grassrootspeace.org

Stop the War Campaign with Scott Ritter
(Contact Traprock to order audio cd's or videos of talks; you can listen to RealAudio or read transcripts of some talks on-line below)
If your school would like to host him, please call Lisa Bransdorf at 800-326-4211.

Traprock Peace Center started working with Scott Ritter last Dec, 2001, starting with Sunny Miller's interview with him on WMUA radio at the University of Massachusetts. Since then, we have initiated 10 public speaking events in Massachusetts (7); Wichita, KS, Indianapolis, IN and Baltimore, MD, as well as editorial board interviews with the Greenfield Recorder, Boston Globe, Baltimore Sun and Chicago Tribune. Out of this work has flowed many radio, tv, and newspaper interviews and stories. (We had massive statewide coverage in Indiana, for example; that event led to story in In These Times; the July 23rd event in Boston lead to an explosion of internet activity due to William Rivers Pitt's Truthout article on the talk and to a book - War on Iraq - by William Rivers Pitt that was released last month with a 125,000 distribution.) There have been many requests from groups all over the country that want to sponsor an event. We are not Scott's agent and happily pass on such requests to him and stand ready to assist groups with advice and, if practicable, organization. Schools and university need to work through his agent; please call Lisa Bransdorf at 800-326-4211 for such events.

Our home page has the most recent infromation concering our work with Scott. What follows is a reverse order chronology of highlights.

Scott Ritter, former chief UN weapons inspector in Iraq, went on a Traprock Peace Center arranged swing from August 20-22 through Wichita, Indianapolis, Chicago and Baltimore for speaking events before overflowing audiences, editorial board interviews with the Chicago Tribune and Baltimore Sun, and television, radio, and newspaper interviews, in collaboration with local peace organizations. The Tribune published an editorial against going to war and the Sun printed an opinion piece that quoted Ritter extensively two days after these meetings. Traprock shared costs with participating groups.
The speaking events engergized local peace organizations and fostered their local networking while serving to enlighten over 800 people. In Wichita, co-sponsored with the Peace and Social Justice Center of South Central Kansas, the speaking event drew about 225 and received print and broadcast media coverage. In Indiana, the local TV station met Ritter, Sunny Miller and Charlie Jenks at the airport for an on-the-spot interview. The event - at the Asanti ballroom in a minority neighborhood, was co-sponsored by the Indianapolis Peace & Justice Center and the usually conservative Hudson Institute and drew well over 300 people. The Gannett newspaper's chain of papers in Indianapolis interviewed Ritter at the event, where there was also additional TV coverage. The next day Ritter was interviewed during drive-time on WIBC, a popular conservative talk show program in Indianapolis. Ritter also graced the cover of NUVO weekly newsmagazine, which included an interview with Ritter by Fran Quigley and an opinion piece by Harry Van der Linden. Traprock worked primarily with the International Women's League for Peace and Freedom and Physician's for Social Responsibility in Baltimore, where about 250 heard Ritter speak. As with the other events, many stayed afterwards for small group discussions. Photo Journal of the Heartland Swing with Scott Ritter for Peace with Iraq.

(Pictured left: Marliese Diaz, IWLPF, Kevin Kallaugher, Baltimore Sun with Scott Ritter; right: Scott Ritter with Bruce Dold, Chicago Tribune; photos by Charlie Jenks)

The following media resources covered events or published editorials related to the Heartland Swing:Scott Ritter Op-Ed piece - "Give Inspections a Chance in Iraq" - AP
Wichita Eagle editorial board writer opinion
NUVO (Indiana) interview by Fran Quigley with Scott Ritter; Opinion Article by Harry van der Linden
Gannett newspapers article on Indianapolis event
Indianapolis Star article on Indianapolis event
NUVO story on Indianapolic event
Chicago Tribune main editorial

(Charlie Wiles (left) Board Member of of the Indianapolis Peace and Justice Center (IPJC) and Executive Director of the Peace Learning Center, did a great job putting together this diverse panel of experts. See PHOTO JOURNAL of the Heartland Swing for Peace with Iraq.

Contact Traprock Peace Center for a broadcast quality video of Scott Ritter's July 23 speech in Boston or to obtain an audio CD of his July 2nd speech in Gloucester. The CD is 53 minutes long and suitable for re-play on radio. (Thanks to Martin Voelker, www.nouturn.org, for producing both; Peace Center intern Scott Morris and Meagan Kennedy for making copies and labeling, and For the Record for promoting the CD in Amherst and donating free fax service to people contacting Congress about the Iraq crisis.) You can now HEAR streaming RealAudio of Scott Ritter in Gloucester.

How to Stop the Next War? Video Available - July 23, 2002: Scott Ritter, former chief UN weapons inspector in Iraq, spoke on "The Impending War Against Iraq: A Catastrophe in the Making" in Boston on July 23, 2002 at Suffolk University Law School. People overflowed into an extra room where they watched on TV. Video available. Please ask your local cable stations to broadcast!

This was the 6th appearance that Traprock Peace Center initiated with Scott Ritter and worked with United for Justice with Peace and Massachusetts Peace Action to bring him to Boston. The event was also sponsored by Boston Mobilization, CCPAX, Lawyers' Alliance for World Security, World Boston and World Federalists, Boston Chapter. He spoke for several hours, including a generous question and answer period and informal small group discussions. He challanged the Administration's plans for an invasion of Iraq and described the horrible continuing effects of economic sanctions. Call to order a video or an audio CD.

Scott Ritter is available for radio and TV interviews. If your peace group would like to coordinate with us, please contact Sunny Miller at 413-773-7427 as soon as possible. If your college or university would like to host him, please call Lisa Bransdorf at 800-326-4211. We are working wtih other important speakers; such as Dout Rokke, former head of the US Army Depleted Uranium Project in Iraq. Also check out EPIC Speakers Bureau.

See William Rivers Pitt's book with Scott Ritter - "War on Iraq (http://www.war-on-iraq.com). This talk in Boston inspired the book. Also see the Truthout "perspective" piece on Scott Ritter's talk - "The Coming October War in Iraq" by William Rivers Pitt. Congratulations to Will for his excellent book and the fine article with its extensive quotes. He produced the article very quickly!