March Participants Daily WebLog

Daily weblog by march participants continues on TAKE A STAND page...





Walkin to New Orleans
Veterans and Katrina Survivors March for Peace and Justice

Dixie Chicks Answer Back.....[Pass It On!!]

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



From their Recently Released album!

"Not Ready To Make Nice"

"Still Mad As Hell, Not Ready To Back Down"

Listen now to "Not Ready to Make Nice"

Album Is Released - Today

Click On Album To Also Listen To "Not Ready To Make Nice"


Lyrics To "Not Ready To Make Nice":

Forgive, sounds good
Forget, I’m not sure I could
They say time heals everything
But I’m still waiting

I’m through with doubt
There’s nothing left for me to figure out
I’ve paid a price
And I’ll keep paying

I’m not ready to make nice
I’m not ready to back down
I’m still mad as hell and
I don’t have time to go round and round and round
It’s too late to make it right
I probably wouldn’t if I could
‘Cause I’m mad as hell
Can’t bring myself to do what it is you think I should

I know you said
Can’t you just get over it
It turned my whole world around
And I kind of like it

I made my bed and I sleep like a baby
With no regrets and I don’t mind sayin’
It’s a sad sad story when a mother will teach her
Daughter that she ought to hate a perfect stranger
And how in the world can the words that I said
Send somebody so over the edge
That they’d write me a letter
Sayin’ that I better shut up and sing
Or my life will be over

I’m not ready to make nice
I’m not ready to back down
I’m still mad as hell and
I don’t have time to go round and round and round
It’s too late to make it right
I probably wouldn’t if I could
‘Cause I’m mad as hell
Can’t bring myself to do what it is you think I should

I’m not ready to make nice
I’m not ready to back down
I’m still mad as hell and
I don’t have time to go round and round and round
It’s too late to make it right
I probably wouldn’t if I could
‘Cause I’m mad as hell
Can’t bring myself to do what it is you think I should

