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Welcome To Veterans For Peace Corporal Jonathan Santos Memorial Chapter 111
Announcements At least 300 gathered in Portland, Maine on Sunday to call for an end to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. By Melanie Creamermcreamer@mainetoday.com PORTLAND - Hundreds of people marched down Spring Street early Sunday, carrying anti-war signs and calling for Congress to de-fund the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Staff Photographer
Right: Ted Goodnight of Hadley, Mass., an Army veteran who served in Afghanistan, gives the peace sign. The rally capped the national Veterans for Peace annual convention and business meeting held last week in Portland and themed "Lifting the Fog of War." "It's about connecting the war spending to the economic collapse," said Bruce Gagnon, of Bath, who organized the march and rally. "We are spending $7 billion a month in Afghanistan. You can't spend that kind of money and not have a negative impact on your economy. "We want to use those dollars for needs back home that aren't being met, like education, health care, and social and mental health programs." One of the speakers was Gerry Condon, president of Greater Seattle Veterans for Peace. He asked the crowd to support the military personnel who are resisting the wars. "Thousands of soldiers are AWOL at this time in the United States and there are hundreds who have fled the U.S. to other countries," Condon told the crowd. "We have over 200 war resisters in Canada seeking sanctuary. The Canadians have done a great job taking care of our war resisters. We need to do more." Marcher's signs included sentiments such as "Endless wars steal money needed at home in Maine;" "Education not War;" and "How is the war economy working for you?" Woody Powell, of St. Louis, Mo., attended last week's convention and was at the park during the rally. He served in the Air Force during the Korean War. "I am a veteran who has seen the effects of war. I have learned something about the causes of war, and I feel I can do something about ending war," Powell said. "War is a disaster for our country, the economy and our human soul." Matthew Welch, a teacher in Cape Elizabeth, attended the rally to show his support for the peace movement. "It saddens me that so few people seem to care about the last nine years and the violence that has occurred," Welch said. "What the policies of the United States say to populations and to students is that the real way to solve the big problems is through war. We are realizing now that after nine years in Iraq, they don't have a democracy. They don't have an existing government, a police force, or a judicial system. They have nothing and now we are leaving." Some members of Cape Codders for Peace and Justice also attended the rally. Beth Verani, a teacher at Dennis-Yarmouth Regional High School in Massachusetts, received the peace group's Citizenship Award for Justice and Peace. She was recognized for her efforts opposing the expansion of military recruitment in high schools. At a recent senior assembly, Verani and another teacher held a small "End War" sign during the military speeches. They were both put on administrative leave. Verani has appealed her suspension. Read complete article in Portland Press Herald Veterans for Peace discuss Bradley Manning with Ethan McCord VFP Conference Workshop Stresses We Are Not Your Soldiers! Campaign Wikileak's Collateral Murder movie was highlighted, and Bradley Manning, the purported whistleblower of the clip is discussed. Ethan McCord, the GI who extracted injured children from a demolished van, speaks during a workshop.
Huge outpouring of support will help accused WikiLeaks whistleblower VFP 92 will reach out to GI’s at Fort Lewis on Saturday, September 18 Greater Seattle Veterans For Peace (VFP 92) is organizing a Bradley Manning support rally at Fort Lewis, Washington for Saturday, September 18. Chapter 111 and VFP members and friends from around the region will show up blowing whistles and carrying signs that say “Blow the Whistle on War Crimes.” We will be reaching out to the GI’s, giving them “goody bags” with cookies, copies of Sir, No Sir!,and stickers that say “Whistle While You Work,” and give links to VFP and IVAW websites. We want the GI’s to know it is their duty to expose war crimes, and that we will back them up when they do. For more information, go to www.BradleyManning.org International Day of Peace – Tuesday, September 21st On Tuesday, September 21, WPJC will host its 7th annual International Day of Peace featuring Keynote Speaker Rev. Robert Hughes, the Kulshan Chorus, and the presentation of the Howard Harris Lifetime Peacemaker Award. This inspiring family event that will be preceded by a half-mile peace march to the event from Maritime Heritage Park. In 1954, Rev. Hughes became the first executive director of the Alabama Human Relations Council in Montgomery. He invited Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., just 25 years old, to join the state’s only racially-integrated organization as its board vice president. At International Day of Peace Rev. Hughes will share stories of hope and resistance from the Civil Rights Movement and his vision for peace today. The evening program will be at Assumption Catholic Church 6:30-8:00 PM. For more info, contact Marie at 734-0217. VFP-111 and WPJC Co-Sponsor On Thursday, September 30, the Whatcom Peace and Justice Center will host and VFP-111 will co-sponsor Army Captain and Peacemaker Paul K. Chappell, a graduate of West Point who served in the Iraq War. He will speak at 7:00 PM at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 2117 Walnut Street in Bellingham. Archbishop Desmond Tutu wrote about Paul and his new book: "Captain Paul K. Chappell has given us a crucial look at war and peace from the unique perspective of a soldier, and his new ideas show us why world peace is both necessary and possible in the 21st century. The End of War can help people everywhere understand why war must end, and how together we can end it." You can watch videos of Paul’s speeches on his website: http://paulkchappell.com/. Here is a link to a lecture on CSPAN two months ago: http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/293163-1.
August 31, 2010
Total Cost of Wars to Whatcom County Since 2001: $602,874,259 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) 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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International Days of Action to Support Bradley Manning
Veterans For Peace 
