Mimi,
Unbelievably, a second letter from a desperate soldier came to me today, from the nephew of my best friend:
Written today, this desperate letter is from Sargent Jason Walker, the nephew of some of our best friends, on his second tour in Iraq. PLEASE READ, and help get this letter out there, as he requested. Thanks if so. SEE THE LETTER BELOW.
PLEASE help publicize this letter!
Call me with any questions or for verification at (866) 569-7353..
From:
Subject: FW: Update 24 june 07
Date: Sun, 24 Jun 2007 14:59:29 -0400
Kim, Please read what my nephew Jason just sent and do your best. Deb
_______________________________
>
>From: Jason Walker [mailto:jbw1416@yahoo.com]
>Sent: Sun 6/24/2007 3:24 AM
>Subject: Update 24 june 07
>Hello everyone!!!
> Well its been a couple of weeks since my last
>letter to the group. I just want to start off by
>saying that it has been one of the toughest times of
>my life and without your prayers I don't think I wold
>have made it this far. If it hadn't been for the Lord
>that's for sure.
> Keep your prayers up my friends. The Army is in
>a reaaly bad spot right now. What we hear our
>leadership telling the American people isn't the case
>at all really. The common line soldier is not being
>heard. I want you to know the truth. The truth from a
>soldier from the gound in the middle of Bagdad.
> We are not making progress. I can tell you from
>the last time I was here in 05 that we are fighting a
>whole new beast. Instead of a few individuals from a
>different land we are now fighting the whole country.
>The streets are empty. The people that supported
>liberty and freedom have long been killed or have
>moved. I cleared a group of houses the other day that
>was at least 50% abandoned. The only people that seem
>to want us here are the people we put in power.
> How is this a Godly war? How is forcing our way
>on another country that doesn't want us here the right
>answer. Sure the government we put in place needs our
>help, yet we gave them power for which they aren't
>inclined to give up too easily.
> This county is in the middle of a civil war.
>They tell us we are on Iraq's side. Well Iraq wants to
>be free to fight thier own battles, Sunni and Shiite
>alike.
> Alll this being said it's not the fight for
>freedom that upsets me. If I saw citizens dragging
>terrorists in the streets and wanting Liberty I would
>gladly give my life for that cause. That is not the
>case at all. The people keep thier mouth's shut and
>therefore the Terrorists leave them alone. Thats all
>they want anyway.
> Well an Army is held together by a "cause" . A
>cause to hold the soldiers together, a cause to give
>them some cause for sacrifice. Four of my close
>friends gave that sacrifice the other day. Death is
>part of a soldiers life. It is the accepted risk. The
>price for Liberty. The hardest part has been
>justifying thier sacrifice. Is so many good many lost
>worth the freedom of a country who doesn't really want
>us here. I say no.
> When is this going to stop? When is enough,
>enough? Please we need your help. The common soldier
>needs your help. The soldier that signed up to serve
>and protect his country with no political gain needs
>your help. The command is not representig the truth.
>They are representing thier careers. It is costing you
>your son's and daughter's lives. Please stand up and
>help us. Bring us home!! Bring your sons and daughters
>home.....it's time.
> I am a believer in my Christ Jesus. I pray
>everyday that the Lord will bring His wisdom down on
>the leadership of our country. I believe that these
>people have seen nothing but violence their entire
>life. How are we bringing them any difference. Christ
>looked at the individual. We need to help this country
>one person at a time with the love of Christ. The Lord
>will bring His Judgement when the time is right. There
>are good people here, yet they are ruled by fear. They
>need Christ's love.
> I dont think they have the burdon of liberty on
>their hearts yet. You have to want, desire, and yearn
>for Liberty and be willing and ready to sacrifice
>everythig for that cause. That is what I don't see. It
>has a heavy cost and it cannot be bought by anyone but
>yourself.
> Please send this to whomever you please, The
>county need to know the truth. In fact, please send
>this out to as many people as you want.
Breaking News Mimi - have you heard about Eli Isreal?
PLEASE HELP GET THE STORY OUT - to protect this brave kid, and also
further press for peace & impeachment. This young soldier has put
himself in a world of danger.
----------------------------------------
----------------------------------------
From: Iraq Veterans Against the War
Reply-To: Iraq Veterans Against the War
Subject: Soldier in Iraq Resists the Occupation
Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2007 07:18:58 -0700 (PDT)
>Yesterday, June 19, 26 year old SPC Eli Israel put himself at great personal risk by making the courageous decision to refuse further participation in the U.S. occupation of Iraq. Eli told his commanding officer and sergeants that he will no longer be a combatant in this illegal, unjustified war. Eli believes that the U.S. government used the attacks of September 11, 2001 as a pretense to invade Iraq and that "we are now violating the people of this country (Iraq) in ways that we would never accept on our own soil." Eli is stationed at Camp Victory in Baghdad with JVB Bravo Company, 1-149 Infantry of the Kentucky Army National Guard. This soldier's decision to refuse orders puts him at great risk, especially because he is in Iraq, isolated from legal assistance and other support. The following is a message that Eli sent yesterday to a friend back home:
>"I have told them that I will no longer play a 'combat role' in this conflict or 'protect corporate representatives,' and they have taken this as 'violating a direct order.' I may be in jail or worse in the next 24 hours.
