Links to activism for October

[Roberta]

Not to divert any Montrose Peace Vigilers, but people you know in Burbank might want to hear about this one, from my activist friend there, Cheryl Holt:

We are now in a spiral of constant war. We were to have left Afghanistan at
the end of 2015, but on Tuesday, the Pentagon quietly announced that we
won't leave after all. We may stay as long as 10 more years—for a total of
22 years. In addition, war hawks are now crowing that with the new war
front opened in Syria, we'll need to stay in Iraq for at least 15 more years.
If you count our Iraq involvement from our first invasion in 1991, that will
be a total of 38 years of war and take us to 2029! The LA Times reports
today that war profiteer stocks are soaring. Why has war become a for
profit business? I'm protesting.

WHAT: Protest of the latest U.S. war escalation in the Middle East
WHERE: 164 E. Palm, on the AMC walkway in downtown Burbank (at the corner of Palm and San Fernando, between the Market City Café and GAP store and across from Starbucks)
TIME: 6:00-8:00 p.m.
DATE: Saturday, October 4th

[Brian]

Thanks for posting about the protest in Burbank, Roberta.  I was at work Saturday, so I got there at 6 p.m. to see Cheryl standing next to a stack of fresh, clearly worded anti-war signs and holding two of them.  I stayed for awhile, but had to get home for dinner (and, yes, the Dodger game).  Cheryl expected at least one other person to join her, but she was happy to stand by herself.  She'll let me know about Saturday evening demonstrations she's planning in November, and we'll post them on the Montrose Peace Vigil message board -- it's a wonderful location with lots of happy pedestrians.

The Friends Committee on National Legislation offers a customizable letter to your House and Senate candidates -- in my case, just Rep. Adam Schiff and Steve Stokes, who has no party affiliation -- advocating nonviolent solutions to militarism in Iraq and Syria:

www.capwiz.com/fconl/issues/alert/?utm_content=Link+425680&utm_campaign=Legislative+Action+Message&utm_source=Is+Bombing+the+Answer%3F&utm_medium=Email&alertid=63381881&type=CO

I just watched the rerun of "Meet the Press," and former U.S. Senator Jim Webb of Virginia is exploring a run for the presidency.  I admired his opposition to George W. Bush's war policies, and loved what I heard him say today about Barack Obama's.

[Brian]

Congressional candidate Steve Stokes left a message on my answering machine and wrote me an e-mail the morning after I sent that FCNL letter mentioned in my previous post. "I agree that we must oppose military intervention in Iraq and Syria," he wrote. "I will do everything in my power to oppose new authorization for U.S. force. Please let me know if any demonstrations are planned as I am eager to speak at these events." I replied to thank him for his stance, and to let him know about the FCNL campaign.

This week, Win Without War put out another customizable letter to President Obama through Credo to mark the 13th anniversary of the U.S. occupation of Afghanistan -- the longest war in American history. We want our troops home now:

action.winwithoutwar.org/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=11850&tag=credo

[anni]

Just Foreign Policy has a petition to Congress and the President supporting House Concurrent Resolution 114, which was introduced by the Congressional Progressive Caucus to limit military action in Iraq and Syria. Twenty-three members have signed on as co-sponsors so far, but Rep. Adam Schiff is not among them:

petitions.moveon.org/sign/help-the-progressive?source=c.em&r_by=1135580