Left to right: Dr. Catherine Thomasson, Dr. Kambiz GhaneaBassiri, and Sahar Yarjani Muranovic testify in support of a resolution encouraging diplomacy with Iran at Portland City Hall last November (photo by Mike Hastie).
As health professionals and public health advocates, we know that war is never healthy for children or other living things. War between the United States and Iran would be a humanitarian catastrophe, so we must act now to prevent further escalation and save lives.
The Trump administration unilaterally withdrew the US from the Iran Nuclear Deal, which was working as planned to effectively and verifiably prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. The assassination of Suleimani will likely bolster the arguments of those in Iran who advocate for Iran to work harder and more quickly to obtain them. At this moment, we're not just risking potential regional conflict, we're also risking potential nuclear conflict.
As tensions rise, now is the time to raise our voices to say NO to war and YES to diplomacy. Here are three things that you can do right now to make a difference:
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Attend a national No War With Iran mobilization tomorrow, Thursday, January 9th at 5:00 PM: Find an event near you, or organize one yourself. In Portland, Oregon PSR members will meet at the Hawthorne Bridge event. Contact Maria to meet up with the Oregon PSR contingent. In Salem, contact Carina to meet up with Oregon PSR members at the State Capitol building.
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Call Congress now: Congress must act to prevent another catastrophic war in the Middle East. Several bills are in the works that would prevent the President from going to war without Congressional authorization and may be voted on in the next week. Oregon Senators Wyden and Merkley have both made statements opposing escalation and insisting on Congressional war powers, as have Congresspeople Blumenauer, Bonamici, and DeFazio. Call and thank them for doing everything they can to prevent war. Unfortunately, Congresspeople Schrader and Walden have been silent. If you live in their districts, call and insist that they speak up for peace, diplomacy, and the Constitution, which gives Congress, not the President, the power to decide to go to war. Congressional switchboard: (202) 224-3131
- Save the date: Saturday, January 25th, International Day of Action: No War with Iran. We’ll share more as local events develop.