VFP eNews: No War! Veterans For Peace 7/1/2019 6:16 PM

VFP eNews: No War!

Veterans For Peace<vfp@veteransforpeace.org>

7/1/2019 6:16 PM

To  Alfred Johnson  

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June 14, 2019 - No War on Iran, Welcome Garett, Okinawa Memorial Day,  Kahdim is Free, VFP Cosponsors a new Campaign for Peace and Justice in Korea, Big Win for Waterkeepers, Minneapolis Chapter says Save Our VA, Golden Rule Update!, Day of Action Against Domestic Violence, July 4th in D.C., Was Congress Listening?, 8 Arrested Protesting Killer Drone Assassinations, 47 Arrested In 8 Weeks Demanding: #ConvertBIW To Address #ClimateEmergency!, Important Reminders, Convention and Calendar! Veterans Say No War on Iran Congress needs to hear from YOU!  If the march to war is not halted, the Iranian people’s suffering will only further increase and the U.S. will find itself bogged down in another costly war of choice. Congress must block this administration's path to war and push to return the U.S. to compliance with the nuclear deal and the negotiating table without delay. Sign now! Welcome Garett! Veterans For Peace is excited to welcome Garett Reppenhagen!  Garett started his new role as Executive Director this week.   Send him a welcome email!  reppenhagen@veteransforpeace.org Okinawa Memorial Day On June 23rd people on Okinawa remember all lives perished in the Battle of Okinawa and pray for peace.  Veterans For Peace members including VFP NYC Chapter President Susan Schnall attended and spoke. Kahdim is Free! VFP has been part of a community wide effort to support and provide sanctuary for Kahdim Al-bumohammed for the last two years.  This week he returned home. “We have witnessed our schools become more militarized, our communities become militarized, and the border militarized—all for the sake of protecting freedom. There is a saying, ‘Freedom isn’t Free.’ The truth is, none of us are free, as long as the military—and those in power—who abuse their positions continue to oppress, to silence and terrorize each and every one of us,” noted Monique Salhab, an Albuquerque resident who served in Iraq 2005-2006 and again 2008-2009 with the US Army Military Police. Read More VFP Cosponsors a new Campaign for Peace and Justice in Korea The new Campaign issued a Declaration calling for the dissolution of the "UNC" in Korea, which was created by the US in 1950 but is now being used as a political tool of the US for blocking the inter-Korean cooperative projects. Concerned groups and individuals who want to endorse the Declaration may do so directly by clicking here.  Collected signatures will be presented to the UN Members in the future. For further info, contact kpc@veteransforpeace.org. Waterkeepers Get Big Win! On Friday, a federal judge ruled for VFP member Diane Wilson and her group, the San Antonio Bay Estuarine Waterkeeper against the "serial polluter" Formosa plastics that has been discharging plastic pellets into the waterways around her community.  To read more and ways to support the ongoing efforts Minneapolis Chapter says Save Our VA On June 26th Save Our VA had an informational picket line at the Minneapolis VA. They report a very successful action with an 80% increase in attendance! Many honking horns of support from VA workers and arriving veteran patients. New this time:  5 AFGE union members (including 2 Regional directors) and 3 members of AMVETS. Watch the video! Golden Rule Update! The sea trial went as planned and the Golden Rule will be arriving back to port.   They sailed in conditions similar to what they'll encounter on the way to Hawaii, tried out various sail plans, and have a short list of things to do while in San Diego. We look forward to hearing more this evening and planning for next week's departure for Hawai'i! Read more! Was Congress Listening? Doug Lummis, VFP-ROCK, writes on the recent 2020 Defense Authorization Bill, presented to the Senate on 11 June. It contains a section, (Section 1255) requiring the Department of Defense to do a review of the plan to move the 1st Marine Air Wing from Futenma Base in Okinawa to Henoko (still in Okinawa) where they want to build a new super base to house it.   Big news!  But more work needs to be done. Find out more! Day of Action Against Domestic Violence Veterans For Peace has endorsed the Day of Action Against Domestic Violence.  The Day of Action is scheduled for October 5, 2019.  Communities can create events around the issue of Domestic Violence.  In the event will be a visual demonstration of the shocking number of women’s deaths due to domestic violence in the United States. Find out more! July 4th in D.C. Veterans For Peace joins CodePink on July 4 as the Baby Trump blimp makes its DC debut on the National Mall, facing the Lincoln Memorial where Trump will be speaking. RSVP here. If you are a VFP member, contact Mike Marceau and let him know you'll be there!  (mikemarceau@juno.com) 8 Arrested Protesting Killer Drone Assassinations On Thursday, June 20th, eight members of the Upstate Drone Coalition were arrested for blocking the main gate of rhe 174th Attack Wing of the United States Air Force at Hancock Killer drone base in Syracuse, NY. Read more! 47 Arrested In 8 Weeks Demanding: #ConvertBIW To Address #ClimateEmergency! Many Veterans For Peace members have been participating in the weeks of action against Bath Iron Works in the lead up to a christening ceremony for a warship. The protests have been part of a larger pushback by peace and environmental groups against the United States’ global military presence and, more recently, the military’s contribution to global climate change.   Check out these pictures of VFP member blocking buses to not allow them into the ceremony! Important Reminders! Don't forget to Vote for our annual VFP Awards!  The awards are Chapter of the Year Award, Leadership in Peace Award, Service and Stewardship Award, Howard Zinn Lifetime Achievement Award, and The Gandhian Non-Violence Award.  Vote now! If you haven't sent in your Chapter Reports for the Newsletter, this is your last chance!  Email editor@veteransforpeace.org If you are interested in reading at Poetry Soiree at Convention, you must sign up!  Or maybe you know someone who is a great poet!  Make sure to tell them to signup! There is still time to purchase an Ad for our Convention book!  Does your chapter want to have an ad?  Or do you know another peace and justice organization you could ask?  Find out details here! Calendar July 8-16, 2019 - Buchel, Germany anti-nuke camp and actions- Stop the New U.S. Nuclear Bomb for Europe July 12-21 - VFP Trip to Nicaragua  July 18-20 - Gaza Freedom Flotilla on the Chicago River June 10- August 6 - 2019 East Asia Peace Walk  August 15-18 - Annual Veterans For Peace Convention in Spokane, Washington August 27 - Kellogg-Briand Treaty Day September 7-22 - VFP Trip to Viet Nam For more calendar events, check out our website! Registration is now open! Make sure to check out our website on all things Convention related. Now is the time to register, get your housing, vote for our