Forgive, sounds good
Forget, I’m not sure I could
They say time heals everything
But I’m still waiting


~~~~~~~~

And this:

THIS IS WAR



Musical slideshow

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"Sow Justice, Reap Peace -- Strategies for Moving Beyond War" 2006 VFP Annual Convention August 10-13, Seattle, WA
**

Twin Cities VFP
After Downing Street

March to New Orleans Begins - Katrina Victims & Veterans-AND

March To New Orleans Begins, Mobile Register

Wednesday, March 15, 2006
By RON COLQUITT Staff Reporter
More than 100 peace activists from this area and across the nation left Mobile on foot for New Orleans Tuesday morning to protest the war in Iraq and what they say is inadequate aid for Hurricane Katrina victims.
The marchers came from California, New York City, Colorado and other states to join with locals who participated in the march. They began their trip to New Orleans following a brief prayer service near Mobile's Stone Street Baptist Church.

After resting at the memorial, Paul Robinson of Mobile and others who helped organize the march delivered brief speeches before resuming their walk along U.S. 90.
Robinson said the marchers planned to pitch their tents Tuesday night in the Irvington area of south Mobile County before continuing on their way to New Orleans -- a roughly 140-mile trip they hope to conclude by Saturday.
Anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan plans to join the marchers in New Orleans, her sister, Dede Miller, said Tuesday during the march.

"Yesterday when I was at the airport, there were two units of Army guys ready to ship out to Iraq. And I couldn't help but have a broken heart knowing at least one of those kids would not come home," she said.
Miller said she regretted not getting involved sooner.
"So tell your friends, tell your family, don't wait," Miller said. "Don't wait until you get that rude wake-up call when three angels of death in (military) green come to your door and tell you that your lovely nephew is no longer part of your life."
Lynn Seewer, 41, of Mobile uses a wheelchair because of severe arthritis, but said she and her husband plan to complete the journey to New Orleans.
Her husband, 57-year-old Ernie Seewer, said he will push the wheelchair all the way if necessary. He is an Army veteran, he said.
"I just want to be able to participate even though I can't walk, so my husband is going to help me," she said. "This is a very worthwhile cause. ... A lot of people think the only way you can support your troops is to support the war, and that's not necessarily true."

Lisa Smith, 26, of Mobile was among those who watched the marchers go by and cheered them on.
"They are protesting against the war, and it's been going on too long, and it's time for it to be over," Smith said. "I agree with them, definitely."
Smith said she thinks it's "fantastic" that the marchers don't plan to stop until they get to New Orleans.
"I hope somebody, somewhere in the right place is listening and will take heed to what's going on," she said. "It's just ridiculous. There are just too many lives that have been lost in vain."
Robinson, the president of the Mobile Chapter of Veterans for Peace who helped organize the event, said he was pleased with Tuesday's turnout and expected hundreds more protesters will join the march along the way and when it arrives in New Orleans.
Taking his turn at the podium at Memorial Park, Robinson said, "With this administration, we thought that U.S. democracy was again prepared for the greatest of emergencies. Our democracy was found lacking."
The hurricane exposed a flaw in the federal aid system, especially when levees failed and New Orleans flooded, he said.
Robinson said the city was "ruined and lives were lost."
The disaster also exposed an underlying racial problem, he said.
"The disadvantaged were prevented from leaving due to the failure of our democracy," Robinson said.

Hurricane Victims Walk the Walk in Alabama, Independent Online, cape Town, South Africa

March 15 2006 at 01:52AM
Mobile, Alabama - Hurricane victims and war veterans set out on Tuesday on a march to New Orleans to protest against the war in Iraq and what they view as a lack of relief aid for storm victims.

Paul Robinson, the local chapter president of Veterans For Peace, said the 225km "Walking To New Orleans" march is scheduled to end on Saturday.

He said marchers, including several victims of Hurricane Katrina, are demanding not only an end to the war but also a large increase in resources to help hurricane victims rebuild their lives. He expected about 300 marchers to join in, some walking the entire distance and other joining at the end.

March to New Orleans to protest Iraq war, Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Tuesday, March 14, 2006 · Last updated 10:21 a.m. PT
He said marchers, including several victims of Hurricane Katrina, are demanding not only an end to the war but also a large increase in resources to help hurricane victims rebuild their lives. He expected about 300 marchers to join in, some walking the entire distance and other joining at the end.

Vets, storm victims begin 'Walkin' to New Orleans' protest march, The Clarion-Ledger

March 14, 2006
Anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan will join the marchers in New Orleans, her sister, Dede Miller, said Monday at a news conference.

"I'm marching because this will bring attention to the war and what's going on here in the South. It's outrageous," Miller said.

Maine Mother and Son Team Joins March to New OrleansCommon Dreams

PEAKS ISLAND, Maine - March 8 - The last time Annie and Perry O'Brien were on a peace march together, she was carrying him in a Snugli. From March 14 to 19, they'll be walking side by side from Mobile, Alabama, to New Orleans on the Veterans' and Survivors' March for Peace and Justice. The O'Briens, a mother and son from Peaks Island, Maine, are supported by more than 60 individuals who are sponsoring their walk.
