Looking back to the first few months of DAWN's initial opposition to the Iraq war, it's easy to see why there was optimism that the voices of reason would be heard. A pre-emptive, unilateral war in Iraq was wrong. Many doubted claims that there were WMD in Iraq, and conventional wisdom was that weapons inspections should be allowed to continue while the policy of containment kept Saddam Hussein in check. Peace advocates thought that by protesting or writing letters to our members of Congress we could stop the war.
So much has happened since that first chance meeting in October, 2002. There have been many unforgettable moments. Amy and Kathy won't forget being on Oprah, with the topic of impending war, filmed and televised the morning after Colin Powell's presentation to the United Nations. We recall proudly the many vigils and protests, each one drawing more and more participants. We cherish the experience of registering 7,000 voters, some whom shook your hand afterwards with tears in their eyes. We were pleased to help host the picnic with Cindy Sheehan, and will always recount the shared ride and conversation with her later.
DAWN members continue to amaze us and inspire us with their spirit of optimism. DAWN has reinforced that it is acceptable to question leadership while still fiercely loving one's country. Let's continue to fight for what's right in this country, and work to change things for the better.
We are especially proud of DAWN, Kathy and Amy
We are especially proud of DAWN, Kathy and Amy, and thankful to all of those in the organization who have contributed to the accomplishments of DAWN in the past two and 1/2 years. Everyone who takes part in the process of social activism is important, whether you registered peace and justice voters, attended a protest, contributed to a just political cause, forwarded an email or argued your point at a family dinner. Your contributions, no matter how big or small, are an important part of achieving our goals and that is why are proud for you to be a part of DAWN.
We continue to work with the League of Women
and are attending a meeting with them in May to follow-up on our April Lobbying work. We are also working on a new initiative (7/05) aimed at educating and registering highschool seniors and junior college students.
