Ideas for stopping the war?

[CNHT]

Call Hodes and Porter and say that they are voting for the war and pork with the latest builds.

I thought they were going to fix everything? Where is their campaign promise? It was the only thing they had...now what? Who will hold their feet to the fire?

[Kat Kanning]

Here's what some locals did:

Sununu, others targeted in protest
War support cited at Manchester rally
   
Philip Elliott and Ian Bagley
Associated Press and Sentinel Staff

CONCORD - In New Hampshire and across the nation, lawmakers who support President Bush's policies in Iraq are coming under fire from retired generals and peace protesters.

In Manchester, nine protesters were arrested at about 11:30 p.m. Wednesday evening after staging a sit-in in U.S. Sen. John Sununu's Manchester office.

Eight of the nine arrested - including Jon Hutchinson, an 85-year-old World War II veteran - spent the night in jail before being arraigned this morning in Manchester District Court. Prior to the arraignment, bail was set at $1,000 each.

One of the protesters, a Concord psychotherapist, was bailed out by her husband so she could see clients today.

At the protest, members of N.H. Peace Action, including several from the Monadnock Region, read statements in opposition to the war, taped signs and pictures to the walls and desks in the New Hampshire Republican's office and read the names of 22 New Hampshire troops who died in Iraq.

On the national stage, three retired generals challenged a dozen members of Congress in a new ad campaign Wednesday, saying the politicians can't support Bush's policies in Iraq and still expect to win re-election.

"I am outraged, as are the majority of Americans. I'm a lifelong Republican, but it's past time for change," retired major general John Batiste told reporters in a conference call. "Our strategy in Iraq today is more of the same, a slow grind to nowhere which totally ignores the reality of Iraq and the lessons of history. Our president ignores sound military advice and surrounds himself with like-minded and compliant subordinates."

Batiste and Paul Eaton, also a retired major general, are featured in the ads by VoteVets.org. They challenge the president's argument that he listens to his commanders on the ground in Iraq. Batiste and Eaton, both former commanders on the ground, said the president's Iraq policies endanger U.S. security.

"The fact is, the president has never listened to the soldiers on the ground effectively," said retired NATO supreme allied commander Wesley Clark, who ran for president in 2004. "This administration is not listening to the troops and is not supporting them."

At the protest at Sununu's office, protesters stood around a pile of shoes. Attached to each pair was the name of an Iraqi killed in the 4-year-old conflict.

The senator's staff kept the office open for about seven hours after the scheduled closing time, and were polite, according to Keene resident Eileen Reardon, who joined the protest but left about 90 minutes before the arrests.

At times during the day, about 30 protesters waved signs outside the office.

Harrisville resident Enid Rae Smith, a teacher at the Wells Memorial School in Harrisville, also spent several hours at the sit-in before leaving with Reardon.

This morning, Smith said she felt "very emotional" over her decision to leave the protest, but she felt she had an obligation to be at work today for her students, she said.

Peterborough resident John Friede, who attended the event but wasn't arrested, said seven police cruisers and a "paddy wagon" showed up when the protesters were arrested. The arrest "was not confrontational at all," he said, adding, "I don't even think they were handcuffed."

Hutchinson, a Madison resident, called the war "a quagmire from the start."

"Tactical mistakes and misjudgments have led to a significant drain on our ground forces. The objectives are unclear and they change from month to endless month," he said. "The Iraq war is also a terrible and costly war which has divided our nation. This war is not justifiable."

Other veterans promoted the ad campaign at a news conference in Manchester, the start of a six-state publicity tour targeting Sens. Sununu, Susan Collins of Maine, Norm Coleman of Minnesota and John Warner of Virginia, plus nine congressmen. All are Republicans.

"There are probably a handful of senators that have been pretty vocal in their verbal questioning of President Bush, but they don't really back it up with action," said retired lieutenant colonel Andrew Horne, a Marine who served in the Gulf War and the current Iraq war. Horne, a Democrat, ran for the U.S. House in Kentucky last year, but lost.

"If members of his own party would pressure him, the president would not be standing like he is," Horne said.

Brandon Friedman, an Army veteran of Afghanistan and Iraq, said the president's policy is all wrong.

"I think all troops would like to see the government in Iraq succeed, but I think that many troops don't think that this is the way to go about doing that," said Friedman, 29, a Republican who served in the 101st Airborne Division.

