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Blood at the Federal Building
Press Release
Tonight, on the eve of war, Pax Christi has called an emergency Convergence at the Collier County Government Center. We're here to protest the decision of President Bush to wage war on Iraq, despite the world's opposition, despite the progress of UN weapons inspections, despite the fact that an unprovoked war will increase, rather than eliminate, terrorism.
We dress in mourning (or wear black armbands) because War is a defeat for humanity. We mourn for the U.S. that has abandoned diplomacy and intends to wage an illegal and immoral war against Iraq. We mourn for our nation that has chosen preemptive war in defiance of the UN and in violation of international law. We mourn for our troops who will be exposed to the horrors of war. We mourn for the people of Iraq who will pay the most severe costs of war.
In protest against this illegal and unjust war, we will pour blood over ourselves. By doing so we hope to draw attention to the fact that an attack on Iraq is not simply an attack on Saddam Hussein. It will be the people of Iraq, women and children, who will pay the most severe costs of war. Iraq is a nation of children; over 50% of the people are 15 years of age or younger. By pouring blood over ourselves we hope to make visible the horror of war. We call upon our government to "Stop this Bloody War," "Stop the Bloodshed," and to remember that "War Kills," and that we want "No Blood in Baghdad." We call on the U.S. Catholic community, all U.S. citizens, and our government to oppose this war on the people of Iraq, who are, after all, our blood brothers and sisters.
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