Crowds pack Out of Iraq meetings across nation

[bigtree]

01/12/06 10:07
http://www.pww.org/article/articleview/8364/1/303

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Five hundred people turned out to hear antiwar activist Cindy Sheehan, actor Sean Penn and other speakers at the Out of Iraq Town Hall Forum here Jan. 7, one of over 130 similar meetings held nationwide in partnership with AfterDowningStreet.org.

>>>>Speakers urged the clapping and cheering audience to call their senators and representatives in support of several resolutions before Congress calling for Iraq withdrawal timetables, cutting war funding, amending the military recruitment part of the No Child Left Behind Act and censuring the president and vice president for lying to Congress.

Sheehan, from nearby Vacaville, and heroine of the Camp Casey vigil in Crawford, Texas, got a standing ovation. “We have to all get so fed up that we all sit down — or stand up,” she said. “We the people have all the power. They only take away the power when we allow them to.”

“Do a Camp Casey at Doris Matsui’s office,” she advised the crowd. “Sit down and say you’re not going to leave until she calls for withdrawal from Iraq.” Sacramento Congresswoman Doris Matsui (D) is not yet a co-sponsor of any congressional antiwar resolution.

>>>>“Increased bombing is the game plan for 2006,” said Solomon. “Even if the troops come home, if we allow our tax dollars to be used to slaughter people in Iraq the war will not be over.”

full article: http://www.pww.org/article/articleview/8364/1/303

[bigtree]

1. related Iraq action

National Campaign of Nonviolent Actions Planned at Congressional Offices

http://www.commondreams.org/news2006/0112-03.htm

WASHINGTON - January 12 - The National Campaign for Nonviolent Resistance Against the War in Iraq (NCNR) is initiating a campaign of nonviolent sit-ins at the offices of members of Congress who refuse to speak out or otherwise take appropriate action to end the war.

"A Call to Conscience for the U.S. Congress" will begin on the national Martin Luther King holiday on January 16, honoring the fallen leader’s philosophy of nonviolence and his opposition to war, and extend through the third commemoration of the beginning of the war, on March 20. It is expected that dozens of local groups will join the nonviolent campaign to move their members of Congress; a listing of initial planned actions immediately below, and additional actions will be announced as they are finalized in the coming weeks. (Additional actions are currently being planned in cities such as Chicago, IL; Syracuse, NY; Portland, OR; Las Vegas, NV; and Philadelphia, PA.)

NCNR promotes nonviolent opposition to the war, following the disciplines and practices of nonviolent leaders such as King and India’s Mahatma Gandhi, and is the only national anti-war campaign and network devoted exclusively to nonviolent resistance.

For a complete copy of "A Call to Conscience for the U.S. Congress" and other information about the NCNR, go to www.iraqpledge.org

Current Planned Actions to Begin "A Call to Conscience for the U.S. Congress"

Arlington, TX – Local Veterans for Peace and Code Pink groups will establish a weekly presence outside the office of Rep. Joe Barton. Contact: Desiree Fairooz, 817-521-7856

Baltimore, MD – The Pledge of Resistance-Baltimore will be visiting the office of Rep. Ben Cardin on January 13th to read Martin Luther King’s famous Riverside Church speech and repeat their demand that the Congressman vote against further funding for the war, with several members planning to sit-in if necessary. Contact: Max Obuszewski, 410-323-7200, x31 or [e-mail]

Bethlehem, PA - The group LEPOCO will visit Rep. Charlie Dent's office on January 17th, with a request for a meeting to discuss the Iraq war and persuade the Representative to sign on to bills calling for an end to the war. If necessary, the group will set up a mock court to put the war on trial, reading names of both U.S. & Iraqi dead. Contact: Robert Daniels II, 610-781-5612

Eugene, OR - The group Civil Resisters plan to confront Sen. Gordon Smith in public on Friday, January 13th using creative street theater. Contact: Peter Chabarek, [e-mail]

Madison, WI - On January 17, members of the Pledge of Resistance - Wisconsin will visit the Madison office of Senator Herb Kohl, to follow up on written requests that he speak out against the war and take specific actions. The antiwar activists are prepared to remain in his office if Kohl refuses to end his support for the war, and they expect to return on a regular basis through March 20. Contact Joy First, 608-222-7581

Montgomery & Prince George’s Counties, MD - Montgomery County Peace Action is planning a meeting and possible action at the office of Rep. Albert Wynn, as well as joining with the Peace and Justice Coalition, in Prince Georges County, MD to challenge Rep. Steny Hoyer.to speak out against the war. Contact: Jean Athey, 301-570-0923

