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Demonstrators aim to turn attention to peace Mail Tribune / Jim Craven A man identifying himself as "Jahfree" beats a drum in time to the John Lennon song "Give Peace a Chance." He and others gathered Friday at the Plaza in Ashland to join a worldwide "Prayers Through Music" peaceful observance. Some say war won't solve the problems that prompted attacks By BILL KETTLER ASHLAND - As demonstrations go, it wasn't much - one guitar, four drums, a little boy beating rhythm on a cardboard box while 20 people sang "Give Peace a Chance" and other anti-war songs. Friday's song circle on the Plaza was part of a worldwide "Prayers through Music" observance organized to focus attention on peace as the United States mobilizes troops, ships and aircraft to punish terrorists who bombed New York and Washington Sept. 11. "Right now, all people all around the world are joining in music," said Susan Hansen of Ashland, who helped organize the local gathering. "It's already Saturday in Australia, and it's 10 a.m. in Hawaii, but we're all together." "Why don't we bomb them with butter?" said guitarist Donny Roze, alluding to Afghanistan's impoverished civilians. "Let's feed the people and have compassion and then see what happens." Polls show an overwhelming majority of Americans favor using military force to punish terrorists, but some Southern Oregon residents say war will not solve the problems that prompted terrorists to kill more than 6,000 Americans. Activists at Ashland's Peace House, the center of the local peace and social justice community since the 1980s, said Thursday that they have received an average 20 calls a day since the bombing. "People want to keep this global crisis from getting out of hand," said Ali Fulcher, assistant director of Peace House. "They know they don't want war." Fulcher said peace activists have met frequently since the bombing, talking about what they can do. There's been talk of setting up classes about the procedure for becoming a conscientious objector if the United States starts a military draft. A conscientious objector from World War II said it will be hard for young people to resist the drift toward war with so much "flag-waving" on radio talk shows and television. "It's not easy for kids to buck convention," said Don Wells, 85, of Medford. "Patriotism means soldiering and going to war. It doesn't mean raising questions about what your government is doing." Another longtime peace worker said the United States occupies the "moral high ground" right now, but it could alienate many Muslims by using indiscriminate military power. "We're not getting at all the sources of this intolerable evil just because we start bombing," said Elizabeth Hallett, a former director of Peace House. "Getting pulled down into vengeance is only going to come back on us," said Hallett, who protested the Vietnam War and U.S. support for repressive regimes in Central America in the 1980s. Hallett said it's probably unrealistic to think violence can be avoided. "Containing violence is the key. We're almost out of the ballpark in talking about complete pure nonviolence." Singers at Ashland's peace observance still held out hope for nonviolent resolution of the crisis. Roze said President Bush and other leaders need to know that many Americans won't support a war. "What you see in the media is that everybody's backing Bush," Roze said. "I'm not backing Bush. My heart says 'no.' Let's find a way to make peace happen. (War) doesn't make sense to me, so I've got to stand up and say it doesn't make sense." Reach reporter Bill Kettler at 776-4492, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.