass destruction with the intention of using them against the U.S. or any other nation, and there is testimony from former U.N. inspector Scott Ritter that the U.N. team concluded that no such capability existed then and is unlikely to exist in the present," it states.

The proclamation also claims there is no credible evidence linking Iraq with al-Qaida, that any more military action would harm innocent people and that it would undermine our national security by "inflaming and adding to the number of people who find (American) policies at the least objectionable and often criminal."

Arcata attorney Michael Golden said he feels it is appropriate for the city to take action against the war because cities are one of the last remaining places to voice people's opinions.

"Where are we to speak if not through our localities?"

Candidate Dex Andersen agreed and said that any change in government and policy is going to have to emanate from the people.

"Our change for the world is going to have to come from grass roots," he said.

He said people at the local level will have to put "psychic and public relations" pressure on the nation's leaders to effect change.

Rob Hepburn, a Vietnam veteran and member of Veterans for Peace, said he is in favor of the city coming out against the war.

"I know full well the horrors of war," he said. "War itself is the most ignoble, uncourageous, cowardly act against humanity."

He said a pre-emptive attack on Iraq would be seen as an act of aggression by other nations and that it would likely provoke more attacks like Sept. 11, 2001.

He said he believes it's the city's right and obligation to come out against the war because it would be a crime against humanity.

He said a recent CIA report indicated that if Saddam Hussein has weapons of mass destruction, he would be more likely to use them if attacked by the United States than he would under other circumstances.

"And remember who has the most weapons of mass destruction by far -- the United States of America," he said.

Arcata resident Fred Lamar said he's witnessed the wars that have ensued after World War II and he wonders what benefits they have produced.

"Our national leaders can't seem to get off the war bandwagon," he said.

He too was for a city resolution against the war.

Candidate Elizabeth Conner urged the council to adopt "some sort of resolution" to state the city's opposition to a pre-emptive war with Iraq.

She said a first strike against Iraq would increase Americans' peril and decrease their safety everywhere in the world, including Arcata.

She asked those in favor of such a resolution to stand up. Nearly everyone in the crowded community center rose to their feet.

Barbara Shults, animal activist and registered nurse, said she is opposed to the war and that she is concerned about the state of the military that would be sent to fight.

She said the military has lost experienced soldiers in recent years for a number of reasons, and that the military is therefore in bad shape to face war.

A nursing shortage in all branches of the military is also a problem, she said, and she wondered how the military would treat its wounded.

Candidate Dave Meserve said it is important for cities to take this kind of stand because people are not being heard as individuals.

He said one cause of the looming war would be a "president who has basically declared empire in the last month -- and he declared this to be the American empire, declared the right of the United States to go anywhere it wanted in the world to do whatever it wishes without regard to international law, for the United Nations or for innocent civilians."

A pre-emptive strike would also be unconstitutional, he said.

"The Constitution requires not only that we follow the United States Constitution, which says that congress shall be only body that declares war, but also under the Constitution and on the same level as the Constitution are all treaties signed by the United States," he said. "The United Nations charter is one such treaty and there is no provision under the United Nations charter for any pre-emptive strike on anybody at anytime."

Two callers, one from Eureka, stated their opinion that the city should not take a stance on the war.

Arcata resident Anthony Kahn said the threat of war in Iraq was justified because it is the only way to force Saddam Hussein to let arms inspectors into Iraq to look for weapons of mass destruction.

Kahn said he does not want the council to speak for the Arcata residents who could not attend the meeting.

One unidentified caller from Eureka asked that if an antiwar resolution was passed by the council, how would residents personally defend themselves against terrorists if attacks were made on the town.

The meeting was facilitated by Betsy Watson, sociology professor at Humboldt State University, and was held in a "fish bowl" style, with microphones set up next to four stools in the center of the room

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