The President's Blog and Chapter News
Bradley Manning: Pot Luck Dinner and Silent Auction Fundraiser
BNP is planning a fundraiser for Bradley Manning, on November 10, 2010 and Veterans for Peace, Chapter 10 is co-sponsoring this event.
Support Bradley Manning
Pot Luck Dinner and Silent Auction Fundraiser
Wednesday, November 10, 6:30 - 9:00 pm
Delmar Reformed Church
386 Delaware Ave, Delmar, NY
Please join Veterans For Peace and Bethlehem Neighbors for Peace for a pot-luck dinner
and fundraiser for the defense of Bradley Manning. Please bring a dish
to share. There will be a suggested donation of $10.00 per person (more
if you can, less if you cannot) and we will be having a silent auction
as well. If you have a book, CD, DVD, baked goods or services you would
like to donate for the silent auction, they will be greatly
appreciated. A number of local merchants are donating gift certificates
for this event. This will be a an informative, hopeful and interesting
evening as we raise money for legal defense fees for Bradley Manning,
expenses that are mounting daily. We look forward to seeing you all on
November 10th! Co-sponsored by XXXXX. Video of Ethan McCord, including
parts of Iraq War Wikileak. Please rsvp to Leslie Hudson 768-4676 or cats.hudson@gmail.com
The Kateri Tekakwitha Peace Conference was a splendid success and a most enjoyable day. Many folks have commented on the excellence of our presenters and everyone was delighted with Rich Goodhart's concert. The pizza was great and folks were very generous so we did manage to pay the bills. Thanks everyone.
The 12 annual Kateri Tekakwitha Peace Conference is on Friday, August 20 and Saturday, August 21, 2010 at the National Kateri Tekakwitha Shrine in Fonda, NY. Complete conference information may be for "A Question of Balance?" at www.kateripeaceconference.org I do hope you can attend. it will be a great day with Fr. Jerry Zawada, Rich Goodhart, Ed Kinane and others.
Immediately below is the press release for "How is the war economy working for you?" banner drop in Detroit at the US Social Forum. Please go to:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E962T3ZDl00 to see the banner drop on you tube.
Contact: Leah Bolger 541 207-7761, Elliott Adams 518 441-26978
FOR RELEASE June 25, 2010
VETERANS’ BANNER TAGS ABANDONED DETROIT BUILDING:
“HOW IS THE WAR ECONOMY WORKING FOR YOU?”
DETROIT – On June 26, at 2pm, a group of U.S. military veterans will hang a large banner on the abandoned Eddystone Hotel, on Sproat St., between Cass and Park, to protest and reveal the effect of war spending on American cities.
Members of Veterans For Peace (VFP), attending the U.S. Social Forum, a gathering of over 8,000 activists from across the U.S., created and erected the 10 x 15-foot sign that reads, “HOW IS THE WAR ECONOMY WORKING FOR YOU?” in this city with an unemployment rate of 15 percent and 10,000 abandoned homes on the mayor’s demolition list.
Taxpayers in Detroit have sent a total of nearly two billion dollars to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. The city’s 2011 general fund budget of 1.3 billion dollars contains an estimated deficit of 300 million dollars, even after years of cutbacks in services once assumed to be part of urban life. The budget for Detroit schools has a deficit in the same range.
“Detroit, like so many of our cities, is most certainly in distress,” said Mike Ferner, National President of VFP. This crisis is no different than a five-alarm fire and we should respond the same way. Instead, we watch America’s cities literally crumble while we pour thousands of lives and trillions of dollars into wars abroad.”
John Amidon, President of VFP Chapter 10, added, “It’s absolutely criminal that the people who built the U.S. auto industry have to watch their city collapse around them while they send $2,000,000,000 to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. This is indeed the purest form of madness and it’s coming to a city near you.”
VFP, with over 100 chapters, is beginning a campaign to work with local government officials to place “war counters” on city halls stating the amount of money each community has sent to the wars.
Veterans For Peace members fought in World War II, the Korean, Vietnam, Gulf, Iraq and Afghanistan wars and have served in all eras in between conflicts. VFP is an official Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) represented at the UN.
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Veterans For Peace is a strong supporter of the Kateri Tekakwitha Peace Conference. This years conference,"A Question of Balance" will be held on Friday, August 20 and Saturday, August 21, 2010. For complete conference information please go to: www.kateripeaceconference.org and please plan on attending. Thanks!
Most of you are aware of the Times Union editorial in support of Veterans For Peace concerning the Flag Day Parade in Saratoga Springs on June 19th, 2010. The Saratoga-Wilton Elks Lodge hase refused to allow Veterans For Peace to walk in the Flag Day Parade. Please join Veterans For Peace on June 19th in support of Saratoga Springs Chapter 147, Veterans For Peace. Meet at the downtown Saratoga Springs Post Office at 11:00 am (parade begins at 12 noon). We along with other community activists and peace groups will be there, protesting the ongoing wars and engaging in the political process as we always have.
June 7, 2010
Hervie Harris Castelton, NY 12033
Dear Members of the Albany Common Council,
I am writing in support of the proposed legislation prohibiting fireworks displays in the vicinity of the Stratton VA Medical Center in Albany.
For many people, firework displays are a cherished and traditional form of celebration. However, for some military war veterans of all eras, fireworks can be traumatic and all too real.
This may be especially true for military personnel returning from Iraq and Afganistan. “Troop surges” in those countries have resulted in longer deployments and shorter intervals between multiple deployments, thus greatly magnifying the mental and emotional strain on our soldiers.
