New PR image: Peace is Sexy (Supports , HR 3760)

[chelaque liberal]

The Hero Conspiracy Against Men
By Lisa Earle McLeod
http://www.forgetperfect.com/columns/05_sep_20.htm

"Peace has been a human aspiration since the dawn of time. But it's funny, whenever you talk about peace, people often assume you're anti-military at best, or some sort of anti-American, president hating nut at worst.

However I see it as just the opposite. A country that wants peace needs to support our leaders in creating it. My grandfather, who's buried in Arlington National Cemetery, didn't spend a lifetime in the service so that we could go on repeating the same mistakes. "
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"Beyond the obvious moral reasons - most of the big religions have pretty clear directives about killing each other - there are also some sound economic incentives. Planes and tanks cost big money, and losing your best and brightest on the battlefield is hardly an efficient use of national resources.

Just as taking care of your health is cheaper than surgery and education is cheaper than prison, proactively pursuing peace is preventative maintenance. It's a fiscally prudent solution that could save us a pile of dough.

But for me, the most compelling reason for a Department of Peace is personal - I'm tired of watching smart men die. If I see one more face of one more mother's child whose precious soul was murdered during the atrocities of battle, I think I'll throw up."

[poverlay]

1. It is the ultimate shame of the human race

that we haven't yet overcome the hatred and greed that leads to war. All people should be pouring their energies into shaping a world of peace and understanding. That would be the best, right, and responsible legacy to leave our children.

[chelaque liberal]

2. Sen Mark Dayton D-MN

September 22, 2005

Press Release from the Office of Minnesota Senator Mark Dayton
Dayton Introduces Legislation to Establish U.S. Department of Peace and Nonviolence

Bill would elevate Reagan-established “Institute of Peace” to Cabinet-level department

Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Mark Dayton today introduced legislation that would elevate the current, nonpartisan, federally-funded Institute of Peace to a Cabinet-level department, dedicated to the study and development of policies to promote peace and expand human rights. Dayton’s Department of Peace and Nonviolence Act is the Senate counterpart to House legislation (H.R. 3760) introduced by Representative Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) and cosponsored by 59 members of Congress.


Speaking from the Senate floor, Dayton said, “If we are to remain the world’s leader, and if we are to lead the world into a more secure and more prosperous future, we must become better known and more respected for our peacemaking successes than for our military forces. Peace, to have any lasting value, must be advanced, expanded and strengthened continuously. Doing so requires skill, dedication, persistence, resources, and, most importantly, people.”


In addition to making it a Cabinet department, Dayton’s legislation would expand the focus of the Institute of Peace, which was established by President Reagan in 1984, to include domestic issues. The Department of Peace and Nonviolence would serve as a preventive counterpart to the Department of State and the Department of Defense, which resolve international conflicts and defend the nation from attacks.


Currently, the U.S. spends $400 billion on national defense, not including the hundreds of billions being spent on the Iraq War. The Department of Peace budget would be $8 billion annually, equivalent to 2 percent of total defense spending.


Appropriately, Dayton’s legislation coincides with the 44th anniversary of the nation’s oldest federal agency dedicated to peace. On this day, in 1961, President Kennedy signed legislation that created the Peace Corps, an idea originally proposed by Senator Hubert Humphrey in 1957

[eridani]

3. Check out the Kucinich website

www.kucinich.us