SUPPORT OUR TROOPS! DEFUND THE WAR!
MFSO Talking Points
In the November elections, the American people made clear their overwhelming opposition to the war in
Iraq.
Congress can hold hearings, debate and even pass legislation on the war. but none of these will bring the
war to an end. Congress' real power lies in their control over funding for the war and their ability to cut
off funds except for those that are needed to bring our troops home quickly and safely.
Unless Congress acts, the war will continue. The Bush administration has made it clear that they have no
intention of ending the war and bringing our troops home.
Every day that the war continues, on average, three U.S. troops and countless Iraqi children, women and
men die.
December 31. 2006 marked the death of the 3.000th U.S. troop in Iraq. If the U.S. military occupation
continues through 2007. we expect 800-1.000 more U.S. troops and 180.000 more Iraqis will die.
In February or March. 2007. an appropriations bill will come before Congress seeking approximately
$130 billion dollars to continue the war in Iraq.
Senators and Members of Congress cannot simultaneously oppose and fund this war.
Congress must vote against any further appropriation that will continue the war in Iraq.
DE-FUNDING THE WAR DOES NOT MEAN DE-FUNDING THE TROOPS
In September. 2006 Congress approved $70 billion for the war in Iraq, money that is currently available
to the military. This is more than enough to ensure the troops have what they need (armor, protective
equipment, weapons, ammunition, food, water, supplies, vehicles, etc) to come home quickly and safely.
If more funds are needed, monies in the Department of Defense budget could be re-programmed for that
purpose. In short, the resources are available; what is needed now is your political will to end the war.
It is the Bush administration that has not supported our troops. They were sent off to fight a war based
on lies without proper armor, equipment and supplies. The Bush administration has not allocated
sufficient monies to provide the medical and psychological support for our troops when they return
home or help them transition back to civilian life - including funding for education and job programs.
The most supportive thing that Congress can do for our troops is to end the funding for this disastrous,
unjust and unjustifiable war.
DE-FUNDING THE WAR AND PULLING U.S. TROOPS OUT IS ESSENTIAL TO BRINGING PEACE TO IRAQ
There is chaos and civil war in Iraq now. The U.S. military occupation of Iraq is not the solution, it is
the problem. It is a major source of the violence in Iraq.
The Iraqi people in overwhelming numbers have expressed a desire for the U.S. military occupation to
end.
Ending the U.S. military occupation is a pre-requisite to any real attempts for peace in Iraq.
The U.S. has a responsibility to contribute financially to the re-building of Iraq. But that responsibility
can not be carried out by a U.S. military occupying force or by contractors such as Halliburton..
HONOR THE FALLEN, END THE WAR NOW!
The continued war in Iraq will mean more deaths, more wounded, and more troops suffering from Post
Traumatic Stress Disorder.
The only thing worse than having so many die in a war that should never have happened is to have this
war claim even more lives.
Those who have already fallen in this war will best be honored by a nation and a Congress with the
courage to end the war.
Music
Movies
"Loose Change"
"Iraq for sale"
"The power of Nightmares" by the BBC
"V for Vendetta"
Television
The ultimate means of Mass Distraction
Books
1984
Brave New World
The People's History of the United States
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Representing people in the rural hills of Upstate New York who hate this war and fear the movement into Iran which is a nuclear power. There are so many of us up here who have a strong "distaste" for this administration and it's practices on the global stage. It's time to make our voices heard, email, call, hound our representatives to vote on reasonable propositions which will lead to a quick and bloodless resoulution to the Iraq/ Afghanistan and possibly Iranian conflicts.
Who I'd like to meet: Residents of New York are represented
in Congress by 2 Senators Washington DC numbers"
Member Name DC Phone
Senator Charles Schumer (DNY)202-224-6542
Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (DNY)202-224-4451
House of Representatives Washington D.C Numbers:
Representative Timothy H. Bishop (D01)202-225-3826
Representative Steve J. Israel (D02)202-225-3335
Representative Peter T. King (R03)202-225-7896
Representative Carolyn McCarthy (D04)202-225-5516
Representative Gary L. Ackerman (D05)202-225-2601
Representative Gregory W. Meeks (D06)202-225-3461
Representative Joseph Crowley (D07)202-225-3965
Representative Jerrold Nadler (D08)202-225-5635
Representative Anthony Weiner (D09)202-225-6616
Representative Edolphus Towns (D10)202-225-5936
Representative Yvette Clarke (D11)202-225-6231
Representative Nydia M. Velazquez (D12)202-225-2361
Representative Vito Fossella (R13)202-225-3371
Representative Carolyn B. Maloney (D14)202-225-7944
Representative Charles B. Rangel (D 15)202-225-4365
Representative Jose E, Serranp_(D 16)202-225-4361
Representative Eliot L. Engel (17)202-225-2464
Representative Nita M. Lowey (D 18)202-225-6506
Representative John Hall (D 19)202-225-5441
Representative Kirsten Gillibrand (D20)202-225-5614
Representative Michael R. McNulty (D - 21)202-225-5076
Representative Maurice D. Hinchey (D 22)202-225-6335
Representative John M, McHugh (R 23)202-225-4611
Representative Michael Arcuri (D 24)202-225-3665
Representative James T. Walsh (R 25)202-225-3701
Representative Thomas M. Reynolds (R28)202-225-5265
Representative Brian M. Higgins (D27)202-225-3306
Representative Louise Mclntosh Slaughter (D28)202-225-3615
Representative John R. (Randy) Kuhl, Jr. (R29)202-225-3161
Picking the photo for my blog is always fun for me. I like to pick things that have an impact on me and hopefully they help illustrate my point.