Portland, ME - Repeating their continuing demand for a town hall meeting to discuss the war, on January 11th Peace Action Maine plan to go to the office of Senator Susan Collins and read the names of the dead. (This will be the the 7th Reading of the Names of American soldiers who have died in this Iraq war and an equal number of Iraqi civilians who have perished because of the U.S. war and occupation.) Contact: Karen Wainberg, 207-773-8382 or [e-mail]

[NanceGreggs]

2. The Big Picture ...

“Increased bombing is the game plan for 2006,” said Solomon. “Even if the troops come home, if we allow our tax dollars to be used to slaughter people in Iraq the war will not be over.”

If we don't continue to bomb innocent people in the Middle East, just where do you think the new crop of terrorists is going to come from?



:sarcasm:

[0007]

3. Go Cindy go

more...
Laurie Loving, organizer of the Davis chapter of Military Families Speak Out (MFSO), urged participants to join antiwar vigils every Saturday afternoon at Broadway and 16th Street, and Sacramento Veterans for Peace daily 4:30 a.m. demonstrations at the Military Entrance Processing Station, both in Sacramento. She also called for support for MFSO’s campaign to get the Davis City Council to pass a resolution for withdrawal from Iraq.

Other speakers included David Dionisi, author of “American Hiroshima,” Charles Brown, candidate for the 4th Congressional District now represented by the far-right John Doolittle, and Norman Solomon, author of “War Made Easy,” who warned the audience not to concentrate too much on just getting the troops home.

[oasis]

4. How can Cindy know what Matsui's constituents feel about the war?

What could Cindy accomplish by putting Mrs. Matsui on the spot?

The Chimp is not going to change his failed Iraq policy because of one Democrat or a hundred Democrats.

[bigtree]

5. More than most folks accomplish by sitting

on their hands.

[oasis]

How about an answer for question number one?

[bigtree]

10. her target is a potential legislator of the war

a war that is not being prosecuted according to a poll of one constituency or the other. Matsui is in a position to help legislate a response. Cindy is asking Matsui's constituents, if they are opposed to the war, to take action to force Matsui's hand. Direct and reasonable activism.

[oasis]

12. Are any GOP legislators targeted? Just asking.

[bigtree]

13. Cindy Sheehan Holds Democratic and Republican Leaders' 'Feet to the Fire'

Cindy Sheehan Meets With Top Democratic Representatives:
Urges Them to Increase Their Leadership in Ending the War in Iraq
Thursday's Schedule Includes Sen. Durbin, Rep. Pelosi, and Sen. Obama

Sheehan and her Supporters Pledge to Hold Both Democratic and Republican Leaders ‘Feet to the Fire’ to ‘Bring the Troops Home Now’ From a War That a Record Two-Thirds of Americans Recently Polled Say President Bush is Mishandling
Meet with the Mothers
meetwiththemothers.org

Cindy Sheehan Meets With Top Democratic Representatives:
Urges Them to Increase Their Leadership in Ending the War in Iraq
Thursday's Schedule Includes Sen. Durbin, Rep. Pelosi, and Sen. Obama

Sheehan and her Supporters Pledge to Hold Both Democratic and Republican Leaders ‘Feet to the Fire’ to ‘Bring the Troops Home Now’ From a War That a Record Two-Thirds of Americans Recently Polled Say President Bush is Mishandling

WHEN: Thursday, September 29th at 5:30 PM

WHERE: Outside the entrance to Hart Senate Office Building on Constitution Ave.

WHAT: Media availability with Cindy Sheehan to discuss meetings with top Democratic and Republican representatives, her week in Washington, including Saturday's 100,000 - 300,000 person march and rally against the war, and her arrest outside the White House along with 370 others. Sheehan will be flying back to California after the media availability.


So far, Sheehan has visited the offices of Senators John McCain, Richard Lugar, John Kerry, Hilary Clinton, Dianne Feinstein, Charles Schumer, and Edward Kennedy, as well as Congressmen Tom Delay, Mark Kirk, Dennis Hastert, Charles Rangel, Henry Waxman, Lloyd Doggett, and others.

