President Bush’s adamance to continue pressing for war will be tested Wednesday when students nationwide will unite for a walk-out and day-long strike.
Progressive Student Organizer, junior Mike McRaith helped coordinate the walk-out with the Campus Anti-War Network. He said in a campus e-mail that he is dissident about the United State’s decision to make war with Iraq.
The e-mail by McRaith was forwarded to many UW-Eau Claire sutduents Wednesday.
In the email, McRaith outlined the purpose of the strike and invited everyone to join him and everyone else involved with the Campus Anti-War Network in protesting the Bush administration’s policy on Iraq.
McRaith considers himself fortunate for all of his opportunities, but said in his e-mail he feels the time has come to band together as a world community and alienate the centralized powers with private agendas.
“It’d be hard for me to imagine not being involved,” McRaith said.
He said the Students for a Sensible Drug Policy and the Campus Green Party also will be involved in the walk-out.
The plan is to meet at 11 a.m. at the clock tower, then march across the footbridge, then across the Water Street bridge, he said.
Upon returning to campus, students will have discussions, write letters to senators or work together with patch making, McRaith said.
The activities will occur between 1 and 4 p.m. in the Tamarack, Clearwater and Potowatomi rooms reserved in Davies Center.
The walk-out is not reserved for just college students. Students from Memorial High School will also be meeting at the clock tower on the campus mall at 11 a.m., McRaith said.
He has been working closely with some students there, he added.
McRaith is not a rookie when it comes to protesting.
He said he has been involved in the anti-war rallies in Wausau, Madison and Washington, as well as the rally in front of Eau Claire’s Federal Building on Barstow Street.
Students who have heard about the walk-out had mixed feelings about whether or not they will decide to join in the protest against the war on Iraq.
Freshman Bill Verthein said he probably wouldn’t join in the walkout because he can see arguments both for and against taking military action against Iraq.
“I’m torn between the opinions on both sides,” he said.
Freshman Christine Wiggin said she would probably join in the daylong strike because she doesn’t believe in going to war right now.
“Our country is in bad enough shape already,” she said, adding the country has enough financial problems right now without the cost of war to further bog it down.