While improvements in medical care have resulted in higher rates of survival from grievous battlefield injuries, it is now widely recognized that many of our soldiers return with traumatic brain injuries and mental health problems. The Department of Defense has recently concluded that greater than 20% of Iraq war veterans come home with mental health disorders including post traumatic stress (PTSD). Other experts put the incidence as high as 33%.
It has been demonstrated that PTSD can be triggered by fireworks long after the initial traumatic event. Since military veterans are especially vulnerable to being re-traumatized by firework displays, it seems entirely reasonable to distance such displays from the VA hospital. Such a prohibition would not significantly restrict public enjoyment of future firework celebrations.
Sincerely,
Hervie Harris Veterans for Peace
Everyday things seems to be getting worse. The Third Gulf War is now officially lost in the Gulf of Mexico. The first two Gulf wars in the Middle East are lost also but that remains unofficial. The attack by the Israeli Defense Force, a clearly criminal attack in international waters on the Gaza Peace Flotilla has added the agony and tension of all involved in the ongoing Middle East crisis.
At home in the Capital District the Times Union ran the following story today.
Vets for peace say the flag is theirs, too -- Page 1 -- Times ...
Jun 5, 2010 ... Elks lodge says group can't march as themselves in June 19 parade.
http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=937986&category=REGION
More to come soon.
A message of thanks to all the VFP members who walked in the Saratoga Springs Memorial Day Parade on Wednesday, May 26, 2010. A big thank you for coming out in the record heat to support the cause of peace and the VFP Adirondack Chapter. And a big thank you to Linda LeTendre for her letter to the Saratogian and for so graciously opening her home for pizza and a heartfelt VFP community gathering afterwards. And finally a very big thank you to the citizens of Saratoga Springs for their welcoming support of Veterans For Peace.
Rounded Up Artificial Terrorists and Muslim Entrapment After 9/11
By Shamshad Ahmad, Ph.D.
There is intimacy, honesty, and a level of trust in "Rounded Up" that may disturb and dishearten the reader. For only an immigrant could believe in and be so seduced by the myth of America. "Rounded Up" is an immigrant’s story in which the myth collides head on with the nightmare. The hopes of those who see the United States as a beacon of light, prosperity, and freedom are caught in a web of the unseen and unexpected, and then are targeted and crushed by a post 9/11 hysteria and the FBI.
In Rounded Up, we see how easy it is easy to attack a poor, immigrant community, unskilled in the use of English, unfamiliar with the culture and its laws, isolated and marginalized by its economic status, its recent arrival in this country, its race, and a misunderstood religion often purposely and dishonestly portrayed as violent by the U.S. government.
We also see, with 9/11 as backdrop, how the U.S. government, through the auspices of the FBI, has released a reign of terror upon the Muslim community nationwide and has simultaneously denigrated the Constitution and cowed the American public into supporting their wave of intolerance, unprecedented in recent American history. Sadly, this Orwellian war on civil rights is done in the name of national security, and it is 1984 in Albany, New York, although the calendar reads 2003 and 2004.
Rounded Up is a story from the community of working-class Muslims in Albany. Two of them are persecuted by the FBI in a fabricated and dishonest “sting” conducted over two years. Appendices A and B, a summary and brief analysis of official FBI surveillance transcripts, contain the essence of the case. These repeatedly demonstrate that the two men are neither terrorists nor willing participants in any criminal activity, and that it is only by the dishonesty of the FBI and its paid informant that this tragedy occurs. That the FBI was assisted by the compliance of the court–– which apparently did not comprehend that in a country that respects the rule of law, secret evidence is unacceptable––is both incomprehensible and frightening. The immediate result is that two innocent men are falsely convicted and sentenced to fifteen years for “money laundering.” As one local journalist remarked, this case really stinks.
Fortunately, the story does not end here. An unlikely group of peace activists, lawyers, and concerned citizens have stood valiantly against this homegrown terror. The Muslim Solidarity Committee (MSC) is dedicated to keeping on until Yassin Aref and Mohammed Hossain are released from prison and some semblance of justice is salvaged for their families and the community. While the FBI continues to practice entrapment under the euphemisms “sting” and “preemptive prosecution” nationwide, the MSC continues to represent what is still good about America.
With atypical courage, Shamshad Ahmad––member of the MSC, a Muslim, founder and president of the Masjid As-Salam mosque––is willing to speak out in a time of extreme repression when many are cowering in the shadows. If you care about living in a country that respects the rule of law, read this book. The democracy you save may be your own.
Healing the Wounds of War
The War Healing Ministry at First Unitarian Universalist Society of Albany offers an interfaith, spiritually-based supportive community addressing the wounds of war. We acknowledge the affects of war on our entire community.
The Community Talking Circle meets the second and fourth Sunday at 6PM and is open to everyone - veteran and non-veteran, church-goer or not -- committed to healing the wounds of war and military service. Each gathering is co-facilitated by a trained leader from FUUSA and a volunteer from Soldier's Heart, a veterans’ return and healing project based in Troy, NY. New participants are always welcome.
At a typical Community Talking Circle you might find a U.S. Marine Afghanistan Combat Veteran, a U.S. Army Vietnam Combat Veteran, a military spouse, family members of active duty military personnel, active duty service members, children of veterans, and civilians with no familial connection to the military but with a strong sense of social responsibility.
The Community Talking Circle honors Rev. Eric Law's "Respectful Communication Guidelines":
R = take RESPONSIBILITY for what you say and feel, without blaming others.
E = EMPATHETIC listening. Try to understand how the other person feels.
S = be SENSITIVE to differences in communication styles.