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"Weird things happen." Progressives beat the establishment. RootsAction Team

"Weird things happen." Progressives beat the establishment.

RootsAction Team<info@rootsaction.org>

7/2/2019 10:13 AM

To  alfredjohnson34@comcast.net  

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"When there is a very low turnout, weird things happen,” New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo told a radio interviewer. He was worried that the progressive District Attorney candidate in Queens might win the next day. Cuomo had good reason to worry. Voters did turn out, and the latest vote count indicates that progressive Tiffany Cabán has won! To corporate Democrats like Cuomo, that’s really weird -- and distressing. To us, that’s really wonderful -- and inspiring! A week after Cuomo’s fretful remarks, Cabán is about 1,200 votes ahead of the establishment candidate, with only a few thousand absentee ballots yet to be counted. Two days before the election, RootsAction sent emails to the 8,000 people on our active email list in Queens. We wrote: “In the first competitive Queens DA race in over 60 years, Cabán is the only candidate who will reckon with the racially-biased criminal justice system and deliver transformative justice to the borough.” And our email added: “In the DA’s office, she will work to decriminalize poverty, end the war on drugs, keep immigrant communities safe, and treat substance abuse as a medical issue. She will end cash bail, close Rikers Island and stop building new jails. And she will tackle corporate crimes and economic violence.” In the aftermath of the history-making election, BuzzFeed News reported that one of the 15 corporate Democratic lawmakers named by RootsAction in our new “Bad Blues” report, Congressman Gregory Meeks, is likely to be the next target of progressives in Queens. If you support our work and want us to have even more impact, please throw some money in the hat for this ongoing project. As BuzzFeed reported, “RootsAction, an online group dedicated to ‘galvanizing people who are committed to economic fairness,’ this week named Meeks as one of the 15 members of Congress who should be primaried. . . . The RootsAction list also included Steny Hoyer, the House majority leader, and New York Rep. Eliot Engel, who is currently facing two primary opponents in his Bronx district.” When breaking the story about RootsAction’s “Bad Blues” report, HuffPost noted that we were bringing national attention to the need to challenge Meeks in next year’s primary: “Meeks, a corporate-friendly opponent of tougher banking policies like the financial transaction tax, succeeded former Rep. Joseph Crowley as chair of the Queens County Democratic Party after Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ousted Crowley in a June 2018 primary.” Our full “Bad Blues” report can be read at BadBlues.org. From the webpage, please share via social media. RootsAction is serious about helping to get genuine progressives into office. We can fight the power of the establishment, and we can win. But that means large numbers of people need to do what they can. For some, that involves doing volunteer work, knocking on doors, making phone calls. Others, who don’t have much time to volunteer, can still help by making a donation. As RootsAction follows up on our “Bad Blues” report with outreach around the country, we ask you to contribute what you can afford. Thank you! -- The RootsAction.org Team P.S. RootsAction is an independent online force endorsed by Jim Hightower, Barbara Ehrenreich, Cornel West, Daniel Ellsberg, Glenn Greenwald, Naomi Klein, Bill Fletcher Jr., Laura Flanders, former U.S. Senator James Abourezk, Frances Fox Piven, Lila Garrett, Phil Donahue, Sonali Kolhatkar, and many others. Background: >>  Common Dreams: “New Report Details the 15 House Democrats That Should Face Progressive Challengers” >>  RootsAction.org: “Bad Blues: Some of the House Democrats Who Deserve to Be ‘Primaried’” >>  BuzzFeed News: “After a Major Win Tuesday Night, Progressives Are Looking at Ousting Another Establishment Democrat in New York” >>  Daily News: “Tiffany Cabán Stretches Queens DA Lead from Election Day - - Absentee Ballots Still Uncounted” >>  Daily News: “Cuomo Warns of ‘Weird Things’ When Voter Turnout Is Low in a Subtle Knock Against AOC and Progressives” Unsubscribe