Perry, a 23-year-old veteran of the war in Afghanistan where he served as a medic with the 82nd Airborne, was honorably discharged as a conscientious objector in November 2004. He has created a website to guide soldiers through the process of applying for conscientious objection ( Peace-Out ) and has been active with Veterans for Peace and Iraq Veterans Against the War since his discharge. He is currently a student at Cornell University.

The Veterans' and Survivors' March for Peace and Justice is an action of Veterans For Peace, Iraq Veterans Against the War, Military Families Speak Out, and other veteran and family organizations, in coalition with organizations supporting victims of Hurricane Katrina. Veterans of wars abroad along with the survivors of Katrina and Rita are joining together for this march and caravan to establish ties of material solidarity between those who oppose the war abroad and the social and economic costs for working people at home. It will arrive in New Orleans on the third anniversary of the invasion and occupation of Iraq.

Vets, storm victims begin "Walkin' to New Orleans" protest marchTimes Daily

Paul Robinson, the local chapter president of Veterans for Peace, says the 140-mile march is scheduled to end Saturday.

He says marchers include veterans of the Vietnam war, the war in Iraq and victims of Hurricane Katrina who are demanding not only an end to the war in Iraq but also a large increase in resources to help hurricane victims rebuild their lives. He says marchers will go by foot and in cars and at night will stay in tents, motor homes or their vehicles.

Mobile site of protest march to New OrleansKATC 3

MOBILE, Ala. Mobile, Alabama will be the starting point for a 140-mile march protesting the war in Iraq and the government response to Hurricane Katrina victims.
The march, which begins today (Tuesday), will end Saturday in New Orleans.
Anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan is expected to join the marchers in New Orleans.
The march was announced yesterday (Monday) by the Mobile Chapter of Veterans for Peace.
Chapter president Paul Robinson said he expects 300 people to participate in the "Walkin' to New Orleans" march.

March To Protest Katrina Response, Iraq War
Jackson Channel.com, MS - Mar 14, 2006

MOBILE, Ala. -- Mobile, Ala., will be the starting point for a 140-mile march protesting the war in Iraq and the government response ...

March to New Orleans to Protest Iraq War
Salon - Mar 14, 2006

March 14,2006 | MOBILE, Ala. -- Hurricane victims and war veterans set out Tuesday on a march to New Orleans to protest the war ...

March to New Orleans to Protest Iraq War
Forbes - Mar 14, 2006

Hurricane victims and war veterans set out Tuesday on a march to New Orleans to protest the war in Iraq and what they view as a lack of relief aid for storm ...

Vets, storm victims begin "Walkin' to New Orleans" protest march
KLFY, LA - Mar 14, 2006

MOBILE, Ala. War veterans and hurricane victims set out from Mobile, Alabama today on a march to New Orleans to protest the war ...

~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~


March in Freedom - Pablo Paredes

Latino Moritorium March:

On March 12, 2006 Fernando Suarez del Solar, Pablo Paredes, Camilo Mejia and Aidan Delgado will lead a coalition of the willing across a 240+ mile quest for peace that aims at raising Latino voice of opposition to the War in Iraq. The March will run from Tijuana, Mexico all the way to The Mission district of San Francisco making strategic, symbolic and ceremonial stops along the way. The 241 mile march is inspired by Gandhi’s 1930 Salt March protesting British imperialism and will serve as a loud cry for an end to the bloodshed in Iraq.

We need your help financially and logistically to make this a success. Click on the link and button below for donations and feel free to e-mail us at solidaritywithpablo@yahoo.com.

Howard Zinn: "This is one of the most significant actions taken yet to dramatize the movement against the war -- especially because it calls attention to the Latino population, the loss of Latino life in the war, and the unrecognized Larino opposition to the war."

Noam Chomsky: "According to US and British polls, the overwhelming majority of Iraqis want a strict timetable for withdrawal of the occupying armies, without delay. American citizens are the only ones who can fulfill their responsibility, both to the people of Iraq and to our own society. The 241-mile peace march led by four courageous Latino activists revives the spirit of Gandhi's famous salt march that helped liberate India from centuries of harsh imperial rule. We should do what we can to ensure that it achieves its vital and honorable objectives." Help Fund our March for Peace

Four influential Latino peace activists will lead a 240+ mile quest for peace!

Despite embarking on a very bloody and costly war with no just cause; President Bush insists on disrespecting Mohandas K. Gandhi memory by visiting his grave to lay down a memorial wreath. Fortunately, many in America do understand Ghandi's teaching of peace and non-violence. On March 12, 2006 3 young latino conscientious objectors and 1 parent of a fallen latino will lead a march for peace inspired by Ghandi's 241 mile salt march. The march will coincide with the anniversary of the war in Iraq, the anniversary of Ghandi's salt march and will end just as congress reviews key war related legislation. High profile activists such as Cindy Sheehan and Dolores Huerta will also support and participate in this effort.

