It has recently come to my attention that during a “Peace” protest in Portland Oregon a number of “protesters” disrespectfully burned an effigy of a soldier and chanted anti-soldier slogans.

First off it seems a bit odd to me to go to a Peace march and call for violence. It is VERY contradictory to the goals of every activist I have met. These people protested as Anarchists. At nearly every march I have attended I have marched peacefully with Anarchists and have been glad for their participation in the march, as I am for everyone that comes out calling for a safe return of the troops and an end to the loss of life for the Iraqi people. I don’t believe this represents every Anarchist out there. In my own critique of the war I lay this war very decidedly on the doorstep of militarism and its relation to racism, sexism, homophobia and an array of oppression that makes it easy for us as a country to ignore the realities of the havoc war brings to an innocent Iraqi public. This action itself seems rife with the same white privilege. While these people covered their faces so no one could see them (Do you see a pattern with those who will violence and wear masks? KKK?) it did appear that most were white. In this case their privilege allows them to ignore the social inequalities that may prompt a person to join the military. Even if you consider a white male of middle to upper class background he may join the military in order to belong to something and find more purpose in his life. Can these anarchists claim anything different? The have joined a group of people who call for violence and appear to enjoy wallowing in it? Isn’t this the same critique they have of the people in the military?

While Anarchists often choose to be poor those who join the military to escape poverty aren’t lucky enough to choose whether to be poor or not. A study of the deaths in Iraq show a high proportion of US military deaths coming from towns with higher poverty levels than average. If people of color did this it would be all over the discussions that black people or Hispanic people burned an effigy. This is one of the prime examples I see of white people of privilege acting in a way that ignores the reality of people without that privilege and allows them to think its ok to do some stupid ass stuff.
I have already seen many insults hurled that liken the people guilty of this action to women’s genitalia or homosexuals. There is plenty wrong with what they did without stooping to the level of misplaced hatred this action displays. I however don’t think we should mince words when it comes to denouncing this action.

Calling for violence while you can safely sleep soundly in your bed at home has nothing to with peace. While I do not believe the troops are fighting to secure our freedom (we all should be able to have freedom without the abstract action of dropping bombs on people thousands of miles away not to mention people fighting to protect our civil liberties here at home are doing more to protect freedom in a direct way) it certainly makes no sense to burn the effigy of a person who would lie down their life because they believe they would die for your freedom. Many troops who do believe that they fight for freedom will support your right to burn a flag or disagree with their mission even if they support it wholeheartedly, but even I, the gay radical feminist I am, don’t believe this action is morally permissible. Never is more violence the answer. Militarism is the enemy, not the soldiers. While we have seen soldiers do things in Iraq that are also morally wrong burning effigies of those soldiers is not the way to teach people to act in a moral way. So many of those same soldiers come home heartbroken over what happened in Iraq. If Iraq can be characterized as a second wrong still not making a right, how is burning an effigy not also one part of two wrongs? There still is not a “right” in the equation. We should punish soldiers who commit crimes like the rape and murder of 14-year-old Abeer Qassim Hamza, but wouldn’t it be better to get them out before they do it? How does burning an effigy help achieve that goal? How will it make soldiers say, “Those peace protesters sure are right, I think I’ll join them?" Most of those soldiers and marines just want to come home alive and none of them made the decision to invade Iraq.

While I certainly support critiques of militarism and war, the burning of effigies of soldiers is not a critique but a slap in the face. There are many veterans who now oppose this war who may be turned off to the Peace movement thinking this display is indicative to how it feels about soldiers. That is not the truth. This action was a self-centered and egotistical display not of the anti-war/pro-peace movement but of a group of individuals acting in a way that puts the whole movement at risk.

The Peace Movement is not perfect. I still battle sexism. I still battle to end racism. But have I ever felt like someone wanted to burn me? NO. I have felt more support from Peace groups than anyone else out there, especially more than people with little yellow magnets on their cars.

Is the movement perfect? No. Could they give us more press time, money, donations, listening ears and lots of other things? Sure, but who couldn’t?

What they HAVEN'T given me is blatant disrespect or the cold shoulder. What the Peace Movement hasn’t given me is an effigy on fire wearing the uniform I once did. A couple of idiots with masks covering their face at a peace march gave me that. That’s cowardice, and hypocrisy, not courage.

Real courage works to unite, not divide. Lets all show some real courage by continuing to work together and not fall prey to these divisive, violent tactics that serve only to give way for criticism of our movement. These tactics only lead to violence. I question the real motives of these individuals.

Real courage is coming out of the military and showing your face for all to see and saying, “I see what's going on and its wrong”. Real courage is willing to question hate and violence. Real courage is coming home from Iraq and telling people the truth about what is going on over there. Real courage is resisting wars of lies, wars of revenge.

For some real courage check out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xd-GrMvuSho
and http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2007/03/19/18379446.php