>Please rally whoever you can, call whoever you can, bring as much attention to this as you can. I have no doubt that the military will bury me and hide the whole situation if they can. I'm in big trouble. I'm in the middle of Iraq, surrounded by people who are not on my side. Please help me. Please contact whoever you can, and tell them who I am, so I don't 'disappear.'"
Eli is taking an incredible risk by refusing orders in Iraq and will
most likely be court martialed. Please help him by contacting his
Senator and requesting that he take any steps necessary to support and
protect this soldier and ensure that the Army respects his rights and
does not illegally retaliate against him.
>Senator Mitch McConnell:
>http://mcconnell.senate.gov/contact.cfm
>Washington Office
>361-A Russell Senate Office Building
>Washington, DC 20510
>Phone: (202) 224-2541
>Fax: (202) 224-2499
(ALSO MIMI THANKS FOR THE NEWS ABOUT TOWNS!! GREAT work.
Yes, yes, yes! My goal is to get our Brooklyn rep, Edolphus Towns, to sign on. I've talked to lots of people in my neighborhood and we're all on the same page with 333, so Towns should be the next one to put his name at the bottom.
SEND THIS TO YOUR HOUSE REP as ammo to get them to Sign on to H. Res. 333 to Impeach Cheney!
*A Failure to Protect Our Troops NY TIMES June 14, 2007
The Bush administration and military leaders in Washington are always
claiming that they will do anything to support American troops fighting in
Iraq. That makes it all the more infuriating to learn that, for more than
two years, the Pentagon largely ignored urgent requests from field
commanders for better armor-protected vehicles that could have saved untold
lives and limbs.
Improvised explosive devices, or I.E.D.'s, can blast through the flat
underbelly of the military's standard Humvees, maiming and killing the
soldiers within. These devices, a low-tech response to America's
overwhelming military power, are now causing 70 percent to 80 percent of the
American combat deaths in Iraq.
More than two years ago, according to newly disclosed documents, Marine
commanders in Al Anbar Province, a center of the Sunni insurgency, submitted
an urgent request for more than 1,100 Mine Resistant Ambush Protected
Vehicles, or MRAPs, that have V-shaped bottoms able to deflect blasts from
below. For reasons yet to be satisfactorily explained, military officials
initially sat on the request and then ordered relatively few.
Some, second-guessing the judgment of the battlefield commanders, apparently
felt that Humvees with upgraded armor could do the job. Others may have been
reluctant to invest billions of dollars in vehicles that might have little
use after Iraq. Turf battles were probably also a factor, as a large-scale
purchase might threaten future weapons programs. But Iraq is the war that
Americans are fighting and dying in today.
Only now are Pentagon leaders, prodded by Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr. and
other critics on Capitol Hill, rushing to ramp up production. Congress has
accelerated funding to buy more than 7,000 of the vehicles by early next
year, and the military services are seeking some 21,000 in all, at a cost
that could exceed $20 billion. Defense Secretary Robert Gates has declared
his determination to "produce as many of these vehicles and get them into
the field as fast as possible," though the precise number needed has yet to
be established.
Unfortunately, the MRAPs will remain vulnerable to the deadliest I.E.D.'s,
known as "explosively formed penetrators," which destroy vehicles from the
side. The military is looking for ways to add armor to the MRAPs and is
testing another new vehicle to counter that threat.
If the small companies that make these vehicles are not able to produce the
quantities needed quickly, President Bush and Secretary Gates ought to make
this a crash program and enlist major manufacturers.
There can be no excuse for failing to provide the best possible protection
for American troops in this disastrous war.
How 3 Activists, 1 Minister, & 1 Program Director Helped a House Rep. Sign H. Res. 333 to Impeach Cheney
I want y'all to know it's possible. You may find your own ways to do it. Just don't give up. In the 4 DAYS since we met with Rep. Yvette Clarke in DC on Tues. June 5, SHE signed on, REP. WOOLSEY signed on, and REP. LEE signed on! Probably we can't take credit for the whole thing but every effort counts and adds up!
Here is the process that culminated in our Rep. making the call to cosponsor the bill to impeach Cheney:
1 - I went to DC to see my new Rep.Yvette Clarke, sworn in the first week of 2007. Had never met her, but I hung out in her office and met her supporters, staff, campaign advisors. Went into the celebration room in the Capitol where we saw her cermonial swearing-in. I introduced myself as a constituent interested in participatory democracy. Networked. Met her scheduler.