This historic march will begin in Tijuana, Mexico as a sign of peace beyond borders and will have the formal blessing of the bishop of Tijuana. The march well then head across San Diego and into Escondido, CA...resting place of Jesus Suarez del Solar, one of the first fallen latino marines in the iraq war. The March will stage a major peaceful demonstration at Camp Pendelton, military base that has deployed many Marines to Iraq. The next stop in the march will be the city of La Paz, California, resting place of Cesar Chavez. After crossing Los Angeles and other key cities, the march will conclude in San Francisco, California with a blood drive and a memorial service for Jesus Suarez del Solar and all other fallen US military service people in Iraq.

Key milestones in the march are as follows:

03/12 (early AM) - Initiation of the march in Tijuana, Mexico.
03/13 - Escondido: Where Jesus was first recruited by the US military and where his body currently rests.
03/14 - Camp Pendleton
03/24 - La, Paz:La Paz means “peace” in English and is the resting place of Cesar Chavez
03/27 - San Francisco Grand Finale featuring a blood drive to benefit those in need in Iraq (civilian and Military) and a memorial service for Jesus. The blood drive will serve to demonstrate that despite their opposition to the war, they do support our troops and wish for them to come home now and end the bloodshed.

500+ Anti-War Actions Planned Across the US

500+ Anti-War Actions Planned Across the US

t r u t h o u t | Press Release

Wednesday 15 March 2006

Marking three years since the US-led bombing and invasion of Iraq began, peace groups across the United States are holding anti-war actions March 15-22. United for Peace and Justice (UFPJ), the nation's largest anti-war coalition, is coordinating the local events as part of a nationwide week of action to end the Iraq war.

With more than 500 events planned in all 50 states, the anti-war movement will take to the streets to send a clear message to Congress and the White House: After three years of a failed policy, the Iraq war must end. It's time to bring all the troops home.

According to a CBS poll released Monday (3/13/06), 67% of the US public thinks the Iraq war has not made the US safer, and 59% wants to begin withdrawing troops from Iraq. The White House continues to ignore the majority opposition to the war, which has already cost the lives of more than 2,300 US troops and tens of thousands of Iraqis. After three years of war, Iraq is wracked by violence and threatened with the prospect of civil war, Iraqi civilians are suffering from a lack of basic services, including electricity and clean water, and women's rights are being eroded.

"How many more people need to die before the US government changes course? We've already spent $250 billion on the war, but things in Iraq keep getting worse. Instead of approving another $72 billion for war, Congress should be figuring out how much money will be needed to bring our troops home now and take care of them when they get here," said Leslie Cagan, UFPJ National Coordinator.

The week of local actions will include protests outside Congressional offices, peace marches and rallies, interfaith services, candlelight vigils, and nonviolent civil disobedience. From Tucson, AZ, to Boise, ID, to Fayetteville, NC, to Buffalo, NY, communities will call for an immediate end to the war in Iraq.

During the week of action, veterans and military families will unite their call for peace with hurricane survivors' call for justice on a five-day march and caravan from Mobile to New Orleans. Four Latino veterans and military families have begun a 241-mile march for peace from Tijuana, Mexico, to San Francisco. Other highlights of the week include: a National Day of Local Media Protest on Wednesday, March 15; a National Day of Youth and Student Action Against the War on Thursday, March 16; Local Actions to Keep the Pressure on Congress on Monday, March 20; and a Global Call for Nonviolent Resistance to End the US-Led Occupation of Iraq on Monday, March 20. For a full list of US and international actions, visit United for Peace, the Title is also linked back to UFPJ.



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United for Peace and Justice is the largest US peace and justice coalition with more than 1,400 member groups under its umbrella. Since its founding in October 2002, UFPJ has spurred hundreds of protests and rallies around the country, including the largest demonstrations against the Iraq war.
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And along with this coming weekends Actions:

Sir! No Sir! In Theaters

I am very happy to announce that this Spring, "Sir! No Sir!" will be opening in theaters nationwide!


As of today, March 14, the initial theatrical openings will be:


April 7 San Francisco The Red Vic Movie House

April 19 New York IFC Center

April 28 Denver Starz Film Center

May 5 Los Angeles Laemmle Monica
Laemmle Pasadena

May 12 Atlanta Landmark Midtown 8

May 12 or 19 Washington DC Landmark E Street



There will be more to announce in the weeks ahead. To keep up with new theatrical openings, go to the "Sir! No Sir!" web site, or the web site for our distributor Balcony Releasing.


On April 6 at 7 pm, there will be a special preview screening at the Grand Lake Theater in Oakland. The screening will benefit the Iraq Veterans Against the War and will feature filmmaker David Zeiger, veterans from the film, and speakers from the current resistance inside the military. This event is being presented in partnership with Global Exchange, Courage to Resist, Not Your Soldier, Leave My Child Alone, Not in Our Name, Ruckus Society, Art in Action, Central Committee for Conscientious Objectors, and Veterans for Peace.


On April 17 there will be two Sneak Preview screenings--7:30 and 9:30--at the IFC Center in New York. Jane Fonda, David Zeiger, and veterans from the film will be in attendance for a Q&A between the screenings.


For information about these two events, contact Celia Alario, celia@riseup.net.


THE THEATRICAL TRAILER IS NOW AVAILABLE ON THE "SIR! NO SIR!" WEB SITE:
The direct link for the trailer on Cable or DSL

The direct link for the trailer on Modem


PLEASE HELP US SPREAD THIS EXCITING TRAILER EVERYWHERE ON THE INTERNET THROUGH YOUR EMAIL LISTS, BLOGS, AND WEB SITES.


