Peace Vigil and Fast by Michele Darr keep the National Guard in Oregon
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Paul LaRue: How are you doing?
Michele Darr: I'm fine.
PL: How do you keep going? How do you maintain your health?
MD: I drink water... I take the vitamin supplements I need .... And I don't allow room inside myself for any weakness or disease...
PL: I was here a little while Friday, when Rebecca was maintaining the vigil. How did your meeting go ?
MD: About the way we anticipated. The Governor's Staff and legal counsel were there; The Oregon National Guard ... General Caldwell and legal advisors were there ... And we were there with our supporters, including several National Guard soldiers (and Iraq veterans?). Dan Handelman of Peace with Justice (a group in Portland leading the opposition to the National Guard assignment) was there. They presented their case for about half an hour.
General Caldwell: There is no legal way that the Governor can refuse this order to deploy the troops.
(Eventually the vigil group countered that the Governor does have legal standing to refuse this illegal order. For one thing, congressional action for going into Iraq was based on UN approval, which is to expire Dec. 31 of this year. But of course most people know that all the Administration's reasons for authorizing the invasion were wrong.)
General Caldwell: (Speaking firmly into Michelle's face) This deployment will take place, and there is no way you can stop it.
MD: No way except for the voice of the people.
General: Well, maybe if you had a million people against it...
MD: That is our challenge.
(After 15 minutes of response by the vigil group, they decided nothing more could be accomplished by this meeting. The Governor's representatives said that "There will be no more meetings.")
MD: We will stay here at the Capital until the Governor agrees to speak to the National Guard and tell them the reasons they must go to this war. But we will not stop the movement until the deployment is dismissed.
PL: How can we [OFOR] help?
MD: Many people are coming daily to the Capital Rotunda for Christmas musical presentations. Why don't we come with signs proclaiming: "Jesus came to bring peace to the earth..."
PL: We could stand on the other side of the steps. We could invite people to sign the petition to stop the deployment.
MD: I like these ideas...
PL: We could bring a group of people at a planned time to sing, pray, support the vigil.
MD: The ROP [Rural Organizing Project] is planning a rally on the Capital Steps on Wednesday, Dec. 10 - HUMAN RIGHTS DAY ... that will be supportive of the vigil.
PL: We could call upon FOR members to support this rally...
(At 3:00 pm prior to our Holiday Putuck Meeting on December 28, Salem FOR members and other who are able, will meet on the steps of the Oregon Capitol with Michele and Camp Homebound to hear their story and share our support of the vigil to keep the National Guard in Oregon.)
OFOR |
PO Box 222, Salem, Oregon 97308 |