2 - Back home, I called her scheduler, trying to set up a meeting. In late Feb. the scheduler agreed, and asked if the Rep. could come to MY home. I set up a meeting with 35 people, including 3 Christian ministers I know (I work part-time in a church and have met some liberal clergy), a couple of people who have run for local office, a couple business owners and just neighborhood folks.
3 - With just 2 other activists in my neighborhood, we had multiple weekly lobbying contacts with her office focused on the Lee bill, all the Iraq Supplemental votes, and Impeachment, esp. after H. Res. 333 came up (in the form of emails and calls).
4 - Meanwhile we periodically emailed all who had attended the Feb. meeting, apprised of our contacts with her and encouraged them to lobby her during crucial vote times. Some did.
5 - One of the ministers we kept in the loop turned out to know the Congresswoman, and was also quite concerned about the Iraq moral crisis, the constitutional crisis, and the gathering of political power almost exclusively in the Unitary Executive branch. We spoke at some length, and we set up a meeting in Washington to meet with her and her Chief of Staff.
6 - We prepared a 45-page packet for Clarke including our agenda for the meeting, letters from 5 other clergy, urging her to take the lead on peace and accountability issues, plus extensive documentation on our issues; i.e., Supplementals, Oil Benchmarks, Unitary Executive powers, and H.Res. 333 for Impeaching Cheney. (Three of us local grassroots activists had researched and prepared this packet over several months.)
7 - During the course of the meeting, Rep. Clarke authorized her Chief of Staff to notify Kucinich's office that she wanted to cosponsor H. Res. 333. The phone call was made and it was done. She listened to us and she did it!
We have plans to continue our in-district netorking with other faith-based groups and keep building on this relationship with our Representative, continuing to advocate for peace and accountability and impeachment.
We also will talk and network with folks (from liberal groups, faith-based groups or wherever we find them) in nearby districts, recruit them to do their version what we've done with their Reps, and plan to go to Washington en masse to go visit each Brooklyn Rep's office in a round-robin set of meetings in one day, advocating for peace and impeachment!
Anyone from Brooklyn who is called to get in on this kind of advocacy, please contact us. Anyone from anywhere who wants to talk to us about having already done similar actions, or wants to ask us any questions or get encouragement, please get in touch with us! We are serious about this but also have some laughs, and it is satisfying to get some results once in awhile!
GREAT IMPEACHMENT NEWS! Three fellow constituents and I met with Representative Yvette Clarke today in Washington, and at the end of the meeting she had her Chief of Staff have a staffer call Kucinich's office and sign on to H. Res. 333! This can happen MANY ways.
Happy Impeaching this summer!
Mayans Call for Peace Prayers today May 22
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Don Alejandro Oxlaj: May 22 Call to Prayer
from: Don Alejandro Oxlaj, Guatemala de la Asuncion
Don Alejandro is charged as the primary keeper of the teachings, visions and prophecies of the Mayan people. He is head of the National Mayan Council of Elders of Guatemala, Day Keeper of the Mayan Calendar, a 13th generation Quiche Mayan High Priest and a Grand Elder of the Continental Council of Elders and Spiritual Guides of the Americas. He is also an international lecturer on Mayan Culture.
Don Alejandro gives us this timely message: a call to action, a call to come together and be as one. Don Alejandro will be performing a Sacred Maya Fire Ceremony in Guatemala, and be joining the thousands of others around the planet during the Break through Celebration.
In the name of the Heart of the Heavens and the Heart of the Earth, greetings to you. In the name of the Maya National Council of Elders, Spiritual Guides of Guatemala, we address the following to you for your great magnetic connections at the global level:
The Spirit of the Maya Nation and the Spirit of Mother Earth make us look for ties of friendship with all peoples of the world. The Maya Prophecy tells us 'We will meet for we are one like the fingers of the hand.' We all are children of the Earth, we are flowers of the garden of our Creator coming in different colors, in different shapes, in different sizes, with different aromas; speaking different languages, and each one worshiping and meditating in their own way to the same Creator who has different names according to their own culture.
We hope this communique reaches all institutions, in private sectors as well as governmental ones; landowners, scientists, and all people in general.
Brothers and sisters, there has been over 500 years of extermination in the face of the earth, extermination of humans, extermination of our brother animals and ancient trees, every day at a faster speed. The elders from the National Council of Elders and Spiritual Guides of Guatemala are keepers of mystical and millenary knowledge. Like the birds, tirelessly in their flight, they live to see the prophecies fulfilled.We want to make all people and governments in the world conscientious, and have them analyze and reflect at the situation of the planet in the present time. Let us start by remembering that the Americas were a paradise 500 years ago. Virgin forests, cities of beautiful animals, cities to an innumerable variety of colorful birds, flying in freedom; they provided food for everyone. The waters were abundant and pure; and the people, they lived in their own traditions, guarding their cultures and conserving the beauty of Mother Earth. Our ancestors lived to be over 100 years old, free from contagion and illnesses. They were respectful and obedient to the laws of our Creator.