So for my end of year blog, and start of a new year, why this one above?
It’s called perspective.
A friend has been writing to me about her deep sadness in seeing the competition among some peace activists for control of the movement. On the national level some of the people/groups don’t work so well with each other. She tried to get in the middle of it and came away frustrated. My response was: Some progressive movement activists have adopted the business model. Competition with each other instead of cooperation - competition for money, for media, for a sense of personal and political power – access to the politicians and thus some perceived influence. Some folks spout the good rhetoric but then try to control things. We won’t ever get anywhere as long as we internalize the ideology of domination.
Our tiny Mother Earth is a spinning orb racing through space surrounded by much greater stars and planets. We are just a tiny dot in the sky. Each of us down here on tierra firma is nothing but a speck of sand at the bottom of the ocean. We are a part of nature, a part of the Earth, and a part of the universe. We take ourselves much to seriously at times.
Not to say we don’t have major issues here on the Mothership. We do - endless war, mindless hate, growing poverty, climate change and more. But the way out of this madness is not working one against the other. Our only hope is to follow the ways of nature.
In the natural world each living system – water, air, sky, land, plants, animals, humans – is linked to one another. We are part of an interconnectin
A DEADLY REGION FACES MORE VIOLENCE by Bruce Gagnon
The assassination of Benazir Bhutto in Pakistan was a sad turn of events in an already deadly region. Her challenge to current dictator, and president, Pervez Musharraf was publicly welcomed by the U.S. even though the Bush administration has long been a backer of Musharraf. In Pakistan the popular resistance calls their president Busharraf in order to acknowledge the close connections between Pakistan and the U.S.
The U.S. has long been providing Pakistan with high-tech weapons systems which has only made neighboring India more insecure as they see their border rival armed to the teeth. The U.S. response has of course been to sell India even more weapons thus creating a regional nightmare.
It does appear that she was attempting to save her homeland from military rule and the madness that has torn apart Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere, by the Western created Islamic mujaheddin originally funded to fight the Soviets in Afghanistan.
The new film "Charlie Wilson's War" glorifies the U.S. role in Afghanistan as best as I can make out. Admittedly I've not yet seen the mov
Bus to Washington DC March to End the War Sept. 15th
Hi Everybody,
Well I just got off the phone with ANSWER and they are covering the cost of the remainder of the bus. So the bus is going.....Yea!!!!!! I am still hoping that we can fill the bus , it would make me feel tremendous to take 56 people from Central NY. So, if anyone who has not talked to me about a seat wants to sign on from this date on please have them make the checks out to ANSWER but please mail them to me at address below. Also I still have quite a few scholarship seats available. I will be mailing out final details for the trip tomorrow now that I Know it is a definite. Please be sure to check your e mails and get back to me as soon as possible....You guys have been so patient with me and I thank you for that. I also want to thank all our sponsors for their generosity. This would have never happened without them....
Peace and Justice, Sandra Twang
PS. Please feel free to call me if you need any questions answered or I can help in anyway..... (607-847-6875, cell: 607-316-6531)
PPS Please distribute far and wide!
To All Who Have Signed on for the Bus to the Sept. 15th demonstration in DC Or are thinking about it....
"End The War Now"
The bus will be leaving very early in the morning of Sept. 15th. The bus will be picking up in Cobleskill, NY, Oneonta NY, and Norwich NY and Binghamton,NY.
We will be leaving DC between 5-5:30PM on Sept. 15th. The cost of the trip is $65 roundtrip.Please send check or money order to me (see address below) MADE PAYABLE TO ANSWER . I will post updates and details as soon as they are available to me. I am planning on sending out a detailed update early next week. Please feel free to contact me, preferably after 6PM. I have an answering machine
NOW IS NOT THE TIME TO BE SILENT!
Call or write your Congressmen and Senators:
Capitol Switchboard
202-224-3121
24th Congressional District:
Michael Arcuri
fax: 202-225-1891
email from www.arcuri.house.gov
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton
fax: 202-228-0282
email from www.clinton.senate.gov
20th Congressional District:
Kirsten Gillibrand
fax: 202-225-5614
email from www.gillibrand.house.gov
Sen. Charles Schumer
fax: 202-228-3027
email from wvyw.schumer.senate.gov
