Description
Object description
American civilian lawyer discusses work with peace protesters in Missouri, US, 2002-2003; peace protester in US, 2003-2006
Content description
REEL 1 Background in St Louis, Missouri, US, 1955-2002: family; memories of childhood; reaction to assassination of President John F Kennedy; family attitude to Black population including story of using the n-word; awareness of civil rights movement; education; reason for joining United State Air Force; period in air force and reason for leaving; concerns during Cold War; memories of Cuban Missile Crisis, 10/1962; view of Communism; volunteer work; college education and law training; story of marriage, 11/1986; awareness of international affairs; opinion of US media in mid 1980s; reaction to fall of Berlin Wall; discussion of 1990-1991 Gulf War including American hypocrisy during war; reactions to terrorist attacks in America, 11/9/2001, and subsequent war in Afghanistan; details of wife Dianne Lee's protests to sanctions against Iraq during 1990s.
REEL 2 Continues: Aspects of period as lawyer working with peace protestors in St Louis, Missouri, US, 2002-2003: reason for Dianne Lee and Bill Ramsey's belief there would be a war in Iraq and own scepticism; attendance as legal bystander at Boeing factory, 2002; representation of arrested protestors including initial reaction to and description of police presence; media coverage of protest; lead-up to war in 2003 Iraq War including media reaction; George W Bush's gaining of blank cheque for war against Iraq; planning of subsequent demonstration including own concerns; opinion of arrested protesters; description of arrest of protesters; representation of arrested protesters in Saint Charles and results; attempt to gain trial by jury for Bill Ramsey. Aspects of period as peace protester in US, 2003-2006: work of St Louis Instead of War Coalition and increase in own activity as activist; end of civil disobedience within group; work of Dianne Lee against torture and extraordinary rendition in North Carolina.
REEL 3 Continues: discussion about legality of 2003 Iraq War including opinion of media and comparison of pre-emptive against Iraq with actions of Japan and Germany during Second World War; protests following start of war; discussion of elections since war and failure of Democrats to challenge war; discussion of poor analyse of US foreign policy from within country; work of Dianne Lee and Hedy Epstein in Palestine, 2002-2003 including own concerns about this trip; discussion of occupation of Iraq; hopes for reconciliation; discussion of possibility of invasion of Iran; opinion of possibility of introduction of conscription; opinion of Tony Blair; discussion of lack of focus on Afghanistan.