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Welcome To Veterans For Peace Corporal Jonathan Santos Memorial Chapter 111
Announcements VFP-111 Marching with Mothers for Peace Saturday, May 12, Highlighted a Julia Ward Howe Mother's Day Celebration Dozens of celebrants, including VFP-111 representatives, join a crowd at Bellingham’s Farmers Market for a gathering to read Julia Ward Howe’s Mother’s Day Proclamation, led by Whatcom peace and Justice Executive Janet Marino. After an enthusiastic reading on the grounds of the Market of an “appeal for women to unite for peace in the world,” the group of nearly 75 marchers moved along a route through downtown, to an attention-getting drumbeat provided by Joe Marx’s Circle of Rhythm. The participants gathered at the YWCA Ballroom at the conclusion of the march for refreshments, networking, and songs by the Irthlingz Sharon Abreu and Mike Hurwitz. Organizer Scott Thompson of the Whatcom County Green Party, along with co-sponsors WPJC and VFP, feel that the event turnout this holiday weekend justifies another commemorative for next Mother’s Day, and anticipate a much larger crowd.
Fairhaven Debut of New Banner
March 24, 2012
A human act once set in motion flows on forever to the great account. Before the cordite -- or more accurately, smoke from the charred remains of victims, including pre-teens and toddlers - had even settled in the villages of Balandi and Alkozai in Kandahar province, stock apologies began to roll out from NATO heavy weights, followed by new song and dances from Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai. Familiar outcries of recrimination laced with demands for answers and the removal of ISAF security forces from every Afghan village outposts are making those villas in Dubai look better with every massacre. As if synchronized, and against a backdrop of an early cherry blossom bloom, atonement echoed from the White House Rose Garden. After all, with more than ten years in southern Asia and almost as many end states for victory, apologies are now Commander-in-Chief stock-in-trade. Once again our latest war president pledged a thorough investigation, and then followed up with a very Presidential, in fact rhetorically perfect, act of contrition. "We're heartbroken over the loss of innocent life. The killing of innocent civilians is outrageous and it's unacceptable. It's not who we are as a country, and it does not represent our military." But there was something else. Read complete article in OpEd News May 17, 2012
Total Cost of Wars to Whatcom County Since 2001: $702,240,675 Cost of War in Iraq Cost of War in Afghanistan CostofWar is brought to you by National Priorities Project. WAR RESISTERS There are hundreds of war resisters in Canada and the U.S. WHAT YOU CAN DO:Support the War Resisters’ STRUGGLE for Sanctuary in Canada (www.resisters.ca)
Rain or Shine
Last Wednesday, February 8th, members of VFP-111 brought the war economy road show back to the Herald Building - this time displaying for commuters the tally for war in Afghanistan since 2001. More than a few drivers did a double take at the $265 billion price tag unfurled on State St.
This Wednesday the Chapter will be at the corner of State and Holly at the same time - 3 to 4 pm. As the tally keeps climbing on the financial collateral damage, the Veterans For Peace National Campaign How Is the War Economy Working for You? continues to be a fixture at prominent intersections near you to relentlessly raise awareness.
Upcoming Events
Build Communities of SANCTUARY in the U.S. (www.sanctuary-city.org/) Call on President Obama to grant AMNESTY to all war resisters. (www.SoldierSayNo.blogspot.com) DONATE to the War Resister Support Fund of Veterans For Peace (www.vfp92.org)JOIN THE WAR RESISTER SUPPORT VIGIL 4th Saturday of every month 11 am – 1 pm Westlake Mall Plaza 4th & Pine, downtown Seattle
GI Coffeehouse Up and Running Coffee Strong is the second antiwar GI Coffeehouse to open its doors in the US since Vietnam, and serves as a safe space for military veterans, active duty soldiers and progressive minds to discuss issues like the wars, deployment, PTSD, and the hardships of military life. Coffee Strong is completely funded by community donations. Bellingham City Council Unanimously Passes Resolution Opposing Monday night, July 14, 2008, after almost an hour of testimony and a unanimous City Council 7 to 0 vote, Bellingham became the first community in Washington State to take a stand against possible U. S. military intervention in Iran. Testimonies during the public open discussion period unanimously supported the city of Bellingham's opposition to Bush Administration rhetoric, equating recent sabre-rattling by proponents of a pre-emptive strike against Iran to the misinformation force-fed a gullible post-911, flag waving public during the run-up to shock and awe in Iraq. It was obvious from the first speaker that blind patriotism wasn't going to sell this time, in spite of the Bellingham Herald's, eleventh-hour attempt to editorialize the Council's supposed misplaced involvement in national issues in its Monday edition, calling a city of Bellingham resolution on such issues "meaningless". "It's about as meaningless as Schindler's list," said Marie Marchand, Executive Director of Whatcom Peace and Justice. The Resolution Opposing Military Intervention in Iran, inspired by the version introduced by Mayor Bob Kiss of Burlington, Vermont at June's Mayoral Conference in Miami, was sponsored by Councilman Terry Borneman, a co-sponsor of Bellingham's successful Troops Home Now! resolution in 2006. Local Veterans for Peace and Whatcom Peace and Justice organizers Gene Marx and Marchand choreographed the groundwork and outreach resulting in Monday night's successful conclusion. Also speaking in support of the resolution was Doris Kent, Gold Star mother of local VFP Chapter namesake, Corporal Jonathan Santos. Bellingham joined thirteen other cities with similar resolutions and organizers were hoping this effort would lead to a groundswell of support in Washington State and elsehere. "Bellingham has once again - as in 2006 - been given the opportunity to define itself, for the rest of the State," said Marx, a Vietnam vet and parent of a two-tour Iraq veteran. "I am immensely proud of Bellingham - again - and proud of the courage our city council demonstrated tonight." To thank the Bellingham City Council, phone (360) 778-8200 or email at www.cob.org/contact/council.aspx. Additional updates on Cities for Peace (www.citiesforpeace.org).
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Veterans For Peace 