Now that we've come so far, we have a responsibility to future generations to finish what we started. Our Revolution (Thank You)

Now that we've come so far, we have a responsibility to future generations to finish what we started.

Our Revolution (Thank You)<info@ourrevolution.com>

7/2/2019 7:59 PM

To  alfredjohnson34@comcast.net  

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Thanks to all of your incredible grassroots support — the political revolution that we have been working towards is closer to becoming a reality than ever before. When reviewing your responses to our debate survey, it was clear that our movement understands that the crisis our democracy faces requires bold action on many critical issues. Our Revolution places the highest importance on tackling the immediate danger of climate change, but we also understand how important Medicare for All really is.

Here is a breakdown of results, many of you choosing not one issue, but 6 or 7 of our top 15 issues of today:

Now, thanks to your tireless organizing to reclaim a democracy that works for the people of America, new polling shows that Bernie Sanders is the most popular candidate in the entire Democratic field. And no wonder, the ideas we heard on the debate stage — getting big money out of politics, Medicare for All, free college education, ending private prisons, and more have become mainstream ideas within the Democratic party.

We all know that those ideas didn’t become popular because of the corporate owned media. On the contrary, our vision of a democracy of, for, and by the people is continually demonized and slandered.

Despite these attacks from frivolous pundits who treat politics as a sport — and dangerously naive presidential candidates who spent their first day in the race attending swanky fundraisers and taking money from Health Insurance and Comcast executives — our ideas are winning, and it wouldn’t be possible without you.

That’s why we are taking the time to sincerely thank you for all of your hard work. Together, we’ve already changed America. Now that we’ve come so far, we have a responsibility to future generations to finish what we’ve started.

DONATE $27 NOW

Together,

Our Revolution

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Not authorized by any candidate or candidate committee. Our Revolution is a 501(c)(4) organization. Donations to Our Revolution are not deductible as charitable contributions for Federal income tax purposes. All donations are made to support Our Revolution’s general mission and are not designated for any specific activity.

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Did anyone else notice that every Democratic candidate now sounds like a Bernie Sanders mini-me?

