Not In Our Name!!!

Many Vietnam Veterans returned from Vietnam vowing Never Again. Never Again would we allow our government to send troops over to commit atrocities against a people struggling for national liberation. Never Again would we allow innocent young solders to be used to kill others.

And then came the Gulf War. Veterans were in the forefront leading demonstrations to stop that war. When the U.S. government declared victory many veterans hurt - deep, and questioned if it was even possible to beat back this governments attacks.

In this post 9/11 atmosphere of never-ending war, people are told to put all their faith in a government whose actions are changing every single day. The FBI is reorganized to allow more domestic spying, military troops are told to be ready for "preemptive action" meaning attacks without provocation, explanation or declaration of war, and a new super-department is created: The Department of Homeland Security.

The combining of 22 federal agencies into a single operation will better allow this government to conduct its spying, expand its network of government snitches, and target and profile students, visitors and immigrants from the Middle East and around the world.

On June 1st, in a speech at West Point, Bush said that the U.S. government is transforming the military into a force capable of striking anywhere in the world without notice. On June 5th, reports came out that Marine commanders were visiting the Israeli army to study their "urban combat" techniques in Jenin. "We're interested in what they're developing, especially since September ll. There's a lot of things we could learn from them." Lt. Col. Booth told the Marine Corps Times. That same day leading Senate Democrats announced they were unanimously supporting the plan to overthrow Iraq's government.

As veterans we need to see that these are the actions of a wounded animal-vicious-but desperately attempting to lock things down. We are in a race against time and we need one voice to say: Not In Our Name. Nam vets learned the hard way that the power of the people was mightier than the man's technology.

As veterans we have a right to speak and an ability to influence Americas new cannon-fodder. We need to encourage and support GI resistance-some of which is beginning to leak out into the press.

Veterans-join us in taking up the Not In Our Name Project and take the pledge to actively and physically demonstrate that the actions of this government and its "war against terrorism" are NOT IN OUR NAME.

We call upon all vets of all eras to take up, support and popularize the Pledge to Resist and Statement of Conscience and to join with millions of others in the Fall in joint and diversified actions that can truly inspire the worlds people and begin to wake-up those Americans who are still sleep. It has been wisely said that "dissent without resistance is consent." Join us in resistance.

-Vietnam Veterans Against the War Anti-Imperialist