(You want to stop war and stuff, you have to sing loud – promoted by ek hornbeck)
Mission: Find some antiwar versions of holiday carols to sing at December 21 Iraq Moratorium #4 and other peace events around the holidays.
The call for lyrics or song parodies, with some samples for inspiration, went out a few days ago.
And now Pat Wynne of the Freedom Song Network offers this:
BRING THE TROOPS HOME TODAY
Words By Pat Wynne
(Tune: Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)Soldiers resting near an open fire
Generals safe in the Green Zone,
Explosions, shots and unfriendly fire
Arms and legs and bodies blown.Everybody knows
There were no weapons- let’s come clean
Just lies to feed the war machine.
Tiny tots with their homes all aflame
It¹s hard to not affix some blame.They know no Santa’s on his sleigh
There’s just more death and maiming on the way.
And every mother’s son would like to say,
“Just send me home to my family today.”And so I’m offering this simple plea,,
To folks from one to ninety-three,
Peace In Iraq, Stop the war, Let’s all say,
“Bring the troops home today”.
Think you can do better? Go right ahead and post your lyrics in the comments. They could soon be heard at a mall near you.
What prompts this is that Iraq Moratorium #4, on the Third Friday, falls on Dec. 21, a mere four days before Christmas, and the day before the shortest day of the year. It is likely to be dark and cold in much of the country. And most college campuses, a likely spot for some activity, will already be closed.
That all calls for some creativity to spice things up for Moratorium #4. That’s where the carols come in.
It may be a time to wear Santa hats or suits to the vigil or demonstration.
Maybe it’s a good time to take the Moratorium where the people are — like leafleting busy shopping districts thronged with last-minute buyers.
Malls would be a likely target, but there are legal implications to being on private property, even in their parking lots. It’s much safer to find a busy shopping area where you can be on a public sidewalk, greeting and leafleting people as they enter or exit. (Although we might finally get some mainstream media coverage if Santa were arrested for leafleting for peace in the mall.)
The folks in San Jose, who come up with something creative every month, are working on a “Holiday Stroll for Peace.” Their listing on the Moratorium website:
Sponsored by American Muslim Voice, Council of Churches of Santa Clara County, Declaration of Peace – San Mateo County, Global Peace Partners, Gold Star Families Speak Out, Green Party – Santa Clara County, Jewish Voice for Peace – South Bay, Los Altos Voices for Peace, Mountain View Voices for Peace, MoveOn District 14 Council, Multifaith Voices for Peace and Justice, Pacifica Peace People, Peace Action of San Mateo County, Peace Umbrella – Unitarian Universalist Church of Palo Alto, Peninsula Peace and Justice Center, The Rebuilding Alliance, San Jose Peace Center, South Bay Mobilization, Veterans for Peace, Womens International League for Peace and Freedom – Peninsula Branch
Tentatively: Since local malls won’t allow leafletting (at least without a lot of hassle), we’re having t-shirts made that say “Troops Home Now” on the front and “www.IraqMoratorium.org” and a black ribbon graphic on the back. We’ll all wear the shirts and just stroll around the local malls — probably about 30 – 50 people at each of 3 locations. More as plans develop.
The earlier post on this subject included a report on a mall walk in Indiana.
Planning something on December 21? Add it to the list so others can join you, or perhaps be inspired to follow suit.
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xofferson!