The fight for peace.

As the U.S. funneled troops and supplies to the Middle East for war with Iraq, Billy Noseworthy, 18, and Erica Lillquist, 17, took up positions of their own back home--firmly on the antiwar side. But the pair adopted their viewpoints for dramatically different reasons.

Noseworthy, of Norwich, Vermont, is a Quaker. A key principle of the denomination forbids taking up arms against another. "You can't really dehumanize anybody," and war is the ultimate dehumanization, he says. Lillquist, of Fawn Grove, Pennsylvania, whose car is plastered with antiwar slogans, doesn't oppose all war. But she prefers diplomatic efforts, including weapons inspections, to resolve the crisis. "I don't consider myself a pacifist," she says, "but I think war in Iraq is unnecessary."

MORE MAINSTREAM, LESS FRINGE

Noseworthy and Lillquist were just two voices in a chorus of protests against a U.S. war with Iraq. Previous American military operations in Somalia, Haiti, and the Balkans--even last year's war in Afghanistan--barely raised a ripple of dissent. The huge, worldwide demonstrations against a war in Iraq have been the largest since the Vietnam War protests of the 1960s and 1970s.

In the weeks leading up to a final decision by President George W. Bush, more than a million Americans protested a war, including crowds of at least 100,000 each in New York and Washington, D.C. Protests throughout Europe, even by conservative estimates, attracted nearly 2 million people last month.

Unlike some previous peace protests, in which participants were dismissed as political-fringe extremists, the rallies against war with Iraq seemed to draw diverse crowds in which many participants appeared to be first-time marchers with political views drawn from the mainstream.

Despite the size of the protests, their power to shape international events was hard to gauge. Large demonstration in France and Germany seemed to simply confirm their government's policies on Iraq. In Britain, Prime Minister Tony Blair said, "Of course I understand the concerns of the thousands that marched," but that the large antiwar protests there would not affect his support for a U.S.-led campaign against Iraq.

PROTESTS VS. POLICY

While the protests overall involved millions in the U.S. and abroad, President Bush dismissed them as a factor in his confrontation with Iraq. "Size of protest--it's like deciding, well, I'm going to decide policy based upon a focus group," Bush said, referring to a marketing technique used for gathering opinion. "The role of a leader is to decide policy based upon the security, in this case, the security of the people."

Nor did the rallies seem to prompt large shifts in public opinion about a war. For several months, roughly 55 to 60 percent of Americans said they supported a war against Iraq. But a New York Times/CBS News poll conducted about the time of the protests found 56 percent of those polled wanted UN approval before an attack. Support for war fell to 45 percent if U.S. troops were to suffer high casualties.

The numbers suggested the Bush administration could face political risks for any military operation that did not work quickly and with few casualties. Faced with a prolonged military engagement, says Larry Sabato, a professor of political science at the University of Virginia, "The administration will be in hot water much faster than during the Vietnam War." In that war, protests went on for years until the government was forced to change policy.

"If this movement has any impact," Sabato added, "it will come if the war drags on."

CRITICISM OF PROTESTS

Some critics accused the protesters of supporting Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein; others called the demonstrators unpatriotic, and a few counter-demonstrations were organized to show support for U.S. troops.

Many of the antiwar marchers, however, say they have no love for the Iraqi leader, and emphasized that their protests weren't intended to appear anti-American.

"The antiwar movement doesn't have to support Saddam Hussein," says Seth Green, a 23-year-old American who attended the London march. Green says he wanted "to send the message that you can be pro-American and antiwar." Many marchers across Europe sent the same message.

ANGER IN EUROPE

Yet some of the protests overseas suggested a deep vein of anger toward the U.S. and the Bush administration that might prompt foreign politicians to reduce future cooperation on some levels, such as the battle against terrorism. A man in Paris, for instance, held aloft a placard with pictures of President Bush and Hitler beneath the label "Twins."