P = PONDER on what you hear and feel before you speak.
E = EXAMINE your own assumptions and perceptions.
C = keep CONFIDENTIAL what others have to say
T = TOLERATE ambiguity. We are not here to debate who is right or wrong.
The Community Talking Circle meets on the following dates in 2010 at 6 PM:
May 23
June 13 & 27,July 11 & 25
August 8 & 22,September 12 & 26
October 10 & 24,November 14 & 28,December 12 & 26
We hope to see you there!--
Paula Griffin
Program Manager
Soldier's Heart
500 Federal St. Suite 303
Troy, NY 12180
518-274-0501 X10
"Veterans are the light at the tip of the candle, illuminating the
way for the whole nation. If veterans can achieve awareness,
transformation, understanding, and peace, they can share
with the rest of society the realities of war. And they can teach
us how to make peace with ourselves and each other, so we
never have to use violence to resolve conflicts again".
Thich Nhat Hahn
Dear Friends,
President Obama signed the new nuclear arms reduction agreement with Russia - the so-called START 1 Follow-On Treaty. As soon as the agreement was announced, the GOP geared up to oppose the treaty.
The
ranking Republican on the Armed Services Committee's subcommittee on
strategic forces, Representative Michael R. Turner of Ohio, released a
letter he solicited from the directors of the nuclear weapons
laboratories in January, questioning a federal report which said that
the modernization of existing stockpiles was not necessary.
As
President Obama tries to take one small step towards nuclear
disarmament, the GOP begins efforts to confuse, distort, and delay
efforts to reduce the stockpiles.
President
Obama needs to take a bigger step towards a nuclear weapons free world
that won't be mired in a tug-of-war in the Senate.
President
Obama should initiate good faith multilateral negotiations on an
international agreement to abolish nuclear weapons in our lifetime!
Peace Action launched a petition campaign calling on the President to do just that!
Working
with our international partners in Japan and around the world, millions
of signatures will be turned into the White House and United Nations
during the UN Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference in May.
Without
the support of public opinion and a grassroots movement for peace and
disarmament, no steps big or small, will be taken! We have learned the
lesson of the healthcare fight! The GOP may try to confuse, distort,
and delay. Therefore, it is up to the peace and disarmament movement to
push back!
Please
sign the petition, and once you do, download a paper petition and
circulate it because a grassroots movement must be organized the old
fashioned way -- people talking to people!
Take one more step to make sure we START and do not get stopped!
On
Sunday, May 2, march with Peace Action, the Mayors of Hiroshima and
Nagasaki, 80 Hibakusha (survivors of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki
bombings) and thousands of peace and disarmament activists from around
the world in New York City.
Join Peace Action NYS, for the first demonstration for a world free of nuclear weapons in years.
Now
is the moment for nuclear disarmament, but it can't happen without your
involvement! Sign and circulate the petition, march on May 2 in NYC and
forward this message far and wide!
START is just the beginning, and we won't be stopped in our quest for wiping the scourge of nuclear weapons from the Earth!
Thank you!
Judith Le Blanc
NPT Coordinator
Peace Action Fund of NYS
judith@panys.org
Office 646.723.1749
Upper Hudson Peace Action, 33 Central Avenue, Albany, NY 12210 463-5907, info@peaceact.net
03/12/10
Did Staff Sgt. Amy Tirador committ suicide? The story surrounding the circumstances of her death has changed many times and the U.S. Army, in other cases concerning female soldiers found dead, has made a number of very questionable rulings which are being challenged by some families of the deceased. We will begin to look at this case and the treatment of women in the military and discuss it at our next meeting.
03/10/10
Current Opportunities for peacemakers:
For detailed information please go to Waging Peace by Linda LeTendre @
http://www.dailygazette.com/weblogs/letendre/2010/mar/10/opps/
“Peace of the Action,” lead by Cindy Sheehan will begin Camp “Out Now” on March 15 in Washington, DC. Go to www.peaceoftheaction.org for more information.
March 20, 2010- End the wars/occupations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Travel with BNP to the national rally in Washington,D.C. Bethlehem Neighbors for Peace (BNP) is organizing a bus to go down to DC for the day. Need tickets or want to provide financial support for students contact Joe Lombardo at jlombard@nycap.rr.com.
Tickets are $60 r/t.
Locally folks will gather, at 5 p.m. on March 19, at the West Capitol Park across from the Smith Building to witlessness and march.. Please bring signs.
I also hope everyone can attend "My Name Is Rachel Corrie" at Siena College on 3/27/2010 7:00:00 PM , Foy Hall Contact: Ralph Blasting Email: rblasting@siena.edu
02/26/10
Connie Houde is heading the Afghanistan Well Project locally.
As part of this project Women Against War is sponsoring:
Fahima Vorgetts, of Women for Afghan Women
Speaking with Slides
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
12:50-1:45 PM
Afghanistan’s Heartbreak, Afghanistan’s Hope.
Pizza & Politics series.
Union College, Social Science 104.
7:00 PM Mercy Center, 310 So. Manning Blvd.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
7:30 PM. The Plight of Women in the Afghan War.
University at Albany, Humanities, Rm. 137.
Co-sponsored by Women’s Studies/IRO, UUP & Women Against War.
02/19/10
Our next VFP Meeting is Monday, March 15, 2010 at the VA Hospital in Albany, 4th floor Ann Wilson Lounge 7 PM.
Fron Dan Wilcox
Folks --
This is my single, annual appeal for money to help the Homeless Action Committee of Albany, NY. Last year with your generosity I helped raise $685 -- thank you to everyone who contributed.
