Posted on: Thursday, March 20, 2003

ISLAND VOICES
This war is not justified

By Environment Hawai'i

The board and staff of Environment Hawai'i strongly oppose the war with Iraq. We take this stand because we believe it is imperative that thoughtful, reasonable people within the United States raise their voice against such a war.

We take this stand also as people who are concerned with the health of the world and its ongoing ability to support its inhabitants.

While the United States has never seen modern warfare systematically conducted on our land, acts of aggression such as those contemplated by the Bush administration may change our fortunes. And even if we escape war's immediate and unspeakable horrors, the costs of war will inevitably fall upon those of us living here. Money will no longer be available for social services, for environmental restoration, for education.

In the absence of compelling evidence, we remain skeptical that Saddam Hussein poses a threat to the United States. From this lack, we draw the only possible conclusion: that the sole motivation for an invasion of Iraq is to control its natural resources, most conspicuously oil.

The hands of our nominal president and his minions and sponsors are black with crude. Oil has been the source of much, if not all, of their wealth, and they are unable to conceive of a situation that might require the United States to curtail its disproportionate and profligate consumption of this commodity.

As a result, the nation is being dragged by leaders of doubtful legitimacy into a war of aggression, not of defense, whose only possible outcome will be increasing global political instability, a rise in anger directed at the United States from our foes and allies alike, and mounting restrictions on our own cherished freedoms — to assemble, to speak freely, to seek relief for unjust imprisonment through writs of habeas corpus, to petition, to travel and to worship (or not) as conscience dictates.

To protest war for oil is not enough. We must also take measures in our own lives to reduce our consumption of oil. We should urge our legislators to enact laws that will spur the development of renewable, nonpolluting sources of energy.

Kathy Baldwin, Teresa Dawson, Mary Evanson, Paula Merwin, William S. Merwin, Karen Miyano, Leland Miyano, Mina Morita, Patricia Tummons, Miranda Watson, Emma Yuen and Marjorie Ziegler are directors or staff members of Environment Hawai'i.