Nancy Gwin: A Champion of Peace and Justice

Submitted by John Amidon on Sat, 01/15/2011 - 13:15

To affirm Nancy and all of the prisoners of conscience, please call your representative at ask that they co-sponsor HR 2567 - Latin America Military Training Review act , a resolution which will help close the U.S. Army SOA/WHINSEC. It is time to end the reign of terror conducted by the School of Americas/Western Hemisphere Institute For Security Cooperation at Ft. Benning, Georgia. For more information please go to www.soaw.org.

Letters to the Editor for Dec. 31

Submitted by John Amidon on Fri, 12/31/2010 - 09:05
 
 
Letters to the Editor for Dec. 31
Friday, December 31, 2010  First Published by Daily Gazette, Schenectady, NY
 
Personalizing the casualties of war in an eye-opening exercise
 
I have recently been participating in a war healing circle, a project dedicated to working with veterans to heal the wounds of war, cosponsored by the First Unitarian Universalist Society of Albany and Soldier’s Heart. We have been reading the names of U.S. servicemen and women who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan in the previous two weeks. As we read the names, the distress and grief have been palpable.
  
Putting names and ages to the numbers, personalizing statistics with a mention of the soldier’s hometown or his/her military unit, makes them real people — mostly young and now dead. More than anything, sitting quietly [enables us to] feel the loneliness of death. We also think of the dying and dead women, children and men in Iraq and Afghanistan, so many that no one is really counting, and no one truly wants to know. At our last meeting, one veteran spoke up: “We have gotten used to the killing. It has become too easy.”
  
On Dec. 16, [I was arrested] as I approached the White House fence to willingly chain myself in a veteran-led civil resistance to demand an end to the Middle East wars. Other local activists arrested included Elliot Adams of Sharon Springs, Linda LeTendre of Saratoga Springs and Joe Lombardo from Delmar. I could not help but think about this veteran’s comment along with the comments of Barbara Bush on ABC’s “Good Morning America” on March 18, 2003. “Why should we hear about body bags and deaths?” she asked. “Oh, I mean, it’s not relevant! So why should I waste my beautiful mind on something like that?”
  
War devours our young. Week after week, the number of deaths grow — some by combat, others by suicide and by homicide. And week after week we read, and will continue to read, the names of the dead to remember and honor. We read their names to cherish their brief lives and to cherish and thank God for our own lives. Standing at the fence, I objected — on moral, legal, and ethical grounds. I object because the wars continue with no end in sight, and because President Obama has failed to implement meaningful change to end them. I object because, in truth, I must and will answer to God. But in the final analysis, I am here because I too have gotten used to the killing. It has become much too easy, and I am dying a cowardly death by not resisting this evil. As life becomes more fully conscious, our responsibilities to nonviolence increase.  In this season of peace, I hope all will hear the clarion call of resistance to stop the killing and end the wars now!
  
John Amidon
Albany
The writer is a member of Veterans For Peace.

Veterans For Peace Civil Resistance at the White House

Submitted by John Amidon on Fri, 12/17/2010 - 11:17
 

The Veterans For Peace civil resistance at the White House on 12/16/2010 was and is a stunning success, far exceeding our expectations. 131 veterans and supporters were arrested.

42 of us are taking the ongoing wars to trial.  Please Google Veterans civil resistance at the White House for videos, pictures and numerous articles.

Recent Events

Submitted by John Amidon on Sun, 11/28/2010 - 14:02

Thanks everyone for walking in the Veteran's Day Parade in Albany. As the NYS economy keeps collapsing and more and more state workers lose their jobs, a wide range of folks are beginning to consider our question, "How is the War Economy Working for You?" Perhaps now the distress and pain of unemployment will help them connect the cost of these discretionary wars with the economy. Isn't it time to spend our tax money helping folks here in NYS?

12th Annual Kateri Tekakwitha Peace Conference

Submitted by John Amidon on Tue, 08/17/2010 - 15:45
The 12 annual Kateri Tekakwitha Peace Conference is on Friday, August 20 and Saturday, August 21, 2010 at the National Kateri Tekakwitha Shrine in Fonda, NY. Complete conference information may be for "A Question of Balance?" at www.kateripeaceconference.org  I do hope you can attend. it will be a great day with Fr. Jerry Zawada, Rich Goodhart, Ed Kinane and others.
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Kateri Tekakwitha Peace Conference

Upcoming Kateri Tekakwitha Peace Conference

Submitted by John Amidon on Thu, 06/24/2010 - 12:05
Veterans For Peace is a strong supporter of the Kateri Tekakwitha Peace Conference. This years conference,"A Question of Balance" will be held on Friday, August 20 and Saturday, August 21, 2010. For complete conference information please go to: www.kateripeaceconference.org and please plan on attending. Thanks!
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Kateri Tekakwitha Peace Conference

Support VFP Chapter 147

Submitted by John Amidon on Mon, 06/21/2010 - 14:21
Most of you are aware of the Times Union editorial in support of Veterans For Peace concerning the Flag Day Parade in Saratoga Springs on June 19th, 2010. The Saratoga-Wilton Elks Lodge has refused to allow Veterans For Peace to walk in the Flag Day Parade.  Please join Veterans For Peace on June 19th in support of Saratoga Springs Chapter 147, Veterans For Peace. Meet at the downtown Saratoga Springs Post Office at 11:00 AM (parade begins at 12 noon).  We along with other community activists and peace groups will be there, protesting the ongoing wars and engaging in the political process as we always have.
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