The 17th Annual Sleep-a-thon in the Park will be held on Friday March 5 from 7PM to 5AM Saturday, in Townsend Park at the corner of Henry Johnson Blvd. & Central Ave., in Albany, NY. The event is held rain or shine or inclement weather.
Funds raised will benefit the Homeless Action Committee’s Single Room Occupancy (SRO) housing and Outreach Van programs. The SRO is a home for chronic alcoholics who previously were homeless and living on the streets for years. HAC’s Outreach Van program makes rounds on the streets and assists people without shelter or housing. Outreach workers provide a listening ear, food, clothing, blankets, referrals and transportation to area resources.
HAC raised over $20,000 from this event last year, and attendance broke the record with 190 people including college and high school students, elected officials, church groups and supporters! HAC is experiencing over $50,000 in budget cuts in 2010 and needs to raise a record amount from this event!
There are many ways you can contribute:
-- send your check (made out to "Homeless Action Committee") to me: Dan Wilcox, 280 South Main Ave., Albany, NY 12208
-- get your own pledge sheet & raise money yourself (information & pledge sheets at www.homelessaction.com)
-- send your contribution directly to: HAC, 393 N. Pearl St., Albany, NY 12207
-- come to the Sleep-a-thon & contribute your money there directly
I do not usually spend the entire night in the park but your generosity in the past has helped keep this essential organization going & helping others who but for HAC would be spending all their nights sleeping in the park. Thank you.
Peace,
Dan
02/07/10
Help keep Marc Hall out of Iraq
The US military plans to extradite a stop-lossed Iraq war veteran to Iraq “within a few days” to face a court martial for allegedly threatening military officers in a protest rap song he made.
Spc. Marc Hall has been jailed in the Liberty County Jail near Fort Stewart, Ga., since Dec. 11 because he wrote a song called “Stop Loss” about the practice of involuntarily extending military members’ contracts.
HELP VFP SEND 1000 EMAILS TO LTC ERIC BLOOM, US ARMY IN IRAQ , LETTING HIM KNOW WE HAVE MARC’S BACK AND OPPOSE SENDING TO HIM IRAQ FOR HIS COURT MARTIAL!
http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/826/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=2217
February 2, 2010
WAR BREAKS GRANNIES’ HEARTS
Grannies for Peace Fifth Annual Valentine’s Day Demonstration
Sunday, February 14, 2010
3 PM
Meet at Central Ave & Wolf Rd
Grannies will vigil with banners, signs & large broken hearts at this busy intersection until 3:30 PM. Then we will proceed into Colonie Center – wearing pinned-on signs with broken red hearts & the message WAR BREAKS GRANNIES’ HEARTS. We’ll stroll through the Center singing All We Are Saying Is Give Peace a Chance.
January 28, 2010
I wanted to alert everyone to Linda LeTendre's new post on her Waging Peace Blog which may be read at: http://www.dailygazette.com/weblogs/letendre/
Linda has written an account of the recent protest in DC where 42 folks were arrested for civil disobedience protesting the continued us of torture by our government and the Obama admistration. Thank you Linda for your courageous work and for your excellent writing and reporting on Waging Peace.
January 26, 2010
For Immediate Release: January 25th, 2010
Contact: Hendrik Voss, SOA Watch, 202-234-3440
Human Rights Advocates Given Maximum Federal Prison Sentences of Six Months for Direct Action Opposing the School of the Americas (SOA/WHINSEC)
Judge Finds SOA Watch Activists Guilty for Carrying Protest against the SOA/WHINSEC onto Fort Benning, Issues Arrest Warrant for Michael Walli for Refusing to Appear for the Trial.
On Monday, January 25, 2010, U.S. Magistrate G. Mallon Faircloth sentenced three human rights advocates to six months in federal prison for carrying a protest against the School of the Americas onto the Fort Benning military base in Georgia. This school, re-named the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation, is a controversial U.S. Army training school for Latin American soldiers.
Father Roy Bourgeois, a Roman Catholic priest and the founder of SOA Watch, the organization that works to close the School of the Americas said "Judge Faircloth has sentenced our sister and brothers to 6 months in federal prison for speaking the truth about the SOA/WHINSEC. We are saddened by the court's continued blindness and hardness of heart, but we are stronger than ever in solidarity. These sentences are symbolic of our nation's misdirection, but they are also great steps forward for our resistance movement. It is truer today, than ever before, that although they jail the resisters they have not, and cannot, jail the resistance!"
The "SOA 4" are:
Nancy Gwin, long-time activist from Syracuse, New York - sentenced to six months in prison
Father Louie Vitale, veteran and priest from Oakland, CA - sentenced to six months in prison
Ken Hayes, SOA Watch Council member from Austin, TX - sentenced to six months in prison
Michael Walli, a member of the Catholic Worker movement from Washington, DC refused to appear for the trial in Georgia. Walli had told the court during his November arraignment that he would not pay any bail and that he would not voluntarily return for the trial. "I walk out and it's goodbye" Walli told Judge Mallon Faircloth. Michael Walli made good on his promise and on Monday, Judge Mallon Faircloth issued a warrant for Michael Walli's arrest.
The "SOA 4" were among the tens of thousands who gathered on November 20-22, 2009 outside the gates of Fort Benning in Columbus, Georgia to demand a change in U.S. policy in Latin America and the closure of the SOA/WHINSEC. The group peacefully crossed onto Fort Benning while thousands stood vigil at the gates of the base in memory of those killed by graduates of the institution.
