On Monday, March 3rd, 2003, the first-ever world-wide theatrical event for peace will happen in a city near you.

Attend a reading of Lysistrata, Aristophanes' anti-war comedy, to protest the rush to war on Iraq. Many of the readings will benefit non-profit organizations working for peace and humanitarian aid in Iraq.

Lysistrata Project participants have a wide variety of backgrounds and views, but we all believe the Bush Administration's rush to war on Iraq is a bad idea. And we're taking tangible action by THINKING GLOBALLY, ACTING LOCALLY.

I don't expect that anything I (or you or anyone) do can stop the nightmarish rush to war that the President is orchestrating. But the implications of our country launching an unprovoked attack against Iraq so that George W. can avenge his father's honor wake me up in the middle of the night.

This is not what America should be about.

I've written a few letters opposing George Bush's war early on. Our Ohio senators, George Voinovich and Mike DeWine, reported in the paper that messages from their constituents were about 10-1 against the war. They voted to give Mr. Bush authority to wage it anyway. Millions of people all over the world have taken to the streets to oppose Mr. Bush's war. Suspicion and resentment against the United States is growing worldwide. Despite this, George Bush seems proud to be seen as a lone cowboy, forging on despite what the world thinks.

This is not what America should be about.

A couple of weeks ago I joined about a thousand other Clevelanders to march in 15-degree weather to the Federal Building. It's not easy to get people out of their warm houses for any reason in that kind of weather, so this was no small accomplishment. The people were all types, young & old, male & female, black & white. I remember the Vietnam War protests of the 60s and 70s, and I can tell you that the people marching against war now are much more like your neighbors in the supermarket than the protesters of that earlier war.

In a time of widespread apathy to the political process (look at statistics on voter turnout), this IS what America should be about.

March 5 Moratorium - No business as usual
This website joined the Moratorium to Stop the War against Iraq on March 5, 2003. We replaced our front page with links to facts about the war, eloquent opinions expressed by political leaders, anti-war organizing resources, and design resources.

[ go back in time: Mar 5 homepage and links ]

Background information
Voice your opposition on your website by using the background tile you see on this page. I made a dark and a light version, so one of them should work for you. Right-click (PC) or Control-Click (Mac) your choice below to download.

 Dark gray (7k download)
Light gray (7k download)

-Al Wasco, March 1, 2003