You can also download the beautiful new film poster HERE


I'd like to take this opportunity to again thank all of you who have helped in the struggle to get "Sir! No Sir!" into the world. It has been a long road, and today the suppressed story of the GI resistance to the Vietnam War is more urgent and relevant than ever. With your continuing support, we can make 2006 the Year of "Sir! No Sir!"


Sincerely,
David Zeiger

--
"Sir! No Sir!" combines exceptional artistry and insightful analysis with great story telling. This is no facile agitprop piece, but a careful dissection of a growing military rebellion that permanently altered American society, but has largely been forgotten.
International Documentary Magazine



Nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Documentary
Audience Award Best Documentary--Los Angeles Film Festival
Jury Award Best Documentary--Hamptons International Film Festival
Jury Award Best Film on War and Peace--Vermont International Film Festival
Nominated for a Gotham Award and International Documentary Association Award

www.sirnosir.com
Displaced Films
3421 Fernwood Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90039
323-906-9249
323-913-0683 fax
www.displacedfilms.com

US Abuses, Sense of Irony Missing in Rights Report

A centralised democracy may be as tyrannical as an absolute monarch; and if the vigour of the nation is to continue unimpaired, each individual, each family,
each district, must preserve as far as possible its independence, its
self-completeness, its powers and its privilege to manage its own affairs and
think its own thoughts."
James Anthony Froude (1818-1894) Author and historian
Source: Short Studies on Great Subjects

==========

'BRAND AMERICA,' NOW WITH MORE TERROR
While George W. Bush's domestic poll numbers find a new low, the U.S. image abroad continues to scrape bottom. Addressing the White House's failure to win "hearts and minds," John Brown writes, "Personnel and programs matter in foreign policy, but what counts most is policy itself. ... This policy, no matter how public diplomacy or propaganda 'explains' it, cannot possibly win the world over because of its appalling consequences, shocking and sickening to non-Americans if not to Americans as well ... . Thanks to the mass media and the Internet, the abominations of a terror-obsessed U.S. policy have become the new American 'brand' worldwide, with the administration's calls for planetary democratization -- so selectively implemented -- widely seen as fake packaging, hypocrisy at its worst." SOURCE: TomPaine.com, March 10, 2006 For more information or to comment on this story, visit: PR Watch

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"The enemy aggressor is always pursuing a course of larceny, murder, rapine and barbarism. We are always moving forward with high mission, a destiny imposed by
the Deity to regenerate our victims while incidentally capturing their markets,
to civilise savage and senile and paranoid peoples while blundering accidentally
into their oil wells."
John Flynn, 1944

==========

WHITEWASHING GUANTANAMO IN THE UK
"The innocence of (Moazzam) Begg, the Tipton Three and the other British detainees who have come home is a part of the story of Guantanamo that no official wants people to hear," writes Victoria Brittain, the co-author with Begg of the book Enemy Combatant. Brittain points to a Daily Telegraph story titled, "Begg told FBI he trained with al-Qaeda." The story was based on an FBI report of a confession that Begg signed after he "had been tortured, threatened with death, offered a job undercover by the CIA, and come to believe he would never see his family again." The U.S. deputy assistant for public diplomacy, Colleen Graffy, recently gave a BBC radio interview about how she "had visited Guantanamo and witness no unpleasant interrogation, no torture and plenty of sports facilities," writes Brittain. Graffy showed her interviewer "a sample tube used for force-feeding prisoners and explained ... that it had no metal edges and was therefore humane." SOURCE: Guardian (UK), March 14, 2006 For more information or to comment on this story, visit: PR Watch

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"Democracy must be something more than two wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for dinner."
James Bovard
1994 Source: Lost Rights. The Destruction of
American Liberty (St. Martin's Press: New York, 1994), p. 333

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Lessons of Iraq War start with U.S. history
By Howard Zinn
On the third anniversary of President Bush's Iraq debacle, it's important to consider why the administration so easily fooled so many people into supporting the war.


=========

“The strongest passions and most dangerous weaknesses of the human breast;
ambition, avarice, vanity, the honorable or venal love of fame, are all in
conspiracy against the desire and duty of peace
James Madison

=========

The Cost Of Incompetence
Two stories this week show how dangerous it is to have people who detest government running it.


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Patriotism is a religion, the egg from which wars are hatched."
Guy de Maupassant

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US Abuses, Sense of Irony Missing in Rights Report
How can it now be seen as anything more than a sham when the Bush administration consistently breaks our own laws -- from illegal wiretaps at home to renditions abroad -- yet still tries to portray itself as the protector of freedom, democracy and liberty for all?

==========

"Politically speaking, tribal nationalism [patriotism] always insists that its own people are surrounded by 'a world of enemies' - 'one against all' - and that a fundamental difference exists between this people and all others. It claims its people to be unique, individual, incompatible with all others, and denies theoretically the very possibility of a common mankind long before it is used to destroy the humanity of man."