Let us talk now about our present times.We enjoy new advances in technology, inventions that make everyday life easier for us, we all use them, but the negative side is that we are finishing up our forests, and contributing to the contamination of the planet, the rivers are drying out, the waters are being contaminated. Our crops are affected by plagues as well as plagues killing our animals. We are threatened by contagious illnesses, incurable illnesses unknown in the past. Very harmful are the use of chemicals, the insecticides, transgenic seeds, etc. And most of all, these days, the nuclear testing: nuclear bombs and a great deal of war weapons, and the war in itself sterilizing or killing the planet Earth and affecting all living beings. Many people are homeless, children begging in the streets, others are involved in prostitution. Predators are on the rise. Dead people appearing daily in the streets, kidnappings, extortion, shootings in the schools, parents killing children, children killing children, parents raping their own kids. All this is a direct result of the contamination. There is no respect; no respect for life. The authorities sell themselves. The justice can be bought or sold.
Now lets speak about the future. We, the traditional Mayan elders, and all indigenous peoples in the world, meditate on the future. We don't think only for today, the present, we think for tomorrow, for our children, grand children and future generations. We see a dark shadow approaching, a shadow that will cause a lot of harm. It is the great contamination. All this is due to man's creation. We are digging our own graves. Wars are being transported to other countries; they reason in their speeches it is on behalf of freedom, but the result is more slavery. They speak that it will bring new development, but the result is more hunger for the underdeveloped countries. If we continue like this, the time will come when there are no more soldiers to form battalions. The Maya National Council of Elders of Guatemala ask all nations of the world , their governors and the governed ones, to put a stop to the contamination; and to the big and small enterprises, to find alternatives. We don't want any more wars, no more death, no more nuclear testing, no more chemicals, because the warming up of the planet is unbearable to Mother Earth. If we don't change, sooner or later, she will strike back with millions of lives lost.
Our Creator created us here over the face of the earth to worship him, to love and respect each other. We all are equal, we are flowers of the earth, in different sizes, of different colors, with different songs, with different smell, but all looking at our Creator, honoring him with different dances, different music, different ceremonies. We all plead to him, we are his children, he is the creator of all that exist, all that we see and all which is beyond our senses. He has given us our life with an intelligence to do well. Brothers and Sisters of all colors, holding hands around the planet on May 22nd ,2007, let us reflect on this, let us meditate in our own way, in our own language, according to our own culture or religion, because we have only one Sun to shine upon us equally, one air that we breath and gives us life, one water that we drink and becomes blood in our veins and all live on Mother Earth. She feeds us, she holds us.Brothers and Sisters of all colors, together united in meditation to make conscience to the men in power, governors, politicians, business people: no more war, no more contaminating bombs, no more death. Together we can make a difference.
May 22nd,2007 is 5 Ajpu*, the Day of Grand Father Sun, he shines upon all of us equally, he doesn't know discrimination, he doesn't get lost on his path, he doesn't get ahead or behind of himself.He gives us warmth, he gives us life. One Sun, one Air, one Water, One Mother Earth. May 22nd, 2007 day of Grand Father Sun, Grand Mother Moon.
The Maya Prophecy says: 'Arise, all arise, not one nor two groups be left behind, together we will see once again the place from where we have come from.'
Alejandro Cirilo Perez Oxlaj/ Wandering Wolf
Grand Elder of the National Council of Elders Mayas,
Xincas and Garifunas of Guatemala
THANK YOU! For all
you do to make this world a
better place PTTP!
Deliver Peace AND IMPEACH!
YES,we can.
DELIVER PEACE!
TO THE WHITE HOUSE!
(The NEW plan of ACTION!)
LET'S do IT!
IMPEACHMENT IS,ON THE TABLE!
you can contact these members of the Judiciary here:
Hon. Jerrold Nadler
202-225-5635
-----------
Hon. Howard L. Berman
(202) 225-4695
-----------
Hon. Zoe Lofgren
(202) 225-3072
------------
A HUGE-THANK YOU!
TO: all of you that have
added or allowed us to
put a DELIVER PEACE
link on your page,
Waitman has added a
"LOVE page"
see if you’re there.
