AFSC Premieres Antiwar Music Video
Please take a few minutes to watch the powerful new music video for the title track of bluesman Robert Cray’s Grammy-nominated album, Twenty. The video, now up our Wage Peace Campaign website, features AFSC’s Eyes Wide Open exhibit and takes a strong stand against the Iraq War. It tells the story of a young soldier who struggles with his memories of a senseless war.
After you watch it, please send it to ten friends to help expand the growing majority who want to end the war.
From the video, you and your friends will be encouraged to sign the “Not One More Death, Not One More Dollar” letter to Congress. So far, more than 40,000 people have signed our letter, calling on Congress to stop funding the war in Iraq.
The letter is one tool we will use to make a big statement next month when Congress is expected to debate a new war supplemental funding bill. In January, officials reported that the Bush Administration does not intend to seek new funds for Iraq reconstruction. Our campaign will encourage members of Congress to speak out for reconstructing Iraq, not continued war and destruction. This video will help reach out to music lovers to join us in calling to fund reconstruction, not war, in Iraq.
We have good reason to think this. In the past year, almost half a million people have watched the online Wage Peace movie and tens of thousands have used the movie’s link to take action.
Here’s some more information about the video:
“The song is about an innocent young guy, who, after the events of 9/11, wants to do his part for his country,” Cray explains. “He doesn’t know he’s going to end up in Iraq, watching the horror that’s going on there…and he ends up losing his life.”
The “Twenty” video, directed by Robert Cray’s wife, Susan Turner-Cray, stars Aidan Delgado, a 23-year-old Iraq-war veteran and conscientious objector. Turner-Cray shot many of the video’s scenes at AFSC’s traveling anti-war exhibit, Eyes Wide Open. If you haven’t had the opportunity to see the exhibit, you can find more information about Eyes Wide Open on our web site.
The Crays had heard about the Eyes Wide Open exhibit, but had not seen it when they began developing ideas for the music video. They contacted the Chicago AFSC office and began arrangements to feature the exhibit in the production.
I’m sure you will find the video moving and provocative. Thanks for your continued support and for helping get the word out about the video and letter to Congress.
Peace,
Peter Lems
AFSC’s Iraq staff