Similar European comments angered many Americans. Political analysts say a widening gulf between U.S. and European opinion could realign alliances that have been in place for decades.

Such fears could evaporate, however, if a war produced quick success. "The public is likely to give the President a lot of rope," says James Lindsay of the Brookings Institution, a Washington think tank. "Victory will breed public support."

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

* Have there been any antiwar demonstrations in or near your community?

* How would you characterize your community? Do you believe most people support war with Iraq?

* Should the U.S. maintain good relations with allies like France and Germany that oppose war with Iraq?

TEACHING OBJECTIVES

To help students understand why many Americans are exercising their First Amendment right to speak out against war with Iraq.

CLASSROOM STRATEGIES

BEFORE READING: Make copies of the First Amendment and distribute to students. Refer to the amendment's final clause.

PHOTO ANALYSIS: Study the peace demonstration photos. Note the "No war for oil" sign. What argument is the protester making? How might the world react if the U.S. seized Iraq's oil wells? Tell students that the U.S. says Iraq's oil revenues would be used to help Iraqis.

CRITICAL THINKING/DISCUSSION: Debate the appropriateness of the protests, Some critics say antiwar demonstrators are anti-American. Are they correct? The article recalls protests against the Vietnam War. Remind students of other antiwar sentiments. Historians estimate that only a third of the colonists backed the Revolutionary War. Another third opposed it; many of these "loyalists" fled to the British Caribbean, Canada, or to England. The remainder were neutral. Abraham Lincoln opposed the 1846 Mexican War. And prior to Pearl Harbor, the America First Committee opposed U.S. entry into World War II.

Next, discuss the protesters' influence--or lack of it--on U.S. policy. Ask students whether President Bush has an obligation to reflect the views of ordinary citizens. Is it a President's job to do whatever he or she thinks best, and then await citizens' voices at election time?

Examine the views offered by the West Point cadets. Cadet Jacob Sheehan says "no one here wants war, we are just willing and ready to do [what is necessary]." Ask: Is it possible to not want war and at the same time be willing to serve in war?

DEBATE/WRITING: Have students use "The Fight for Peace" in homework arguments supporting or opposing the protesters' strategy. Ask: Why did the Founders guarantee "the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances"?

WEB WATCH: United for Peace & Justice is a coalition of many antiwar groups. Go to www.unitedforceace.org/.

Upfront QUIZ 2

MULTIPLE CHOICE

DIRECTIONS: Circle the letter next to the correct answer.

1. The current protests against war in Iraq are the largest
   antiwar protests since the war in

   a Grenada.
   b Yugoslavia.
   c Vietnam.
   d Bosnia.

2. Antiwar protests in two major European countries simply
   confirmed their governments' opposition to a U.S. war
   against Iraq. Which countries?

   a Spain and Italy.
   b France and Britain.
   c Sweden and Britain.
   d Germany and France.

3. Antiwar protests in Europe may reduce cooperation in
   the battle against

   a Iraq.
   b terrorism.
   c environmental pollution.
   d North Korea.

4. A poll conducted at the time of the February protests
   found that most Americans wanted approval before a
   U.S. attack against Iraq. Approval from whom?

   a Congress.
   b the American people, in a referendum.
   c U.S. allies in Europe.
   d the UN.

5. The same poll found that support for the war fell below
   50 percent if

   a the protests were to grow larger.
   b the cost of the war exceeded congressional estimates.
   c U.S. casualties were high.
   d the war lasted more than a month.

6. Three of the West Point cadets said their decision to
   enter the military was motivated by

   a a long-held respect for the Army.
   b the terrorist events of Sept. 11, 2001.
   c the chance to pursue a rewarding career.
   d the opportunity to receive a good education.

Upfront Quiz 2, page 5

1. (c) Vietnam.
2. (d) Germany and France.
3. (b) terrorism.
4. (d) the UN.
5. (c) U.S. casualties were high.
6. (b) the terrorist events of Sept. 11,
       2001.