Click that crazy little
Thank you Pic. below
In peace, Jess
We had a fantastic meeting last night with four of us who are committed to make something happen and not just talk. We decided that the most important thing to get the movement underway is CLEAR CONCISE literature (sans rhetoric) for the general populace. Most people out there walk around angry and disgruntled about Bush-Cheney but they feel there's nothing they personally can do about them. And this mind-set is played to the hilt by the Rovian army. They whine, "What can just one person do?" and that justifies doing nothing. Well, actually, one person can do a LOT, but most people need step-by-step instructions and some hand-holding. And those instructions need broad dissemination, not just on the web. So we're working on that - one of my colleagues suggested creating a window decal for local businesses that says "IMPEACHMENT HOTSPOT" to signify that impeachment instructions are available inside the shop. Hey, depending on the neighborhood, it might bring in more customers!
Comment Wall (15 comments)
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Join this network
Unbelievably, a second letter from a desperate soldier came to me today, from the nephew of my best friend:
Written today, this desperate letter is from Sargent Jason Walker, the nephew of some of our best friends, on his second tour in Iraq. PLEASE READ, and help get this letter out there, as he requested. Thanks if so. SEE THE LETTER BELOW.
PLEASE help publicize this letter!
Call me with any questions or for verification at (866) 569-7353..
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From:
Subject: FW: Update 24 june 07
Date: Sun, 24 Jun 2007 14:59:29 -0400
Kim, Please read what my nephew Jason just sent and do your best. Deb
_______________________________
>
>From: Jason Walker [mailto:jbw1416@yahoo.com]
>Sent: Sun 6/24/2007 3:24 AM
>Subject: Update 24 june 07
>Hello everyone!!!
> Well its been a couple of weeks since my last
>letter to the group. I just want to start off by
>saying that it has been one of the toughest times of
>my life and without your prayers I don't think I wold
>have made it this far. If it hadn't been for the Lord
>that's for sure.
> Keep your prayers up my friends. The Army is in
>a reaaly bad spot right now. What we hear our
>leadership telling the American people isn't the case
>at all really. The common line soldier is not being
>heard. I want you to know the truth. The truth from a
>soldier from the gound in the middle of Bagdad.
> We are not making progress. I can tell you from
>the last time I was here in 05 that we are fighting a
>whole new beast. Instead of a few individuals from a
>different land we are now fighting the whole country.
>The streets are empty. The people that supported
>liberty and freedom have long been killed or have
>moved. I cleared a group of houses the other day that
>was at least 50% abandoned. The only people that seem
>to want us here are the people we put in power.
> How is this a Godly war? How is forcing our way
>on another country that doesn't want us here the right
>answer. Sure the government we put in place needs our
>help, yet we gave them power for which they aren't
>inclined to give up too easily.
> This county is in the middle of a civil war.
>They tell us we are on Iraq's side. Well Iraq wants to
>be free to fight thier own battles, Sunni and Shiite
>alike.
> Alll this being said it's not the fight for
>freedom that upsets me. If I saw citizens dragging
>terrorists in the streets and wanting Liberty I would
>gladly give my life for that cause. That is not the
>case at all. The people keep thier mouth's shut and
>therefore the Terrorists leave them alone. Thats all
>they want anyway.
> Well an Army is held together by a "cause" . A
>cause to hold the soldiers together, a cause to give
>them some cause for sacrifice. Four of my close
>friends gave that sacrifice the other day. Death is
>part of a soldiers life. It is the accepted risk. The
>price for Liberty. The hardest part has been
>justifying thier sacrifice. Is so many good many lost
>worth the freedom of a country who doesn't really want
>us here. I say no.
> When is this going to stop? When is enough,
>enough? Please we need your help. The common soldier
>needs your help. The soldier that signed up to serve
>and protect his country with no political gain needs
>your help. The command is not representig the truth.
>They are representing thier careers. It is costing you
>your son's and daughter's lives. Please stand up and
>help us. Bring us home!! Bring your sons and daughters
>home.....it's time.
> I am a believer in my Christ Jesus. I pray
>everyday that the Lord will bring His wisdom down on
>the leadership of our country. I believe that these
>people have seen nothing but violence their entire
>life. How are we bringing them any difference. Christ
>looked at the individual. We need to help this country
>one person at a time with the love of Christ. The Lord
>will bring His Judgement when the time is right. There
>are good people here, yet they are ruled by fear. They
>need Christ's love.
> I dont think they have the burdon of liberty on
>their hearts yet. You have to want, desire, and yearn
>for Liberty and be willing and ready to sacrifice
>everythig for that cause. That is what I don't see. It
>has a heavy cost and it cannot be bought by anyone but
>yourself.
> Please send this to whomever you please, The
>county need to know the truth. In fact, please send
>this out to as many people as you want.
>In Him
>SGT Walker, Jason
>B CO 1-64 AR BN Delete Comment
PLEASE HELP GET THE STORY OUT - to protect this brave kid, and also
further press for peace & impeachment. This young soldier has put
himself in a world of danger.
