House signs

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Patriotic Signs on my House

On Monday March 17, 2003 our president told us he no longer was hoping diplomacy would work, he was not asking for a U.N. vote anymore (because he knew his actions are against the will of the world community), and he didn't take questions from the press this time. He said we would go to war in 48 hours.

After listening to this, I was disappointed and angry. I wanted to do something to stop us from going to war without following proper international procedures. I decided to make lawn signs. Which became window signs--they'd last longer (except I hadn't considered the Zoe the dog factor). Nathan (my roommate) and I had heard about lots of clever signs at peace rallies and had a few ideas of our own. We wanted signs that would make people think, but not piss them off.

I already had a bumper sticker in my bedroom window that says "Peace is Patriotic" with an American Flag on it. The first signs to go up late Monday night were:

PRE-EMPTIVE
STRIKES
ARE UNJUST
AND
UNAMERICAN

BRING
OUR
BOYS
(and girls)
HOME
(alive, now)

The next day, Nathan added his thoughts to the glass door overlooking the Post Office Parking lot. This one has gotten lots of compliments from friends and neighbors:

LOVE MY COUNTRY

SUPPORT OUR TROOPS

DISAGREE WITH WAR

On Wednesday, March 19, 2003, we went to war. It almost ruined our card game. If we had been playing cards in Iraq it would have definitely ruined it. The next morning, after a restless night (partially due to the early morning unneighborly noise caused by people that idle their diesel trucks for 20 minutes), I thought of two more signs while I was in the shower that expressed my feelings, that I put up before I went to work. Happy first day of spring, by the way:

SINCE THE US
DEFIES THE UN
IT MUST BE
OKAY FOR IRAQ
TO DO SO AS WELL

I got a compliment on that one that evening at the candlelight peace vigil at the post office. The other one started with "IF", but at Nathan's suggestion I changed it to "AS":

AS WE OVERTHROW
GOVERNMENTS
OVERSEAS
WE THREATEN
THE SECURITY
OF OUR OWN

At the candlelight vigil, we got to talking about how war hawks have usurped our flag and we need to take it back. That evening I put a large American Flag on the outside of the house between the two windows with the signs. People seemed to be noticing more... then I was gone for a week and Zoe the dog ripped the lower ones. So I took the flag down when I got back. Then I was gone for another week and when I got back, took down the rest, replacing them with an "Impeach Bush" sign for a few days. Then I took that one down, so now I just have the "Peace is Patriotic" bumper sticker in the upstairs window. I think I made my point.

Other ideas we have had for signs:

WHY ARE WE DEFYING THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO TEACH PEOPLE THAT DEFYING THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY IS WRONG?
(Friend's sign at San Francisco Peace Rally)

IRAQ DISOBEYS UN... ARE WE ANY BETTER?

THE US AT THE UN: APPARENTLY IT IS EASIER TO ASK FOR FORGIVENESS THAN PERMISSION

HOW MANY SOLDIERS PER GALLON?
(this one is really good, but I'm afraid to put it up cause it might piss people off)

I DON'T WANT A WORLD LIKE THIS