Pax Christi Long Beach Island Chapter NY

Greeting Members and Supporters,

Please be advised of the following.

On March 20, 2010, people from all over the country are organizing to converge on Washington, D.C., to demand the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of all U.S. and NATO forces from Afghanistan and Iraq. Instead of war, we will demand funds so that every person can have a job, free and universal health care, decent schools, and affordable housing.
A BUS WILL BE LEAVING LONG ISLAND AT EXIT 63 PARK & RIDE ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE LIE AT 6:00 AM to return by 10PM Saturday night. $35.00 WILL RESERVE A SEAT. PLEASE CALL Karen at 631-875-8647 TO RESERVE YOUR SEAT!
Scholarships are available.

This from Claire at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Shelter Rock, 48 Shelter Rock Road, Manhasset, NY 11030. Seanan Holland is an Iraq Veteran, a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Marine Corps Reserve, Helicopter Pilot, a Candidate for the Unitarian Universalist Ministry and an Intern with The Church of the Larger Fellowship. He looks forward to meeting with us on Friday, February 19, 6pm. (We will end by 9pm). Seanan has various interests in ministry including sustaining the conversation around peace, war, and ministry. Seanan believes deeply that it is vital that we understand the nature and causes of war if we are serious about our pursuit of peace. Seanan is deeply committed to championing UU Chaplaincy in the military. Soup and Salad will be served. RSVP:   Minister@UUCCN.org

This from Michael Zweig, Director, Center for Study of Working Class Life, at Stonybrook.
Please note that my 27-minute film Why Are We in Afghanistan? will air on Bob Goldberg's cable TV program "1/2 Alternative Media" on the Woodbury Cablevision system's channel 20 this coming Friday Feb 19 at 1 p.m. Woodbury Cablevision serves all of Nassau County except Great Neck and Manhasset, and the towns of Huntington and Babylon in Suffolk County. Why Are We in Afghanistan? looks at domestic pressures and geo-strategic interests that keep the U.S. in the region, and the long history of U.S. foreign interventions that forms the broader context for this war. We also see today's peace movement continuing another long tradition - popular resistance to war. Why Are We in Afganistan? is an educational resource for communities, unions, veterans and active duty military, classes, and anyone who wonders why we are in Afghanistan, and what to do about it. You can see the film (and the 10-minute "express" version), get more information, and buy the DVD at <http://www.WhyAreWeInAfghanistan.org> [NOTE that there is no question mark in the URL]. A Teacher Guide for the film that includes information and classroom exercises that meet national and New York state high school standards is also available for free at the Website.

This from Kevin also at Stonybrook. A local group of mine has designed two new hand-outs on Haiti, one on the earthquake and its aftermath and the other a thumbnail sketch of Haitian history that highlights the role of foreign imperialism. I'm passing the links along in case anyone is holding fundraisers, speaking events, discussion circles, etc., and thinks they could be of use. If you'd like either file in an editable format get in touch with me.
1. "Why Is Haiti So Poor? What You Won't Read in the Newspapers" - http://www.sbusja.com/flyers/Why%20is%20Haiti%20so%20Poor%20%20-%20%20History%20info%20sheet.pdf
2. "Earthquake in Haiti: Realities, Myths, and Witnesses" - http://www.sbusja.com/flyers/Haiti%20earthquake.pdf

And finally, here is the Press release and flyer from The Truth Commission on Conscience in War scheduled for March 21st at 4PM at the Riverside Church in Manhattan. http://www.conscienceinwar.org/TruthCommission_Release.pdf
http://www.conscienceinwar.org/TruthCommission_Flyer.pdf

Hope to see you at one or more of these events.

In peace,

Mac

--
Camillo "Mac" Bica, Ph.D.
Coordinator
Veterans For Peace, Long Island
P.O. Box 3
Commack, NY 11725
631.987.3338
http://www.vfpli.com

"I am more the patriot today as I march in protest and dissent than when I wore the uniform of a United States Marine. Nor am I less the warrior, armed with a bullhorn rather than a shotgun."
-- Camillo Mac Bica

"I am tired and sick of war. Its glory is all moonshine. It is only those who have neither fired a shot nor heard the shrieks and groans of the wounded who cry aloud for blood, more vengeance, more desolation. War is hell."
—William Tecumseh Sherman

Dear Joseph, Action Alert: Army moves Marc Hall's court martial to Iraq The U.S. military plans to extradite stop-lossed Iraq veteran and IVAW member, Marc Hall, to Iraq "within a few days" to face court martial for allegedly threatening military officers in a protest rap song he made. Marc has been sitting in Liberty County jail near Fort Stewart, GA since December 11, 2009 becuse he wrote a song called, "Stop Loss" about the practice of involuntarily extending military members' contract. Download the full press release here. Marc's lawyer believes that moving him to Iraq will violate his due process, isolating him from his legal support and making calling witnesses on his behalf nearly impossible.  He is working hard to prevent Marc's extradition to Iraq, and your calls right now can make a big difference. Take action to support Marc by calling Ft. Stewart Public Affairs Chief, Kevin Larson at 912-435-9879.  Tell him that 1) you are opposed to holding Specialist Marc Hall's court martial in Iraq and 2) all charges against Marc should be dropped.  If you are a veteran, mention that during your call. Thank you for helping Marc.  Your calls in the next few days are very important.     IVAW Supporters to host alternative Super Bowl parties this Sunday. Militarism pervades our society in obvious and subtle ways, and to the average citizen, the intrusion of martial values in all aspects of life often goes unquestioned.  The National Football League takes pride in its relationship to the military, but we want to challenge this traditon of linking the violence of war with competitive sports.  With IVAW's alternative Super Bowl parties, help us shine a light on one area of our society where patritic symbolism is used to mask the realities of war.  It's not too late to host a party or join one in your area.  Click here to view the list of parties taking place or register your own. The military has long-standing connections with the National Football Leage. Download our Fact Sheet by clicking here. Click here to download Super Bowl party food recipes submitted by supporters. Watch Dave Zirin's political analysis of this year's Super Bowl on today's Democracy Now.     If you can't attend or host an IVAW Super Bowl party, you can make a donation here. Thank you for your continued support, Iraq Veterans Against the War Correction: In our last newsletter of 1.14.10 inviting people to host Super Bowl parties, we incorrectly previewed Gen. Petraeus' coin toss and other military involvement in this year's Super Bowl.  That information was from a news article previewing last year's game.  Our apologies for the confusion.  However, this year's Super Bowl will feature the customary military flyover and we will be watching to see what other military references appear during the proceedings.