----------------------------------------
----------------------------------------
From: Iraq Veterans Against the War
Reply-To: Iraq Veterans Against the War
Subject: Soldier in Iraq Resists the Occupation
Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2007 07:18:58 -0700 (PDT)
>Yesterday, June 19, 26 year old SPC Eli Israel put himself at great personal risk by making the courageous decision to refuse further participation in the U.S. occupation of Iraq. Eli told his commanding officer and sergeants that he will no longer be a combatant in this illegal, unjustified war. Eli believes that the U.S. government used the attacks of September 11, 2001 as a pretense to invade Iraq and that "we are now violating the people of this country (Iraq) in ways that we would never accept on our own soil." Eli is stationed at Camp Victory in Baghdad with JVB Bravo Company, 1-149 Infantry of the Kentucky Army National Guard. This soldier's decision to refuse orders puts him at great risk, especially because he is in Iraq, isolated from legal assistance and other support. The following is a message that Eli sent yesterday to a friend back home:
>"I have told them that I will no longer play a 'combat role' in this conflict or 'protect corporate representatives,' and they have taken this as 'violating a direct order.' I may be in jail or worse in the next 24 hours.
>Please rally whoever you can, call whoever you can, bring as much attention to this as you can. I have no doubt that the military will bury me and hide the whole situation if they can. I'm in big trouble. I'm in the middle of Iraq, surrounded by people who are not on my side. Please help me. Please contact whoever you can, and tell them who I am, so I don't 'disappear.'"
Eli is taking an incredible risk by refusing orders in Iraq and will
most likely be court martialed. Please help him by contacting his
Senator and requesting that he take any steps necessary to support and
protect this soldier and ensure that the Army respects his rights and
does not illegally retaliate against him.
>Senator Mitch McConnell:
>http://mcconnell.senate.gov/contact.cfm
>Washington Office
>361-A Russell Senate Office Building
>Washington, DC 20510
>Phone: (202) 224-2541
>Fax: (202) 224-2499
(ALSO MIMI THANKS FOR THE NEWS ABOUT TOWNS!! GREAT work.
SEND THIS TO YOUR HOUSE REP as ammo to get them to Sign on to H. Res. 333 to Impeach Cheney!
*A Failure to Protect Our Troops NY TIMES June 14, 2007
The Bush administration and military leaders in Washington are always
claiming that they will do anything to support American troops fighting in
Iraq. That makes it all the more infuriating to learn that, for more than
two years, the Pentagon largely ignored urgent requests from field
commanders for better armor-protected vehicles that could have saved untold
lives and limbs.
Improvised explosive devices, or I.E.D.'s, can blast through the flat
underbelly of the military's standard Humvees, maiming and killing the
soldiers within. These devices, a low-tech response to America's
overwhelming military power, are now causing 70 percent to 80 percent of the
American combat deaths in Iraq.
More than two years ago, according to newly disclosed documents, Marine
commanders in Al Anbar Province, a center of the Sunni insurgency, submitted
an urgent request for more than 1,100 Mine Resistant Ambush Protected
Vehicles, or MRAPs, that have V-shaped bottoms able to deflect blasts from
below. For reasons yet to be satisfactorily explained, military officials
initially sat on the request and then ordered relatively few.
Some, second-guessing the judgment of the battlefield commanders, apparently
felt that Humvees with upgraded armor could do the job. Others may have been
reluctant to invest billions of dollars in vehicles that might have little
use after Iraq. Turf battles were probably also a factor, as a large-scale
purchase might threaten future weapons programs. But Iraq is the war that
Americans are fighting and dying in today.
Only now are Pentagon leaders, prodded by Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr. and
other critics on Capitol Hill, rushing to ramp up production. Congress has
accelerated funding to buy more than 7,000 of the vehicles by early next
year, and the military services are seeking some 21,000 in all, at a cost
that could exceed $20 billion. Defense Secretary Robert Gates has declared
his determination to "produce as many of these vehicles and get them into
the field as fast as possible," though the precise number needed has yet to
be established.
Unfortunately, the MRAPs will remain vulnerable to the deadliest I.E.D.'s,
known as "explosively formed penetrators," which destroy vehicles from the
side. The military is looking for ways to add armor to the MRAPs and is
testing another new vehicle to counter that threat.
If the small companies that make these vehicles are not able to produce the
quantities needed quickly, President Bush and Secretary Gates ought to make
this a crash program and enlist major manufacturers.
There can be no excuse for failing to provide the best possible protection
for American troops in this disastrous war.
I want y'all to know it's possible. You may find your own ways to do it. Just don't give up. In the 4 DAYS since we met with Rep. Yvette Clarke in DC on Tues. June 5, SHE signed on, REP. WOOLSEY signed on, and REP. LEE signed on! Probably we can't take credit for the whole thing but every effort counts and adds up!
