PGHIMC - Pittsburgh Independent Media Center

"Bring the war home" (???)
by Juan Zuluaga Tuesday, Apr. 05, 2005 at 12:08 PM
jz31416@yahoo.com

What does the POG mean by having a sign that says "Bring the war home? "

The _New People_ has, in page 6, a picture of a sign of the Pittsburgh Organizing Group that says "Resistance is fertile -- bring the war home!".
I seriously wonder what do they mean by that. If they mean that war should be brought to this country, I say that they are deeply mistaken, and that I am going to oppose them in any way I can.

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Juan, perhaps you should ask them.
by ??? Tuesday, Apr. 05, 2005 at 1:42 PM

Juan,

This is what was meant by the contingent they put together. I believe this has already been stated in another post http://pittsburgh.indymedia.org/news/2005/03/17741_comment.php#17753

Perhaps if you have questions about what they meant you should email them at pog@mutualaid.org

Resistance is Necessary! Resistance is Fertile!

We, Pittsburgh Organizing Group (POG), have organized a “resistance is fertile” contingent within today’s anti-war march as part of our continuing effort to put forth a systemic critique of capitalism, the state, and the wars they spawn. We also wish to articulate a piece of our vision of the society we’re working to create.

As part of this contingent we’ve brought flags, signs, drums, flyers and other educational materials to further these goals. We invite you to march with us or come over and talk. We’ve assembled ourselves by “the story box”, an art project we created to represent a living version of our past, present, and desired future. People have written on its two sides. The first represents everything we value, care about, and hope to create in society; it’s what we’re fighting for. The second is the world we must confront; it’s injustices and horrors. Whether these are people, events, ideas, etc feel free to come and add your voice.

Resistance is Fertile! We take inspiration from the incredible history of meaningful resistance here in this geographical area called the United States and from around the world. We take inspiration from the millions of people right now resisting in whatever way they can and find appropriate. From Argentina to Palestine to Pittsburgh our resistance must be as global as their capital. Resistance however, beautiful as it is, can not be an end into itself. Action is nothing if not in the service of a larger vision. We dare to dream and believe that communities and neighborhoods can organize and chart their own destiny. The homogenous marketplace that corporations
crave can not be countered by any one size fits all “draft program”. As the Zapatistas say, we seek a ‘world of many worlds’ living in harmony and cooperation with justice and dignity. We believe no one can represent us but ourselves. We believe that our bosses need us more than we need them. We believe that our worth is not based on selling our labor or on monetary value. We believe that we can build homes not jails and a free society based on mutual aid, true direct participatory democracy, dignity, and respect. We, the workers, artists, revolutionaries, lovers of freedom, and hopeful, declare that we are opposed to the poor killing the poor while the rich profit from war, and that there is no Peace until we are all truly free of capitalism, hierarchy, the state, and all forms of oppression. Long live the Classless Free Society. Long live Solidarity. Long live Anarchism!

Resistance is Necessary! We march together today because we are not just against bombs dropping in this Presidents war. We are, and must be, consistently against all forms of state violence, oppression, and coercion. War, violence, and exploitation are not mere by-products of our current system; they are necessary in order for its survival. There is no Peace so long as Capitalism forces human beings to compete with each other to live. There is no Peace as long as human beings are divided along arbitrary lines or “borders” and view each other along shallow nationalistic lines. There is no Peace as long as there are some who have the authority to make decisions that affect and dictate the lives of others. There is no Peace until there are no bosses, no borders, and no one else profiting off the fruits of our labors. There is no Freedom for anyone as long as any remain in jail or oppressed. Simply ending this war, although necessary, will not end the system that gave rise to it and the endless wars in our future. For true peace and freedom to exist we must also end capitalism while disarming authority, coercion, and wage slavery. Resistance is our duty, it is our obligation, and it is our right. The system is rotten, no more replastering!

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shorter answer
by Saleh Wednesday, Apr. 06, 2005 at 8:32 PM

Not a pogger (obviously, for anyone who knows me) but a short, more direct answer, from what I can figure is to get certain people to pay attention to the horrors of war.

I base this on David's article (http://pittsburgh.indymedia.org/news/2004/11/16514.php) where he writes:

"The busy intersection of Forbes and Murray was selected for the protest not only because it was a potentially interesting departure from the usual Oakland or Downtown sites, but also because organizers' felt that it was important to "bring the war home." The urgency of the moral outrage inspired protesters to take the message directly to Squirrel Hill residents as they ate in local restaurants, shopped at the Giant Eagle, or commuted to their homes nearby. The time was ripe to challenge the comfort and complacency of those who remain silent while the U.S. continues to murder innocent civilians, break the Geneva Convention and commit other atrocities in our name."

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