Washington Week: Student Voices (O)

City weighs symbolic resolution to not attack Iran
By Brian Rosenthal
Daily Northwestern Northwestern U.
May 06, 2008

Members of the Evanston City Council took a step toward making a "symbolic statement" Monday night by approving a resolution urging the U.S. government not to attack Iran.

The Human Services Committee voted 4-1 in favor of the resolution, "Calling for Opposition to U.S. Military Intervention or Use of Force in Iran."

"This resolution in and of itself cannot stop an attack on Iran, you know that," said Dickelle Fonda, addressing the committee. "But what this does is it makes visible a feeling."

Fonda was one of eight residents to speak in support of the resolution. Most speakers were members of the North Shore Coalition for Peace and Justice, which proposed the legislation.

In the resolution, the coalition provided committee members with a list of reasons to oppose violence with Iran, including an estimate that the war with neighboring Iraq has cost $178.5 million to the city of Evanston alone, according to the resolution.

"We're trying to bring home that the money that we use for war and for weapons is money we're taking away from our schools and health care and our children," said coalition member Mary Dudek, 50, before the meeting. "In this time of increasing economic trouble, we can't afford another war."

Members who spoke on behalf of the resolution highlighted political and economic reasons to oppose war with Iran.

"Economists estimate that oil prices would double overnight," said Michael Lynn, a Chicago resident. "It would probably lead to world recession if not depression."

Coalition members said they were happy with the way the meeting went.

"The presenters did a very good job of expressing why this is important to Evanston and its citizens," Dudek said after the meeting. "They made the case for why our committee needs to take a stand on this."

Before the meeting, some residents questioned whether it was the place of the city council to make a political statement about a national issue.

"I didn't know that cities had the power to do anything about that," Kim Heath, 23, said outside Starbucks Coffee, 1726-B Sherman Ave. "Congress has the power to declare war."

The resolution may have no tangible policy impact, said Ald. Lionel Jean-Baptiste (2nd), the head of the committee. But he said the resolution was still important, calling it a "symbolic statement expressing the sentiments of the citizens."

The council has taken up similar measures in the past.

On March 10, the council passed a resolution asking Congress to reform its immigration policy. Almost three years ago, the council voted 8-1 on a resolution calling for troop withdrawal from Iraq. In 2005 and Monday's meeting, the one dissenting voice Monday was Ald. Edmund Moran (6th).

Evanston is also not alone in considering legislation concerning Iran.

Many cities, including Urbana, Ill., Gary, Ind., and Portland, Ore., already passed resolutions against war with Iran, Dudek said. The Chicago City Council will vote on a similar resolution May 13.

"This is the root of what democracy is," Dudek said. "If more communities across the U.S. did this, then we'd have a groundswell of citizens calling against the war and maybe we can stop a war."

The resolution will be considered by the full council next Monday.

b-rosenthal@northwestern.edu

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