Opinions

By the Committee for the Rescue and Development of Vieques

The presence and activities of the U.S. Navy in Vieques were immoral before the 11th of Sept. and they continue to be immoral today.

Our community in struggle has declared a moratorium on civil disobedience actions based upon our commitment to peace and as a show of solidarity with the victims and families affected by the tragic events of Sept. 11, as well as concerns for the security of our people.

However, we emphasize that our solidarity is directed toward the innocent victims of the terrorist attacks and not toward the militaristic actions of the U.S. government. The pain brought on by these violent acts for thousands of families in the U.S., in Puerto Rico and around the world, is also our pain.

And our struggle for peace is also the struggle for peace for the U.S., for Puerto Rico and all the peoples of the world. We energetically reject terrorism, war and any type of violence as a means to resolve conflicts in our world. In Vieques, the U.S. armed forces have dropped more bombs than in all combined wars.

We have been victims of every U.S. military action since the Second World War - Korea, Vietnam, the Persian Gulf, Yugoslavia and the many U.S. military interventions in the Americas. We do not want to be used for preparing wars in the 21st century.

Our people live the effects of war - military contamination and its serious health effects; restrictions on movement in our own land; forced immigration and the breaking up of the family; the dangers and tension from the daily possibilities of a horrible military accident and the psychological impact of this situation.

We do not want more war for Vieques. We do not want any more war for anybody in this world. We join the growing peace movement that throughout the world - including the United States - is revitalizing itself before the imminent attack by the U.S. against Afghanistan. We will continue to struggle for demilitarization, decontamination, return of our lands and sustainable community development in a future Vieques freed from the Navy. We are preparing now for the next civil disobedience actions during the next maneuvers.

We have declared a moratorium on civil disobedience because we value life - ours and the lives of everyone. All of the Vieques organizations related to the struggle against the military presence approved the moratorium because ours is a people of peace.

But we wish to make very clear, that our solidarity is directed toward the innocent victims of terrorism. We could never support or applaud the terrorism of aircraft carriers launching missiles against hospitals, schools, against populated cities, in the name of vengeance and of a democracy that in Vieques is stepped upon by the U.S. Navy. We struggle for peace in Vieques, peace in New York, peace in Washington, in Afghanistan and in the entire world. Say no to war! Yes to peace!