Peace: Three Moments The Protest, The Poetry, The Meeting by Joseph Ross The Protest Imagine a world without war. A group of Carroll students and teachers sought to do just that. On Saturday, January 27th, twenty Archbishop Carroll students and four teachers participated in a uniquely democratic process. We participated in the United for Peace and Justice “March to End the War. “ We were thrilled to be on the National Mall which was jammed with tens of thousands of people who eventually filled the streets and circled the entire Capitol Building. Students from Carroll’s Peace and Justice Club, along with several Carroll Poets, met up with another group, D.C. Poets Against the War at Busboys & Poets, a bookstore and restaurant in Northwest D.C. We met at 10:30 Saturday morning for what would be a long but memorable day. The students included Omari Smith, Lauren Browder, Justin Johnson, Renesha Alphonso, Raeza Aikens-Cummings, Victoria Robinson-Hines, Daniel Raycrow, Julian Severino, Russell Rowe, Lorenzo Bruce, Kim Blocker, Cardina Ross, Dietrich Marcelin, Cheronna Minott, Simone Middleton, Alesha Wajid-Ali, Pegie Dimoh, and Anthony Husbands. The teachers included Katie Murphy, of the Religion Department, Emily Strulson, of the Art Department, David Backer, Michela Costello, and myself, all of the English Department. Once we arrived at Busboys & Poets, we mingled in the bookstore, greeting several members of D.C. Poets Against the War. We were honored to meet Martin Espada, one of America’s best known poets, who was in town to join the D.C. Poets for the march, and to read at their poetry reading Saturday night. Martin Espada is a tenured professor at the University of Massachusetts and a widely published poet. His most recent book of poetry is titled The Republic of Poetry. Several of the Carroll students interviewed members of D.C. Poets Against the War for a video they made of the event. Ms. Murphy and I were interviewed by members of the local media. We sought to explain how important events like this are for the students. We explained how helpful political engagement can be, in battling youth apathy. When our students take a Saturday joining with others to lend their voices in opposition to the war, they battle our typical complacency. We concluded our time at Busboys & Poets by gathering for a group photograph around our banner bearing the words of D.C. poet Samuel Miranda: “I Will Bring You Flowers, No Matter How Many Bullets You Bring.” Once the group pictures were taken, we left for the march. Arriving at the National Mall we joined nearly 100,000 other protesters. The gathering included the very young in strollers being pushed by their parents, as well as the very old, some with walkers and canes. There were people of every race and color. Signs ranged from “Impeach Bush and Cheney for War Crimes” to “Peace is Patriotic” to our signs bearing the declarations of poets. Many of our signs had anti-war quotes from Langston Hughes, Walt Whitman, Emily Dickinson, and several Iraqi poets. We gathered in the artists’ section so we could hear some of the speakers from the stage but we mostly just talked to the artists who were around us. For about an hour, we watched as the crowd swelled to fill nearly half the National Mall. Once the march began, we could actually see how grand the crowd was. We headed up toward the Capitol on Constitution Avenue. As we ascended the hill on which the Capitol Building sits, we could turn around and see the huge crowd. Mr. Backer was now drumming with the rhythm section. The rest of us walked with the poets. At one point, Omari Smith and Justin Johnson, (Class of 2008) carrying the large sign with the Samuel Miranda quote, were stopped to be interviewed by three people carrying cameras and microphones. I stayed with them, as the crowd moved on. They asked Omari and Justin why they were present, what the quote on the sign meant to them, and how they developed their opposition to the war. These two Carroll students were serious, clear, and committed. They explained that, to their minds, the war began dishonestly and never had any legitimacy. They spoke of Iraqi civilian deaths, as well as the deaths of American soldiers. They spoke with passion and precision, impressing their interviewers. When the interview concluded, I asked the questioners what organization they were from. They told me they worked for the B.B.C. (British Broadcasting Corporation) When I told this to Omari and Justin, they weren’t sure just what the B.B.C. was. I reminded them it might be the largest news outlet in the world. They smiled at their new found fame. Portions of their interview can be heard in the audio section of the B.B.C.’s website, www.BBC.com. As the crowd moved slowly up the hill toward the Capitol, we chanted slogans like: “This is what democracy looks like” and “What do we want? Peace. When do we want it? Now!” The crowd was at once festive and serious. A huge mass of humanity, of every age and race made this a memorable event. We were part of a large group of people, acting on conscience, on the behalf of people around the world who do not have our voice. The Poetry At 7:00pm Saturday evening, the Langston Room at Busboys & Poets was filled to capacity. Around seventy people had gathered for the D.C. Poets Against the War Poetry Reading. Opening the program was Martin Espada, whom we described earlier. He has written 13 books and won many prestigious awards. He read three poems, finishing his portion of the reading with his hopeful poem, Imagine the Angels of Bread. Espada points out that every dramatic change taking place in the world has to first be imagined. He writes of tenants evicting landlords and farm workers uprooting the actual deed to the land they work. The crowd showed its appreciation by showering him with applause. Following Martin Espada, several poets from around the world, including an Iraqi poet read their work. About half way through the event, Carroll senior Magalee Cirpili read. Magalee took the stage with her typical passion and authority, drawing some “ahs” from the crowd. She read two poems: The Ballad of Frank and Julia in which she describes the almost mystical relationship between a soldier in Iraq and his pregnant wife back in the United States. Her second poem “White Slave” presents a searing picture of a young girl held as a sex slave. Magalee ended her reading to thunderous applause and lots of pats on the back. She was excellent. Following Magalee, I was introduced as her teacher, and read a poem of mine called Living Room, relating the experience of watching scenes from the Vietnam War on television as a child and watching scenes from the Iraq War today, as an adult. The Meeting After school on Monday, January 29th, ten Carroll students, Ms. Murphy, and I traveled to the Hart Senate Office Building for a lobbying meeting with Sen. Barbara Mikulski, a Democrat from Maryland. We rode the Metro to Union Station and walked the rest of the way to the Senate office building. It took us a while to get our group through Security but once we were inside the cavernous Senate office building, we made our final preparations. The students would run this meeting. They organized who would open the meeting, make a statement, and voice the first questions. In the past week, the students studied Sen. Mikulski’s positions on the war and knew what areas they wished to ask about. We were greeted by Caroline Schuta, Sen. Mikulski’s senior assistant for legislation on national security affairs. She led us into a large conference where we took our seats around a square table. Once again, in this setting, the students showed their passion and intelligence. Lauren Browder (Class of 2008) opened the session with a statement and then invited all the Carroll students to introduce themselves. From there, a good discussion ensued. The students asked questions including: “How will a troop increase help bring the conflict to an end?” “How does Sen. Mikulski deal with the fact that no weapons of mass destruction were ever found, yet that was the pretext for going to war?” “How do American troops help to solve an internal Iraqi civil war?” Ms. Schuta responded carefully and patiently to all the students’ questions. She repeatedly thanked them for their care, engagement with this important issue, and willingness to spend time thinking and lobbying on behalf of their convictions. Our meeting lasted nearly 45 minutes. Finally, Ms. Murphy asked that Sen. Mikulski show real leadership in finding a way to end the war. Ms. Schuta left no doubt she was impressed with the students and that she would share all we said with the senator. From making signs, to marching at the Capitol, to reading poems, to lobbying a U.S. Senator, this past week Carroll students showed their commitment to thoughtful and active citizenship. The entire Carroll community can be truly proud of these students. Printable version – PDF file Peace in Three Moments Photo Gallery