 Thank
You and Happy New Year!
To the Broad Peace and Anti-War Movements
Michael T. McPhearson, January 1, 2010
Thank you for all the work you have done and your commitment to the
cause of peace and justice. We have weathered a tough 12 months, and
I thank you for your perseverance.
For many, the year began with expectations of change, for others it
began with great cynicism. The economic slowdown pushed many of us
from our paid organizing positions, diminishing the movements’ staff
capacity, and domestic political realities diminished our presence
in the streets. Pundits and critics claim the anti-war/peace
movements have stalled and perhaps lost relevance. Some accuse us of
being loyal to Democrats, or worse, more about being anti-Bush than
for peace. Others declare us ineffective
(Click here for more) |
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 President
Obama and the
Nobel Peace Prize
Seeing Beyond Ourselves
Taking Advantage of Contradictions
Michael T. McPhearson, October 13, 2009
When I
woke up to the news of President Obama being awarded the Nobel Peace
Prize, I was shocked and a bit disappointed. It seems the President was
taken off guard himself. My reaction is typical of a peace activist who
has been in struggle with the U.S. government under the Bush
Administration and now with the Obama Administration to end many of the
same policies. I have seen numerous statements from the anti-war/peace
activist community condemning the Nobel Peace Prize Committee. I have
seen few that step back and try to understand other perspectives and
more important, discussing ways to use
the fact that the President has won the prize as a tool to organize and
pressure the Administration. |
It is Time for Us to Leave Both Afghanistan and Iraq
Facebook White House Wall Note
Michael T. McPhearson - October 7,
2009
President Obama,
I voted for you with great joy. I had confidence early in the race that
you would win. I am happy that you did because I am excited to see our
country elect a person who looks like me to the White House. I know that
it gives many Black youth a new height of achievement to endeavor to
reach. Just last Sunday I saw a Black toddler with a bib stating “A
Future US President.” No longer is this a wishful or historic dream, but
illustrated possibility by your election.
You have opened the door for
many other people including women. I must admit at 45 yrs old, your
story has inspired me. :-) |
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 The
Peace Movement in This Period
(Now is the Time For Us To Do Our Best Work)
This was originally written to the
UFPJ Steering Committee. It has been slightly changed to address the
wider peace and anti-war movements.
Michael T. McPhearson - Veterans For Peace Executive Director and
Co-Chair of UFPJ
8/04/2009
In a conversation I had with Bob Wing, founding
co-chair of UFPJ, he pointed out to me that there is no longer a center
of power to the left of President Obama. At least, that is the way I
heard his comments. I think he is right, and that it helps explain the
current political challenge facing the peace/anti-war movements in
mobilizing allies in the wider social and economic justice struggles to
resist the current wars and occupations.
The economy has
pushed the average person into discomfort about their economic position,
at best. Millions have lost their jobs, are underemployed or are
awaiting the possibility of being evicted from their foreclosed homes.
People are looking to government/the new Administration to solve these
problems. Additionally, after eight years of struggle merely to defend
the status quo, many organizations and people in economic and social
justice struggles, are now engaging with Congress and the
Administration, in order to move forward their individual issues,
pushing the war
to a second or third tier concern on their agendas. Make no mistake, the
wars/occupations are still of great distress to people, but home comes
first. |
 February 23, 2009
To The Pentagon and Wall Street; We
Must March
Michael
T. McPhearson
Veterans For Peace, Executive Director
United For Peace and Justice, Co-Chair
The next 5 weeks are very important to the anti-war and peace
movements. March 19th, the 6th Commemoration of
the U.S. invasion of Iraq is less than four weeks away. On March 21st,
two days later comes the March on the Pentagon mobilization and then
April 4th, two weeks later is the Beyond War; A New Economy
is Possible mobilization on Wall Street in New York City. This
is a lot of action in a short period of time. It is as it should be.
There is much to protest and much to change.
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