The Honorable Mayor & Members of City Council City of Berkeley 2180 Milvia Street, Berkeley, CA 94704
The Student International Forum and the Columbus Campaign for Arms Control (of Columbus, Ohio) wish to thank you for the resolution to ask your representatives "to help break the cycle of violence, bringing the bombing to a conclusion as soon as possible, avoiding actions that can endanger the lives of innocent people in Afghanistan, and minimizing the risk to American military personnel"; "to devote our government's best efforts in collaboration with governments throughout the world, to addressing and overcoming those conditions such as poverty, malnutrition, disease, oppression, and subjugation that tend to drive some people to acts of terrorism"; and to "engage in a national campaign to lessen our dependence on oil from the Middle East and to commit to a nationwide conversion to renewable energy sources such as solar and fuel cells, within five years" (as described in the summary of the Berkeley City Council meeting, 16 October 2001, at <http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/citycouncil/2001citycouncil/summary/101601s.html>).
We hope you will stand firm and overcome such ill-tempered and ill-informed calls for boycotts of Berkeley as reported by BBC (at <http://news.bbc.co.uk/low/english/world/americas/newsid_1634000/1634103.stm>). As the unjust, unlawful, and unproductive war on Afghanistan drags on, with the deaths and injuries of more civilians and combatants, without leading to increased safety of Americans here and abroad at all, more and more people will see the wisdom of the city of Berkeley. It is only a matter of time.
We urge all lovers of freedom, all defenders of human rights, as individuals and organizations to visit the beautiful city of Berkeley; hold conventions in Berkeley; support Berkeley businesses; and bring much-needed tax dollars to Berkeley so you may continue your good work.
all the best,
Yoshie Furuhashi Ohio State University Columbus, OH 43210 <furuhashi.1 at osu.edu> Homepage of the Student International Forum: <http://www.osu.edu/students/sif/> Calendar of Anti-War Events in Columbus: <http://www.osu.edu/students/sif/calendar.html>