The SOA/WHINSEC, a military training facility for Latin American security personnel, made headlines in 1996 when the Pentagon released training manuals used at the school that advocated torture, extortion and execution.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Dan Pearson: 312-286-8535
January 26, 2010
Jessica Arents: 262-366-3785
13 Activists, 9 from Minnesota, Arrested in Front of The White House for Protesting US Militarism
Washington D.C., – The Twin Cities Campaign for Peace, Women Against Military Madness, and other Minnestoan peace groups, aligned with the Peaceable Assembly Campaign, organized a civil disobedience action today, in Washington, D.C. 13 nonviolent activists were arrested in front of the White House protesting US militarism. Beginning at 10:30 a.m., over thirty participants read names of 77 Minnesotans killed in Afghanistan and Iraq, along with the names of Iraqis and Afghans killed in the U.S. wars. After each name was read, a bell was rung and the participants said “We Remember You.” A banner that read, “Occupation” was pelted with shoes inscribed with anti war slogans. Finally, the 13 walked onto the sidewalk and laid down in remembrance of the war dead. Father William Pickard anointed the “dead” with olive oil.
The Washington D.C. Park Police arrested all 13 lying on the pavement. Vickie Andrews, John Braun, Marie Braun, Lori Blanding, Ward Brennan, Stephen Clemens, Diane Haugesag, Maxine McNamara, Ceylon Mooney, Joe Palen, Mary Percich, Father William Pickard and Cornelia Sullivan were first taken to the Anacostia Police station. Then they were transported to Washington D.C. District 1 police station only to be taken later to the Washington D.C. lock up. They have been told they will remain there until they appear before a judge on January 27, 2010.
The Peaceable Assembly Campaign is founded on the First Amendment of the U.S. constitution that states “Congress shall make no law... prohibiting the right of the people to assemble peaceably for redress of grievance.” The group’s literature states:
We hold President Obama, the Senate and the House to:
• End the wars and occupations in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
• Publicly commit to vote against any additional funding for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan beyond funds required for the complete withdrawal of U.S. troops.
• Promote the redirection of funding away from military spending and towards the rebuilding of Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Palestine and to the rebuilding of and provision for the Common Good in the U.S.
• Further the development of truly green (non-nuclear), environmentally friendly alternative energy sources accompanied by a decrease in policies that drive consumption of fossil fuels.
Voices for Creative Nonviolence, www.vcnv.org, has initiated a nationwide Peaceable Assembly Campaign, which seeks an end to the U.S. wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan and an end to U.S. support of the continued occupation of the Palestinian territories. Begun in September, 2009, and continuing for the next ten months, the group engages in both legal and extralegal (nonviolent civil disobedience/civil resistance) lobbying efforts, urging Representatives and Senators to stop authorizing and funding wars and occupations.
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January 18, 2010
A great deal has happened very quickly so for complete details please return soon. More will be added very soon. In the meantime time see Linda LeTendre's latest post on Waging Peace, "Olmert's Security at Union College" at:
http://www.dailygazette.com/weblogs/letendre/
Thursday, January 21, 7PM, Guilderland Public Library, 2228 Western Avenue, Guilderland, NY. Remembering Gaza - One Year Later. Please join us for a presentation by Elliott Adams, past President of Veterans for Peace, to learn about the situation in Gaza. Nine months after the Winter Attack on Gaza (2008/9), Elliott Adams traveled to Gaza with Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility and Veterans For Peace. The delegation met with government officials, educational institutions, NGOs, student groups, cultural centers, medical institutions, and ordinary citizens to learn about Gaza. Elliott will present photos of his trip and lead a discussion of current events. (518) 456-2400 Sponsored by Guilderland Neighbors for Peace
Our monthly meeting was held on 01/18/10. Lou I., Lou S., Dan W. and John A. were present. Many of our group were away for the holiday. We discussed establishing a written criteria for giving the Winter Soldier Peace and Justice Award. One idea suggested was to allow past recipients of the award to nominate new candidates. A debriefing of the Olmert protest occupied some of our discussion along with reading some of the excellent articles provided by Lou I. It was a useful and productive meeting with each of us knowing a little more about U.S. law our government routinely breaks to provide arms and military assistance in violation of the law and common decency. We also discussed meeting with other VFP Chapters to become more effective regionally.
January 14, 2010
Media Release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
“It would be forbidden for us to have a State, even if it would be in a land that is desolate and uninhabited”
Rabbi Yisroel Weiss
Contact: John Amidon at 518-312-6442
Rabbi Yisroel Weiss, spokesman for Neturei Karta International, an organization of Orthodox Jews based in Monsey, NY has lent his organization’s support to the protest against Ehud Olmert’s visit to Union College today. Rabbi Weiss stated that members of his group will travel from NYC to join in the 5 PM protest in front of Memorial Chapel. Members of Neturei Karta are opposed to the state of Israeli and believe that, "It would be forbidden for us to have a State, even if it would be in a land that is desolate and uninhabited."
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January 13, 2010
Inside Gaza: The Olmert Effect
Wednesday, January 13, 2010 - 4PM
Union College, Golub House Seminar Room
Contact:
Elliot Adams at 518-441-2697
John Amidon at 518-312-6442
On January 13, 2010, 4 PM, Elliot Adams of Veterans for Peace will speak and show slides of his recent trip to Gaza. Few Americans have been inside Gaza and this is a rare opportunity for both students and the community to visually venture into what has become the world’s largest prison camp. This is guaranteed to be a provocative and shocking experience for many.
