LI REPS VOTE YES ON $33 BILLION MORE FOR AFGHAN WAR
DESPITE PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR ENDING WAR
AND CREATING JOBS HERE AT HOME
The House voted 308 to 114 for $33 Billion for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. The bill goes to President Obama to be signed. Despite strong support on Long Island and in the country for an end to the Afghan war, all five LI congressional representatives voted to continue funding the war..................
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Commemoration of the US bombings
of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Thursday, August 5: “Great Neck Sane Peace Action and LI Alliance for Peaceful Alternatives are sponsoring the annual Commemoration for US Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It will be held on Thursday, August 5th at 7:30 pm at Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Shelter Rock.
The theme is NO NUKES, NO WARS, SAVE THE PLANET. There will be speakers, including David Wildman on Afghanistan and Judith Le Blanc on nuclear disarmament. Pianist, Bill Heller will perform.” For info: Stan Romaine, 516-487-3786 or LI Alliance, 516-741-4360.
Friday, August 6: “The South Country Peace Group will again be sponsoring a World Peace Vigil procession and program on August 6 to acknowledge the first atomic bombing. We will gather at the cemetery on Station Rd at 7:00 PM and step off at 7:15 PM. We encourage participants to wear white (the Japanese color of mourning).
We will walk slowly down to the Bellport Bay where we will have a very short program---one or two SCPG members will give a short talk on why we do this …about this event and current nuclear policies. We will conclude by dropping flowers into the bay.” For info: Dennis Urlaub
The United States remains the global leader in defense spending, surpassing the next closest country by more than eight times. ........
.In 2008, the most recent year for which complete global data is available, the U.S. approved $696.3 billion in defense budget authority (fiscal 2010 dollars).
This figure includes funding for the Pentagon base budget, Department of Energy-administered nuclear weapons activities, and supplemental appropriations for Iraq and Afghanistan.
This number is eight times more than Russia, 15 times more than Japan, 47 times more than Israel, and nearly 73 times more than Iran.............
Thousands from around the world march during an International Day of Action. Marchers brough their posters, drums, and children to say to world leaders to
- We want a Nuclear Free Future! A Nuclear Weapons Convention to Eliminate Nuclear Weapons!
- Fund Human Needs, Not War!
- End the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan!
- Protect the planet instead of destroying it with war and nuclear proliferation!
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PETITION TO PRESIDENT OBAMA ON
ABOLITION OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS
One nuclear weapon exploded in one city -- be it New York or Moscow, Islamabad or Mumbai, Tokyo or Tel Aviv, Paris or Prague -- could kill hundreds of thousands of people. And no matter where it happens, there is no end to what the consequences might be -- for our global safety, our security, our society, our economy, to our ultimate survival.
President Barack Obama, Prague, April 5, 2009
Dear President Obama,
We applaud you for declaring in Prague, “I state clearly and with conviction America's commitment to seek the peace and security of a world without nuclear weapons”. We commend you for your courageous and historic recognition that "as the only nuclear power to have used a nuclear weapon, the United States has a moral responsibility to act." We call on you to make good on that commitment and fulfill that responsibility by announcing at the 2010 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference your initiation of good faith multilateral negotiations on an international agreement to abolish nuclear weapons, within our lifetimes. Sign Petition
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Some of the LIA's
Sponsored Events in 2009
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Long Island Alliance Makes it Case
Against the War to L.I. Congress People
Dear Peacemakers,
A total of 17 members of the committed peace groups on Long Island visited our 2 Senators offices and 5 representatives offices on Monday, December 7th to express our profound disagreement and sorrow with President Obama’s decision to escalate the war in Afghanistan. We urged these leaders to defund the war and work against its continuing, through co-sponsorship of Rep. Lee’s H.R. 3699 which would deny further funding for the troops. We also presented facts—yet again—that document the foolhardiness of this use of persons and resources, and we solemnly recited the names of casualties for November.
The response of these 7 leaders was tepid at best. Only Representative Israel expressed explicit concern about the escalation. No one else is yet willing to oppose President Obama’s position. (See the account of the Israel visit below, place first to cheer you!)
We believe that the effect of these visits is cumulative, however. Our next stop-by will be the first Monday in January—the 4th. Details will be repeated, and all are welcome. In the meantime, DO CALL YOU REP TO REINFORCE THIS MESSAGE!!
MAY ALL ENJOY A HOPEFUL. PEACEFUL AND BEAUTIFUL HOLIDAY.
We urge you to read the full reports by participants below, as it captures the full flavor of each experience.
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Long Island Alliance for Peaceful Alternatives Congratulates
The Kairos Awards honor those individuals who have made significant contributions towards bringing about a more just and peaceful world.
