NP? following up Prof. Krafft's email Fwd: How It Went

[Doug Millison]

>Date: 30 Aug 2002 14:37:09 -0000
>From: "Eli Pariser, MoveOn.org" <moveon-help at list.moveon.org>
>Subject: How It Went

>Dear MoveOn Supporter,
>
>Here's a quick report on the progress of our "No War on Iraq" campaign.
>As of today, just ten days into the campaign, more than 160,000 people
>around the country have signed the online petition.  And on Wednesday,
>thousands of us delivered the first batch of these petitions through
>meetings in Senate offices in each and every state.
>
>I've been scrambling to stay on top of the reports as they come in from
>meetings across the country.  I'm receiving emails from Utah, from Hawaii,
>from New Hampshire, and from Georgia.  The experience each message describes
>is different, but on one point they're nearly all the same: the meetings
>that occurred yesterday with Senators' offices were an enormous success.
>
>Local TV stations broadcast interviews with participants in close to a
>third of the meetings.  And newspapers from the Austin-American Statesman to
>the Chicago Tribune and the LA Times to the Indianapolis Star have printed
>or are writing stories.  Since Senators watch the media closely, this
>coverage has made the meetings even more impactful.
>
>The following comment from a meeting participant in Florida has been echoed
>again and again in the letters in my inbox:
>
>"As Senator Nelson's aide said at the end of our meeting, I came with no
>expectations today.  But I left amazed at the eloquence and passion
>expressed by so many of you today.  It gives me hope . . . I just wanted to
>thank you for your time, the mileage you put on your cars, but most of all
>for speaking out when so many people keep quiet under the false guise of
>patriotism.  Our actions display true patriotism and love of country."
>
>As I read through these reports, as I look at (and listen to, and watch) the
>press coverage that we've generated, and as I hear descriptions of the
>reactions of Senators' staff, I know that through our meetings and our
>petition, we've made a lasting and positive impact.
>
>But the reports speak for themselves:
>
>From David Keppel, Indianapolis, IN:
>
>"The meeting with Leslie Reiser, [Senator Richard] Lugar's State Director,
>went extremely well. . . . We had an impressive group of delegates and an
>even more impressive portfolio of letters (including some prominent people
>we had invited who couldn't make it but were supportive).  Ms. Reiser was
>highly receptive. . . . I think we have a real chance with [Senator Lugar].
>And he's as well positioned as anyone in Congress to put the brakes on
>Bush."
>
>From JoAnn Perry in Reno, NV:
>
>"It was an excellent meeting, and everyone there was glad to attend.
>[Senator Ensign's aide Verita] Prothro said it was the largest and best
>organized that she had had in that office!"
>
>From our local leader in Boston, MA:
>
>"We had about 150 people show up for support. We held a vigil outside.  Six
>of us went into the meeting.
>
>We met with Tom Crohan (one of Sen. Kennedy's) aides) for about an hour.  It
>was very friendly, constructive conversation.  He didn't say it directly,
>but it sounded like Sen. Kennedy would definitely be against a war. Tom
>mentioned that when Sen. Kennedy mentions this topic, he remembers his
>brother and the Cuban missile crisis.  He said his brother was right to seek
>a diplomatic solution first before a military solution.  He feels that the
>Bush administration should do the same in this instance."
>
>From our leader in Madison, WI:
>
>"Given the short notice, we were delighted that 72 people gathered, and 3/4
>of them were eager to speak. The wonderful thing about the gathering was
>that people came from all walks of life, from University professors and
>graduate students, to blue-collar laborers and Vietnam vets -- all speaking
>in unison about their concerns regarding the war on Iraq and urging their
>Congressman to ask the questions that they were asking."
>
>From our leader in Boise, ID:
>
>"We met with staff of Senator Crapo and Craig together. Very large, diverse
>group of participants including four Benedictine sisters and members of
>Lutheran Peace Fellowship as well as Idaho Peace Coalition and Snake River
>Alliance and independents.   Everyone was very articulate and heartfelt and
>respectful. . . . We were also asked exactly what questions we wanted
>answered and folks gave great and pretty comprehensive responses."
>
>From Sue Regan, Atlanta, GA:
>
>"We were extremely fortunate to have, in our group, Democratic State
>Representative, Nan Grogan Orrock, Elizabeth Chestnut from WAND, and a few
>retired Armed forces personnel . . . who very eloquently told of the
>warnings given to her squad of going to war with Iraq. 'Too bloody,' they
>said, 'a big mistake. Do not go to war with Iraq.'  The entire Gluck family
>was present to admonish Zell Miller that if the US went to war with Iraq it
>would be the children who ultimately would suffer those consequences."
>
>From an attendee in Seattle, WA
>
>"[Mr. Thompson, Senator Cantwell's aide, said] that combining the electronic
>with the personal, such as we have with MoveOn, was taking the right
>approach."
>
>From Joan Wile in New York, NY:
>
>"Today I was part of a delegation of 10 people who met with Hillary
>Clinton's NYS Deputy Director, Basil Smikle, at her offices on Third Avenue
>to lobby against the war on Iraq.  . . . Among my delegation was our
>spokesperson, a Rabbi who heads a Jewish peace group; a minister who has
>been to Iraq several times distributing medical supplies; a young professor
>of Middle East studies who has spent a lot of time recently in Iraq and
>other Middle East countries and who speaks 8 languages in that area; a
>documentary film maker who was recently in Iraq making a documentary, and
>ordinary citizens like me who feel strongly that it would be a disaster if
>we launch a preemptive strike against Iraq. . . . My feeling was that [Mr.
>Simkle] took our views very seriously and will try to persuade [Senator
>Clinton] to attend to the issue."
>
>There are many, many more reports.  We hope to have a full description of
>each meeting up on our website soon.  We'll let you know as soon as it's up.
>
>SO WHAT'S NEXT?
>
>Participating in the meetings and the petition has been a hugely energizing
>experience for many of us.  When I was interviewed for an article in the Los
>Angeles Times today, I told the reporter that this is just the beginning.
>It is -- we're just starting to gather momentum.  Our diversity, our
>organization, and the depth of our concern are the building blocks for a
>powerful and successful movement.
>
>Over the next months, we'll offer you many other opportunities to get active
>and support a more sensible Iraq policy.  We're still working out the
>details of our strategy, but we want to hear from you.  What do you think we
>should do next?  Let us know at:
>
>   http://www.actionforum.com/forum/index.html?forum_id=225
>
>THANK YOU
>
>The national meetings project was made possible by the exceedingly hard work
>of hundreds of volunteers and scores of local and national organizations.
>We deeply appreciate the assistance that we have received -- we couldn't
>have pulled this off without help.  The list below is a partial list, and
>it's bound to be incomplete.  Let us know if we've omitted or misspelled
>your name; we want to credit everyone who worked to make the meetings
>happen.
>
[... snip long list of supporters...]
>
>We're grateful for organizing support from the following organizations:
>The American Friends Service Committee (www.afsc.org); EPIC
>(www.epic-usa.org); Peace Action (www.peace-action.org); California
>Peace Action (www.californiapeaceaction.org); WAND (www.wand.org); Women
>Against Military Madness (www.worldwidewamm.org).
>
>Thank you all for being part of something big.
>
>Sincerely,
>--Eli Pariser
>  International Campaigns Director
>  MoveOn.org
>  August 30, 2002
>
>P.S. My work, and the work of Peter Schurman and Carrie Olson, is paid for
>by MoveOn members.  You've already given a lot by being part of this
>experience, but if you feel moved to donate, we'd welcome your financial
>support.  You can give online or by check at:
>
>   http://www.moveon.org/support.html
>