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Did anyone else notice that every Democratic candidate now sounds like a Bernie Sanders mini-me?   Issues like: Medicare for All, $15 minimum wage, paid family leave, the climate crisis, equal rights for all, reforming the criminal justice system – that no one was talking about 3 years ago – suddenly appear to be the Democratic party platform! [if you believe the candidates on the debate stage, anyway….I personally find it hard to believe any candidate that takes corporate money will actually represent US when they get into office, but – hey, that’s just me, right??] Here’s the thing: being a true leader is not just about having great ideas.  Being a true leader is about having the courage of your convictions to express them openly and build support for them WHEN THEY’RE NOT POPULAR. There are generally 2 ways get things done in politics: 1)      Wheel and deal behind closed doors  - or - 2)      Rally people – as in, “We the People” – to push for change. Let so-called “representatives” in government know they need to stand up for the public interest, or get replaced by someone who will. There’s a word for most of the candidates I saw on that stage – FOLLOWERS. The only leader I saw on that stage was BERNIE SANDERS. If you agree, please remember Democracy is not a spectator sport….ORGANIZE FOR BERNIE! Sonya Bykofsky, Activist, Humanist, Berner!  Please join us at these events!   Tonight: Socializing with Socialists  July 2nd, 7:00pm, Thistle and Mirth, 44 West St, Pittsfield, Massachusetts 01201 -- Meet up with our allies at Berkshires Dem Socialists for their monthly social... RSVP here: ====> https://www.facebook.com/events/274409710131418/  4th of July Pre-parade walk!!  Thursday, July 4th, 8:00 AM Meet at the corner of Charles and Wahconah Streets at 8am. We will walk the 4th of July Pittsfield Parade route to distribute literature, raise visibility, and have the conversations that matter in an election that is as important as this one.  Kid Friendly! RSVP on the Bernie Sanders event site: ====> https://act.berniesanders.com/event/community-canvass_attend/10899 and/or on Facebook: ====> https://www.facebook.com/events/351145032232726/  Organizing/Socializing for Berkshires4Bernie  Sunday July 7th, 4-6pm, J Allen’s Clubhouse Grille, 41 North St, Pittsfield, MA 01201 -- Join us to strategize events and activities to build Bernie support in the Berkshires! Come share your ideas, learn the BERN app, and meet other Berkshires For Bernie folk! RSVP here: ====> https://www.facebook.com/events/718070175316951/  As Bernie has said, it will take "guts" to create real change.   The signers of the Declaration knew it might literally cost them everything. And although the language norms were quite different then, here is the signers' stirring pledge at the closing paragraph of the Declaration: "We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these united Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States... And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor." We mutually pledge to each other... Not Me. Us. ...our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor..... Guts. -Harley Berkshires4Bernie is an affiliate of MA4Bernie2020!  Please help expand our reach ==> Join MA4Bernie2020 Facebook group and/or visit their web page.  About MA4Bernie2020 MA4Bernie2020 (www.MA4Bernie2020.com) is an independent, all-volunteer network of groups across Massachusetts working to amplify the national Bernie Sanders for President campaign, with the goal of winning the majority of the 2020 National Convention delegates in the Bay State’s March 3, 2020 Presidential Primary. Show up to campaign at an event when you can and/or initiate another  campaign event (we’ll help and we'll post it here and online) Come to an organizing or social event (or put one of your own together!) Share this link with your friends to sign up for this newsletter and help grow our Berkshires For Bernie team. Like/Share the Berkshires For Bernie Facebook page Share this Tweet this Forward this to a friend

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Letter: BIW protesters should be supported I’m responding to Shaun Hogan’s letter of Friday, June 28, “BIW protestors should be prosecuted.”

https://www.timesrecord.com/articles/opinion/letter-biw-protesters-should-be-supported/

 

Letter: BIW protesters should be supported

I’m responding to Shaun Hogan’s letter of Friday, June 28, “BIW protestors should be prosecuted.”  

I am a Vietnam War Veteran; 1967-1971.  Mr. Hogan appears upset about protestors objecting to BIW warships being built.  I ask Mr. Hogan,  haven’t we had enough wars? Haven’t we had enough killing and suffering?  Haven’t we spent enough taxpayer dollars on defense? All the wars have not proven one thing other than humans refuse to become civilized.  At the same time, there are people right in the United States who are suffering from poverty, from lack of a civilized health care program, from lack of shelter and so on.   

There are many young children who don’t have the luxury of a peaceful home and nutritious food.  All the dollars for warships could be much better spent on so many things to rebuild this nation and help raise people out of this economic dilemma, and there are millions of these people who could use much help. 

You ask what message is being sent to our youth.  We have a very violent society, so what message is being sent to our youth?  We have a fast food society.  What message is being sent to our youth about nutrition?  We spray toxins without fully understanding these toxins and what effects they may have on our youth!  What message is being sent to our youth by all the violence on TV and at the movie theaters? Our youth are being disregarded for multiple reasons every single day! 

It seems we should be glad to welcome an opportunity to manufacture something that is not violence and death related.  You spoke about laws.  Is it okay for some people to violate laws while other people cannot?  I guess if you can afford a gang of lawyers, one can get away with just about anything! 

Joseph Ciarrocca,

Brunswick