Statement from AiMara Lin, with Not In Our Name

Today there was a press conference in NYC, calling on lawyers and others to monitor the high school walkouts.

My name is AiMara Lin, and I work with the Not In Our Name project. This time last year, many of us were agonizing over how to be truthfully against the war during an election where there was no anti-war candidate. We are on the eve of a dreadful anniversary, of stolen elections. Whether you believe that it was electronic polling fraud, intimidation and harassment of oppressed communities of color, or a flawed system overall, we all know that this crew came to office against the wishes of people all over the world.

But, if the World Can't Wait organizers are right, and I certainly hope they are, we will look back on Nov. 2, not as a dreadful anniversary, but a day that people decided to turn things around, determined to stop the course this government is taking us all on, and accept nothing less than justice for all of humanity.

When I went back home to California a few weeks ago, a lawyer I used to work with asked me, "Where are the students? They need to lead like we did in the '60s! They're the key!" I called her last night to tell her the students in New York are walking out on November 2, and that lawyers like herself should be there to defend them on the spot if law enforcement gets out of hand. Not In Our Name New York City is urgently calling on lawyers, legal workers and clergy to defend the audacious resistance of young people who are walking out tomorrow, from over 20 high school and college campuses, as they take a bold step in the fight for humanity.

We are inviting everyone else to join us as we recite the Pledge of Resistance out loud at 11:30 AM in Union Square, where we will be collectively creating an auditory buzz of resistance until the World Can't Wait rally starts at Noon, and as students stream into the square from across the city. If you're running late, make sure you have the pledge in your pocket and recite it as you travel. You can find it at www.notinourname.net!

It is not enough in these times to know that our government is committing crimes against humanity, we must do something about it that creates a climate of defiance to every turn of the Bush Administration's dreadful agenda. In the words of the Not In Our Name New Statement of Conscience written just before Bush's inauguration, "We must come together whenever we can, and we must act alone whenever we have to... We pledge to create a community to back courageous acts of resistance. We stand with the people throughout the world to fight every day for the right to create their own future."

See you tomorrow in the streets, and let it be the beginning of the end for this terrible crew of warmakers and their agenda.