August 7th, 2012
Dear ROPnet,
With the recent attack at the Sikh temple in Wisconsin, stories of Syria all over my talk radio station, and facing another anniversary of the war in Afghanistan combine to remind me that war isn’t over. The wars aren’t over. I know that. You know that. But sometimes it is easier to act like they are.
It has more then a decade since 9/11 and we’re still dealing with the fallouts of US military overreach. Endless wars abroad. Hate at home. Attacks on basic dignity and rights for immigrants or those who “look like” immigrants.
As the US wages wars abroad and the Right wages wars at home, ROP human dignity leaders have been a voice for sanity. Sometimes it’s as straightforward as raising simple questions: Should we really be spending billions on war abroad when people are literally being kicked out of their homes at home? Who gets to be an American? Could hate strike in our town? Eleven years after September 11th, are our communities more welcoming to immigrants?
This election cycle will pull us into political posturing and rhetoric. The real issues could easily get drowned out. That makes our role all the more important. Our job is to stay present, to keep holding up the truth, to exposing the endless wars we are now in.
Let’s stay on the frontlines. It doesn’t mean we need to be on the streets the way we were for the start of the Iraq war or during the height of Occupy, but it does mean we cannot become absent. Our absence means we’ve lost and these stakes are too high to lose.
Let’s keep the conversations going. Let’s use every opportunity we can to have real conversations with our neighbors, with our friends, with our coworkers. When attacks like these happen and the headlines are filled with a reminder of our war-based reality, its important to take the time to talk about it. Use county fairs, use voter conversations during the election cycle, take 20 minutes at book group, but stay present and keep the conversation going. And know that ROP is here to support you every conversation along the way.
Warmly, Cara