Over 13,000 professors nationwide have signed a petition against a United States invasion of Iraq. The petition, an open letter, states the reasons for which the academic community opposes the invasion and has helped attract national attention to the antiwar cause.
Professors at the University of Minnesota wrote the letter and petition and quickly disseminated it via e-mail and various websites to hundreds of colleges and universities.
Including students, faculty and staff, the petition has more than 28,000 signatories.
The letter outlines the case for not invading Iraq, citing reasons such as: “Key US allies do not support the invasion, the U.S. government is not unified in support of the invasion, [and] the Iraqi threat is not credible.”
The petition contends that an invasion of Iraq would be illegal as well as unjust.
“Only the Security Council has legal authority to start wars, with the single exception of national self-defense against armed attack,” it states.
The concluding message of the petition is that war should be considered only as a last resort. The writers take a strong political stance throughout, at times criticizing government leaders and practices. In one case, the letter asserts, “the Bush administration has presented no credible evidence of Iraqi progress toward making nuclear weapons.”
Supporters of the petition hope it will show the Bush administration that support for the war effort is not as popular as they may think. Historically, antiwar petitions have not been very successful in influencing political decisions.
Not surprisingly, the University of Wisconsin is heavily represented in the petition. Keeping with its history, UW has been one of the nation’s most active campuses for the antiwar cause.
James Danky, a UW professor of journalism and mass communication, is among those who signed the petition.
“I signed because I oppose an invasion of Iraq,” Danky said.
A USA Today/CNN/Gallup poll showed that 53 percent of Americans are in favor of invading Iraq with U.S. ground troops.
With regard to America’s eagerness to go to war, Danky said, “the current enthusiasm for the war will be greatly deflated when American lives are lost. This adventurism will have its consequences.”
Rosemarie Carbino, a UW professor of social work, echoed this sentiment.
“As a social worker, I have a very strong commitment to peace and justice,” she said.
“Our sudden national response seems unjust, irrational and probably ineffective in establishing peace or safety for anyone,” Carbino continued.
Many UW students signed the petition as well.
Adam Hirsch, a UW freshman and petition signatory, said, “I oppose the war because it jeopardizes Israel. Furthermore, it heightens the risk of biological warfare.”
