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The following statement on terrorism was endorsed
by the 34th annual ILWU Pacific Coast Pensioners Association
convention Seattle 9/16 thru 9/19, 2001 and recommended for publication in
the ILWU Dispatcher
Remarks
of Brian McWilliams
2001 P.C.P.A. Convention - Seattle, Washington
September 18, 2001 - Morning Session
Thank you for the opportunity to share this time with you. It warms my
heart to see so many of my old friends. Of course, you know that I'm no
longer involved in developing policy for our union, but I would like talk
with you about the recent events that are so troubling for all of us and
how we respond as workers.
First, we must condemn the senseless acts of violence perpetrated
against innocent people, just like we have throughout our history. And the
perpetrators need to be sought out and brought to justice. But let us not
be too quick to judge the terroristic acts of others without taking a
thorough look at our government's acts of aggression, passive and
otherwise, against our fellow citizens of the world.
Issues of sufficient importance for this union to make strong policy
statements about for the simple fact that, by any standards, they
constitute violent acts against workers and could only be seen as
terrorist acts by most of those on the receiving end.
We have challenged regularly the wisdom of the U.S. government policies
resulting in the Cuban blockade, Korea, Iraq, Vietnam, El Salvador,
Nicaragua, Columbia, Chile - where CIA involvement of the assassination of
their democratically elected leader fell on the same day, September 11, of
last week's bombing. Apartheid in South Africa, racial profiling, racism
and poverty in our own country all induce terror in those on the receiving
end.
Not to compare these acts with what just happened in NY, but to realize
that there is a tremendous amount of suffering brought upon people, and as
long as people have to suffer the consequences of these acts of
aggression, the more hurt and anger will be left steeping their hearts.
And if we can't, as a nation, see the wisdom in following the road to
peace, one of the first victims of a heightened Militarism will be our civil liberties.
It is our job to guard against national security programs being
used as an excuse to exploit working people. It's not hard to imagine that
new laws will threaten to curtail union organizing, picket lines, and
public gatherings, while surveillance of citizens, racial profiling, and
union busting will go unchecked. Peace must be our goal if people on the
bottom are not to pay the highest price.
We can start towards achieving peace by being peaceful. And an even
greater threat than losing our civil liberties is the potential for us to
fall victim to the intolerances of internalized bias. Of course, we will
continue to fight against the misled patriotism of ignorance that pits us
as workers against each other. And remember that racism is not patriotic
in any situation.
What a tragedy indiscriminate targeting of Americans has become,
yet another form of terrorism, perpetrated by Americans on Americans.
Blind belief in the tenets of a government and all of its actions without
any critical thinking is mistaken by many as patriotism.
In truth that diminishes us all as a people and leads to the kinds
of ignorant and blatantly racist and violent acts and military aggression
we are beginning to read about in the papers. This must be stopped. That
innocent American working families are the target of hate crimes and
discrimination in any form has always been condemned by this ILWU. But
that is not enough.
Each of us must help carry the torch of justice and tolerance and
peace and clearly and aggressively respond to such injustices wherever
they may be in a way that truly represents our philosophy that an injury
to one is an injury to all.
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