Waging Peace in the Streets

By the Rev. Sam Trumbore
Minister, First UU Society of Albany, NY
(A column for the congregational newsletter, March, 2003)

Coming up the stairs of the Lexington and 59th Street subway station into a big crowd of protesters on February 15th was exhilarating. Deborah and Heather Dewey, Don Odell and two others and I had formed an affinity group after we'd gotten off the charter bus from the Yankee Trails depot in Rensselaer. We'd boarded still wiping the sleep out of our eyes at 6:30am in sub-zero temperatures full of anticipation, determined to make a statement against preemptive war without an imminent threat. Once in the crowd, we crept along by inches to Third Avenue, up to 60th Street, over to Second Avenue and down looking for a street unblocked by blue uniforms so we could join the protest at First Avenue and 51st.

Listening on my radio, I realized just how many people had turned out to vote with their bodies to find a way to choose peace over war. A cheer went up when someone announced that there were millions protesting in London and Rome. I could feel the numbing lethargy of war's inevitability melting away as I looked at all the diverse faces around me chanting anti war slogans and singing songs of peace.

Our affinity group was able to get through to First Avenue and 55th. After a rest to eat some lunch, we worked our way through the crowd to find a Jumbotron to watch. From our position we could see the stage and look back at the sea of faces up and down the avenue. After two hours in sub-freezing temperatures, I started noticing the cold as we finally remained stationary in the middle of the street. Whether there were 100,000 or 500,000, the message in New York was clear. There are better ways to successfully disarm Iraq besides initiating a bloodbath in that nation, killing countless numbers on both sides.

As this goes to press and arrives in mailboxes, I don't know if we will be at war or not. As I write, the world community is rallying to resist the Bush administration's war mongering. The February 5th presentation by Colin Powell to the Security Council has been countered by the voice of the people that were not convinced. The people in the streets have stiffened the resolve of their leaders to speak out in opposition. Powerful as the United States military is, it cannot go it alone, even with Britain's support, to enforce the will of Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, and Rice. The American people will not settle for duct taping their windows as a solution to world problems.

What concerns me greatly is the failure of diplomacy happening in Washington DC. We face two major disasters in the making in North Korea and Iraq that the Bush administration seems to be mishandling. Behind that failure is old thinking about using American power unilaterally rather than multilaterally. Rather than joining in coalition around mutual interests and concerns, American wants to set the agenda alone.

What Bush misses is what makes us powerful - our ability to listen and respond creatively to dissent. In religion, and science, scholarship and politics, no one has all the answers. Real power comes from one's ability to learn and adapt while staying true to one's principles and core commitments. Because of our tremendous military power, we can wage peace so much more effectively than ever before.

My hope and prayer is our President sees the light and hears his God speak to him more clearly about the value of making peace not war.

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