Here we are, debating the anti-war mobilization on March 19th when (according to United for Peace and Justice) 765 actions took place nationwide. But on March 20th, the front page of the New York Times is silent on the nationwide protests, but it includes the lead paragraphs of a 1,655-word article "Congress Ready To Approve Bill in Schiavo Case" by Robin Toner and Carl Hulse. In the same issue, there are two more articles on the same subject: Abby Goodnough, "Protesters Hold Vigil for Schiavo at Hospice" (March 20, 2005, Section 1, p. 29); and Benedict Carey, "For Parents, the Unthinkability of Letting Go" (March 20, 2005, Section 4: Week in Review, p. 5). Robert D. McFadden's article "Hundreds of Rallies Held Across U.S. to Protest Iraq War," in contrast, is buried in page 35.
The Columbus Dispatch (a conservative newspaper that endorsed George W. Bush last November) at least put an article about our protest by Matthew Marx, "Hundreds Protest War at Statehouse," on page 2. Also, notably, the Dispatch featured "At Least He Made It Back" by Rita Price, an article about Sgt. Gary Boggs who lost an eye in Iraq, as the biggest article on the front page, with a huge photograph of the (only remaining) ocularist at Walter Reed Army Medical Center checking the acrylic eye that Sgt. Boggs received. The article is neither clearly pro-war nor anti-war, but the title that the Dispatch editor gave it speaks volumes. The two decent articles, however, are accompanied by an article that puts a pro-war spin on the dispatch poll results (Darrel Rowland, "Ohioans Mixed on War but Growing Happier with Bush." p. A1), even though the results themselves (shown in useful charts) include a very interesting finding of differences between Ohioans with "Family Member in Iraq or Afghanistan" and "All Respondents." The former are markedly more discontent with Bush's handling of his job as president (37% vs. 50%), Bush's handling of Iraq (36% vs. 42%), etc. than the latter, and fewer of the former (28%) feel that "Iraq is worth the toll in lives, other costs" than the latter (38%). Military Families Speak Out, Veterans for Peace, etc. have a good chance of growing far larger, and once they do, they can affect the rest of the working-class public. -- Yoshie
* Critical Montages: <http://montages.blogspot.com/> * Greens for Nader: <http://greensfornader.net/> * Bring Them Home Now! <http://www.bringthemhomenow.org/> * OSU-GESO: <http://www.osu-geso.org/> * Calendars of Events in Columbus: <http://sif.org.ohio-state.edu/calendar.html>, <http://www.freepress.org/calendar.php>, & <http://www.cpanews.org/> * Student International Forum: <http://sif.org.ohio-state.edu/> * Committee for Justice in Palestine: <http://www.osudivest.org/> * Al-Awda-Ohio: <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Al-Awda-Ohio> * Solidarity: <http://www.solidarity-us.org/>