Here is the process that culminated in our Rep. making the call to cosponsor the bill to impeach Cheney:
1 - I went to DC to see my new Rep.Yvette Clarke, sworn in the first week of 2007. Had never met her, but I hung out in her office and met her supporters, staff, campaign advisors. Went into the celebration room in the Capitol where we saw her cermonial swearing-in. I introduced myself as a constituent interested in participatory democracy. Networked. Met her scheduler.
2 - Back home, I called her scheduler, trying to set up a meeting. In late Feb. the scheduler agreed, and asked if the Rep. could come to MY home. I set up a meeting with 35 people, including 3 Christian ministers I know (I work part-time in a church and have met some liberal clergy), a couple of people who have run for local office, a couple business owners and just neighborhood folks.
3 - With just 2 other activists in my neighborhood, we had multiple weekly lobbying contacts with her office focused on the Lee bill, all the Iraq Supplemental votes, and Impeachment, esp. after H. Res. 333 came up (in the form of emails and calls).
4 - Meanwhile we periodically emailed all who had attended the Feb. meeting, apprised of our contacts with her and encouraged them to lobby her during crucial vote times. Some did.
5 - One of the ministers we kept in the loop turned out to know the Congresswoman, and was also quite concerned about the Iraq moral crisis, the constitutional crisis, and the gathering of political power almost exclusively in the Unitary Executive branch. We spoke at some length, and we set up a meeting in Washington to meet with her and her Chief of Staff.
6 - We prepared a 45-page packet for Clarke including our agenda for the meeting, letters from 5 other clergy, urging her to take the lead on peace and accountability issues, plus extensive documentation on our issues; i.e., Supplementals, Oil Benchmarks, Unitary Executive powers, and H.Res. 333 for Impeaching Cheney. (Three of us local grassroots activists had researched and prepared this packet over several months.)
7 - During the course of the meeting, Rep. Clarke authorized her Chief of Staff to notify Kucinich's office that she wanted to cosponsor H. Res. 333. The phone call was made and it was done. She listened to us and she did it!
We have plans to continue our in-district netorking with other faith-based groups and keep building on this relationship with our Representative, continuing to advocate for peace and accountability and impeachment.
We also will talk and network with folks (from liberal groups, faith-based groups or wherever we find them) in nearby districts, recruit them to do their version what we've done with their Reps, and plan to go to Washington en masse to go visit each Brooklyn Rep's office in a round-robin set of meetings in one day, advocating for peace and impeachment!
Anyone from Brooklyn who is called to get in on this kind of advocacy, please contact us. Anyone from anywhere who wants to talk to us about having already done similar actions, or wants to ask us any questions or get encouragement, please get in touch with us! We are serious about this but also have some laughs, and it is satisfying to get some results once in awhile!
Happy Impeaching this summer!
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Don Alejandro Oxlaj: May 22 Call to Prayer
from: Don Alejandro Oxlaj, Guatemala de la Asuncion
Don Alejandro is charged as the primary keeper of the teachings, visions and prophecies of the Mayan people. He is head of the National Mayan Council of Elders of Guatemala, Day Keeper of the Mayan Calendar, a 13th generation Quiche Mayan High Priest and a Grand Elder of the Continental Council of Elders and Spiritual Guides of the Americas. He is also an international lecturer on Mayan Culture.
Don Alejandro gives us this timely message: a call to action, a call to come together and be as one. Don Alejandro will be performing a Sacred Maya Fire Ceremony in Guatemala, and be joining the thousands of others around the planet during the Break through Celebration.
In the name of the Heart of the Heavens and the Heart of the Earth, greetings to you. In the name of the Maya National Council of Elders, Spiritual Guides of Guatemala, we address the following to you for your great magnetic connections at the global level:
The Spirit of the Maya Nation and the Spirit of Mother Earth make us look for ties of friendship with all peoples of the world. The Maya Prophecy tells us 'We will meet for we are one like the fingers of the hand.' We all are children of the Earth, we are flowers of the garden of our Creator coming in different colors, in different shapes, in different sizes, with different aromas; speaking different languages, and each one worshiping and meditating in their own way to the same Creator who has different names according to their own culture.
We hope this communique reaches all institutions, in private sectors as well as governmental ones; landowners, scientists, and all people in general.
