PEACEFUL PEACE MARCHES, PLEASE

I've never understood the reasoning behind marching for peace and then becoming violent. On Sunday, March 18, millions of Americans peacefully demonstrated against the war in Iraq. And, when the speeches were over and the marching was done, millions of Americans folded up their protest signs and headed home, having made their point well-heard.

Not everyone went home in Portland, Oregon, however. It took pepper spray and several arrests to clear the streets of some very few of the marchers. Why? The march drew heavy media coverage before, during and after, and I'm certain every Oregonian knew that several thousand people opposed the Iraq war so much that they left their homes to demonstrate.

A very small minority - very small! - opted to resort to civil disobedience and not clear the streets, defying the very police who vigilantly stood guard during their protest to protect that most American of rights: the right to object openly and freely against government leaders and their policies. This displaced passion did not at all help their cause. In fact, I believe it hurt; many Oregonians who perhaps were undecided in their opinions about the Iraq war, now linked the thousands of peaceful marchers with the unruly few. Who knows how many of them made up their minds based on the civil disobedience of these few.

It's been 50 years since the authorities in Selma, Alabama used dogs and water cannons to disperse crowds of peaceful marchers. These actions instantly mobilized millions upon millions of Americans to support the civil rights movement. The actions of a few made up their minds based on the shameful events of this infamous day.

Why can't all Americans recognize that you gain nothing through unlawful civil disobedience and violence? To act violently is to further the cause of those against whom you most disagree.