A major protest is being planned for Ehud Olmert former prime minister of Israel on January 14, 2010 at Union College in front of Memorial Chapel. Please plan on attending. Inside you will find an excellent statement by Union College professors and one by Dr. Jennings of Conscience International. Wanted for war crimes in the UK and Norway and indicted in Israel for corruption, former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will speak at Union College on January 14, 2010 at Memorial Chapel at 7 PM.
Join the protest in front of Memorial Chapel starting at 5 PM on 01/14/10.
A Position Statement from Members of the Union College Community:
Whereas, Union’s Strategic Plan calls for graduating students who are “engaged, innovative, and ethical contributors to an increasingly diverse, global, and technologically complex society;” and
Whereas, former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has been indicted on serious corruption charges in his own country, has been officially implicated by the United Nations in war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza, and has also been implicated in the suppression of dissent:
We, the undersigned, hold that the administration's decision to allow the Speaker’s Forum to invite Mr. Olmert was mistaken and contradicts the values and ethics of Union College. We reject the argument that Mr. Olmert’s visit is simply that of a “controversial” individual. We reject the logic that validates such a position, and hold it to be irrational and inconsistent with the intellectual climate we hope to create. Mr. Olmert's appearance at Union does not contribute to the free exchange of ideas. On the contrary, closed to the general public, under the pall of heavy security, and with questions vetted by moderators, this event seems to limit and stifle opposing viewpoints a set of conditions inconsistent with our tradition of academic freedom. Furthermore, we deplore the significant negative impact this event will have on Union’s academic reputation on the local, national, and international levels. We go on record strongly against this decision to invite Mr. Olmert to speak at Union College, and urge that the event be cancelled.
Anyone wishing to sign this statement is invited to contact any of us listed below to be added to the list of supporters. We are compelled by our consciences to circulate this position statement within the Union College community and beyond.
Contact David Ogawa at ogawad@union.edu
David Ogawa, Eshi Motahar,Tom Lobe,Mazin Tadros,Andy Feffer,Michelle Chilcoat,Valerie Barr,John Amidon-VFP,Elliot Adams-VFP
Dissent vs Fascism
As one of those present in Gaza last January while its defenseless
population was being bombed for 21 days by Olmert's government, I appeal to the
Union College faculty not to provide a platform for the war criminal Ehud
Olmert. My reasons are the same as those stated in the position paper by
concerned members of the Union College community. By featuring Olmert, you will
in fact be giving your active blessing to those acts of terrorism that killed
1,409 people, a great many of them children. This is unconscionable. US
Academics for Peace, a unit of the humanitarian NGO Conscience International,
always encourages dialogue in the interest of peace; however, by inviting Olmert
to speak unopposed you are stifling dissent and strengthening his brand of
fascism.
James E. Jennings, PhD
President, Conscience International
and Executive Director, US Academics for Peace
January 6, 2010
Below is a quote from Ellen Barfield taken from VFP's National Website. Other interesting news is Ehud Olmert will be speaking at Union College on January 14, 2010, 7 PM at the Memorial Chapel. This event is closed to the public. Mr. Olmert is viewed as a war criminal by many and is also under indictment in Israel for corruption charges. We cannot help but wonder if he will be a future recipient of the Nobel peace prize. Paz, John
ELLEN BARFIELD RELEASE FROM JAIL AFTER 25 DAY SENTENCE
"A great big THANK YOU to all of you who wrote me and/or sent good wishes my way during my 22+ days of incarceration, ended this morning at 7:30, on a 25 day sentence for telling the Senate to stop spending BLOOD MONEY to kill Afghans and Pakistanis. The guards and my sister inmates were of course amazed at the nearly 100 pieces of mail I received, as many as 25 in one day. I'll be writing about my experience and sending some individual notes in the coming days, but I just wanted to stop the flow of mail anyway!"
Peace, Ellen Barfield
December 22, 2009
Our December 21 our meeting was attend by Frank H., Ed B., Dan W., Hervie H., Lou I. and myself, John A. Frank gave a treasuer's report which was approved. We decided to send $70 to VFP National, $20 for the cost of newsletters and $50 toward M. McPearson's lifetime membership. It was an easy going meeting which ended early. Dan invited us all to his open house on New Year's day and we put together a list of what we had accomplished in the last 4 moths or so. We also discussed some of the upcoming events and how to increase participation. Dan would love to have us at his December 24, vigil in front of St. Peters hospital at the corners of Manning and New Scotland Blvd., from 5 PM to 6 PM. Below is the report of our last 4 months of activity. Best wishes for a Happy and peaceful 2010.
