About two dozen people attended our first Iraq War Moratorium vigil here in Auburn, AL. We met at Toomer's Corner on Oct. 19, 2007 from 5-6 PM. For future local actions in the Auburn, AL area, please visit www.peaceeagle.org
# 119In Benicia, CA (SF Bay Area) a group of us again stood at a downtown street intersection (1st & D st., all 4 corners) for 30 minutes in front of cafes at lunch hour; we wore black armbands or black ribbons, and held IM signs. When people walked by we offered them a flyer with congressional call numbers, a sample letter, and a black ribbon attached with a safety pin. Most people were positive. Told them it was national IM Day (none had heard of it, told them to go to IM website). Asked them to wear the black ribbon and call or write Congress on 3rd Friday for most impact. Some said they would. Asked them to tell others, and repeat on Fri., Nov.16. After the vigil, some used cell phones to call Congress.
# 129
There weren't quite as many folks as last month, but we got a lot of cars honking as they drove by. We're going out next Saturday (10/27) too. # 97
# 107
http://www.enflow.com/IWM.htm
I am doing this every 3rd Friday until the war ends and ALL the troops are out of Iraq...
Follow my lead.. replace your home page like i did and..
Shut The Net Down... End Business as Usual...
Urge others to replace their Home Pages too with the IWM home page image...
Cj...
# 94
leafleting in the morning and seven people in the evening. We
distributed about 1100 black ribbons with palm cards and several
hundred leaflets for The October 27th San Francisco march against the
war.
In the afternoon we read the names of Iraqi and US war dead. We met
dozens of people wearing their ribbons from the morning or from having
had contact with Moratorium leafleters in San Francisco and at the
Rockridge Station in Oakland.
On Saturday, a recorded message from the OEA president went out to all
teachers and other members of the Oakland Education Association
inviting them to march with the OEA on October 27th in San Francisco. # 113
The procession followed Highway 82, El Camino Real, the original route used by Native Americans and turned into a highway by the Spanish to transport missionaries and the military. El Camino Real now travels through mostly suburban areas and the caravan passed strip malls, motels, and gas stations. Along the route, demonstrators greeted the procession at several gathering points and held signs high. People waiting for the buses that barrel down El Camino Real observed the procession with curiosity.
The procession took El Camino Real to remember the bloody history of genocide and conquest on the highway. At the gathering afterwords, Rev. Kurt Kuwald remembered the bloody history of El Camino real. The vehicles in the procession carried large signs calling for the troops to return home now and black tassels decorated the antennas represented the deaths of Iraqis and Coalition soldiers and workers. The procession was dignified and had the atmosphere of a funeral. Karen Meredith, the mother of Ken Ballard, the 818th U.S. soldier to die in Iraq, drove in the procession and spoke at the ralley afterwards. Her vehicle bore a bumper sticker. BUSH LIED MY SON DIED.
One activist complained about the waste of gasoline by the procession.demand for oil drives U.S. strategic concerns. In defense of the procession, a single F-16 bombing run, such as the one that recently killed sixteen Iraqi women and children and fifteen men(or civilians and terrorists) uses over nine hundred gallons of jet fuel. If driving around in the suburbs can end the war, let’s save some gas, jump in an S.U.V. or mini-van, and cruise around the suburbs until the bombing stops.
Rally at UUCPA - Class Photo 1
The drive through the valley ended in Palo Alto, where the two routes joined. The activists were met with a table laden with coffee, cheese, crackers, and wine. They sat down and listened intently to an array of moving anti-war speeches delivered at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Palo Alto. Paul George, the director of the Peninsula Peace and Justice Center, and Diana Gibson chaired the meeting gracefully.
Rev. Kurt Kuwald, of the Unitarian Universalist Church, lamented the bloody history of El Camino Real, as the highway used by missionaries and the Spanish military to destroy the native population of the American Southwest. According to Kuwold, the light trails of the natives were made into a road used by proslytising missionaries who provoked and justified military conflict. He named the tribes ravaged by the conquerers: the Uraq, Wyott, Caroq, Taliwan, Shasta, Shoshone, Achimowi, Matali, Nogupuplu, Wintun, Yana Wiloqui, Cato, Pomo, Miwak, Yapo, Ohlone, Sarono, and Costanoans were among the tribes slaughtered by European military forces traveling the El Camino Real.
