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December 16, 2010: Veterans, Military Families Demand an End to US Wars
Endorsers of the December 16 Veteran-Led Civil Resistance against War has asked Veterans Today to post this Call to Action.
Although these may or may not be the views of Veterans Today News Network, we have decided to give organizations in the Peace Movement a VOICE.
Posted on behalf of Veterans for Peace by:
Robert L. Hanafin, Veterans Issues Editor, Veterans Today News Network
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VETERANS AND MILITARY FAMILIES SAY TAKE A STAND FOR PEACE 
During the Vietnam War, Martin Luther King called our government “the greatest purveyor of violence in the world today.” True then—and even more so today.
A few years before that, in 1964 Mario Savio made his great speech at Berkeley; at the end he says, “There is a time when the operation of the machine becomes so odious, makes you so sick at heart, that you can’t take part; you can’t even passively take part, and you’ve got to put your bodies upon the gears and upon the wheels, upon the levers, upon all the apparatus, and you’ve got to make it stop. And you’ve got to indicate to the people who run it, to the people who own it, that unless you’re free, the machine will be prevented from working at all!”
There are children being orphaned, maimed or killed every day, in our name, with our tax dollars; there are soldiers and civilians dying or being maimed for life, in order to generate profits for the most odious corporate war machine ever, again in our name. How long are we going to let this go on? Until it is too late, until this destructive machine destroys all of us and the planet to boot?
Wikileaks has revealed the documented horror of U.S. war-making, beyond what any of us imagined. It’s time Veterans and others express our resistance directly and powerfully by putting ourselves on the line, once again—honestly, courageously and without one drop of apology for doing so. It is not we who are the murderers, torturers or pillagers of the earth.
Profit and power-hungry warmongers are destroying everything we hold dear and sacred.
In the early thirties, WW1 vets descended on Washington, D.C., to demand their promised bonuses, it being the depths of the Depression. General Douglas MacArthur and his sidekick Dwight Eisenhower disregarded President Herbert Hoover’s order and burned their encampment down and drove the vets out of town at bayonet point.
We are today’s bonus marchers, and we’re coming to claim our bonus–PEACE.
Join activist Veterans marching in solidarity to the White House, refusing to move, demanding the end of U.S. wars, which includes U.S. support—financial and tactical—for the Israeli war machine as well.
If we can gather enough courageous souls, nonviolently refusing to leave the White House, willing to be dragged away and arrested if necessary, we will send a message that will be seen worldwide. “End these wars – now!” We will carry forward a flame of resistance to the war machine that will not diminish as we effectively begin to place ourselves, as Mario Savio said, “upon the gears and upon the wheels, upon the levers, upon all the apparatus.” and we will make it stop.
We believe that the power of courageous, committed people is greater than 
that of corporate warmongers. But we will only see our power when we use it collectively, when we stand together.
With courage, persistence, boldness and numbers, we can eventually make this monstrous war machine grind to a halt, so that our children and all children everywhere can grow up in a peaceful world.
Join us at the White House on December 16th!