Click here to unsubscribe

Army probes January spike in suicides

February 5, 2009 By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS  

WASHINGTON - The Army is investigating an unexplained and stunning spike in suicides in January. The count is likely to surpass the number of combat deaths reported last month by all branches of the armed forces in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere in the fight against terrorism.

"In January, we lost more soldiers to suicide than to al-Qaida," said Paul Rieckhoff, director of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. He urged "bold and immediate action" by the departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs.

According to figures obtained by The Associated Press, there were seven confirmed suicides last month, compared with five a year earlier. An additional 17 cases from January are under investigation.

There was no detailed breakdown available for January, such as the percentage of suicides that occurred in Iraq and Afghanistan or information about the dead. But just one base, Fort Campbell in Kentucky, reported that four soldiers killed themselves near the installation, where 14,000 soldiers from the two wars have returned from duty since October.

Some Fort Campbell soldiers have done three or four tours of duty in the wars. "They come back and they really need to be in a supportive environment," said Dr. Bret Logan, a commander at the base's Blanchfield Army hospital. "They really need to be nourished back to normalcy because they have been in a very extreme experience that makes them vulnerable to all kinds of problems."

The service has rarely, if ever, released a month-by-month update on suicides. But officials said they wanted to re-emphasize "the urgency and seriousness necessary for preventive action at all levels" of the force.

The seven suicides and 17 other suspected in January were far above the toll for most months. Self-inflicted deaths were at 12 or fewer for each of nine months in 2008, Army data showed. The highest monthly number last year was 14 in August

Veterans for PEACE LI LINK

VETERAN'S MEMBERSHIP DRIVE

Conscientious Objection

Untitled Document

Dear Joseph, President Obama's announcement that he is sending 35,000 more troops to Afghanistan before Christmas came as no surprise to us here at Iraq Veterans Against the War.  Most of these troops have already served two, three, or more tours in Afghanistan or Iraq.  Please think of these men and women over the holidays and re-commit yourself to working to end these wars in the New Year. As long as troops are forced to continue multiple deployments for brutal and unjust wars, GI resistance will continue.  Two Stories of GI Resistance Ryan Jackson hails from our Savannah, GA chapter.  He joined the U.S. Army and served in South Korea until 2007.  After reading the words of visionaries like Dr. Martin Luther King and Gandhi, Ryan decided he could no longer serve in good conscience.  He Spent 100 days in a Charleston, SC brig after going AWOL for his beliefs.  See Ryan tell his story here: Ryan Jackson Part 1 Ryan Jackson Part 2 Marc Hall is a father serving on active duty at Ft. Stewart, GA.  He's already completed 1 tour of duty in Iraq and is set to deploy again in another week.  Marc's military contract ends this February, but he has been Stop-Lossed for his unit's up-coming deployment back to Iraq.   Marc is also a hip-hop artist and recently recorded an angry song entitled "Stop Loss" as an artistic outlet for his frustrations about his situation.  He explains on his website, "I am a political artist.  I rap about real issues in life in hopes to recover a solution."   You can listen to Marc's song by clicking here. (Be aware that the song contains explicit lyrics.) News of the song reached Marc's chain of command at Ft. Stewart which claims that the song's lyrics amount to the "communication of a threat."  The Army placed Marc in jail last Friday charging him with an Article 134.  We believe that Marc's right to freedom of speech is being violated.  Later tonight, IVAW Field Organizer, Jason Hurd, will visit Marc in jail and get more details of his story. We will keep you updated on Marc's case in the coming days and weeks.  But here's how you can help Marc today: Call the jail at 912-876-6411 to demand an end to his illegal confinement. Send letters of protest to: CPT Cross, Commander, B 2-7 INF BN, Fort Stewart, GA  31314. Your Financial Support As soldiers of conscience, Iraq Veterans Against the War has continued the fight to resist the ongoing occupations, heal our veterans, and work for reparations for Iraq and Afghanistan. Our determination has not wavered, and our membership continues to grow.  Like our members, you have refused to turn a blind eye to the war policies of the new administration.  Together we can hold them accountable. Please make an end-of-year gift today by clicking here. Your support makes our work possible. Thank you! Jose, Aaron, Chantelle, Jason, Selena, Joe, Mohan, Amadee, and Bryan Iraq Veterans Against the War Staff

Click here to unsubscribe

CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTION~JONES BEACH MAY 26, 2007

 

 

 

 

VETERANS SPEAKER & ADVOCACY BUREAU:  LI Veterans For Peace Chapter 138 has created a speakers bureau with the intention of holding classroom presentations as well as assemblies in our local high schools and colleges. If you are a teacher or know of one who might be interested in this, please call 631-875-8647 or email rksrc@optonline.net . For a copy of the letter being sent out to schools,