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News :: Peace |
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Supporters Of Urbana Anti-War Resolution Pack City Hall |
Current rating: 0 |
by Kimberlie Kranich
Email: kakranich (nospam) yahoo.com (verified) |
28 Jan 2003
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Over 100 activists for peace filled the Urbana City Council Chambers and 421 people went on record in support of a resolution to Oppose War Against Iraq, placed on the agenda by Council Member Danielle Chynoweth. For nearly two hours residents spoke about how the prospect of war with Iraq was locally relevant.
Fewer federal and state dollars to Urbana was often cited as well as the direct impact on soldiers from this area and residents from other countries who live here, and the moral imperative for local governments to petition the federal government when they disagree with an action it is about to take that would affect us all. |
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Last night, activists for peace from Urbana filled the City Council Chambers in support of Urbana Alderwoman Danielle Chynoweth's proposed resolution to prevent war against Iraq.
More than 100 people crowded into Council Chambers filling every audience seat and lining the sides, back and front of the room. Many stood or sat on the floor.
For nearly two hours, Urbana residents and supporters from Champaign spoke about how the prospect of war with Iraq was locally relevant.
Fewer federal and state dollars to Urbana was often cited as well as the direct impact on soldiers from this area and residents from other countries who live here, and the moral imperative for local governments to petition the federal government when they disagree with an action it is about to take that would affect us all.
Only four of the 100 people attending last night's meeting went on record as being against the Urbana anti-war resolution. Two entered their names into the public record and two spoke.
One speaker was a veteran of the Gulf War. She said that it was wrong to criticize rather than support our president. The second speaker to oppose the resolution, an Urbana businessman from Nigeria, said that he understood the culture of Iraq and claimed that Iraq is bent on destroying the US.
Two Iraqi residents of Urbana also spoke. They spoke in favor of the anti-war resolution and have relatives living in Iraq.
Two local groups, A.W.A.R.E., the Anti-War, Anti-Racism Effort and the Progressive Resource Action Cooperative, presented Council with a list of more than 400 names of supporters of the anti-war resolution that they had gathered in the last 24 hours.
Six of seven council members and the mayor were present to hear the public comment. Alderman Joe Whelan, who was to chair last night's meeting, called in "very ill" earlier in the evening. In emails before the council meeting, Mr. Whelan told constituents that he is against the ordinance. The only other opposition came from Alderman Milton Otto. The mayor spoke in the favor of the ordinance after hearing the public comment. Originally, he had been against it because he didn't see the local relevance.
Council members Esther Patt, Ruth Wyman, Laura Huth, Jim Hayes and Danielle Chynoweth, author of the anti-war ordinance, are all expected to vote for it at next Monday's Council meeting. A 5-2 vote in favor of the ordinance would immediately send the ordinance to President Bush, the Pentagon, and local state and federal officials. Urbana would then become the 46th city to pass such an ordinance. Dozens of other anti-war ordinances are being considered in other cities. Chicago and Evanston have already passed a similar ordinance.
(photo credit Benjamin Grosser)
For more photos, visit:
http://www.itg.uiuc.edu/people/grosser/council-03-01-27/
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See also:
http://www.itg.uiuc.edu/people/grosser/council-03-01-27/
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Comments
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Panarama At City Council Meeting 01-27-03 |
by Ben Grosser
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 3
28 Jan 2003
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View from inside the city council meeting. |
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Re: Supporters Of Urbana Anti-War Resolution Pack City Hall |
by THE LAST REPUBLICAN IN URBANA
WWW.GOP.COM (unverified) |
Current rating: 1
02 Feb 2003
Modified: 03 Feb 2003 |
Do you actually think that the President of the United States of America will care if the City of Urbana has passed a resolution against the war in Iraq? NO! ATTACK IRAQ......YES!!! ITS ABOUT FRIGGIN TIME.
I'm glad that people like you can feel comfortable trying to speak your mind in this CONSERVATIVE administration. How dare you not support you country. How can you question the blanket of freedom that protects you? You can't, and I am about to tell you why.
I am glad for one that the Urbana Police Chief Ed Adair called out to Danielle "Birkenstock" Chynoweth that she had no clue. Don't even try to compare this UPCOMING war to Vietnam. You have no idea YOUNG GIRL. You were not there. Just because you make yourselves feel so wonderful here at home. The men and women of the armed services signed up for duty to serve the United States of America. THIS IS A VOLUNTARY OBLIGATION. These service personel knew that this type of incident might occur. In fact, I sleep better at night knowing that I have these people protecting me from any aggression. Are you going to do it Chynoweth, Huth,Wyman, Patt? I seriously doubt it. It is so nice and sweet to feel the way you all do. Pick your rifle and stand a post.