Hannah Arendt, The Origins Of Totalitarianism p.227

Gandhi in California

If anyone on the West Coast could Cover This it would help give Power to the Action of these Marchers!!

Gandhi in California
The 2006 Latino Peace Pilgrimage to End the Iraq War
By David Howard
t r u t h o u t | Perspective
Saturday 11 March 2006

Seventy-six years ago, on March 12, 1930, Mohandas Gandhi began the Salt Satyagraha, a seemingly quixotic journey of nonviolent protest against omnipotent empire, a march to the sea powered by what Gandhi called his inner vision. Joined by thousands of ordinary Indians, Gandhi walked 400 kilometers (241 miles) from Ahmedabad to Dandi, Gujarat.

The British then held a monopoly on salt, and Gandhi knew that the proceeds of the salt tax helped finance the forces of empire at the expense of the impoverished masses - the campesinos.

When he arrived at Dandi on the Arabian Sea, Gandhi picked up a grain of salt and spoke prophetic truth to arrogant power: "With this, I am shaking the foundations of the British Empire."

The truth and beauty of Gandhian nonviolence resonated around the world. Here in the United States, it inspired some of our greatest social justice heroes: Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks, American untouchables from the cotton-picking Deep South; Caesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta, children of campesinos from the strawberry and lettuce fields of the Mexicano Southwest. Their simple acts of civil disobedience - refusing to sit in the back of the bus, demanding service at whites-only lunch counters, boycotting grapes - changed our world.

On March 12, 2006, the seventy-sixth anniversary of the Salt March, as the world suffers the intended and unintended consequences of a hideous war of aggression against Iraq, Latino conscientious objectors and parents of fallen soldiers begin their own two-week march of nonviolent protest.

Like Gandhi in India, they will walk 241 California miles between Tijuana on the Mexican border and the Pacific Bay city of San Francisco. Each stop on the march for peace and justice is important to the history of the Latino movimiento: la frontera, the border between North and South, privilege and poverty; La Paz, the burial site of Caesar Chavez; Camp Pendleton, where generations of troops have trained for the killing fields of Southeast Asia, Afghanistan and Iraq. The march will end in San Francisco's Mission District on March 26-27, where participants will donate blood for both soldiers and civilians in Iraq.

The leaders of the march are Fernando Suarez del Solar, whose Marine Corps son was among the first US soldiers to die in the Iraq War; Pablo Paredes, the Navy seaman who was court-martialed for refusing to board an Iraq-bound ship; Camilo Mejiaa, who chose military prison over redeployment in Iraq; and Aidan Delgado, who was granted conscientious objector status while stationed at Abu Ghraib prison.

We in Ventura County, California, will honor these peace marchers in the spirit of Gandhi, King, Parks, Chavez and Huerta. On Monday, March 20, we will house them in the sanctuary of Oxnard's Congregation for Peace. We will walk with them to teach our children at Oxnard High School. We will join them in protest in front of Oxnard's military recruitment office, and we will arrive together at the County Government Center to call upon attorneys, judges and elected officials to help us end the war.

No one knows when the Iraq War will end. No one knows who among the children at Oxnard High School will heed Gandhi's message and who will fall prey to a multi-billion-dollar military propaganda program hell-bent on persuading them to fight.

But we do know that 75 years from now, our great grandchildren will remember our grain of salt. They will stand at our humble milestones and recall how we contributed our drop of blood, sweat and salt tears to help end an obscene war of immense cruelty and folly. They will remember not because our gestures are unique or grandiose, but because they reflect a perennial vision of peace transmitted across borders, cultures and religions. A vision worth a mere grain of salt; a vision that shakes the foundations of empire.
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David Howard is co-chair of Ventura County Citizens for Peaceful Resolution/CPR.
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Only One Issue Makes For STRONG National Defense...

Take Care of the Military Personal and Veterans, a small Minority of the Large Majority of this so called 'Rich Nation'!!

"The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified,
shall be directly proportional to how they perceive the Veterans of earlier wars were treated
and appreciated by their nation." - George Washington

That Minority signs a Contract to the Majority that they Serve and Defend this Country. But that Majority has never Really Completely Upheld their end of that Contract, it's better to them having an 'Out of Sight, Out of Mind' Mentality, labeling those Veterans seeking Help and Expectation of a Fullfilled Contract as Slackers and Liers for the Condition's they find themselves in After Serving 'Honorably'!

Blotted 'Military Budgets', much heading for Corruption, Does Not Give For A Strong Defense. Those who Serve Do, 'Honorably'!!

Going through the Motions and giving Empty Rethoric, by our 'Hired' Representatives and that 'Majority' has been going on Far Too Long! It's Way Past Time that the Majority 'Honor' those who Serve and their 'Contracts' with 'America'!!

This 'Country' of the 'Majority', Who Don't Serve, Owes To That Minority Who Do and Always Has!!

March 11, 2006
Vietnam Vets Face Struggle To Survive
Some are living in woods, cars
By Victor Whitman
Times Herald-Record
vwhitman@th-record.com