Many in the group, including Sununu, have criticized various aspects of administration policy, but all have opposed legislation to establish a timetable for withdrawing American troops.

"Telling members of al-Qaida, militias or insurgent groups the date we will begin and end troop withdrawals is irresponsible," Sununu said.

When VoteVets.org ran ads in February, Sununu said critics of the war have every right to speak out, "but no group or individual should claim to speak for all the patriotic Americans serving in Iraq and around the world in our armed forces."

[MaineShark]

Peterborough resident John Friede, who attended the event but wasn't arrested, said seven police cruisers and a "paddy wagon" showed up when the protesters were arrested. The arrest "was not confrontational at all," he said, adding, "I don't even think they were handcuffed."

Yeah, one of those "non-confrontational" arrests.  I'm sure the police just politely asked the folks to come with them, and the folks were just happy to get a free ride to the police station!

Joe

[jaqeboy]

Report from Anne Miller, New Hampshire Peace Action about the Sununu office occupation:

Dear Friends,

Late Wednesday night, nine New Hampshire peace activists were
arrested at Senator Sununu's Manchester New Hampshire office for
criminal trespass. The arrests followed nine hours of occupying the
Senator's office, while several dozen peace activists stood outside
in solidarity. The purpose of the action was to show the senator and
his constituents that his eleven votes in support of the Iraq
occupation have had devastating consequences in Iraq and at home. Our
"installation" in the office included flags at half mast to represent
the NH soldiers killed in Iraq, hundreds of pairs of shoes tagged
with the names of the Iraqi civilians killed in the violence, and
many pictorial images and words that we put up on the walls with
painters tape. By 5 pm there were shoes sitting on water coolers,
images of Iraqi violence and the many costs of the war pasted on the
walls, and floor space literally occupied by shoes and activists. Our
efforts produced a powerful visual image.

Because we wanted to leave the office in a respectful way, we picked
up the shoes in the late evening, and took the images down from the
walls once we learned that the police were coming to ask us to
leave. Over a dozen police were present at the arrest. We were
allowed to walk out of the building with all of our belongings, and
nothing was left at the office except for a peace plant, which we
gave to the office staff.

Initially we were told that we would be given a citation from the
Manchester City Police and released. However, somebody with greater
authority overrode that directive, and we were booked and charged
with a criminal trespass misdemeanor A. Then we discovered that the
bail commissioner set bail at $1000 for the activists who had no
prior arrests, and that we might have to pay $300 to a bondsman to
secure our release. With the exception of one person who paid the
$1000 bond because she had to be at work the following day, we
decided NOT to pay the bail bondsman (in essence, because we didn't
have the money) and spent the night in Valley Street Jail. After a
sleepless night sitting on hard metal benches in holding cells, we
were arraigned the following morning, but not before spending seven
hours in windowless cells with ankle shackles waiting to see the judge.

The state prosecutor tried to argue to the judge that we should not
be released on personal recognizance, but should have to pay the
$1000 bail basically as a message to others who might think about
engaging in similar actions in the future. The judge wouldn't have
any of it, and released the eight of us on personal recognizance. We
had $1000 bail suspended for each of us, that we will have to pay if
we don't show up for trial.

The nine people arrested were Karen Barker, Tom Barker, Jon
Hutchinson, Mary Lee Sargent, Pat Wilczynski, Nellie Grant, Chris
Hobby, Jordan Butterfield, and Anne MIller. Other core participants
included Eileen Reardon, Ann Isenberg, John Friede, Gray Fitzgerald,
Enid Rae Smith, Erin Placey and Sam Blair. Many thanks to others who
came out to support the action!

We spent a great deal of energy courting the press and it paid off.
We received coverage in the New England Cable News (NECN), a front
page story in the New Hampshire Union Leader, WMUR, NHPR, Hippo
Press, the Nashua Telegraph, Portsmouth Community Radio, the Laconia
Citizen (pending). The news stories are still coming.

Please consider writing a letter to the editor praising this action.
It would be great to have some letters pointing out the nonviolent
nature of this action, which it was from start to finish, and also
urging the Senator to change his position on Iraq and take leadership
to end the war.

