The Common Ills: Other Items

Monday, June 30, 2008

Other Items

But most writers supported Aubin's contention that welcoming U.S. war resisters would be the right thing to do.
"Indeed," Nadia Alexan wrote, "if there was ever a case made against an unjust, immoral, manufactured war, the aggression against Iraq should take the cake."
Dolores Sandoval was particularly angry at what she saw as Prime Minister Stephen Harper's heartlessness. "Obviously," she wrote. " the high suicide rate and psychological impairment levels of soldiers forced to serve over and over again in Iraq are meaningless to Harper."

The above is from The Montreal Gazette's "War resisters' plight draws sympathy" which is about the large, positive response to Henry Aubin's "Canada is wrong not to give asylum to U.S. war resisters" (Montreal Gazette). The war resisters in Canada especially need attention right now. May 21st was when Corey Glass was told he would be deported. Corey Glass is an Iraq War veteran and a US war resister. He went to Canada seeking asylum -- the kind of welcoming Canada provided to war resisters ("draft dodgers" and "deserters") during Vietnam. After being told he was being deported, he's been 'extended' through July 10th. June 3rd Canada's House of Commons voted (non-binding motion) in favor of Canada being a safe harbor for war resisters. Douglas Glynn (The Barrie Examiner) quotes Corey stating, "The motion is not legally binding, though the majority of Parliament voted for it. I realized innocent people were being killed. I tried to quit the military while in Iraq," he said, "but my commander told me I was just stressed out and needed some R and R (rest and relaxation), because I was doing a job I was not trained to do. I went home on leave and said I was not coming back." So that's where it stands currently.

Courage to Resist is planning "July 9th actions at Canadian Consulates nationwide:"

Join a vigil and delegation to a Canadian consulate near you on Wednesday, July 9th to support war resisters! On the eve of Corey Glass' possible deportation, we will demand, "Dear Canada: Abide by the June 3rd resolution - Let U.S. war resisters stay!" More details and cities to be confirmed soon!

Washington DC - Time TBA - 501 Pennsylvania Ave NW (map). Sponsored by Veterans for Peace. Info: TBA
San Francisco - Noon to 1pm - 580 California St (map). Sponsored by Courage to Resist. Info: 510-488-3559; courage(at)riseup.net
Seattle - Time TBA - 1501 4th Ave (map). Sponsored by Project Safe Haven. Info: 206-499-1220; projectsafehaven(at)hotmail.com
Dallas - Time TBA - 750 North St Paul St (map). Sponsored by North Texas for Justice and Peace. Info: 214-718-6362; hftomlinson(at)riseup.net
New York City - Noon to 1pm - 1251 Avenue of the Americas (map). Sponsored by War Resisters' League. Info: 212-228-0450; wrl(at)warresisters.org
Philadelphia - Time TBA - 1650 Market St (map). Sponsored by Payday Network. Info: 215-848-1120; payday(at)paydaynet.org
Minneapolis - Time TBA - 701 Fourth Ave S (map). Info: TBA
Los Angeles - Noon to 1pm - 550 South Hope St (map). Sponsored by Progressive Democrats LA. Info: pdlavote(at)aol.com
Help organize a vigil at one of these other Canadian Consulates: Atlanta, Boston, Buffalo, Chicago, Denver, Detroit, Miami, Anchorage, Houston, Raleigh, Phoenix, or San Diego. Please contact Courage to Resist at 510-488-3559.
Veterans for Peace issued a joint call with Courage to Resist and Project Safe Haven for July 9th vigils at Canadian Consulates: "Dear Canada: Do Not Deport U.S. War Resisters!" Contact us if you can help organize a vigil, or can otherwise get involved. Locations of the 22 Canadian Consulates in the United States.
Recently on June 3rd the Canadian Parliament passed an historic motion to officially welcome war resisters! It now appears, however, that the Conservative government may disregard the motion.
Iraq combat veteran turned courageous war resister, 25-year-old Sgt. Corey Glass of the Indiana National Guard is still scheduled to be deported July 10th.
We will ask that the Canadian government respect the democratic decision of Parliament, the demonstrated opinion of the Canadian citizenry, the view of the United Nations, and millions of Americans by immediately implementing the motion and cease deportation proceedings against Corey Glass and other current and future war resisters.
Join Courage to Resist, Veterans for Peace, and Project Safe Haven at Canadian Consulates across the United States (Washington DC, San Francisco, New York City, Seattle, Minneapolis, and Los Angeles confirmed--more to be announced).
We mailed and delivered over 10,000 of the original letters to Canadian officials. Please sign the new letter, "Dear Canada: Abide by resolution - Let U.S. war resisters stay!"
http://www.couragetoresist.org/canada

