WELCOME TO PEACE PARK! 1981 - 1996 (?)

HI! THIS IS OUR LITTLE SPEECH (in case you haven't heard it yet).

QUESTION: What are you doing with signs here in Lafayette Park outside the White House?

ANSWER: Helping to maintain the 365-days-a-year, 24-hours-a-day vigil which has continued since June 3, 1981 for peace on earth, and in particular for global abolition of nuclear weapons, here at America's "First Amendment front lines." Lafayette Park was set aside for the people by America's favorite "Founding Father," Thomas Jefferson, when the White House was designed in the late 1700's. Since 1984 it has popularly been known as "Peace Park" by many demonstrators, guides, and reporters from all over the world. Many other vigils have occurred here since at least 1917, against war, for suffrage and civil rights, and about many other important issues. For example, in April 1996 Sister Dianna Ortiz vigiled for truth from the CIA about torture in Guatemala; in June, Burmese students vigiled for democracy; in August, N.O.W. vigiled on behalf of poor mothers and children affected by the welfare bill.

QUESTION: WHY would you (or anyone) want to be here, uncomfortable and on display, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, subject to the whims of harsh weather and humanity?

ANSWER: To seek solutions to the awesome problems that face everyone alive today. To help improve the likelihood that young people will have a future. To plant seeds of activism and hope.

Three million people come to see the White House each year. We hope you will be inspired by our efforts, and begin to think creatively about how you might use the energy, resources, and brains God gave you to help make the planet a safer place.

We're all born into perilous times, with problems that threaten life on this planet: nuclear and other genocidal weapons, global arms sales, environmental pollution, human rights abuses. Most of these problems are not of our personal making. Yet we all inherited them. And we must solve them to survive. Human beings created the problems; human beings can solve the problems.

Today we're told we need nuclear weapons to defend ourselves against "terrorists." What if a "terrorist" bombs New York City? Against whom should we take revenge?

Safety has never resulted from violence or the threat of violence. We prove this to ourselves daily by personal experience, relying on honesty and God to keep us safe here, in this trigger-happy capital city of the world's most- armed superpower ... hoping for humanity.

QUESTION: Have you had any success?

ANSWER: Yes, with Proposition One

! QUESTION: How long do you plan to continue?

ANSWER: Until there are no nuclear weapons deployed anywhere on earth. Or until we discover something more useful to do. Or until the government has been successful in locking us all up permanently under four regulations which have been written since the vigil began in 1981.

Although the National Park Service has a longstanding regulation which permits vigils, several of us spent three months in federal prison in 1988, charged with "camping." People have been arrested for walking more than three feet from their signs, for having a sign 1/4" larger than allowed (4'x4'x1/4"), for wrapping in a blanket in 32 degree weather. A 1992 regulation prohibits more than three cubic feet of "personal property" (including literature). These make it impossible to survive winter weather within the law. We hope that this administration, recognizing the socially benefical nature of our vigil, will rescind the most oppressive of these regulations. Unfortunately, in the name of "security," the Secret Service recently suggested that this historic free-speech park, to which so many people have brought their pleas for "redress of grievances," actually be fenced in and closed at night. An ominous message indeed. You could help. Call the White House (202-456-1111-0), and ask the President to use his power to de-regulate and protect Lafayette (Peace) Park. ----------------------------------------------------------------- PEACE PARK ANTINUCLEAR VIGIL PROPOSITION ONE COMMITTEE POB 27217, Washington DC 20038 202-462-0757 -- email: prop1@prop1.org Worldwide Web - http://prop1.org