Historians Against the War

During their recent convention held in Atlanta, the American History
Association made history. At the annual Business Meeting, a
proceeding usually featuring dry reports by the organization's leaders,
the members approved an anti-war resolution, the first in the AHA's
existence. It was sponsored by Historians Against the War. To read
the full text of the resolution click here.

This was the convention being attended by Felipe Fernandez-Armesto,
British author of 19 books, who was thrown to the sidewalk and arrested
by an Atlanta policeman for jaywalking. At the link above can be heard
an interview with him. He considered it a valuable experience, saying he
had learned more about America from being locked up 8 hours with
criminals than he would have learned at the convention seminars.

A photo on the AHA site shows 6 Atlanta policemen standing by while
the seventh holds the historian down.

One of the first to speak for the anti-war resolution was Staughton Lynd,
author of several books. He had battled unsuccessfully at the 1969 AHA
convention for a resolution against the Vietnam War.

The AHA's concern seems to be more about the restrictions on free speech
and travel than about how wrong or unjustified is the war in Iraq. But even
those who spoke against the resolution made it clear that they oppose the war.