Sgt. Jose Gomez Laid to Rest

Light A Candle For
Peace, Tolerance, Understanding
and For The Children - Innocence Lost!



Something To Keep An Eye On As To Reporting About

CONTACT: Operation Refuse War
Steve Theberge youth@warresisters.org

Posting from AfterDowningStreet

Center On Conscience

War Resisters

NEW YORK - May 11 - From May 11th to 16th, US conscientious objectors (CO's) and CO's from around the world will gather in New York City and Washington DC for Operation Refuse War, a week of conferences, demonstrations, and actions in celebration of International Conscientious Objectors Day, May 15th.

Operation Refuse War will be an opportunity for conscientious objectors, anti-war activists, and military families to come together to share strategies and build community. Participants are coming from South Korea, Eritrea, Colombia, Peru, El Salvador, Canada, Britain, Israel, Macedonia, Bosnia, Germany, and across the United States. This week of action will highlight the difficulties that current conscientious objectors face as well as help build relationships and connections between the various communities within the anti-war movement. In addition, Operation Refuse War will bring together international and American conscientious objectors to share their experiences and ideas with the public.

Public Activities will include:

* We Will Not Kill: International Conscientious Objectors Speak Out! Thursday May 11th 2006 7pm-9pm Location: Friends Meeting House, 15 Rutherford Place, New York, NY

* Operation Refuse War: An International Conference of Resisters to Global War Washington DC, May 13-14 2006 This two day conference will be an opportunity to connect domestic and international anti war organizers

For a full schedule of events, visit operationrefusewar.org

Other Related Events in Washington DC: Lobby Day on Capitol Hill for CO Recognition (organized by the Center on Conscience & War), Eyes Wide Open Exhibit on the Mall, GI Rights Hotline Gathering, Silent March Against the War in Iraq and a number of other events.

Sponsoring organizations include the War Resisters League, War Resisters International American Friends Service Committee Youth and Militarism Program, the Center on Conscience & War, the Washington Peace Center, the National Youth and Student Peace Coalition, Iraq Veterans Against the War - NYC Chapter, Military Law Task Force of the National Lawyers Guild, Fellowship of Reconciliation: Disarmament Program, Central Committee for Conscientious Objectors (CCCO), and Student Peace Action Network (SPAN) (List in formation) Since the 1980s, May 15th has been celebrated as International Conscientious Objectors' Day. Each year, War Resisters' International holds activities in a country where conscientious objectors face persecution or harassment. Previous locations have included the Balkans in 2002, Israel in 2003, Chile in 2004, and Greece in 2005. In addition, a similar gathering of conscientious objectors has been held each year in Washington, DC to forward the rights of conscientious objectors in the United States. This year, CO's from the US and other countries will meet together to strengthen their common efforts.

Fwd: From VetPax, NYC Veterans Coalition.

And where was our City Officials? The Mayor, MOVA? Memorial Day is 18 days away.

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Sympathy Flows at Soldier's Funeral in Queens


"Twenty-five hundred of these around the country," he said. "Can you imagine?"
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Tears for fallen son



"I wish that the President was there when I was notifying the mother."

Corona City Councilman Hiram Monserrate pointed out that Gomez lived a few blocks from Marlon Bustamante, a soldier killed in Iraq in February. "It's a sad day," he said. "I really wish the conflict would stop. It's inflicting so much pain and suffering on the community."
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MOM'S ANGUISH


The mother "had no idea what was coming" and when the sergeant told her that her son was dead, "her face drained. She went into shock and broke down."

"Nothing prepared me for that day," he said. "Despite everything I've been through, nothing compared to watching that woman and telling her her son is dead. Nothing can replace a son."

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'Now all there is is pain'


As the sun broke through he clouds, the mother approached on unsteady legs. She slumped sobbing against the coffin, her hands splaying on the shining metal, seemingly desperate to hold her boy one more time.

"My Jose! My Jose!" she cried in Spanish. "My son!"

GI Special 4E12 The Map.pdf