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CITY HALL
Fast track
BY JOE HEISLER

Back in January, at-large city councilor Felix Arroyo announced his intention to fast in protest of the coming war in Iraq. Arroyo’s original plan to fast every other Friday from sun-up to sundown accelerated as the countdown to the war continued and the outbreak of hostilities commenced. After Secretary of State Colin Powell addressed the United Nations, Arroyo expanded his fast to every Friday. When Bush went on the radio seeking support from the American people for his Iraq campaign, Arroyo began fasting every Monday and Friday. And with the invasion of Iraq by US-led forces from neighboring Kuwait, Arroyo began fasting every weekday from sun-up to sundown.

Council president Michael Flaherty has refused to take up a resolution by Arroyo and Councilors Chuck Turner and Charles Yancey in opposition to the war, ruling it out of order. And while some councilors continue anonymously to deride Arroyo’s unorthodox protest of the war as little more than political grandstanding, Arroyo says others are beginning to see the light.

" Fasting may seem strange to some people, " he notes, " but no one is laughing now that a lot of people are losing their lives. "

And Arroyo says he has been reinforced in his actions by those of others, including the pope, who asked for a day of fasting and peace on Ash Wednesday, and the US Congress, which on March 27 approved a resolution asking for the same.

While Arroyo says his body has become somewhat accustomed to fasting — he drinks lots of water and takes vitamins during the day to keep up his strength — his mind refuses to accept that war is the answer to the world’s problems. " It has given me time to reflect on the fact that after 21 centuries, the only way we have to solve issues is by killing each other, " he says. " It does not sound to me like we have advanced much if that is the only way we have of dealing with our differences. "

To share his thoughts with others of like mind, Arroyo ends his fast every Friday at 6 p.m. with a potluck supper at his office in City Hall. He has also set up a Web site at www.fastforpeace.com to disseminate more information on fasting.

Issue Date: April 3 - 10, 2003
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