During the meetings, she asks Congress members the simple questions she wanted to ask President Bush: What is the "noble cause " that brave Americans like Casey Sheehan have died for? How many more lives are we as a country willing to sacrifice in Iraq? How many are you personally willing to sacrifice? What are you specifically doing to bring our sons and daughters home from this needless war?

http://dc.indymedia.org/newswire/display/130485/index.php

of course, you could have done this oasis. I googled: Cindy Sheehan republican senators

[oasis]

16. Thanks. Your OP makes no mention of a national campaign. Cindy

"meets" with Dems and Republicans in the "Feet to the Fire" article but that's quite different from having a min-Camp Casey protest at Mrs. Matsui's office.

To be clear,I'm not challenging the action, I'm asking questions about it.

[bigtree]

14. is that it?

do we have your permission to protest now?

[oasis]

17. Thanks. Please read # 16 then carry on with my blessings.

[Cults4Bush]

6. Got a better idea? Why not let her know?

Better yet organize your own actions.

Thats all she is really trying to get to happen but that wouldn't change chimpies mind either, so why bother right? The Dems need to stop all support for this war, immediately and whilst that might not change georgies mind either it will get a lot of the appathetic vote out because at least the Dems don't look so damn similar to the commoner regarding the multi issue cluster fuck that Iraq and the WOT is... or they can just keep playing footsies with our devout enemies most of whom have sworn to detsroy Liberals and the values we have helped to instate in this country. The more they play footsies (Im not talking about compromise on policy, or th eart of detente here) the more weak we look to ourselves and the more similar we look to those who consider us the same shit in a different can.

[oasis]

8. Here's my idea. Ask questions now before blindly following what may

seem like a good idea.

[Cults4Bush]

9. I say that all the time about our political leadership.

However are you inferring that she is an operative or plant or stupid or something? I am not sure I catch your drift. I mean if you dont like her or dont trust her just come out and say it .

Oh and on edit: why dont you write her and tell her that?

[oasis]

11. " an operative or plant or stupid"? Which one of my questions implies

anything negative? I just want to know.

[Cults4Bush]

18. The whole post was left rather ambigous and given that you were

upset with Cindy I could only assume that you meant that post in regards to her.

That leaves the distinct impression that your warning would indicate something pretty negative. The blindly following comment on top of your previous seemingly negative comment. If you didn't mena it taht way I am sorry to have misunderstood but really it read off to me like you suspected her of something. Nothing wrong with questioning but Matsui should really have a little pressure brought to bare if a number of her constituents want her to make a stand. I really cant find the fault with it. The best thing Cindy has done is trying to get both sides of the aisle to take notice and she doesn't spare Dems any more than Repubs. Believe it or not it is helping the peace movement by providing ammo to shoot down she is just supported by Dems because she is taking shots at the pres. Cindys fight is valid and while it'll probbaly be hard over the long haul to 100% agree with every action or public statement she makes I gaurantee you she is doing whats in her heart and is trying to be smart about it at the same time.

It can't be stated enough that the Dems are missing the boat on this. In 6 months when everything is still bad in Iraq or worse, the Dems who keep trying to avoid the multiple issues surrounding Iraq are only going to make it harder on themselves and the party. Thats all Im saying here, and in some ways Cindy is saying that as well.

Can I ask you to elaborate on what you meant?

[oasis]

19. My first question dealt with Mrs.Matsui's constituency. My concern in her

case is that she is the widow of a longtime respected congressman from that district and that you may run the risk of souring her supporters and staffers against you. Especially if they view your actions as picking on the widow Matsui.

"Blindly following" has more to do with accepting a plan of action and going "rah rah" without knowing the important details. That's why it's important to ask questions.

I'm glad the whole Cindy thing happened this past summer because it brought pressure to bear on Bush and a re-examination of why we went to war in the first place.

I'm not too fond of the idea of going after Democrats unless they are blatant warmongers like Lieberman and Zell Miller.

There are times when we have to shake up the Hillary's, Kerry's, Biden's and Matsui's of the party.However, the manner in how it is done warrants careful consideration.

I didn't post on this thread because I had a particular bone to pick with Cindy. I just wanted some answers so that maybe I too would be able to say, "rah rah".

peace

[Cults4Bush]

20. I get ya... Im a bit jumpy with Cindy anyways.

So I went back and reviewed what you had to say and found that my assumption was probably misplaced.

Everything you raised is valid.

Peace to you as well.

[Cults4Bush]

7. K&R'd. and I dont give a damn about what the Cindy detractors think!

She is probably doing way more than a hundred of them put together anyways.

[Ksec]

15. Even powerful media forces and reichtwingnuttery

cant smear Cindy Sheehan.

You go girl, I got yer back everytime.