Pro-Peace groups continue gearing up for March Madness

Cindy Sheehan is once again among the leaders of the Pro-Peace movement rallying the troops of Peace. She is among the growing number of PEACE leaders who are gearing up for what may be some of the largest rallies and demonstrations against Obama-Bush administration foreign policies in the Middle East and SW. Asia. She now takes the helm of Peace of the Action – a Voters for Peace sponsored camp out on the lawn of the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C., on March 13th, 2010.

The intent of the demonstrators will be to clog the nation’s capital on weekdays instead of weekends in order to hinder the ‘business as usual’ attitudes of the administration and Congress.

Business as usually is defined as NO CHANGE in Bush foreign policy that is recognizable, NO CHANGE in outrageous and bloated Defense Budgets which is recognizable, and NO CHANGE in the concentration camp at Guantanamo Bay, NO CHANGE in the continued occupation of Iraq into the next decade or next broken promise whichever comes first, and NO CHANGE in further escalation in the destabilization of SW Asia.

ROBERT L. HANAFIN, Major, U.S. Air Force-Retired, VT News

Join the boldest and bravest action for peace!

Sheehan has been on the national board of Voters for Peace since its inception and believes strongly in the Pledge for Peace. She has not voted for a pro-war candidate since, and I intend taking the pledge to not vote for ANY CANDIDATE who does not take the pledge and make ending the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan serious enough to be believe.

In fact, this is something that no Congressional incumbent is capable of doing – guaranteeing to voters just how sincere they are.

I may not agree with everything Cindy Sheehan advocates, but she has insights that I find intelligent and informed. She notes quite accurately that far too many people are still mired in fear-based voting.

Elected in 2008, our new president has continued and expanded the path of war begun by Bush and Cheney. He is also increasing military and nuclear budgets as he escalates our troop and contractor commitments in the Middle East.

Peace of the Action is a new peace group that Cindy is putting together with the help and encouragement of Voters for Peace. Their first large event will be Camp OUT NOW, an anti-war camp that we will be setting up on the lawn of the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C., on 13 March.

They will be  focusing their attention on the wars in which our nation is incredibly mired and will be doing civil resistance on a daily basis until their  demands are met. This is planned to be a sustained action.

She and Voters for Peace invite you to come for all or part of Camp OUT NOW. Please visit their website so you can get more information.

In love, peace, and solidarity!

Cindy Sheehan, National Director of Peace of the Action

www.PEACEOFTHEACTION.ORG

Robert L. Hanafin

Readers are more than welcome to use the articles I’ve posted on Veterans Today, I’ve had to take a break from VT as Veterans Issues and Peace Activism Editor and staff writer due to personal medical reasons in our military family that take away too much time needed to properly express future stories or respond to readers in a timely manner.

My association with VT since its founding in 2004 has been a very rewarding experience for me.

Retired from both the Air Force and Civil Service. Went in the regular Army at 17 during Vietnam (1968), stayed in the Army Reserve to complete my eight year commitment in 1976. Served in Air Defense Artillery, and a Mechanized Infantry Division (4MID) at Fort Carson, Co. Used the GI Bill to go to college, worked full time at the VA, and non-scholarship Air Force 2-Year ROTC program for prior service military. Commissioned in the Air Force in 1977. Served as a Military Intelligence Officer from 1977 to 1994. Upon retirement I entered retail drugstore management training with Safeway Drugs Stores in California. Retail Sales Management was not my cup of tea, so I applied my former U.S. Civil Service status with the VA to get my foot in the door at the Justice Department, and later Department of the Navy retiring with disability from the Civil Service in 2000.

I’ve been with Veterans Today since the site originated. I’m now on the Editorial Board. I was also on the Editorial Board of Our Troops News Ladder another progressive leaning Veterans and Military Family news clearing house.

I remain married for over 45 years. I am both a Vietnam Era and Gulf War Veteran. I served on Okinawa and Fort Carson, Colorado during Vietnam and in the Office of the Air Force Inspector General at Norton AFB, CA during Desert Storm. I retired from the Air Force in 1994 having worked on the Air Staff and Defense Intelligence Agency at the Pentagon.