Monticello - Vietnam vet John Venticinque once dodged bullets for his country.
Now he's dodging cockroaches in a flea-bag motel in Monticello, stuck living for months in Room 103 because he can't find a place to stay in Sullivan County.
"I'm homeless, I'm homeless... Here I am stuck in this rat-infested place," said Venticinque, a 55-year-old Army soldier who saw combat action and came home traumatized.

Why are these reports still coming forward? Those who never serve, especially in Combat Theaters, have No Idea the Trauma's all go through and to what degree they may effect some, yet the unknowing seem to be able to come up with empty slogans, hollow knowledge, and charges to justify not spending the needed funds to 'Honor' the contracts signed for their benefit nor 'Honor' those who signed them!

Lawmakers address problems with VA programs
BY CHRIS ADAMS
Knight Ridder Newspapers
WASHINGTON - Congressional leaders from both parties have begun pushing the Bush administration to boost staffing for its veterans' disability compensation program, now mired in a growing backlog of cases and beset by increasing delays.
At the same time, Democratic lawmakers are writing legislation to increase funding and enrollment in a pension program for poor veterans and their widows. In December, Knight Ridder revealed that the program was overlooking the vast majority of people who could participate - an estimated 2 million veterans or widows who collectively aren't getting as much as $22 billion a year.

Is the above article header reporting more of the same All Veterans have followed for years?

The VA's disability compensation program sends checks to 2.7 million veterans for injuries suffered during military service. Yet high error rates, lengthy appeals, backlogs and wide regional inconsistencies mean many veterans wait years for decisions. One result, detailed by Knight Ridder: Thousands of older veterans die with their claims still pending.

Almost all Democrats and Republicans, though I haven't met any true Republicans in years especially those in the Public offices, have a connection to someone who has served this country in the Military. Yet most don't even show their respect for family members, be they from way in the past to the present, on the Holiday's set aside to give 'Honor' and 'Respect'. To most it's a Day Off and that's it. Schools that may have to have sessions, on those days, ussually from lost snow/weather as makeup days get Complaints from the Parents and Students because it Interfears with that Day Off from shopping or whatever!

In addition, the average time to process claims, which the VA had said would drop to 145 days, or 125 days, or even 100 days, is projected to increase this year and next, to more than 180 days.
Both measures are closely watched indicators of the department's efficiency. The fact that the VA seems to be losing ground has Republicans and Democrats concerned.
Although Republicans and Democrats in the House of Representatives are focusing on staffers directly assigned to disability compensation cases, the VA said in a statement that it is "more appropriate" to look at the overall number of staffers, which also includes workers handling pension and burial cases. Looked at that way, the department said it would see a reduction of 48 staffers next year.

Are they offshoring, No their reducing the needed workforce already overburdened but still dedicated!

Democrats and Republicans on the committee say the administration also needs to beef up its appeals division, generally the source of the longest waits for veterans. In 2005, the average response time for a board decision was 622 days - well above the department's goal of 365 days.

This is nothing New, this is how the system has been since it's inception! It was just plain Outrageous during the Vietnam Conflict Years and had stayed that way, and now Approaching that same Outrageous with the returning Vets of the Afgan/Iraq Theaters!

Beyond that, there's also a move afoot to increase funding for the VA's pension program. Only about 20 percent of veterans and widows who could get the pensions do so, a VA study estimates. The payments are also so low that widows who have just $7,094 in annual income make too much to qualify.
"It's a disgrace how little widows get," said Ann G. Knowles, president of a national association of county veterans officials. She testified before Buyer's committee late last month, citing Knight Ridder's December story as a reason to boost funding for the pension program.
Democrats on the House veterans committee are recommending the administration increase pension payments to 125 percent of the poverty level, or about $12,250 a year for an individual.
Several lawmakers are also working on legislation to increase payments and to boost outreach efforts to sign more people up for the pensions. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., is working on legislation that could be ready early next month, a spokesman said, as are Democrats in the House, such Howard Berman of California.

Are these moves, above, just more of the same emptiness, to be shelved once again, or just plain Never Funded, we've seen this same Crap over and over and over again!

If any Party wants a Strong 'National Defense' Platform, Start Fighting For Your Veterans And Mean It!!

That is the Only True way to a 'Strong National Defense' People hear about, or see, the huge figures voted on and spent for the Defense Budgets, No Questions Asked, untill the Corruption bubbles up and than Very Little Noise from the MSM and People, who Pay Those Huge Budgets!

We don't need Huge Budgets, we need the monies spent wisely, not wasted or stolen!

The VA Hospital system alone should have been the Best in the World, in Care, in Research, in Training, it could even be Making Money if it had been Financed and Built the right way to begin with. Instead the Dedicated Hospital personal and Volunteers are the ones that keep it at least Functioning, it Certainly isn't those, the Majority, who Never Served!