Meanwhile Joy found a press release from the War Resisters League:

NEW YORK - June 25 - What is lacking in today's peace movement? How can grassroots organizers turn popular antiwar sentiment into broad-based action? What strategies and tactics should be employed, and how should the antiwar movement relate to the elections?
The War Resisters League recently conducted a Listening Process, asking 90 grassroots organizers from across the county to address these and other questions and to reflect on the state of the antiwar movement in the United States. The new 40-page special issue of WIN magazine features their reflections and insights.
Interviewees include organizers and activists from diverse organizations - from local efforts like Coalition Against Militarism in Our Schools in southern California; to constituency-based organizations like U.S. Labor Against the War, Iraq Veterans Against the War, and September Eleventh Families for Peaceful Tomorrows; to national coalitions like United for Peace and Justice. Some interviewees work primarily on peace and antiwar issues, while others focus mainly on gender justice, labor, racial justice, the environment, or community issues.
The interviews explore constraints that the movement faces, as well as openings; how to build a more multiracial, cross-class and broad-based movement; the relevancy of nonviolence; the role of soldiers, veterans and military families; and many other questions.
For more information or to read the report, visit http://warresisters.org/listeningprocess

Interviews available
Review copies available
Summary articles available

Full report online at: http://warresisters.org/listeningprocess

The United States' oldest secular pacifist organization, the War Resisters League works to end all war and to remove the root causes of war. WRL challenges military recruitment, actively supports GI resistance, challenges war profiteers, offers organizing tools to local groups, and much more.

We noted the report in Thursday's "Iraq snapshot" and Ty included it "Mailbag" yesterday. Excerpts of sections of the report are available online:

Introduction
Section 1: What is lacking in the peace and antiwar movement?
Section 2: What prevents the emergence of a stronger, more coordinated, more strategic movement?
Section 3: What are the biggest openings and opportunities for organizing today? Section 4: How do we build a more multiracial and cross-class antiwar movement?
Section 5: What roles can veterans, soldiers and military families play in ending war?
Section 6: What is the relevance of nonviolence today?
Section 7: How do we link peace and justice issues and build alliances?
Section 8: What does base-building look like in antiwar organizing?
Conclusions: Where to From Here?

Lynda notes this from Team Nader:

Ten Dollars, Ten States, Ten Days

Posted by The Nader Team on Saturday, June 28, 2008 at 11:26:00 PM

Let's start with this.

We need $10 from you to get Nader/Gonzalez on ten state ballots in ten days.

So, if you haven't donated to Nader/Gonzalez yet, now is the time - please give ten dollars now.

Our goal - $40,000 by July 6.

We have more than fifty young, energetic roadtrippers busting it on the ground all around the country for Nader/Gonzalez - the only candidacy that will shift the power from the corporations back to the people.

(If you think Obama is that guy, think again. Obama is moving in the other direction - running away from the people into the arms of the corporations. Check out Obama’s most recent flip-flop on giving immunity to telecom corporations under the government surveillance and wiretapping bill. And then watch Ralph Nader say no to wiretapping here.)

In Illinois we’ve collected and turned in more than twice the signatures we need.

In Arizona, we’ve collected and turned in more than three times the signatures we need.

In Nevada, we will turn in more than twice the signatures we need.

By July 6, with your help, we'll be penciled in for ten states - Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Hawaii, Illinois, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Tennessee, and Utah.

And we’re targeting 40 states by the end of the summer.

There is a reason the corporate Democrats and corporate Republicans are concerned about Nader/Gonzalez.

We’re at six percent in the most recent CNN poll.

And we plan to be on 45 state ballots come November (up from 34 in 2004.)

So, drop a ten spot on Nader/Gonzalez now.

Of course, the more the merrier.

But $10 is what we're asking from each and every one of you - our loyal supporters.

So do it now.

Hit the button.

And put ten dollars on the real deal.

Thank you in advance.

(By the way, don't forget that Ralph Nader will be a guest on ABC's This Week with George Stephanopoulos, Sunday June 29, 2008.)