posted on February 14, 2003 02:44:59 PM new
This amazing idea from the Boulder Mennonite Church came from a minister in Maine.
Here's what's involved:
Place 1/2 cup uncooked rice in a small plastic bag (a snack-size or sandwich baggie work just
fine.) Squeeze out the excess air and seal the bag. Wrap it in a piece of paper on which you
have written, "If your enemies are hungry, feed them. Please send this rice to the people of
Iraq; do not attack them."
Place the paper and bag of rice in an envelope (either a letter-sized or padded mailing
envelope--both cost the same amount to mail) and address them to:
President George W. Bush
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, D.C. 20500
Attach $1.06 in postage. (Three 37-cent stamps are $1.11.)
Drop this in the mail. It is important to act soon so that President Bush gets the letters
ASAP. In order for this protest to be effective, there must be hundreds of thousands of
such rice deliveries to the White House, so tell all your friends and family about it!
There is a positive history to this protest. In the 1950s, the Fellowship of Reconciliation
began a similar protest, which is credited with influencing President Eisenhower against
attacking China. Read on:
"In the mid-1950s, the pacifist Fellowship of Reconciliation, learning of famine in the
Chinese mainland, launched a 'Feed Thine Enemy' campaign. Members and friends mailed
thousands of little bags of rice to the White House with a tag quoting the Bible, 'If thine
enemy hunger, feed him.' As far as anyone knew for more than ten years, the campaign was
an abject failure. The President did not acknowledge receipt of the bags publicly; no rice
was ever sent to China.
"What nonviolent activists learned only a decade later was that the campaign played a
significant, perhaps even determining role, in preventing nuclear war. Twice while the
campaign was on, President Eisenhower met with the Joint Chiefs of Staff to consider U.S.
options in the conflict with China over two islands, Quemoy and Matsu.
"The generals twice recommended the use of nuclear weapons. President Eisenhower each
time turned to his aide and asked how many little bags of rice had come in. When they
numbered in the tesn of thousands, Eisenhower told the generals that as long as many
Americans were expressing active interest in having the U.S. feed the Chinese, he certainly
wasn't going to consider using nuclear weapons against them."
posted on February 14, 2003 03:45:14 PM new
What a beautiful story. It litterally brought tears to my eyes reading it. It certainly was the right thing to do to feed the Chinese, as history has shown us.
posted on February 14, 2003 04:14:27 PM new
What a dumbell remark, Linda. Although the rice was not forwarded to China, the number of Americans sending rice did influence Eisenhower's decision not to use nuclear weapons against the chinese, according to this story.
posted on February 14, 2003 04:26:11 PM new
Yes, that is a very nice story and a nice sentiment.
But some of you must be a little dense or maybe, just not thinking. Couldn't the Evil GW take those little bags of rice and put them in one ton lots and drop them on the poor people of Iraq? Do you really think you can change the mind of a man you call a moron? A man you second guess and belittle at every move?
This isn't about feeding the poor. I'm sure many of the Iraq people would just like to be free of tyranny. The rice may be too little, too late.
posted on February 14, 2003 04:44:26 PM new
You've got a point there, colin. Bush is no Eisenhower. He is a bullheaded, greedy, callous liar. Nothing will save the people of Iraq.
posted on February 14, 2003 05:02:02 PM new
If Eisenhower had used the nukes it would have saved more lives than it has cost the Chinese people over the last 45 years at the hands of their murderous dictators. The world would be a much safer and better place had Ike hammered the commies back then.
Have you all forgotten Mao's purges, not to mention all the millions that have disappeared at the re-education camps?
posted on February 14, 2003 05:40:07 PM new
::You've got a point there, colin. Bush is no Eisenhower. He is a bullheaded, greedy, callous liar. Nothing will save the people of Iraq.::
BUT..... If bush instead looks at each bg as a vote against his bid for re-election if he does start this war he is so intent on maybe THAT would get his attention.
posted on February 14, 2003 07:07:07 PM new
The return address list will make a good start on an enemies of the state list. They can round them up for mailing suspected dangerous materials through the mail.
A material know to cause eye injury when thrown at people in a common religeous ritual. CDC warning attached...