Karen Meredith, a resident of Mountain View, lamented the death of her son Ken Ballard. He died on May 30, 2004 at age twenty six. She was disgusted by the army’s dishonesty her about the cause of death. The army originally claimed he was killed by a sniper in Najaf, but later was forced to disclose that he was killed by friendly fire.
Her son Ken’s division turned in their weapons on April third of 2004, under orders to return to the United States. On April 4, the Coalition Provisional Government shut down all Iraqi newspapers. Denying the Iraqis an independent outlet of expression provoked anger and massive demonstrations. The Army handed the GI’s in Ken Ballard’s division back their guns and extended their tour 120 days. Doing riot control duty in Najaf, Ken Ballard was killed.
Lenny Siegle, from Mountain View Voices for Peace, lamented the environmental destruction of the war. He works for the cleanup of Moffat Field, one of 150 superfund sites in the U.S. the military polluted. The military is one of the largest industrial polluters, particularly if the damage done by civilian defense industries is considered. The disposal of chemical weapons, the U.S. maintains large stockpiles, does untold damage. He said there are over 15 million acres of abandoned military ranges, covered in unexploded ordinance. These ranges are often mostly undeveloped and could make excellent parks or be added to the national forest system if it wasn’t for the wanton destruction. Many U.S. military ranges contain depleted uranium shells. “The same plagues we are bringing on Iraq, we are also bringing on ourselves.”
Steve Edwards, an Iraq war veteran from San Jose, quietly but boldly proclaimed his will to stand up against the war. He is a PTSD survivor and lamented the deaths of three of his military friends fighting in Iraq. He also lamented the veterans who were turned away from the VA because of lack of available services. All too often the vets turned away from the VA turn to suicide. When Edwards returned from Iraq, he suffered from migraines, nightmares, rage, sleeplessness, and anxiety. He felt guilty about surviving after seeing his friends die. Vets suffering these life threatening symptoms, or any other health problems, need immediate quality care.
Ray McGovern is the founder of the Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity. He worked in the CIA for 27 years. He lamented the stubbornness of the Bush Administration for hardening their hearts and ignoring the counsel of the C.I.A. to avoid war. His upbeat well-written speech called for anti-war activists to be “disgusted, but not discouraged” by the situation. How can you be discouraged when Code Pink and the Raging Grannies are on your side? Or Ray McGovern, who’s been arrested for unlawful assembly in congress and directly confronted Rumsfield?
Ray’s insider knowledge and sharp analytical skills are a boon to the movement. I wish I could have his Intelligence Estimates on my desk every afternoon. Vice President Herbert Walker Bush was lucky to benefit from Ray’s reports. As an example, Ray reported that in 2002, CIA operatives turned the Iraq Foreign Minister into a reliable source, and the minister made it clear that there were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. This critical information, in a country without any of the reliable sources an intelligence agency needs to provide real information, was ignored by the Bush administration. Andy Card, when confronted by an operative, who is now a member of V.I.P.S., replied “It’s not about WMD but about regime change.” According to Ray, Robert Gates is a yes-man who goes along with whoever is powerful, determined, and right in front of him. This is our secretary of defense? Ray gathered this intelligence while Gates was his employee. Ray passed on that the C.I.A.’s intelligence estimate made clear that there were no possible benefits to Coalition Forces or the Iraqi Government from a troop surge in Iraq, such as the one ordered by Bush in November 2006.
McGovern mocked the unwillingness of the administration to abandon their new military bases in Iraq and relinquish control of Iraqi oil wells. The contrived distinction between permanent military bases and enduring military bases disgusts him. He called for the U.S. to disavow all intentions of permanent military bases and disavow control over Iraqi oil
# 131
# 105Successful day. # 106
Despite the weather, we had a total of 15 participants, men, women, and children, including two under the age of nine during our 6-8 PM vigil.. Passing motorists showed their support by honking horns and/or flashing peace signs. (We assumed that the honking was in support of our vigil and not attempts to avoid accidents in the busy traffic). A small group of people who appeared to be homeless approached us and said that they would join us, but they would have no way of getting dry after the event. We thanked them, shared cookies, and acknowledged that they were with us in spirit. Herb sang an uplifting version of “Who’ll stop the rain?” Although we were all dressed for the weather, we left with wet shoes, socks, pants, and other clothes.
