John F. Kennedy once said, “Peace is a daily, a weekly, a monthly process, gradually changing opinions, slowly eroding old barriers, quietly building new structures.”

Kurt Amacker’s Oct. 31 column, “If you can’t effect change, don’t whine,” states that although there are injustices in the world, if we can’t risk our lives for them, it’s better to remain passive.

He also implies that unless you are a direct victim of injustice, you might as well shut up about it.

Good thing everyone doesn’t have such a grim view, or India might still beoppressed by the British, and dictators in Iran, Poland, East Germany, Hungary and Bulgaria would still be in power.

But I take it Amacker is particularly critical of nonviolent resistors who are not directly affected by the offense.

Students at the University of Pennsylvania participated in a “sit-in” which successfully stopped university clothing from being produced in sweatshops of the southern hemisphere.

Besides achieving their goal, they sparked awareness and protests in schools throughout the nation, including Tulane University.

Let us not forget that nonviolence was used successfully against the Nazis, when Norwegian teachers kept schools out of fascist control and prevented the establishment of a totalitarian state.

In 1943, 6,000 non-Jewish women in Berlin led a demonstration that resulted in the release of 1,500 Jews.

Therein lies the compassion that is not saved only for “groups and individuals closest to me,” but for humankind. On Iraq, Amacker says, “If the war doesn’t happen, it will be because Congress and the president decide as much.”

According to Dr. Gene Sharp, author and professor of political science at Dartmouth, political power is based on popular acceptance of a government’s authority within a society.

“Organized non-cooperation and nonviolent resistance can be a powerful force for overthrowing tyrannical governments or defending societies against attacks,” he said.

It has been proven time and again that many forms of nonviolent resistance can endorse change.

Why have there been so many protests against the United States’ attacking Iraq?

There have been nonviolent movements in Italy, Belgium and Japan, in addition to the United States.

I agree that those who do put their life in jeopardy for justice are very noble. Bill Quigley, law professor at Loyola, chose to act in an extreme way by bringing medicine to children dying in Iraq as a result of sanctions.

Although circumstances prevent us all from visiting Iraq, many helped by simply donating a bottle of aspirin.

The most important message Quigley brought back was the request of the childrens’ mothers – for the American people to educate others about their suffering and protest further actions that would further devastate civilians. Their own voices are not heard.

Of course a “die-in” on campus is not direct civil disobedience.

What it does is reveal the truth. Hopefully, it upsets people enough so that they’ll do some research for themselves.

It’s easy to ignore abstractions like disease, bombs and babies dying from the flu as you go about your daily routine.

It’s harder to not to trip over sprawled bodies in the Peace Quad on your way to get a smoothie. Erin Proven is a music therapy sophomore.