Brothers and sisters, there has been over 500 years of extermination in the face of the earth, extermination of humans, extermination of our brother animals and ancient trees, every day at a faster speed. The elders from the National Council of Elders and Spiritual Guides of Guatemala are keepers of mystical and millenary knowledge. Like the birds, tirelessly in their flight, they live to see the prophecies fulfilled.We want to make all people and governments in the world conscientious, and have them analyze and reflect at the situation of the planet in the present time. Let us start by remembering that the Americas were a paradise 500 years ago. Virgin forests, cities of beautiful animals, cities to an innumerable variety of colorful birds, flying in freedom; they provided food for everyone. The waters were abundant and pure; and the people, they lived in their own traditions, guarding their cultures and conserving the beauty of Mother Earth. Our ancestors lived to be over 100 years old, free from contagion and illnesses. They were respectful and obedient to the laws of our Creator.
Let us talk now about our present times.We enjoy new advances in technology, inventions that make everyday life easier for us, we all use them, but the negative side is that we are finishing up our forests, and contributing to the contamination of the planet, the rivers are drying out, the waters are being contaminated. Our crops are affected by plagues as well as plagues killing our animals. We are threatened by contagious illnesses, incurable illnesses unknown in the past. Very harmful are the use of chemicals, the insecticides, transgenic seeds, etc. And most of all, these days, the nuclear testing: nuclear bombs and a great deal of war weapons, and the war in itself sterilizing or killing the planet Earth and affecting all living beings. Many people are homeless, children begging in the streets, others are involved in prostitution. Predators are on the rise. Dead people appearing daily in the streets, kidnappings, extortion, shootings in the schools, parents killing children, children killing children, parents raping their own kids. All this is a direct result of the contamination. There is no respect; no respect for life. The authorities sell themselves. The justice can be bought or sold.
Now lets speak about the future. We, the traditional Mayan elders, and all indigenous peoples in the world, meditate on the future. We don't think only for today, the present, we think for tomorrow, for our children, grand children and future generations. We see a dark shadow approaching, a shadow that will cause a lot of harm. It is the great contamination. All this is due to man's creation. We are digging our own graves. Wars are being transported to other countries; they reason in their speeches it is on behalf of freedom, but the result is more slavery. They speak that it will bring new development, but the result is more hunger for the underdeveloped countries. If we continue like this, the time will come when there are no more soldiers to form battalions. The Maya National Council of Elders of Guatemala ask all nations of the world , their governors and the governed ones, to put a stop to the contamination; and to the big and small enterprises, to find alternatives. We don't want any more wars, no more death, no more nuclear testing, no more chemicals, because the warming up of the planet is unbearable to Mother Earth. If we don't change, sooner or later, she will strike back with millions of lives lost.
Our Creator created us here over the face of the earth to worship him, to love and respect each other. We all are equal, we are flowers of the earth, in different sizes, of different colors, with different songs, with different smell, but all looking at our Creator, honoring him with different dances, different music, different ceremonies. We all plead to him, we are his children, he is the creator of all that exist, all that we see and all which is beyond our senses. He has given us our life with an intelligence to do well. Brothers and Sisters of all colors, holding hands around the planet on May 22nd ,2007, let us reflect on this, let us meditate in our own way, in our own language, according to our own culture or religion, because we have only one Sun to shine upon us equally, one air that we breath and gives us life, one water that we drink and becomes blood in our veins and all live on Mother Earth. She feeds us, she holds us.Brothers and Sisters of all colors, together united in meditation to make conscience to the men in power, governors, politicians, business people: no more war, no more contaminating bombs, no more death. Together we can make a difference.
May 22nd,2007 is 5 Ajpu*, the Day of Grand Father Sun, he shines upon all of us equally, he doesn't know discrimination, he doesn't get lost on his path, he doesn't get ahead or behind of himself.He gives us warmth, he gives us life. One Sun, one Air, one Water, One Mother Earth. May 22nd, 2007 day of Grand Father Sun, Grand Mother Moon.
The Maya Prophecy says: 'Arise, all arise, not one nor two groups be left behind, together we will see once again the place from where we have come from.'
Alejandro Cirilo Perez Oxlaj/ Wandering Wolf
Grand Elder of the National Council of Elders Mayas,
Xincas and Garifunas of Guatemala
*Cherokee, hisginei unole atsilvsgi, "fifth wind flower"
sent by Brian Wilkes of www.standingbearfoundation.org
you do to make this world a
better place PTTP!
Deliver Peace AND IMPEACH! YES,we can.
DELIVER PEACE!
TO THE WHITE HOUSE!
(The NEW plan of ACTION!)
LET'S do IT!
IMPEACHMENT IS,ON THE TABLE!
you can contact these members of the Judiciary here:
Hon. Jerrold Nadler
202-225-5635
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Hon. Howard L. Berman
(202) 225-4695
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Hon. Zoe Lofgren
(202) 225-3072
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A HUGE-THANK YOU!
TO: all of you that have
added or allowed us to
put a DELIVER PEACE
link on your page,
Waitman has added a
"LOVE page"
see if you’re there.
Click that crazy little
Thank you Pic. below
In peace, Jess
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