We considered it a small sacrifice compared to what the Iraqi people and the US troops have endured, and hope our effort contributes to ending the war soon. We look forward to the next vigil in November, although we’d prefer if it were unnecessary. # 108
west bay terminal: between 100 & 200 materials distribution here.
24th St. Bart: covered in a.m. by Pat H., Don W., Alan F.(alan did
leaflet in espanol!)
Civic Ctr. Bart: covered in a.m. 10/18 & 10/19 by Kathy L., Brian W.
covered in p.m. by Janet B., Mary E.
Balboa Bart: covered in a.m. by Barry H.
Glen Pk Bart: covered by Elizabeth B. in a.m., Carol Seligman 4:30 -
5:30 p.m.
PM vigils at 16th St. Bart (Interfaith event) and 24th St. Bart (Latinos Contra La Guerra)
Montgomery St. Bart -- in pm lots of palm ribbons given out by vigilers # 124
We had 40 more or less people participating. Especially appreciate the presence of Rev. Glenda Hope, Sambhu A., Jim Haber, Pat Hendricks, Bill Simpich, Ying Lee, Judy Khatapoush, Jeff Johnson, Ron Schmidt, Grace Shimizu and Grace Morizawa, Cindy Read, Karen Ande, Jo Lavrence, Jeff Paterson, Myra Bicknell, Bill Schwalb, Lynn Meldmann, Peter Yamamoto, Michael Tsukahara, Don Ino and his wife; Myra, Betsy, Ted, Anne, Stephanie, Wally C., the wonderful musicians from the Watada group, singer David Walsh who really wowed folks with his uplifting voice; folks from Canada, and many others I may have missed who participated. Bill and Ying spoke very well about the Ehren Watada case, which was continued on stay until November 9th. All this, despite the fact that it started to rain and Poet Jack Hirschman came down with the flu and was unable to participate! The music and dancing at the end was unique and so were the dancers!
More Photos here
Dolores Perez Priem
# 126
American Postal Workers Union: Alice L. and others finished distribution palms/ribbons at 13 remaining post offices (from 9/21) so all 40 covered at least once.
Letter Carriers/ San Francisco -- Carl Bryant has 100 armbands and got out 50 to letter carriers; has promised a digital photo to IMC web site. will continue to get out armbands.
United Educators of S.F. - Union official Ken Tray got 1000 buttons ordered and distributed.
Ellen Yoshitsugu distributed palms/ribbons at Teachers' Peace & Social Justice Mtg.
Local 1021, SEIU - Jerry Fillingim, Political Organizer took 50 palms/ribbons
Local 1021, SEIU- Tonette Garcia, Organizer for RN's SFGeneral took 50 palms/ribbons
American Fed. of Teachers/Community College - Alan Fisher got out 250 palms/ribbons
(also got palm translated into spanish)! We will soon have Spanish palm on web site.
Local 1021, SEIU - ARC Chapter - Francesca Rosa got 100 palms/ribbons out.
Carpenters, S.F. - Ken Lukas took 75 palms for 11/16
CHALLENGE: TO GET SOME NEW UNIONS INVOLVED EACH MONTH AND THEN TO
ROTATE BACK TO THOSE WHO HAVE DONE SOMETHING. ESPECIALLY NEED A
BREAKTHROUGH WITH SEIU, 1021 IN TERMS OF NUMBERS.
# 127
Despite rain and a cold wind 15 people took time out of their lives and stood up at the 16th St. Bart station for peace and the Iraq Moratorium.
We sang songs, held candles, read poems, letters and prayers. Organized under an interfaith theme we shared wisdom from different religious traditions and incorporated various practices into the ceremony.
We plan on doing another Interfaith Peace Vigil on the next Iraq Moratorium Day.
BJ Scofield
# 128
# 114
Our goal was to involve people locally to do their own things, individually, creatively and in groups and to sign the pledge on the national Iraq Moratorium website. We plan to have a computer at our next meeting so people can sign the pledge right there.
Getting " We the People" to express ourselves is important because that part is missing in our daily lives. As Jeremy said...most people do that only in the polls. We are hog-tied by outrage, fear and anger. Hopefully if we can openly discuss these issues in our own community and share the frustration we can move on to more constructive actions.
