As I stand here, the amount of money in the national budget portioned off for education is 
enough to keep schools going.  But.  The nation is in crisis – with a debt exceeding 1.1 
trillion dollars, money is not easily found, even here, especially post-silicon bubble burst.  
In that same national budget, right now, almost fifty percent of money is earmarked for 
defense.  Eight percent of the budget goes to education.  Eight percent!  

We've seen the state budget crushes, and we can modify and protest with support.  We've 
seen the unemployment, and we can change our lifestyle a little to rebound.  Now we see 
the push for defense, the impending war on Iraq.  It will affect us.  Why should we not 
speak out? 

Putting aside the hundreds of billions of dollars of money being shoveled into the war 
machine instead of into education, there are, astonishingly, even mores issues at hand.

High schoolers, as well as elementary school and middle school students, study our 
government, sometimes critically, often respectfully, rarely rebelliously.  We look at our 
government officials as elected people to represent us, as citizens.  

All this, and we can't even vote.

But, still, we look and search for reason with thses federal positions.  We try to learn 
from what they do and take home examples from their actions.  The example being set 
right now is "strike first, because it's possible that someone will hit you later.  strike 
without reason, because there might be reason later.  demolish someone else before they 
can demolish you."  This is not a lesson for students.  This is not a lesson for anybody.  
And yet, this is the lesson put forth by going on with this action against Iraq.

Likewise, high schools and colleges have served for years as places where young 
Americans can mold and shape their views to understand what it is for them to believe.  
With this pre-emptive war coming close, these views have turned from being encouraged 
and open-ended to more and more quote-on-quote "un-American".  As the word "peace" 
becomes taboo, action is necessary.  Views that before were accepted and even growing 
are continually being crushed.  The civil liberties of everyone, including and especially 
those of people who can't vote will be mitigated as the war goes on and extends.  It can 
only get worse.  This area is exceptionally good about understanding and fostering 
students' beliefs, but the community will be affected in ways that nobody can even begin 
to comprehend.

Hrm…

Except you can comprehend.  For anyone alive during Vietnam, I'm sure this rings many 
bells.  I can't say.  I wasn't there.  But what I do think, is that my rhetoric would probably 
be similar.

It's no secret that every single citizen in Mountain View doesn't think the war is wrong.  
It's no secret the a resolution condemning the war will not strike a chord with all the 
people.  But perhaps it's too much of a secret that the war will hurt this city's students.  

And there is something we can do about it.

I realize that you cannot pass tonight, but do pass resolution against this war, not just as a 
statement and not just as city councilmen and women, but pass it because the war is not 
the answer for us.  

Pass this resolution as parents, friends, teachers, and examples. Pass it because students 
are the next generation of this country, and we need it.