What are people thinking, and doing, in our region as they prepare for possible war with Iraq? Stories include: a poetry protest in Manchester, an interview with a Vermont reservist, a look at Vermonters’ attitudes, positions of Vermont’s congressional delegation, thoughts from our Quebec neighbors, and protection of Vermont Yankee.
News stories:
Safety at Vermont Yankee
In the conclusion to this week’s series, Perspectives on War, VPR’s Susan Keese looks at efforts to secure the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant, and the local response to the heightened state of alert.
View from Canada
Canadian views on a possible war with Iraq differ sharply from opinion in the United States. In part five of our series Perspectives on War, VPR’s Neal Charnoff explores the northern point of view.
Vermont opinions
Continuing Vermont Public Radio’s series, “Perspectives on War,” we turn now to three Vermonters who share their views on the possibility of war with Iraq.
Patriotism and Congress
All three members of Vermont’s Congressional Delegation say it’s essential for the Bush administration to win the support of the United Nations Security Council before taking military action against Iraq. But Vermont’s congressman and two senators say they’ll support the troops if the president decides to go to war without U.N. support.
Vermont guard unit called to active duty
The military buildup for a possible war with Iraq has turned many Vermonters into full-time soldiers. The Rutland area has been the most affected, with one Army Reserve company called into active service for the first time in its 40-year history.
Poets gather in Manchester
The threat of war with Iraq has mobilized the peace movement. While demonstrators marched in Vermont and in cities across the country last weekend, there was a different kind of protest in Manchester.
Interviews:
Classroom conversations on Iraq
VPR’s Steve Delaney talks with a Middlebury High School teacher about what students are saying about the impending war with Iraq.
Public safety in Vermont
VPR’s Steve Delaney interviews Public Safety Commissioner Kerry Sleeper. Sleeper comments on the “orange” alert and responds to federal advice on precautions people can take against possible terrorist attacks.
Commentaries:
Two views on Iraq
Commentators Ellen David Friedman and Libby Sternberg offer contrasting views of the possibility of war with Iraq.