One More Time: You Want A Platform Of 'Strong National Defense', Start Fighting For Your Veterans AND MEAN IT!!

And 'Stop' sending that Minority into Conflicts of Invading others Countries, Especially on Fabricated Intelligence! They Serve to Defend not be an Offensive Destructive Force for the Wants of a Corrupt Civilian/Military Leadership!!
Bring Them Home,NOW!!!!

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"Sow Justice, Reap Peace -- Strategies for Moving Beyond War" 2006 VFP Annual Convention August 10-13, Seattle, WA

"Never again shall one generation of veterans abandon another."

Forget The Talking Heads....

Most don't have the Lived Experiance to justify their Rethoric, and that Includes the Guests!

Where 'Truth' Can Be Found

March 11, 2006 --

Wayne Madsen Report

Llewellyn King's consummate Washington insider newsletter, White House Weekly, never disappoints when it comes to straight and unvarnished reporting from the White House Press Pool. In the March 8, 2006 issue, the press pool reporter describes an account of what happened when the White House press plane touched down to refuel at Shannon Airport in Ireland on its way back to Washington after Bush's recent trip to India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. Upon deplaning and repairing to the airport bar, the reporters encountered a group of returning GIs from Iraq on their way back home to Colorado. After a few beers and whiskeys, one of the returning troops spoke on behalf of his colleagues when asked what they thought of Bush's war in Iraq. The soldier said, "Well, sir, in the shitter it says, 'Bush can suck my d**k.'" Upon shouts of approval from his fellow troops, the soldier added, "And sir, if you want to find out about morale in the Army, find out the truth, you'll always find it in the shitter."

Why Did Bush Destroy Iraq?

"George, your reckless and wanton foreign policies killed my son, Spc. Casey Austin Sheehan, in the illegal and unjust war on Iraq. Helping to bring about your political downfall will be the most noble accomplishment of my life, and it will bring justice for my son and the hundreds of other brave Americans and tens of thousands of innocent Iraqis your lies have killed."
Cindy Sheehan

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Stop your meddling, Iraqi minister tells US

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“I took an oath when I joined the Navy. I swore to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States of America from all enemies, foreign and domestic. Nowhere does it state that I must blindly follow the orders of unjust or immoral leaders. This is the reason that I am compelled to speak out against our use of Depleted Uranium. It is the biggest, invisible danger that our troops and the Iraqi people face and most insidious. What we are committing is a silent genocide of both planet and people.”
Kim Hawkins - Gulf War Veteran

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Iraqi Shi'ite cleric calls U.S., Britain and Israel a 'Triad of Evil'

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"It was a failure of citizenship of the American people that the Bush cabal was allowed to invade Iraq. Thus, any U.S. citizen who is not doing everything in their power to end this illegal and immoral occupation as quickly as possible is complicit with the war crimes being committed in Iraq on a daily basis."
Dahr Jamail

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Why Did Bush Destroy Iraq?

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Number Of Iraqi Civilians Slaughtered In America's War? As Many As 250,000

Number of U.S. Military Personnel Slaughtered (Officially acknowledged) In Bush's War

2307

The War in Iraq Costs $246,722,181,055 See the cost in your community

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Iraq may still seek WMDs

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Huey Long: "If fascism ever came to the United States, it would be wrapped in an American flag."

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US Army in jeopardy in Iraq: An Iraqi civil war could cost the United States its army.

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Star Wars filmmaker George Lucas: "All democracies turn into dictatorships - but not by coup. The people give their democracy to a dictator, whether it's Julius Caesar or Napoleon or Adolf Hitler. Ultimately, the general population goes along with the idea... That's the issue that I've been exploring: How did the Republic turn into the Empire ... and how does a democracy become a dictatorship?"

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A Lawless and Incompetent Leadership: Bush at the Tipping Point: By Ralph Nader

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Alex Carey: "The twentieth century has been characterized by three developments of great political importance: the growth of democracy, the growth of corporate power, and the growth of corporate propaganda as a means of protecting corporate power against democracy."

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US military expects violent Afghan spring-admiral

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Robert Scheer, Los Angeles Times: "The fact is ... that when totalitarian nations... play ball with U.S. business interests, we like them just fine. But when Venezuela's freely elected president threatens powerful corporate interests, the Bush administration treats him as an enemy."

A Short Educational Filmstrip

Dear Fellow American or UnAmerican - I urge you to take a moment and
watch the following filmstrip, Upated, at Click HERE. Be
sure to have flash enabled and your speakers turned on. You may also want
to make sure your right wing hosebag boss is at lunch.

You'll even be able to view the Original, with link just below the view box, Enjoy!!