Sunday, October 23, 2005

Please Excuse Me While I Take a Moment to Defend the Anti-War Movement

At least on one particular point. Charles Johnson has accused a particular anti-war organization called American Friends Service Committee of planning parties to celebrate the inevitably upcoming 2,000th American military death in Iraq.

Well, it would appear that this Quaker organization is planning a large number of 'events' across the country. Perhaps they're anti-war rallies, protests, or meetups. I can't tell, but there's no evidence that I can find to suggest that they are celebratory parties. To suggest that these anti-war folk are happy about American casualties in Iraq is rather harsh, and cannot be supported from any information on their website.

Apparently, a number of liberal bloggers are calling out Johnson on this accusation. Charles should either state precisely what language used by the Quakers can be seen as celebratory, or retract his mischaracterization of this anti-war organization.

4 comments:

Michael said...

"Celebrate" or commemorate? That would make an enormous difference just as surely as we do not "celebrate" Good Friday.

John said...

Very true.

Although we could celebrate Good Friday as the triumph of Christ over the sin of the world.

Michael said...

Yes we could, although I have always had a difficult time with that analogy only because it was MY sin that nailed Him to a tree.

Rev. David Nicol said...

Amen, John! Someone needs to call-out those who criticize pacifists for opposing war on the same grounds as other anti-this-war but non-pacifist types. Consistent members of the Society of Friends never celebrate the death of fellow humans at the hands of other humans -- whatever their ideology.