MATT HEISTAND/Arizona Daily Wildcat Congresswoman Barbara Lee speaks about the importance of dissent Friday evening at the Integrated Learning Center. Lee, who is from California, was the only member of Congress to vote against the war on terrorism.

Barbara Lee seeks establishment of department of peace

The struggle for lasting peace and justice in the world must begin at the individual level, and is based on the freedom of speech, said Congresswoman Barbara Lee.

Lee spoke to a packed lecture hall in the Integrated Learning Center Friday evening, addressing issues of the freedom of speech and the right to a dissenting voice in a democratic society.

Lee is a California Congresswoman, vice chair of the Progressive Caucus and a member of the Black Caucus minority business task force.

She was the only member of Congress on to vote against the war on terrorism on Sept. 14, saying she was not prepared to give President Bush support for a war whose "scope was global" and the "timeline infinite."

"I believed then as I believe now, casting a 'no' vote was the correct vote," she said. "Democracy is the right to dissent. Democracy demands the exchange of free ideas. The Constitution must not be set aside in times of crisis."

Lee said something must be done about terrorism, but it should be accomplished through diplomacy and not a military build-up or increased arms race.

"We must fight terrorism, but with a change in foreign policy," she said.

Lee used her dissenting vote as an example of the need for a shift of priorities in the U.S. government.

She said that peace needs to be a central goal for the government and that it is every citizen's duty in a democracy to elect candidates dedicated to peace.

Lee said America has inherited a legacy of peace from such activists as Martin Luther King Jr., Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela and Sojourner Truth, and it is our "obligation to take up the torch they have given us."

In his speech before Lee's introduction, Chuck Ford, a former Tucson city council member, compared Lee to King, W.E.B. DuBois, Malcolm X and Rosa Parks, in their struggle for justice in America.

In her struggle for peace, Lee said she is seeking a proposal to create a department for peace. Her announcement was followed by thunderous applause from the audience.

Lee said that no matter how idealistic the proposal may seem, she is going to pursue it seriously. She said she hopes the department will influence both domestic and foreign policy at the cabinet level and serve to ensure that an "alternative voice is always considered."

"At least peace would be a viable option at the table," she said.

Ford said Lee is an example of the need for the freedom of speech.

"If we lose freedom of speech, something is wrong," he said. "America must question what's going on in this country."

Lee said that in order to fight terrorism and reach a lasting peace, justice must first be addressed.

She said justice must be addressed at the levels of racism, poverty and exploitation.

"(Former president) Johnson launched a war on poverty, we haven't won it yet," she said.

She added that poverty only helps in breeding terrorism, and she supports an increase in minimum wage to fight poverty.

She said the Bush tax cuts are a step in the wrong direction and the national budget needs to be reconsidered.

"We have a budget to fight a cold war that ended 12 years ago. We must rethink our priorities," she said.

In an interview after her speech, Lee said she came to the University of Arizona because she feels it is a progressive campus.

"What I'm trying to get students to understand is they're the future," she said. "This institution is very progressive, hopefully I'm giving them something to talk about."

Student reactions after her speech were positive.

"It's good to hear a different perspective than the national consensus on the war on terrorism," said Jerome Jordan, a political science junior. "Even if people didn't support her decision, I think people support her for her courage. It was very courageous to do what she did."

"I'm happy there was somebody against the war," said Lauren Mayes, a psychology sophomore. "I felt our decision to go forward (with the war) was a little rash."