At a time when it often seems impossible to bridge the nation’s ideological divide, the political left and right are joining forces for a “Syria: Not Our War” rally tonight at the state Capitol.
The non-partisan event is being organized by state Rep. Paul Wesselhoft, R-Moore, and OKC Peace House Director Nathaniel Batchelder.
Wesselhoft is a retired military chaplain, Batchelder a Vietnam veteran.
According to Batchedler, the topics to be addressed at the 7 p.m. rally on the Capitol’s South Plaza include:
– The complicated nature of Syria’s civil war.
– The role of six rebel groups that include Al Qaeda and the Muslim Brotherhood.
– The fact the U.S. military – and U.S. treasury – are exhausted from more than a decade of war.
– Poison gas reportedly was used by a rebel group, not the Syrian government, according to UN report.
– U.S. action would put the nation in a proxy war against Russia and Iran.
– U.S. should support diplomacy and negotiations and stay out of the Syrian mess.
As former White House National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski put it, “U.S. intervention would make it worse.”
Music begins at 6 p.m. and program at 7 p.m. Among the scheduled speakers are Sen. Constance Johnson, D-OKC; Rep. Cory Williams, D-Stillwater; ACLU-OK director Ryan Kiesel; and Oklahoma Constitution editor Steve Byas.
When are we going to learn to keep our noses out of everyone’s business…and that includes their problems? Jeez, we’ve lost thousands of good young Americans and permanently injured 10s of thousands more, spent billions (and continue to give millions) on posers who allegedly are leaders of their country (Karzai of Afghanistan for one) and still we can’t learn. The war mongers (Saint John McCain and his prissy side kick Lindsey Graham et al) clearly didn’t listen to Eisenhower when he warned against the military industrial complex having too much power. The sooner Americans wake up and kick out the career arrogant politicians who are on the take from the military industrial complex, the better off we’ll be.