By THE GOSHEN NEWS STAFF
Approximately 75 residents of Elkhart County and the surrounding areas congregated on the Elkhart County Courthouse square Thursday to say “NO!” to President Bush’s recent announcement of an escalation of troops in Iraq.
“I didn’t know what to expect of the event,” said Karen Jacob, chapter president of Women’s Action for New Directions (WAND) of Northern Indiana that sponsored the “NO!” campaign Thursday. “There were 22 people signed up online when I left the house Thursday, so to have 75 show up, I was very encouraged to see that.”
According to Jacob, the protest was part of a nationwide event of more than 1,000 groups that came out to denounce the speech made by President Bush Wednesday in which he indicated that his solution in Iraq involved increasing troop levels by up to 21,000.
“There is no military solution to the quagmire that is now Iraq, and by increasing troops there it will just make the situation worse,” Jacob said, adding that she is pleased that leading members of Congress have also taken a critical view of the proposal.
“Sen. Chuck Hagel, D-Nebraska, recently made the statement that this is a dangerously wrong-headed strategy that will drive America deeper into a unwinnable swamp at a great cost, and that we cannot escape the reality that there will be no military solution in Iraq,” Jacob said.
Jacob said the campaign to halt President Bush’s new plan is just getting started.
“Recent polls have shown there are a majority of Americans who want the troops home,” Jacob said. “I think we need to continue the pressure on our elected representatives to do the will of the people.”
In addition to the “NO!” campaign, Jacob said that a protest march sponsored by United for Peace and Justice will also take place in Washington, D.C., Jan. 27, along with a follow-up lobby day on Jan. 29 at the Capitol and a “Meet Up With Your Member Day” at congressional district offices in February.
“We’re encouraging all people opposed to this policy to contact their area representatives, and to get themselves to Washington,” Jacob said.
