To all the naysayers protesting the anti-war walk-out and all the protesters feeling proud: \nProtesting an impending war should disrupt your day. It should screw up your schedule. War protest is not something to fit in during your free time. Shake it up. Do something real. \nRallying when you can fit it in your schedule will change nothing. A walk-out shows that we know that protesting this war is more important than our current life purpose. President Bush has already said publicly that protesters, while it's great that they can express their opinions, will not affect his decision to go to war with Iraq. So do something new that will catch his attention. \n Don't just let the teach-in and Wednesday rally be a way for you to expel your guilt for a week. Don't use it to hang out with like-minded people who already believe war is bad. Use it to educate yourself and to teach others.\n Head for the ambivalent. Make them think. Share the facts you learned Wednesday with the kids who don't care about the coming war or don't know why they should. That's where the power is -- combine the current protesters with the ambivalent and you'll have a majority. Use your education and make yourself a tool to fight.\nDon't feel foolish for seeming like a throwback to the protests of the '60s. Do something new; do something different. Anger is not something to be afraid of. Get angry. Don't giggle and feel proud of yourself for waving a sign or skipping class. Find the solution that will make Bush change his mind. Write letters, make phone calls, propose more resolutions and cause a ruckus. Stir up the routine. Don't be violent, but do something that will get you noticed. \nAmericans already hold the responsibility for not changing U.S. foreign policy that has killed thousands over the years. Here is your opportunity. You're young. You have energy. Fight with it. \nIf we don't stop this war, we will have blood on our hands. Not just of Iraqi children and civilians but of American soldiers too. You can't wash it off. This war will hurt you. It will hurt the economy, and it will hurt your enlisted friends. \nPassivity is different from non-violence. It's time to quit being passive.
-- Jessica Halverson for the Editorial Board