Our group is planning to host community events with two speakers from the area who are war veterans, showing documentaries, potluck fundraising dinners and an art show. # 146
See our pictures
# 91
We arrived at 4:30PM at one of the busiest intersections in Naples, FL and veterans and their spouses from WW2, Korea and Vietnam and other anti-this-war volunteers carrying signs like "Honk for Peace," "U.S. Out of Iraq," "Dead American Soldiers 3,832"
and 3 American Flags paraded up and down the sidewalk.
The response was overwhelming positive with hundreds of motorist beeping their horns, giving us the thumbs-up and peace signs. We stayed till 5:PM.
A very satisfying event.
# 116The response to our vigil on the 20th was overwhelmingly positive. People opened their car windows and thanked us for being there. There was continual honking. We noticed a lot of support from minivan Moms. At the end of the vigil, 2 young men with a boy approached us for information. They said they would join us next month.
Another young man asked if we had an extra "War is not the Answer" sign. As we continue to publicly vigil, we come in contact with more and more local people who are very disgusted with the current government policies. They are looking for a change and I believe we will see the voting demographics change before the presidential election. # 121
Peace activists from Northwest Indiana took a walk through the mall on Friday, October 19. Sponsored by NW Indiana Code Pink and NW Indiana Veterans For Peace. the walk went through Southlake Mall in Hobart, IN.
6 people wore our matching white tee shirts with “Out of Iraq” in bold red letters. We also had two children in strollers and 3 other walkers with different anti-war tee shirts. Taking part were Kathy Sturm (Merrillville), Nina Klooster (Lake Village), Karen Kroczek (Munster), Mike Ploski (Mattson, IL), Jim Roseen (Munster), Anita Skomac and her mother Myrna (Hobart), Mark Lesniewski (Crown Point) and Nick Egnatz (Munster).
We strolled around the mall. Karen bought a Swiss army knife to replace one confiscated from her during our meeting with Indiana Senator Evan Bayh in August (Security was taking no chances with a baby boomer armed with a Swiss army knife within sight of a future Vice Presidential candidate). We dined in the food court and went through some other stores.
We had our best luck when we were not moving and people would come up to us and ask us where had we been for the last 6 years of the Bush Regime. We didn’t leaflet, but had a flier with info about our events, the Iraq Moratorium and the October 27 Mobilization in Chicago, etc. for those who approached us with an interest.
We feel the action was a great success and plan on repeating it, especially during the winter. Our thanks go out to Cathy McGuire of Terre Haute, Indiana who suggested it to us last month!
# 117
We stood for a hour.
We had many people honk and wave and one woman who stopped her walk and stood with us a while.
The white shrouds draped over the arm in the picture was a image of death and grief that we used deepen the experience of the war's results.
We intend to meet each 3rd Friday at different intersections around town.
# 120It's small (Midland MI is not a big place), but worth doing. # 102
# 122Here's what I found.
1. Sen. Schumer, who earlier this year blithely predicted that half the troops will be out if Iraq by November '08, was first. After requesting the DC staffer dealing with the war, I was bounced to that person's tape.
2. Sen. Clinton, who refuses to say that as president she'll withdraw the troops by the end of her first term--that's 2013!--was hard to reach. I was repeatedly told by the Capitol Hill switchboard that her line was busy. I reached her NYC office and my message was taken by a staffer who did what staffers are supposed to do, listen and write without saying anything. I emphasized the Senator's responsibility to the folks she represents, and if 70% of the US population wants the war over, in this state it must be over 80%.
3. Rep. Charles Rangel's DC office offered me a tape too, but a call to his local office cut through the red tape and got me transfered directly to a staffer in DC. Because Rangel's record is far better than the two Senators, I focussed on the need for him to honor his promise not to vote more money to the war unless it's to bring the troops home and on his responsibility to step up and take more of a lead in fighting to end the war. The staffer didn't just jot notes but spoke to me respectfully, at some length. His plea was that Rangel has not received credit for all he has done. He wouldn't justify the vote to condemn MoveOn.org, and promised to deliver my opinion to the Congressman.
Short summary: it's frustrating and at the end you think, "Why did I bother doing that?" And that's exactly why it's worth doing. Because it's a pain, when lots of folks start doing it, the politicians know that something is stirring.
