This excellent idea from the Boulder Mennonite Church: There is a grassroots campaign underway to protest war in Iraq in a simple, but potentially powerful way. Place 1/2 cup uncooked rice in a small plastic bag (a snack-size bag or sandwich bag works fine). Squeeze out excess air and close the bag. Wrap it in a piece of paper on which you have written, "If your enemies are hungry, feed them. Romans 12:20. Please send this rice to the people of Iraq; do not attack them." Place the paper and bag of rice in an envelope (either a letter-sized or padded mailing envelope--both are the same cost to mail) and address them to : President George Bush White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW Washington, DC 20500 Attach postage. Drop this in the mail. It is important to act NOW so that President Bush gets the letters ASAP. In order for this protest to be effective, there must be hundreds of thousands of such rice deliveries to the White House. We can do this if you each forward this message to your friends and family. There is a positive history of this protest! In the 1950s, Fellowship of Reconciliation began a similar protest, which is credited with influencing President Eisenhower against attacking China. In the mid-1950s, the pacifist Fellowship of Reconciliation, learning of famine in the Chinese mainland, launched a 'Feed Thine Enemy' campaign. Members and friends mailed thousands of little bags of rice to the White House with a tag quoting the Bible, "If thine enemy hunger, feed him." As far as anyone knew for more than ten years, the campaign was an abject failure. The President did not acknowledge receipt of the bags publicly; certainly, no rice was ever sent to China. What nonviolent activists only learned a decade later was that the campaign played a significant, perhaps even determining role in preventing nuclear war. Twice while the campaign was on, President Eisenhower met with the Joint Chiefs of Staff to consider U.S. options in the conflict with China over two islands, Quemoy and Matsu. The generals twice recommended the use of nuclear weapons. President Eisenhower each time turned to his aide and asked how many little bags of rice had come in. When told they numbered in the tens of thousands, Eisenhower told the generals that as long as so many Americans were expressing active interest in having the U.S. feed the Chinese, he certainly wasn't going to consider using nuclear weapons against them." For those who say, “First, any letter with things in it won’t get to the White House. Second, George W. is never going to see any of these letters...” - Think: Sure, they screen the mail... but - the government employs bean counters, and pays them big salaries just to count beans. Don’t doubt that the advisers of George W. - the people who tell him what to say and do - will get daily reports of exactly how many letters there were, and how many grains of rice in each one. Don’t doubt that they will consider the weight of public opinion - even if they desperately want to start a war, they want to stay in power even more. Here is the text of the letter that we have sent: "President of the United States Mr. George W. Bush The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW Washington, DC 20500 Dear Mr. Bush, I have heard it reported that you are a Christian. I call your attention to the New Testament, the Epistle to the Romans, Chapter 12, verses 17 to 21: 17 “Do not repay anyone evil for evil; be concerned for what is noble in the sight of all. 18 If possible, on your part, live at peace with all. 19 Beloved, do not look for revenge but leave room for the wrath; for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord." 20 Rather, "if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals upon his head." 21 Do not be conquered by evil but conquer evil with good.” Think of the effect on international opinion, if the United States government were to take the course commanded by this scripture. The righteousness of our intentions would be undoubted, and we would gain the support of huge numbers of people and governments throughout the world. We would gain cooperation, and eliminate resentment, from allies and foes alike. Please send this rice to the people of Iraq; do not attack them. Do not make war on Iraq. Instead, feed them. May God guide you, and may God bless the United States of America."