Ohio lawmaker talks of peace legislation
Originally published in the Oregonian
Ohio lawmaker talks of peace legislation
Ex-presidential candidate Rep. Dennis Kucinich visits Portland in a push to create a Department of Peace
Monday, June 06, 2005
KIMBERLY MELTON
Dennis Kucinich, Ohio congressman and former Democratic presidential candidate, made his first return visit to Portland on Sunday since he was on the campaign trail in spring 2004.
Kucinich spoke to a crowd of more than 100 at the First Unitarian Church in downtown Portland. The church was the site of an afternoon program with about 12 guest speakers promoting peace, unity and an upcoming bill that Kucinich plans to present to Congress that would create a Department of Peace.
"We need to create a community consciously dedicated to peace," Kucinich said. "So much of culture today is bound up in violence and anger. But war isn't inevitable. We can make peace inevitable."
The legislation calls for establishing a department with a similar setup as the departments of defense or homeland security. The department would have a Cabinet member who advises the president. Kucinich said the legislation is about more than abstract ideas and warm feelings.
"Each one of us is capable of change and that is where it has to start," Kucinich said. "Peacemaking skills can be as familiar to us as walking. And just having the discussion begins to create the climate of change."
Lynn McMullen, campaign director for the proposed Department of Peace, said the legislation reaches into schools and homes by focusing on anti-gang and anti-bullying efforts. It would provide conflict-resolution training for police officers and firefighters, who are often the first to deal with domestic disturbance reports.
The bill was first proposed in 2001, before the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and had more than 53 co-sponsors in the House, including Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore. Kucinich said he expects the same level of support this fall.
Though the bill would create the infrastructure for national programs, Kucinich also said that many organizations already are making peace a priority and that Portland stands out in its commitment to peace and activism.
"This community is very aware of those issues . . . because in some ways Oregon's harmony with nature represents peace," he said. "They have the power to change the world. They know it and they will."
Kucinich also highlighted his continuing efforts on universal health care and bringing troops back from Iraq.
Kucinich withdrew from the presidential race in late July after a 17-month campaign. He supported Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry at the Democratic National Convention.
Other speakers included Peter Sorenson, Lane County commissioner and candidate for governor; Thom Hartmann, author and a host on KPOJ, a progressive talk radio station; and professor Gary Spanovich, founder of the Wholistic Peace Institute.
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