2009 KAIROS HONOREES
LONG ISLAND VETERANS FOR PEACE LONG PEACE
In recognition of their work to end the Afghan and Iraq Wars and to bring the realities of war home and for their advocacy on behalf of returning veterans
HABEEB UDDIN AHMED
ISLAMIC CENTER OF LONG ISLAND
In recognition of his involvement in promoting interfaith understanding and tolerance
GREG MANEY
HOFSTRA UNIVERSITY
In recognition of his incisive research & leadership of peaceful resolution of conflict
MEGAN OHANDLEY
LONG ISLAND ALLIANCE FOR PEACEFUL ALTERNATIVES
In recognition of her tenacious commitment to the LI Alliance
and to peace and social justice
Special Musical Performance by WILLOWWILLOWWILLOW
 (c) 2009 Karen Rubin/News&PhotoFeatures
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OBAMA AND THE PROGRESSIVE AGENDA AT HOME AND ABROAD
Katrina vanden Heuvel is Editor and Publisher of The Nation |
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October 7, 2009
In Carle Place, Shirley, rallies against Afghanistan war
MARTIN C. EVANS Newsday |
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As the United States reaches its eighth year of having combat troops in Afghanistan, peace activists on Long Island have struggled to focus public opposition to what is fast becoming America's longest war. |
Wednesday, anti-war demonstrators staged rallies at intersections in Carle Place and in Shirley to mark the anniversary of the United States sending troops to oust Afghanistan's Taliban leadership and hunt terror leader Osama bin Laden..
Leaders with the Long Island Alliance for Peaceful Alternatives, which organized the demonstrations, acknowledged that the rallies drew no more than several dozen participants each, but said disenchantment with the war's growing cost and uncertain progress is nonetheless widespread.
They said President Barack Obama should focus on non-military solutions in Afghanistan, while shifting war spending to pay for job creation, health care reform and infrastructure needs here at home. |
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"We think this war is a terribly misguided strategy for keeping us safe," said Mary Beth Moore, co-director of the Long Island Alliance for Peaceful Alternatives, which organized the two rallies. |
Some troops from this area who have served in Iraq or Afghanistan since President George W. Bush first sent troops to Afghanistan, have said they believe corrupt Afghani leaders and the lack of a clear mission have made the war a failure.
"We're making a mistake looking at this as a military problem," said Army National Guard 1st Lt. Chris Vongsawat, who helped train Afghan officers there last year. Vongsawat, of Brooklyn, said he favors bringing order through economic development, and thinks corruption and factionalism run too deep in Afghanistan for U.S. military intervention to prevail.
Newsday 2009 |
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| One year of Healthcare |
Cost* |
G.O.P. Plan
Baucus Plan
Obama Plan
Afghanistan
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$60 billion
$70 billion
$90 billion
$105 billion |
No Troop Escalation in Afghanistan!
Stop the War!
Call Sen. Gillibrand at 202-224-4451
and Sen. Schumer at 202-224-6542:
Ask them to lead the movement to fund domestic priorities instead of endless wars!
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Contact: Mary Beth Moore 516-741-4360/516-241-4107 http://tinyurl.com/marchfpn
"Non-violence is the greatest force at the disposal of mankind. It is mightier than the mightiest weapon of destruction devised by the ingenuity of man" — Gandhi
“We can end world hunger with 10% of what is spent on arms. Imagine how life would be if 30-50% of the arms budget went toward improving people’s lives instead of being used for destruction. The moment has come for the voiceless to be heard! Out of agonizing and urgent need, millions of human beings are crying out for an end to wars and violence.” [From the World Peace March web page.]
What is the World Peace March?
A permanent team of 100 marchers will travel from Australia to Argentina, passing through Oceania, Asia, Europe, North, Central and South America. It will end in Argentina. They will start out on October 2, 2009, Gandhi’s birthday, and end on January 2, 2010. Proposals of the World March include nuclear disarmament on a global level and the renunciation by governments of the use of war as a means to resolve conflicts. ...........................
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| Schedule
of Events |
October 2009 |
Posted on Wednesday, September 9th, 2009 at 11:13 am, Filed under Hot List, News, Politics & Government .
By Bill Moyers, Salon
No one’s ever conquered Washington politics by constantly saying “pretty please” to the guys trying to cut your throat.
The editors of the Economist magazine say America’s healthcare debate has become a touch delirious, with people accusing each other of being evil-mongers, dealers in death, and un-American.
Well, that’s charitable.
I would say it’s more deranged than delirious, and definitely not un-American.
Those crackpots on the right praying for Obama to die and be sent to hell — they’re the warp and woof of home-grown nuttiness. So is the creature from the Second Amendment who showed up at the President’s rally armed to the teeth. He’s certainly one of us. Red, white and blue kooks are as American as apple pie and conspiracy theories.
Bill Maher asked me on his show last week if America is still a great nation. I should have said it’s the greatest show on earth. Forget what you learned in civics about the Founding Fathers — we’re the children of Barnum and Bailey, our founding con men. Their freak show was the forerunner of today’s talk radio.......................
William Sloane Coffin Jr. Peacemaker Awards
Long Island Alliance for Peaceful Alternatives is honored with a William Sloane Coffin Jr. Peacemaker Award along with 6 other alllied organizations. |
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photos taken by Tom Martinez |
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