July 1980 RAIN Page 15 « . Whenever people take control of their own 'vital interests' and deny • the government's,clailTI on their lives, that is a beginnin~ of the self-reliant power of the people» Something really exciting is coming together across the land! In the April RAJN Dave McFadden established the connection be-~ tween energy and American sec~rity, and the need for safe-energy and anti-war/draft groups to form alliances nationwide. In re- • sponse to the nuclear warriors in Washington there's now an organizatjon with a comprehensive analysis calling for unified nonviolent direct action of all draft opponents to stop draft registration. This new organization; the National Resistance Committee 1 (P.O. Box 42488, San Francisco, CA 94101, 415[781-5839), , can supply you with materials, organizational suppor( and speaker suggestions. They publish Resistance News ( send whatever _ you can) and are working on an organizing manual. The NRC (oh, , the atom-pushers are"gonna love this acronym!) works closely with Peacemakers (P.O. Box 627, Garberville,·cA 95440), active in draft and war tax resistance since 1948, and publishers-of The Peacemaker ( same price as Resistancre News!). Recently I spoke with Fred Moore, a member of the NRC board along with others such as Karl Hess, David ·Harris, and Daniel and Phillip Berrigan. Fred spent 17 months in Allenwood Federal Prison . for refusing the draft. He has and will continue, he says, to advoc~te dr~ft resistance, refusing registration, and total noncooperation with any fprm of conscription. What follows is pieced together from our conversation and t.he materials'cited above. -MR I ' RAIN: How does the NRC differ from other anti-draft/war groups? ' Moore: For one thing, we hope people will consider reducing their energy and material consumption in recognition of the knowledge that overconsumption is a major cause of war. ' j . For another thing, we see conscription not only as totalita·rian, immoral, and a form of slavery, but as patriarchal. Hierarchical decision making and submi'ssion to an authoritarian structure are keystones in patriarchal societies. Military might (death force and destructive power).sustains male supremacy throughout the world in nation-states, war being the ultimate expression of this macho violence and domination. It is rape of both Mother,..Earth and • mother beings. It is an attempt to conquer and subdue nature and the plurality of social cultures. It dehumanizes and divides people into "this side and that s.ide, either friend or foe." It is a denial of the maternal values: caring, comforting, nurturing, healing, and love. • , A third point has to do with our approach. You di:m't persuade the g?vernment by anti-draft petitions and pleading, but by withdrawing your consent and cooperation. RAIN: Why are you concentrating on registration? Moore: In addition to the standard arguments 'about registration leading to draft leading to war, the bottom line is that by regist~ring you are psychologically acknowledging the government's power and a;,1thorit_Y ·over you. You are giving up your independence to quest10n, thmk for yourself, and act on your own. This is what submission means. Regis.tration beEomes a denial of your sovereignty over your own body. • RAIN: What exactly do you mean by resistance? Moore: Resistance means taking a personal stand of noncooperat~o~ with the Selective S_ervice System. It means ~aying.NO pubhc~y, dearly, and meaning it. Resistance means taking personal responsibility for your actions-for your life. The personal act of resistance is an act of personal liberation that diminishes at <?nce the coercive power of the government. When-
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