77 times Saddam Hussein has violated the UN regulations. 77!!! This is not a one or two times mistake for this man, it's 77!!! How would all of you like it if someone close to you was erradicated by this dictator? In other words, what would happen if chemical warefare was distrubuted on Champaign-Urbana by Saddam? I would hope that all LIBERAL's that make DEMOCRATS look CONSERVATIVE in this city would be killed. Men, Women, and Child should bare arms and fight back. How in the world do you think that this country was founded that gave you the RIGHT to speak idiotic trash. Just a little hint, they fought in WAR!!! Do you talk the talk, or walk the walk? Actions speak louder than words. Go Bush, kick Saddam's ass!
LIBERALISM IS DYSFUNCTIONAL INTELLECTUALISM!.....
Born and raised a democrat...went to work, calculated my "social obligations", no I vote REPUBLICAN!!! |
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Re: Supporters Of Urbana Anti-War Resolution Pack City Hall |
by THE LAST REPUBLICAN IN URBANA
WWW.GOP.COM (unverified) |
Current rating: 0
03 Feb 2003
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I FORGOT TO ADD DANIELLE.....YOU MENTIONED IN THE PAPER THAT WARS COST MONEY....REALLY? YOU ALSO MENTIONED THAT THE COST MIGHT AFFECT EDUCATION HERE IN URBANA. WHY COULDN'T THE CITY COUNCIL HARNESSED THE $8 MILLION OR SO THAT WAS SPENT ON THE LIBRARY AND SEND THIS TOWARDS EDUCATION. AFTER ALL, THE UNIVERISTY OF ILLINOIS LIBRARY IS ONE OF THE TOP FIVE IN THE COUNTRY. AND BEST OF ALL ITS FREE TO CHAMPAIGN COUNTY RESIDENTS. BETTER THAN THAT ITS ONLY A FEW BLOCKS AWAY, WE COULD HAVE ALL WALKED INSTEAD OF DRIVEN OUR SUVS THERE. IM SURE ALL OF YOUR 150 CONSTITUENTS WOULD WANT TO KNOW THAT...WAIT TILL RE-ELECTION, WAIT TILL RE-ELECTION, ....A SURPRISE IS COMING YOUR WAY! |
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If It's So Irrelevant... |
by ML
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
03 Feb 2003
Modified: 12:57:45 AM |
Then why the heck does it seem to get the hackles of the "War at any price" crowd up?
You can't have it both ways. If on the one hand you declare the entire issue as irrelevant for the City of Urbana, then why does it even matter?
If this is a powerful statement that the City of Urbana would prefer peace, then why try to claim it's irrelevant, as you and the News-Gazette both have?
I did NOT fight in Vietnam, but I have friends who died there and had their lives wasted for the political benefit of what passed for our country's "leadership" at the time. The war was known to be unwinnable at a price that the American people would be willing to pay as early as 1965 -- not by some hippies, but by the President and his top political and military advisers -- but most of those killed died after that date. Is the reason that war in Iraq will be different for you is because you think this will be a quick, easy victory? Even of it is, it will hardly be painless and it is likely that many servicepeople will give their lives, not to mention countless Iraqis.
If we could tolerate the USSR, armed with thousands of nuclear weapons, by following a policy of containment throughout the nearly 50 years f the Cold War, there is no earthly reason why this won't work with Iraq, especially if YOU feel that the price the Iraqis are paying has been perfectly acceptable to YOU for the 12 years since the Gulf War ended.
I don't need to mention for the educated how many times the US and its allies have violated UN resolutions, but I'll do it for your benefit -- it's far more than the number of times that Iraq has done so. So you can put that bogus excuse where the sun doesn't shine.
And I don't really believe that you're the last Republican in Urbana, either. After all, there's Joe Whelan (and those who keep re-electing him), plus there's that wacko, Henry Seiter, also. Not to mention the fact that veterans are far from united about going to war. There are probably just as many veterans against another stupid war as are for it, whatever the News-Gazette would have you believe.
More to the point, nothing that I've heard being done or said in connection with opposition to the war -- despite your and the News-Gazette's distortions of the truth in hopes of stirring up the weak support this war has among the American people -- is in any way an attack on veterans -- although I'll make a personal exception in your case, as you obviuosly checked your brain in with Uncle Sam and didn't bother picking in up when you were discharged.
PS As for "Go Bush, kick Saddam's ass" this reminds me to ask why you overlook Bush's record of service -- AWOL most of the time from a nice, safe job his daddy got him -- after taking the same oath you did? If he was such a chickenshit then, why do you think he's such a chickenhawk now? Because someone else will be doing the dying, while he reaps whatever benefit he thinks he'll get from this war. Following leaders like that makes you a fool, in addition to being an insufferable bore. |
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