Roberta
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Post by Roberta on May 3, 2012 11:16:08 GMT -8
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Post by dnomde on May 3, 2012 19:35:38 GMT -8
I'm not there on the corner each week, but I check in daily to the Montrose Peace Vigil board to follow the goings on at the corner and the thoughts of those that so resolutely stand there each week. Jeanne's letter is wonderfully written, and I, too, feel well spoken for and represented. I'm glad they finally published the letter. Roberta, did you have a hand in that?
I'd also like to add another current news event. The United Methodist Church is wrapping up their general conference in Tampa, Florida. One of the items up for vote this week was whether or not the church should support BDS -boycott, divestment, and sanctions- against Hewlett-Packard, Caterpillar, and Motorola Solutions for their ongoing involvement in continued construction of illegal settlements on Palestinian land. Unfortunately, BDS didn't pass at the conference, but awareness was raised, the church will continue to denounce the occupation and settlements, and will call for "all nations to prohibit the import of products made by companies in Israeli settlements on Palestinian land."
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Post by Jeanne on May 4, 2012 5:38:42 GMT -8
and I, too, feel well spoken for and represented. I'm glad they finally published the letter. Roberta, did you have a hand in that? whether or not the church should support BDS -boycott, divestment, and sanctions- against Hewlett-Packard, Caterpillar, and Motorola Solutions for their ongoing involvement in continued construction of illegal settlements on Palestinian land. Unfortunately, BDS didn't pass at the conference, but awareness was raised, the church will continue to denounce the occupation and settlements, and will call for "all nations to prohibit the import of products made by companies in Israeli settlements on Palestinian land." Yes, Roberta had a hand in it, for sure. She makes a terrific editor, cheerleader and press liaison. I'm working on another one to the man who misuses Jesus' words at the Memorial Day service every year and Roberta is helping with that too. A heavy sigh on the lack of courage of the greater UMC. i feel like I have another government to be disillusioned about. Hope is still with me.
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Post by Jeanne on May 6, 2012 17:40:28 GMT -8
Here's the letter I mentioned earlier. I'm tired of people's kitsching war and twisting Jesus while doing so. Attachments:
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Brian
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Post by Brian on May 8, 2012 23:00:53 GMT -8
Thank you, Jeanne, for posting your letter to the gentleman who invokes Jesus to justify war at the Montrose Memorial Day ceremony every year. Because of the way our host ProBoards allows attachments, you have to be logged in to see the PDF -- and it's certainly worth registering on this message board just to read Jeanne's words. (There are other benefits as well!) Meanwhile, here is an excerpt: In John 14:27, Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you.” He was preparing his disciples for his departure. Later (John 15:12-13) He said, “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down oneʼs life for oneʼs friends.” He was telling them that he loved them enough to give his life for them and He gave it nonviolently. He was not asking them to engage in military conflict where they might have to kill others or be killed. Quite the contrary, I believe that he gave his life so that we might be free to follow his commandment to love one another and shed the sin and violence of war.Not quite today in the news -- this ran in Rolling Stone online last February -- but I only learned about the article in an e-mail from United for Peace & Justice mentioning a report that is "one of the most significant documents published by an active-duty officer in the past ten years," according to writer Michael Hastings, who himself has been both in the forefront of great reporting and on the front lines in Afghanistan: www.rollingstone.com/politics/blogs/national-affairs/the-afghanistan-report-the-pentagon-doesnt-want-you-to-read-20120210#ixzz1uLZLPymCAnd this is the UFPJ petition to President Obama and Congress objecting to the 2024 withdrawal date: salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/302/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=10413
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Roberta
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Post by Roberta on May 9, 2012 20:10:27 GMT -8
Just sitting around waiting for the News-Press to publish this. Letters run Wed. and Sat. now and there's a queue the ed. says. While I wait, on Tue. and Fri. in case it runs the next day, I email the updated death figures for the 4th para. The numbers have always grown. Odd that our leaders have finally wised up enough as to say to end this war, yet don't see that very decision means a moral obligation not to let more die. I think. This March, Adam Schiff, Glendale's Congressman, in a neighboring city's paper, wrote "End The War in Afghanistan" (Pasadena Star-News, 3/31; www.pasadenastarnews.com/opinions/ci_20297684/adam-schiff-end-war-afghanistan). This was a newsworthy announcement given Rep. Schiff's previous firm support for the war. His explanation of why the war needs to end can't be faulted, yet despite the waste and futility he cogently described, he made no mention of any actions he is taking to actually bring the troops home. While he presented no arguments in support of continuing the war, we must conclude that he is content with this travesty continuing until the end of 2014 or later, as is the administration plan, if we may use that word for what seems more like schizophrenia. Since his statement on March 31st, 52 NATO coalition service people, 37 of them U.S. troops, have died in Afghanistan. Inevitably many more will be killed, along with Afghan civilians and soldiers. Certainly we all share responsiblity, but officials such as Rep. Schiff are in a position to actually do something to prevent more needless suffering. H.R. 780, The Responsible End to the War in Afghanistan Act, has 70 co-sponsors; it would provide that funds for the war shall be used only for the safe and orderly withdrawal of all members of the Armed Forces and Department of Defense contractor personnel who are in Afghanistan. Rep. Schiff's tangible efforts to end this war would be particularly significant. I urge him to back his words with action by vigorously supporting H.R. 780, or to tell us what measures he is putting forth. His district office can be reached at (626) 304-2727.
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anni
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Post by anni on May 20, 2012 14:33:17 GMT -8
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Post by Jeanne on May 20, 2012 18:03:54 GMT -8
People thinking is a good thing. Reading the Gospel they profess is a good thing. I think that some of the people who needed to draw hard lines are now needing to perforate them. I'm hoping for a great awakening to come from it. Sounds like there were 5 mighty beings on the corner Friday. I'll be back this Friday.
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Post by Nancy on Jun 6, 2012 9:20:03 GMT -8
“We're going to meet a lot of lonely people in the next week and the next month and the next year. And when they ask us what we're doing, you can say, We're remembering. That's where we'll win out in the long run. And someday we'll remember so much that we'll build the biggest goddamn steamshovel in history and dig the biggest grave of all time and shove war in it and cover it up.” ¯ Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451
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Brian
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Post by Brian on Jun 10, 2012 23:14:50 GMT -8
As I told Brian last week, I am feeling out-of-date with sign wording and am casting about for good sound bites for the current situation, especially now that we have an "agreement" with our supposed allies there to sort of leave Afghanistan. All U.S. troops should come home this year instead of staying until 2014 or 2024, and making Afghanistan worse. However, this 112th Congress considers itself done with the region. Last month, our local Democratic representatives Schiff, Sherman and Berman voted the same as Republicans McKeon and Dreier -- in favor of the entire National Defense Authorization Act and against a withdrawal resolution. So we still have work to do. Keep pressuring our Congressman who's up for re-election in a redrawn district. And there are initiatives on November's ballot to support, especially the replacement of the death penalty with life imprisonment without parole. Our new signs could ask the public to join us in action.
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