Students fast to protest war

FILE PHOTO / Dave Kim Senior Antigone Ambrose wears a blue arm band to signify fasting. She wore her arm band during a protest on the commons last week. The fast utilizes a 'tag team' approach.

The JMU Progressive Coalition is facilitating a Fast for Peace to help end "America's New War." The fast is between pairs of individuals who take turns fasting to show support for a peaceful resolution in Afghanistan.

Sophomore Peter Gelderloos began the fast after he attended the Oct. 7 vigil for United States bombings in Afghanistan, that was held in the Harrisonburg Town Square.

"After the vigil I felt really strongly about the whole issue and started the fast that night," he said. "During the week we decided to extend the fast to a 'tag team' fast. When one person couldn't fast anymore the other would take over."

Word of the cause spread and now several others have joined the fast since Oct. 7. They stand out on the commons every Wednesday from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. passing out fliers. Participants can be spotted across campus wearing baby blue cloth arm bands in order to show support for their cause. Freshman Liz Bushnell said, "We went with light blue unanimously because it is a very peaceful color and symbolizes free speech. We want to call attention to the fact that there people out there that want peace."

Gelderloos said, "We chose the color because it has no negative stigmas attached to it."

Gelderloos said he hopes the peaceful cause of the fast will gain not only attention, but also understanding. "Fasting is a way of protesting the war," Gelderloos said. "(Muhatma) Ghandi put [fasting] in the mainstream and showed the ridiculousness of (violent) situations like this and the powerlessness of protesters. If we were to express demonstrative protests, then people become argumentative. If you're fasting, people begin to ask you questions about why you're doing what you're doing … a public demonstration may draw more attention but a fast draws more sympathy."

Those involved said they hope more students join the fast while many said they think the fast is a very personal choice in stopping terrorism and promoting unbiased media.

"The fast is very personal," Bushnell said. "I think there are better ways to show personal convictions on this issue, but this is how some people are choosing to show their views. I don't personally think that it will stop the war."
According to fliers passed out on the commons by members of the group, they hope to "raise awareness and sympathy for the peace cause, open democratic dialogue within our society and counteract racist, jingoistic and nationalistic reporting in the corporate media," by participating in the fast.
Fasters said they are fighting against the myths raised by "America's New War." They believe the war will not end terrorism, but perpetuate it. In a flier passed out on the commons, The Progressive Coalition clarified what they call myths of "America's New War."

The myths include "This war will end terrorism," "Sept. 11 attacks were an assault on our freedom" and "The United States is waging a humanitarian war," according to the flier.

"People came up to me and asked me about the fast," Gelderloos said of his Wednesdays on the commons. "It gave me a good opportunity to explain to them why I was fasting. They were much more willing to listen. Fasters can talk to people who are wondering why they are fasting and we can clarify these myths."

Bushnell said, "Answers to these myths help us provide answers when people scream at us that we were being 'Anti-American'. I'm not being Anti-American. What happened Sept. 11 was a tragedy and needs to be reattributed. But declaring a war on the world will only cause more lives to be lost on both sides."

The Progressive Coalition was formed in 1997 and has since grown to include about 12 official student organizations. Bushnell said that the Progressive Coalition is a "networking for all the activist groups on campus." She said activist groups join together through the Progressive Coalition to get feedback and support from the other groups.

Gelderloos said, "The Progressive Coalition is intended to spread support and is good for JMU because there are a lot of issue-specific organizations. It's a way for us to stick together."