Chapter News
Chapter 10, the Tom Paine Chapter has been in high gear. In September we prepared and shipped 500 wooden crosses to Fr. Roy and the SOAW at Columbus, GA. for the annual close the SOA vigil and demonstration. In October we held our first awards dinner, honoring three outstanding peace activists in our community with the Tom Paine Winter Soldier Peace and Justice Award. This years Veteran's day saw our chapter involved in two major community events along with the parade. We were delighted to have Kathy Kelly and Dan Pearson from Voices walk with us in this year’s parade. In the evening of November 11, VFP members Dan Wilcox, Dayl Wise & Thomas Brinson read their poetry as part of a program on the effects of war at the Sanctuary for Independent Media in Troy, NY. Included on the program was a discussion between international peace worker Kathy Kelly and photographer Nina Berman, whose photos of injured Iraq war soldiers were on display at the Sanctuary. Also on November 11, 2009, our chapter organized a veteran's panel discussion after a premier show of "The Good Soldier Movie" featuring our VFP's Michael McPhearson amongst others. Our chapter also provided free tickets for high school students and approximately 20 high school students attended. "The Good Soldier" is an excellent documentary on the effects of combat on soldiers. Our veterans panel consisted of Ed Bloch, Jason Peterson, Tyler Boudeau and John Amidon. We joined with our larger peace community to protest against the Afghanistan escalation and met with our Representative P. Tonko to discuss a host of issues including the wars. Connie Houde also recently returned from Afghanistan and has been speaking to this concern and Elliot Adams has been presenting a dynamic and shocking slide show about the conditions in Gaza. Other local issues which we have been involved in are questioning the lack of information about the death of Staff Sgt. Amy Tirador, a woman soldier, found shot in the back of the head, execution style at Camp Cadwell in Iraq. Who killed Staff Sgt. Tirador? Another local issue concerning veterans is the Albany County Nursing Home. 33% of the residents are veterans and the County executive is attempting to close the home. Fortunately our Albany County Legislature is standing strong and it is likely we will continue our tradition of compassion and caring for the many veterans and other folks who need our help. Finally we were recently involved in shipping some much need hospital equipment to facilities near Chernobyl working with Conscience International, K. Bennett and others. This outline covers the major events of the last few months and has been extremely busy. Chapter 10 wishes everyone a healthy and happy New Year and best wishes for VFP's exceptionally important work.
Paz, John
___________________________________________________________________
December 19, 2009
Our next meeting is December 21, 2009, 7 PM, VA Hospital, 4th Floor, Ann Wilson Lounge. Elliot's presentation on Gaza was very good. Rev. Billy was great fun! Hope to see you there.
Paz, John
Our dear friend Ellen Barfield has been sentenced to 25 days in jail in Washington, DC. The complete story and mailing address may be found at:
http://www.veteransforpeace.org/
Please send Ellen a card congratulating her on her outstanding service to our country.
___________________________________________________________________________________
December 16, 2009
Elliott Adams, Board Member of Veterans For Peace, National
and past president of Veterans for Peace,
will speak on his October, 2009 trip to Gaza
Thursday, December 17, 2009
7:00 - 9:00 PM
Bethlehem Town Hall
445 Delaware Ave., Delmar, NY
For more information kindly reead below or call 466-1192
In October 2009, Elliott Adams traveled to Gaza with Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility and Veterans For Peace. The delegation met with government officials, educational institutions, NGOs, student groups, cultural centers, medical institutions, and ordinary citizens to learn about Gaza. In his slide presentation Elliott considers both the complexity and tragedy of Gaza, considering such questions as: What is the lasting impact of the January attack and invasion by Israel and the implications of the 3 year old blockade? What is the role of Hamas? Is there any possible solution to this political powder keg in the Middle East? How might we find a lasting peace? Is our 3 billion dollars a year in military aid to Israel helpful to creating peace? What is our responsiblity as American citizens and taxpayers? Please join us this evening for an important presentation and discussion about Gaza.
Paz, John
PS Time is fleeting and our next chapter meeting is Monday, December 21, 2009 .
11/17/2009
Our meeting was very full with students visiting from SUNY Albany, part of a social protest class. We were very pleased they attended. Topics discussed were the Albany County Nursing Home. A third of the people in the home are veterans and our guest speakers gave us valuable information to further understand the crisis. We also discussed Israel Palestine briefly and protest plans if President Obama announces an increase in troop strength for Afghanistan. The Good Soldier movie and veterans panel was very successful and as usual we marched in the Veterans Day Parade, joined by Kathy Kelly, a very special peace maker. So much is happening so quickly that it is hard to keep up with the details and all of the events in our area. I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving. Sharing a meal with family and friends is a wonderful thing.
Paz, John
November 13, 2009
Our next meeting is Monday, November 16, 2009 at the VA Hospital, 4th floor, Ann Wilson Lounge, 7 PM. There are many concerns we need to discuss including the Albany County Nursing Home since many veterans are in need of this care. I want to thank everyone for turning out for the parade. It was a good effort and great fun to have Kathy Kelly with us. We also leafleted for the Good Soldier movie and we had a teriffic turnout for the movie and veteran's panel at Proctors with my best estimate at about 170 folks in the audience. 192 tickets were sold however not all of them were used. Sunday, November 15th is the protest against drones up in Syracuse and many folks from the immediate region are also heading up that way. So we hope to see you all Monday if not sooner.
Paz, John
November 6, 2009
Veterans Day Parade.
Dear Peace Community,
Please join VFP and Kathy Kelly on November 11, 2009 at 10:45 to
walk in the Veterans Day Parade .
Veterans for Peace will be marching in the 10th Division (out of 12 Divisions).
Our assembly point is the south side of Central Ave., east of Partridge
St. (between Partridge & Ontario Sts.) adjacent to where the Legion
Trolleys will be lined up. Please gather at this location at 1045
hours. The parade steps off at 1100 hours & proceeds east on Central
Ave., continues east on Washington Ave. to Hawk St. As in the past,
the reviewing stand will be situated on the steps of the old NYS
Education Bldg.
Peacemaker Kathy Kelly will be in town & we expect that she will be
joining us, as well as a couple of our VFP brothers from Woodstock.
We hope that many of you can attend.
Any questions, issues, etc.,
please contact either Dan Wilcox at 482-0262 or John Amidon at 312.6442.
