Merritt advocates peaceful solutions

photo by Jennifer Contreras

Every day Dan Merritt wears his message on his lapel with a peace button. Merritt, professor of zoology and environmental science, was arrested in January with 15 other people for an anti-war demonstration in which they blocked traffic in Los Angeles. In 1982, Merritt got his first taste of being arrested when he and several hundred other people were detained in Washington D.C. for a protest against nuclear weapons.

by Jaclyn Roco
Editor in Chief

Standing up for what you believe in is something University of La Verne Professor of Zoology and Environmental Science Dan Merritt can teach many of us. Merritt's zeal, however, goes beyond his concern for the welfare of animals.

A Quaker of 20 years, Merritt has been arrested several times in nonviolent demonstrations against warfare and use of weaponry.

The most recent demonstration Merritt was involved in was held January on the 12th anniversary of the start of the first Persian Gulf War.

"When the prospect of invading Iraq became apparent my conscience pressed me to act in some way to register my concern and to bring about a public debate on the issue," he said.

At the demonstration held in front of the Los Angeles' Federal Building, Merritt and 15 others enacted a "die-in" protest to demonstrate their thoughts on the pending war.

The planning for the protest began one month before.

"We walked across the street and lined up a little ­ a funeral service recognizing casualties of war, truth, democracy, etc.," Merritt said. "And each one of us lay down on the sidewalk next to a coffin.

"The effect of it (was) to get the attention of other people who are supportive, that are afraid to speak out," he said.

Although the demonstration was nonviolent in nature as were all the protests he was involved in, Merritt and many of the other protesters were arrested.

Blocking the sidewalk, failure to disperse and forming an unlawful assembly were the grounds for the arrest, he said.

"This was actually the first civil disobedience arrest relating to the war in the L.A. area," he said. "(The cops) took us to Parker Center jail for the afternoon while they processed us. They were actually very, very friendly. They supported what we were doing."

Merritt's passion for seeking peace began in his graduate school years.

"I got interested in effects of nuclear war and did my doctoral research on the effects of radiation on animals and their ability to resist infection," he said. "Through that work (I got interested) in the effects of nuclear weapons and radiation on humans."

Merritt said he was also moved by the effects of the Hiroshima bombing, and after finishing his graduate work at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, he chose to pursue efforts to stop the spread of nuclear weapons.

Merritt has several reasons fueling his drive to peaceful demonstrations.

He said he admires people like Henry David Thoreau, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Cesar Chavez for their "willingness to speak the truth."

These people are part of America's rich tradition of speaking out, he said.

Also driving his activism is his conscience.

"(It was) a feeling I simply had to speak out on the prospect of attacking a whole population unprovoked in order to remove one dictator and turn the rest of the Arab world against us," he said.

Merritt said he believes that there was very little public debate over the issue of war with Iraq. This fact meant that people were not presented with the whole picture.

"There was very little information," he said. "The media was indicating that everyone was in favor. Sometimes civil disobedience can raise concerns about government."

In addition to working against war and proliferation of weapons, Merritt is also involved in trying to improve relationships between countries across borders.

In fact Merritt taught a January interterm class he at ULV, where students were invited to live in a Mexican village for several weeks to understand the cause of war and other conflicts.

"It was a really great experience," he said.

Generally, however, Merritt said he does not disclose his political opinions with the classes he teaches unless the subject pertains to the matter.

"Dan Merritt, as a teacher, was very confident, and you'd never know his political stance by the way he ran his classroom," said senior Chad Harp, who was part of Merritt's Core 340 class. "He was strictly business."

Michael Frantz, professor of mathematics, said he appreciates knowing Merritt.

"Dan has spent his entire career teaching others about respect for and protection of natural ecosystems and the environment, but beyond that he actually lives out his beliefs on a day to day basis," Frantz said. "He is also unwavering in his support for nonviolent resolution of conflicts as witnessed by his participation in the first L.A. area protest several months ago against the impending war in Iraq.

"I value him as a dear friend for his voice of reason, fairness, justice and conciliation in a chaotic world. He has a great mind," Frantz said.

Despite all the troubles around the world, Merritt said he is still holding out hope that peace can prevail in the hearts and actions of many.

"I suppose that even though I am very aware of the damage we do the earth, to each other, I guess I still feel at the center, optimistic about people making the right choices," Merritt said.

One right choice is to help and support the Iraqi refugees by donating charity to organizations like the American Friend Service Committee, he said.

Merritt also said there is much more to the anti-war protests than most people think.

Just because people choose to protest war does not mean they are fighting for a lost cause, he said.

"It's about an overall understanding of the traditions and institution of American culture," he said.

"Dan is a very insightful and peaceful person," said Robert Neher, professor of biology. "He has peace in his own life and an unbelievable amount of compassion and sensitivity for other people."