As the United States and its allies amass troops in the Persian Gulf, many Americans at home continue to voice opposition to war in various forms.
In this spirit, citizens across the country will deliver an online petition, sponsored by MoveOn.org, to every Congressman's office today.
"The petition states simply we urge President Bush and the United Nations to let the inspections work," said Josef Beery, a local volunteer coordinator for MoveOn.org and 1980 Architecture School graduate. "Let the process the UN has begun continue."
Over 307,000 people have signed the petition online, Beery said.
MoveOn.org is an Internet-based political action committee that has signed up more than 600,000 members nationwide.
"I volunteered to be the coordinator of the group for the 5th District of Virginia to deliver the petition" to Congressman Virgil Goode," Beery said.
The group will deliver the petition to Goode's Danville office at 12:30 this afternoon in conjunction with the national effort.
Goode's office expects the arrival of the petition today. It is yet to be determined how effective the petition will be.
"Petitions, I take into account," Goode said. "Letters, I probably take into account more than anything else. A form e-mail is probably what I pay least attention to."
Goode said he has received a great deal of mail and opinions from constituents on both sides of the issue, which he takes into account when making his decisions.
"I want totally unfettered inspections and a total destruction of weapons of mass destruction," he said.
Neither the College Republicans nor the University Democrats have taken a formal position on the issue of UN inspections or a potential war in Iraq.
"Because the Democratic Party does not take an official stand on the issue, our group doesn't make an official statement one way or another," University Democrats President Ian Amelkin said.
The College Republicans "don't discourage or encourage" signing petitions, according to Nathan Royster, vice chairman for events for the College Republicans.
However, many University Democrat members choose to express their views on political issues in various forms.
"In my opinion, the war is not just nor justified by the president," Amelkin said.
Royster took a different view.
"I'm very skeptical of the idea that the Bush administration is a maverick administration," he said. "A pro-Bush stance is not necessarily an anti-UN stance."
Neither group was involved with the MoveOn.org petition.
"I think petitions can be an extremely useful tool," Amelkin said. "To me, a petition is just one more message to the president."
Pam Gibson, a Charlottesville resident and member of MoveOn.org, believes citizens should have the right to express their views.
"I think it's really important for citizens not to be afraid to speak their minds," Gibson said.
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