We look forward to seeing you then. I might add there are many events happening locally and I simply haven't had the time to writeabout everything. So check with BNP and the activist calender. Paz, John
November 2, 2009
A page has been added to our VFP website for the Good Soldier. Proctors is offering discounted tickets to Veterans, Seniors and students for just $4.00. VFP will provide free tickets to the first 100 high school students who go to Proctors and present a student identification card. . If you will go to our home page you can also read about our veterans panel at Proctors after the 7:00 PM screening. Our next chapter meeting is November 16, 2009 at 7 PM in the VA Hospital. Hope you all can make it. We meet the third Monday of every month in the Ann Wilson lounge, 4th floor at 7 PM.
Paz, John
October 26, 2009
As mentioned on the title page, The Good Soldier is playing at Proctors on November 11, 2009 and this is an exceptionally powerful and important movie. After seeing it, I wrote the following email, which I sent out to a few folks. It isn't the best writing but it was what I was feeling. Truly I hope you will come and see this movie and invite others. Also continue reading below. Thanks.
Hi Everyone,
I just finished a screening of "The Good Soldier". It is exceptionally well done, left me feeling raw and beat up mentally, honestly felt like crying and I did when I was alone. So the movie is very intense, more evocative then I could possibly imagine, partially because I know Michael and Jimmy and anyone who knew David Cline certainly misses him. And the other men were equally strong and evocative too. Understand why Bill Moyer's is getting behind this film and it is a very long 79 minutes as the horror and brutality of war and its' effect on us as human beings, the degradation of our psyches/souls/humanity and the almost impossible mission of finding reconstruction and redemption for those who have had the worst of it comes home so powerfully in what is both fairly and understated and what is so tenderly candid and raw in the best and worst of our collective experience. Feeling pretty blown away at the moment.
It is about as truthful a movie as I have seen about the war experience without any false steps. And in this truthfulness particularly when talking about enjoying the kill comes revulsion and dreadfulness and the kind of loathing which might make me want to wash or crawl out of my skin. It certainly made me think I will have the national suicide hot line number available in case anyone close to the edge, feels or remembers to much. It is brilliant work and so very sad. I am sure there is some beauty there too and will remember it as things settle a bit. It is a very important movie.
Paz, John
PS More about the Veterans Panel soon.
October 20, 2009
Our monthly meeting was well attended including Hervie H., Bob A., Lou S.
and Lou I., Ed Bloch, Frank H., Lloyd H. and John A. There was a great
deal to discuss including the Saturday rally at the Capital against the
Empire's wars, including Afghanistan and Iraq. VFP
had a very good turnout and led the march through Albany. On November
11, 2009, "The Good Soldier" will be screened at Proctor's Theater in
Schenectady, followed by Q&A with a veteran's panel. Ed Bloch,
Frank Houde and John Amidon have been selected for the panel and others
will be added. We will work hard to make this a successful event and
encourage VFP members and the entire peace community to attend. More
information will be posted soon. We also discussed the Veteran's Day
parade and as soon as we have parade orders, the details will be
posted. Kathy Kelly will be marching with us this year so hopefully
everyone will turn out and make it a truly special event. Frank Houde
and I will also be leading a discussion after the film, "Soldiers of
Conscience" on November 10th, 6:45 PM at the Bethlehem Public Library
presented by BNP. Our chapter also will take an add in the MLK
celebration program joining with other peace groups in our community.
VFP is also part of the Sanctuary for Independent Media Event on
November 11th. The awards dinner was discussed and everyone had a
great time and thought it was an exceptional gathering. Many of us
would like to do it again next year.
Paz, John
October 17, 2009
Our next VFP meeting is November 19, Monday, 7 PM at the VA Hospital, 4th Floor, Ann Wilson Lounge. Hope you can make it. The awards dinner was great fun and I have posted an update under the awards dinner section. Today we are headed to the rally at the Capital. End the war now!
Paz, John
October 12, 2009
Our next VFP meeting is November 19, Monday, 7 PM at the VA Hospital, 4th Floor, Ann Wilson Lounge. Hope you can make it.
We expect to have 60 to 70 people at our awards dinner. We are pleased and excited with the turnout and the event as a whole. It is going to be a fun time for the peace community. It is still not to late to sign up. Please give Dan a call at 482-0262.
Saturday, October 17, 2009, noon at the Capital is a rally against the war in Afghanistan. Unfortunately troop strength is increasing and more and more of our young men and women are being put at risk needlessly and some are dying. We will once again ask President Obama to end this illegal war and bring our troops home.
If you are looking for some good reading, Linda LeTendre has an excellent bog in the Daily Gazette, Waging Peace. Check it out. It as intelligent, amusing and informative about local peace events as well as her experiences on the front lines resisting the corrupt and criminal actions of our government particularly concerning foreign policy.
http://www.dailygazette.com/weblogs/letendre/
Paz, John
October 4, 2009
Dinner planning is coming along well. We now need to call our friends and neighbors to insure a good turn out for our awards dinner and party. October 15 at Evans Public House is going to be a great time. Please attend. See the Tom Paine Awards Dinner section for complete information.
Our next VFP meeting is Monday, October 19th, 2009 at the VA Hospital on Holland Ave. in Albany. We meet at 7 PM at the Ann Wilson Lounge, 4th floor. Our meetings are always held on the third Monday of each month and we encourage our members and friends to attend. We are particularly hopeful that Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans will join us and become members of IVAW, VFP, or both.
There is no shortage of work to be done. While the Obama administration is clearly an improvement over the criminal regime of Bush/Chenney and company, it is clear he needs our help particularly concerning Afghanistan and foreign policy in general. Mr. President, it is time to end the war and bring the troops home now!
As previously mentioned, I hope to post our meetings minutes and other useful information, along with musings, ramblings and rants when the mood or muse tempts such postings.
Be well.
Paz, John