» V4P: Stop Funding the War OntheWilderSide

V4P: Stop Funding the War

Posted on March 3, 2007 by iwilder

Dear Peace Voter,

Since the invasion of Iraq on March 19, 2003, the month of March has marked a somber anniversary of an illegal and unjust war. Four years later, our country has the greatest chance so far for bringing an end to this war by voting against Bush’s war funding request. Will Congress help turn March into a month of celebration by stripping Bush of his war funding? Could this be the month in which we finally stand up to the Bush administration, say NO to his illegal war, and begin a new path towards reconstruction in Iraq? This could be the month that Congress ends this war—but we need all of you to help make this happen. TAKE ACTION NOW!While Congress remains indecisive on their strategy for dealing with Iraq, we are pushing forward with our simple, cohesive and resilient message: Stop Funding the War – Bring the Troops Home Now! No more money for an illegal war. No more money for the killing of American troops and Iraqi civilians. Fund a safe withdrawal for our troops and take care of them once they return home. We need to remind Congress that we hold them accountable for the war—just as we hold Bush accountable—and if they continue to fund it, they will not receive our vote in 2008!

TAKE ACTION!

IN THE NEWS

VOTERSFORPEACE UPDATESTAKE ACTION!

Tell Your Member of Congress to Stop Funding the War!
WHEN: Monday, March 5th
HOW: Call 1.888.851.1879 and ask to speak to your member of Congress (find your member of Congress here)
WHY: The House of Representatives will be voting on Bush’s $100 billion war supplemental on Tues, March 13th. By voting no on the supplemental, Congress can cut off the money that Bush needs to continue to wage this war. Please help bring an end to this war by calling your member of Congress on Monday, March 5th, and telling them to vote NO on the supplemental appropriations. We are working with numerous other peace and justice groups to flood Capitol Hill with phone calls every day leading up to the vote. VotersForPeace is kicking off the call-in day and we hope that you will help us!

It’s Time to Occupy Congress!
It’s not too late to get involved in – or start! – an occupation in your district. Click here to find an action in your area. Interested in what other people are doing around the country? Link here to watch peace voters in Bellevue, WA deliver a warrant for arrest to Senator Patty Murray for Mikulski Protest funding an illegal war. You can also watch peace voters protest in the office of Maryland Senator Barbara Mikulski. At a second action, peace voters occupied her office for three hours, read the names of the dead and put up photos of all the Maryland soldiers who have died in Iraq (see photo to left). Four activists were arrested when they refused to leave at the close of business.March 17 – Join the March on the Pentagon
March 17th marks the end of the fourth year of the occupation of Iraq. People from around the country will be coming to DC to March on the Pentagon in protest of the war– will you be one of them? Local actions will also take place across the country—find an action in your area. IN THE NEWSIt seems that the Bush administration has been getting a lot of bad news lately. British Prime Minister Tony Blair announced on February 22 that he will begin a partial withdrawal of British troops from Iraq, a move at odds with the Bush Administration’s escalation of troop levels. Then there was the announcement that at least four top-ranking US Generals will quit if the US attacks Iran. An exclusive Mother Jones article revealed that global “jihadist attacks” have increased 607% since the US invasion of Iraq, and yet another poll in the Washington Post showed that 53% of Americans want a deadline for a troop withdrawal and 56% strongly object to a troop escalation.Perhaps the greatest news break of the week was that the Bush Administration has been funding anti-American Sunni groups (who are affiliated with al-Queda) to fight Shiite groups in Iraq without Congressional knowledge or approval. As Seymour Hersh explains in this CNN interview, the scandal is reminiscent of the Iran-Contra affair of the 1980s and is a likely reason for the resignation of John Negroponte, the former head of US Intelligence.

VOTERSFORPEACE UPDATEIn December 2006, we asked our 130,000 email subscribers about the issues they’re most concerned about and the tactics they’re most likely to employ. More than half of the respondents (61%) said they are most likely to get active by emailing their members of Congress. When asked about the issues our supporters work on, 42% replied US wars of aggression; 25% said impeachment and 11% said human rights. A majority of people (65%) replied that they are also involved in global warming issues. (Read the complete VotersForPeace survey results here.)

We took special notice that so many peace voters are interested in global warming. As a result, VotersForPeace is kicking off the Peace Climate Nexus – a campaign to begin making the links between the goals of the peace movement and the burgeoning movement to respond to global climate change. We’re helping to bring together peace and environmental organizations to plan joint actions such as a potential strategic conference, a joint mobilization in the fall of 2007, and to explore collaborating on relevant legislation. If you are interested in getting more information about this initiative, please email PCN@VotersForPeace.org.