Vermont Votes No to War

John Nichols

[vermonttroopshomenow.org]

Congress may not be prepared to hold an honest debate on when and how the United States should exit Iraq, but town meetings of rural Vermont are not so constrained. Declaring that "The War in Iraq is a Local Issue," communities across the state voted on March 1 for resolutions urging President Bush and Congress to take steps to withdraw US troops from Iraq and called on their state legislature to investigate the use and abuse of the Vermont National Guard in the confiict.

Spearheaded by peace activists, the campaign put antiwar resolutions on town meeting agendas in more than 50 communities statewide - more than one fifth of Vermont's town meetings. Forty-nine voted for the resolutions. Only three voted "no," while one saw a tie. In Burlington, the antiwar initiative received the support of 65% of electors.
This article was condensed from the April 4 Nation magazine. John Nichols is the Nation's Washington correspondent.

There is no question that the message was heard by Vermont's Congressional representatives. US Rep. Bernie Sander, I-Vermont, supported the resolution being considered in Burlington. US Senator Jim Jeffords, I-Vermont, endorsed the resolution campaign, as did US Senator Patrick Leahy, D-Vermont. ''This resolution has prompted the kind of constructive debate that should be happening not only in Washington but in every community in the country,'' said Leahy.

Activists hope the Vermont resolution campaign will go national. Already, Amherst, Massachusetts - which begins city council meetings by reading aloud the names of Iraqis and US soldiers who have died in the war - has passed a "Bring the Troops Home" resolution, as has Arcata, California.

In November, San Francisco voters endorsed an antiwar statement that declared, "The Federal government should take immediate steps to end the US occupation of Iraq and bring our troops safely home now."

The Vermont resolution campaign focused on the status of the Vermont National Guard. That brought the issue home, as 200 of the state's 251 towns have residents who have been called up to serve in Iraq. A rural state where wages are low in many regions, Vermont has traditionally had a high level of participation in the National Guard. With Guard units being so heavily used in the Iraq, Vermont has suffered the highest per capita death toll of any state since the war began.

Nancy Lessin, a co-founder of Military Families Speak Out, says the resolution campaign "brings into discussion the very people who should be discussing the impact of this war: National Guard families, local politicians, police departments, school officials."

This article was condensed from the April 4 Nation magazine. John Nichols is the Nation's Washington correspondent.