# 90
Members of MDS New York were joined by students from Pratt, New School and Pace SDS in a street theatre action in NYC’s Times Square. The occasion was the second round of the Iraq Moratorium. Protesters clad as “pro-war zombies” - and the Grim Reaper - turned out on the third Friday in October, 2007 to “help” recruiters. The zombies spoke to passersby, arguing that: “It’s been a long war, business is slow for recruiters and they seem lonely - stop in and say hello.” The zombies worked a two hour shift (union rules?) - exhorting pedestrians to “support endless war”, “give war a chance”, sign up for “only two weekends a month, honest” and to remember that “violence is the answer”. The sarcasm was not lost on three recruiters who came out of their smallish office on “military island” to glare at the ghouls - the zombies agreed that this was the most annoyed they had ever seen the recruiters. Undead Nixon, who made an appearance at the event as well, encouraged the crowd to remember that death and destruction are “underrated” as he gave the hapless recruiters a big thumb’s up.
[Credit:Thomas Good / Next Left Notes. See more photos and videos at the Next Left Notes gallery.] # 134
On Friday evening, October 19, CODEPINK Pittsburgh Women for Peace held a "Bring Me Home Now" rally in conjunction with the call from United for Peace and Justice to hold Iraq Moratorium events across the United States on the third Friday of each month. The focus of the "Bring Me Home Now" rally was the Iraq and US causality count and our message to Bring The Troops Home Now!
For several weeks, CODEPINK Pittsburgh members distributed small toy soldiers in different parts of the city with a small pink tag reading "Bring Me Home Now". The soldiers were a gentle reminder to people finding them that someone's loved one is eager to return home to their family. A lifesize soldier wearing a pink scarf reading "Bring Me Home" stood with CODEPINK members, and many pedestrians stopped to stand for a photo with him. Over 200 small toy soldiers were passed out, and many people stopped to voice their outrage about the continuation of war, and the failure of the Republican and Democratic parties for endless funding. We were joined in the middle of the action by a bunch of students who stayed 'til the end!
Many diverse groups supported the action including: Vets Against the War, Conscience, Pittsburgh Organizing Group, the Anti-War Committee of the Thomas Merton Center, the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, Iraq Summer, many students, and members of various religious groups.
[Special thanks to David Meieran and Philomena O'Dea for photographing our event.]
# 118
The Sewanee group that "jumped the gun" with an Iraq Moratorium street vigil on Third Fridays in July, and again in August and September, are still at it, going strong. (That's us up on the banner of this site!) Today more than 25 of us moved our vigil site to the nearest town, Monteagle, which couldn't be more different than our street corner in Sewanee, home of the University of the South. In a sense, we have been "preaching to the choir" in Sewanee, and the decision to come out so publically against the war in Monteagle was not taken lightly. Monteagle straddles Interstate 24, is home to a national guard armory and has patriotically sent many of its sons and daughters to war. [It is also the town with a history of having burned out the Highlander Folk School as "communists" years ago for teaching non-violent resistance to racial injustice.] We got permission from the owner of an old unoccupied motel at a busy bend in the main 4-lane and demonstrated in front of it with our signs at evening rush-hour. Not being sure what kind of response we'd get, we can report that opposition to the Iraq War in this small Middle Tennessee town was very much alive. Motorists coming home from work, delivery vehicles, construction workers, truck drivers, all responded to the "Honk for Peace" signs stationed at each end of our long line of colorful flags and signs and flashed peace signs and thumbs up. We feel like we've found a very productive new location, right in our own back yard, to witness for peace and an end to the Iraq nightmare.
We're sending pictures of our vigils to our Congressmen with letters demanding de-funding the war and a timetable for bringing the troops home.
Thanks for your tireless leadership in this struggle. # 96
make ______, not war
Radford University
Women's Studies Club
We had markers for customizing, people chose art, pie, love, progress... # 112
Iraq moratorium draws dozen activists
By Citizen Staff
JUNEAU - A local Iraq Moratorium project drew 12 participants Friday afternoon in Juneau.
The project encourages individuals to break away from their daily routine to help speak out about the Iraq war every third Friday of the month.
Joseph Moore spearheaded the local movement and was encouraged by what he observed at the Juneau Courthouse Square.
"It was great to see all the people show up on a terrible day outside," Moore said. "We talked amongst ourselves about the war and what we can do in upcoming months. We will definitely let people know what is going to happen in the coming months."
A wreath with the words "Honor the dead, heal the wounded, stop the war" was laid at the bottom of a flag pole before the group dispersed.
For more information on the project, call Moore at 386-2225. # 100