Presidents Day week of lobbying against the War in Afghanistan

[Russell Kanning]

Last December, President Obama announced the latest in a series of
escalations of the war in Afghanistan. When he took office one year
ago, there were 32,000 troops in Afghanistan. During 2009, that number
was increased to 68,000. When this most recent escalation is
completed, there will be 100,000 U.S. troops and 150,000 contractors
in Afghanistan.

In 2009 the death toll for U.S. troops tripled starting in June, and
rose to a monthly high of 59 in October. General Barry McCaffrey, who
studies our Afghan operations for West Point, warns that American
casualties will reach 500 per month by summer.

The death toll for Afghan civilians has skyrocketed as well,
particularly since the U.S. has radically increased the number of
drone attacks which indiscriminately kill innocent civilians.
Estimates are that 98 innocent Afghans are killed for every two
terrorists killed by drone strikes.

In his State of the Union speech this week, Obama announced a spending
freeze for non-defense discretionary items, while the defense budget
has ballooned to over $700 billion per year. The cost of keeping
100,000 troops in Afghanistan is $100 billion per year, enough to
provide health care for all Americans! That's enough to build 33,000
schools for Afghan children and still have $99 billion left over!

Three out of four members of New Hampshire's congressional delegation
(Gregg, Shaheen, and Hodes) have given their blessing to this massive
escalation of violence and waste.

During the February congressional recess, we plan to visit the New
Hampshire offices of our pro-war legislators to lobby for an end to
these disastrous policies. You can make a difference by joining in
this action. Please circle Tuesday, February 16th through the Friday
the 19th on your calendar, and join us for this important protest.

If you can give two hours, or more, please let us know by calling New
Hampshire Peace Action at 603-228-0559. Tell us when you could help
out, and we'll give you more detailed information on the planned
actions.

http://www.nhpeaceaction.org/

[Lloyd Danforth]

Probably not as effective as buzzing their houses with Drones(hmm..makes a note), but, worth a try.

[PattyLee loves dogs]

 

Would like to participate as a Libertarian peace activist. Glad to get an invitation on this.

NHpeace leadership advocates disarmament, UN style, check out their mission statement.

I may carry a side arm to show symbolic support of self defense but opposition to an expensive and immoral US war foreign policy. Maybe also will carry some literature on libertarian view point for the leftist protesters.

[Russell Kanning]

Kat and i will join them in concord on tuesday to visit paul hodes office
i will photo and film them
you can join us if you want

[Russell Kanning]

n to oppose the escalation in Afghanistan. We will be making
visits to each of our representative's offices on Tuesday, February
16. We will be contacting the press to come along to each visit, and
will be reading a statement at each office, participants will be given
a chance to say a few words.

Our message is that we need our DC delegation to:
-vocally oppose this escalation.
-vote against funding this escalation.
-begin working to bring our troops home.

We will meet at:

Paul Hodes' Concord office (downstairs lobby) at 10:30am, 18 North
Main Street, Suite 400, Concord

Jeanne Shaheen's Manchester Office at 1:00pm, 1589 Elm Street, Suite
3, Manchester

Judd Gregg's Manchester Office at 2:00pm, 41 Hooksett Road, Manchester

Then we will go to Carol Shea-Porter's Manchester office at 3:00 to
thank her for standing up for us in reference to Afghanistan.
Congresswoman Shea-Porter was an early and outspoken critic of the
plan to escalate. 3:00pm, 33 Lowell Street, Manchester.

Please give us a call at (603)228-0559 to let us know if you will be
coming along to any of these visits, or with any questions.

Hope you can make it,
-Will


--
Will Hopkins
Director
New Hampshire Peace Action
New Hampshire Peace Action Education Fund

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nhpeaceaction/message/877

[PattyLee loves dogs]

 

NHPEACE is doing more "politic-ing" with Shea Porter as she has voted for some but not all bills; she voted for 180 billion bill that started Afghanistan War so I will not thank her. Will do  break off protest from NHPEACE of what Shea Porter has voted for and will ask these NHPEACE Dems to watch how these guys vote.  Same thing that the original Libertarian Tea Bag movement got hijacked by RINO war mongering Palin.

No End in Sight?

[Russell Kanning]

yea
they changed the event from all days to just tuesday
then changed because of the snow to wednesday
kat and i will visit Paul Hodes office at 10:30 today.
we will not be thanking him for his service to the country or humanity.

[Kat Kanning]

Wow, that Patty is a wildcat!  Don't get her mad at you! 

[PattyLee loves dogs]

 
Today met employee at each of the 3 offices, then held sign and protested after in front of their office. Was not windy today but the snowy conditions was slowing traffic going home.
Very interesting to engage the representatives aides in a little discussion to seek answers to their bosses positions, and on the financial appropriations they vote for. 
Ran into a lady named Mary Lee Seargent who is an organizer w NH Peace, outside on the sidewalk from Hodes office. She stated that Porter behaved better recently by making a speech against further escalation. Sergent told me that capitalism is the fault for the mess we are in and we need much more govt.  I was listening as she spoke but then she rushed  away before I could respond learning that I had a libertarian perspective. 

Trying to keep focus on how the 3 vote. There are many war bills they vote on and Porter votes back and forth but I think the total dollars is more for than witholding dollars against.  (Will go back to study vote results on Smartvote.com). At Greggs office asked for an explanation on the huge appropriations;  he voted for, voting for each war bill.
While outside protested at each office I was amazed at the number of supportive honks and thumbs up. People walked up brought  juice, etc. 

Hope to influence some naive lefties showing up to these protests Weds with some solid libertarian thinking. Any other  libertarians to help articulate libertarian examples at the protest? 

[Russell Kanning]

the guy who was representing ..... "representative" Paul Hodes, did not want to be filmed
he would tell us why we should not film, but not on film
he would listen to Patty, but then give really unbelievable explanations
he was not very comfortable with Patty's logical questions and problems with his boss and the war in afghanistan

raw video to come ..... i didn't have a decent camera set up to film our interaction with the politician in training
they obviously don't want to be filmed, just like during the fake town hall meetings

[Russell Kanning]

here are the raw videos i got before Paul Hodes' help asked me to not film
Visit Paul Hodes office with Anti-War Signs 1of3