For a world in peace,
Nic Abramson, Veterans For Peace; Elliott Adams, Past President, Veterans For Peace; Laurie Arbeiter, Activist Response Team; Ken Ashe, Veterans For Peace; Ellen Barfield, Veterans For Peace; Brian Becker, National Coordinator, ANSWER Coalition; Medea Benjamin, Co-Founder, CODEPINK for Peace; Frida Berrigan, War Resisters League; Bruce Berry, Veterans For Peace; Leah Bolger, Veterans For Peace; Elaine Brower, Anti-war Military Mom and World Can’t Wait; Scott Camil, Veterans For Peace; Ross Caputi, Justice For Fallujah Project; Kim Carlyle, Veterans For Peace; Armen Chakerian, Coalition to Stop the $30 Billion to Israel; Matthis Chiroux, Iraq War Resister Veteran; Gerry Condon, Veterans For Peace; Will Covert, Veterans For Peace; Dave Culver, Veterans For Peace; Matt Daloisio, Witness Against Torture; Ellen Davidson, War Resisters League; Mike Ferner, President, Veterans For Peace; Nate Goldshlag, Veterans For Peace; Clare Hanrahan, War Crimes Times; Mike Hearington, Veterans For Peace; Mark Johnson, Executive Director. Fellowship of Reconciliation; Tarak Kauff, Veterans For Peace; Kathy Kelly, Voices For Creative Nonviolence; Sandy Kelson, Veterans For Peace; Ron Kovic, Vietnam War veteran and author of Born on the Fourth of July; Joel Kovel, Veterans For Peace; Erik Lobo, Veterans For Peace; Joe Lombardo, United National Antiwar Committee; Ken Mayers, Veterans For Peace; Nancy Munger, Co-President, Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom; Fred Nagel, Veterans For Peace; Pat O’Brien, Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom; Bill Perry, Vietnam Veterans Against the War; Vito Piccininno, Veterans For Peace; Mike Prysner, Co-Founder, March Forward; Ward Reilly, Veterans For Peace; Laura Roskos, Co-President, Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom; Cindy Sheehan, Founder, Peace of the Action; David Swanson, author; Debra Sweet, National Director, World Can’t Wait; Debbie Tolson, Veterans For Peace; Mike Tork, Veterans For Peace; Hart Viges, Iraq Veterans Against the War; Father Louie Vitale, SOA Watch; Jay Wenk, Veterans For Peace; Linda Wiener, Veterans For Peace; Diane Wilson, Veterans For Peace; Col. Ann Wright, Veterans For Peace; Doug Zachary, Veterans For Peace
Endorsers of the December 16 Veteran-Led Civil Resistance against War
- Veterans For Peace
- ANSWER
- Backbone Campaign
- CodePink
- Fellowship of Reconciliation
- March Forward
- Peace Action
- Peace Action Montgomery
- Peace of the Action
- Stop $30 Billion to Israel (Albuquerque)
- United National Anti-War Committee
- Voices for Creative Non-Violence
- Voters for Peace
- War Resisters League
- Washington Peace Center
- Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom
- World Can’t Wait
Short URL: http://www.veteranstoday.com/?p=63138
Posted by Robert L. Hanafin on Nov 28 2010, With 0 Reads, Filed under Peace, WarZone. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
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[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Sienda, Veterans Today. Veterans Today said: New post: December 16, 2010: Veterans, Military Families Demand an End to US Wars http://bit.ly/et3AT0 [...]
I’m glad to see the word spread. I hope all Veterans would see the futility of these wars and join in on December 16 to ask for an end. This country continues to spend way to much on war with lives and money. Over $1 trillion dollars per year on all military spending. How many more must die for a mistake?
There was no “mistake” involved, Craig. The militancy of this nation promoted by its corporatist charade of a government is by design and thereby fully intentional.
People will keep dying for the deliberate crimes of Washington (and by extension Israel) so long as our nation’s youth keep volunteering to join the military thus surrendering themselves to be used as fodder, regardless of the spurious mantras and presumptions of “patriotic duty” they may hold beforehand or be indoctrinated to believe once enlisted.
They learn to “just say no” and starve the military establishment of recruits till it crumbles. Besides, our first and greatest enemy is in the halls of power in Washington and its environs.
correction (closing remark): “They MUST learn…”
I URGE ALL VETERANS AND OTHERS WHOM ARE ABLE TO ATTEND THE GATHERING ON DEC. 16TH IN WASHINGTON AT THE WHITEHOUSE. THROUGH THESE ACTIONS, THE GOVERNMENT WILL WAKE UP AND REALIZE THAT THE AMERCIAN PEOPLE ARE NOT SHEEP, WILL NOT PASS THROUGH SCANNERS OR PORTABLE INTERROGATION FACILITIES WITHOUT RESISTANCE. THE COUNTRY HAS BEEN BANKRUPTED THROUGH WARS, BAILOUTS, FALSE FLAG ATTACKS, ETC. THE POLITICIANS MAY BEGIN TO LISTEN WHEN WE HAVE ARRIVED TO STOP THE MACHINERY OF WAR AND CORRUPTION. THE TIME IS NOW. VETERANS, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND BRAVERY.