Here are links to two New Hampshire Union Leader articles:

"Protestors Play a Waiting Game as Attack Ad Airs"
http://tinyurl.com/2qhl5l

"Prosecutors Call Prostests a Threat to the Public":
http://tinyurl.com/2xmhf4

Best,

Anne Miller
Director
New Hampshire Peace Action

[supperman15]

what about a stations fo the cross type thing, only stations of the war where you have a few different groups of people that form immages  of war perhaps there is a line with each immage and then a few people with signs saying, "what your signing up for."

[Russell Kanning]

If you did something similar to the one at Sununu's office, you could even get some other local peacenics to join you. You could just be the only one that doesn't bail out.

[forsytjr]

What happened to the thread that was split off of this one?  I understand why it was split off, but did it disappear?

[MaineShark]

What happened to the thread that was split off of this one?  I understand why it was split off, but did it disappear?

Here.

Joe

[forsytjr]

OK, thanks for the link.  Sorry if it appeared I was trying to hijack the thread.  I just thought that the perspective of someone formerly in the military, who believes in a strong defense, yet has recently resigned -  could be a good perspective.  I'm the kind of person who you are going to need to convince.  What convinced me was not arguments of pacifism, which I don't subscribe to, but many rational arguments against the unintended consequences of meddling in foreign affairs.  What also helped was an understanding that our founding fathers intended us to be neutral and not get involved in entangling alliances.  If you want to try to convince people like me, I suggest signs with quotes from Washington and Jefferson, etc.  I don't think highlighting deaths of Americans is as useful for people like me, since military folks in general resent being political pawns.  I'm trying to do my part by informing friends and family of the things that I have come to learn (lack of constitutional declarations of war, a foreign policy of interventionism that builds resentment from other countries, etc).

[Lasse]

Yes, I think attacking the politicians who (ab)use the military for their own personal interest is a much wiser tactic, seeing as a direct attack on the military institution will alienate soldiers, veterans and 'patriots' to whom the military is a white elephant. Calling officers 'military monkeys', as seen in this thread, is definitely counterproductive.

[Russell Kanning]

Franciscan Priest, Arrested at November Anti-Torture Protest, will Speak in San Mateo
by Anne Carey
Thursday May 10th, 2007 1:04 PM
Fr. Louis Vitale, Franciscan priest and noviolence action advocate, will speak on Tuesday, May 29th, at 7:30 PM at Transfiguration Episcopal Church, 3900 Alameda de las Pulgas, San Mateo. His talk is entitled "Torture on Trial" and includes the U.S. role in torture and his upcoming trial for nonviolent action at Fr. Huachuca near Tucson, Arizona.
San Mateo – Franciscan Fr. Louis Vitale, Action Advocate for Pace e Bene Nonviolence Service, was arrested last November for nonviolent action at Fort Huachuca near Tucson, Arizona. Along with Jesuit Fr. Steve Kelly, Vitale was attempting to speak with enlisted personnel and give a letter condemning torture to the post commander. The two priests will stand trial in U.S. District Court in Tucson on June 6. They are charged with trespass and failure to obey an officer's orders, and each faces a maximum sentence of 10 months in prison.

"Our effort may just be the first steps in exploring what is happening at Ft. Huachuca, but the larger picture continues to emerge," said Vitale. "I feel an ever greater commitment to do what we can to stop what is happening at Ft. Huachuca and wherever we encounter this force of domination and suffering."

Fr. Vitale will speak on Tuesday, May 29, at 7:30 PM at Transfiguration Episcopal Church, 3900 Alameda de las Pulgas, San Mateo, on the topic "Torture on Trial." His talk will include reflections on the U.S. role in torture, Fort Huachuca and U.S. interrogation tactics, the Military Commissions Act of 2006, the School of the Americas, and the upcoming trial. The event, sponsored by Pace e Bene Nonviolence Service and the Declaration of Peace-San Mateo County, is free and open to the public.

Pace e Bene's mission is to develop the spirituality and practice of active nonviolence as a way of living and being and as a process for cultural transformation. The Declaration of Peace-San Mateo County is a grassroots campaign to end the occupation of Iraq, bring the troops home, and oppose future US military adventures.

###
http://www.tortureontrial.org

http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2007/05/10/18413701.php

[PinoX7]

I know one thing, Our school seemed like a recruiting center. We took the ASVAB at school, and also in one of our classes we had military guys come in and give their shpeil just like one of the commercials.
I think you should try to get involved with the schools aswell, because thats where alot of the guys come from. Maybe ask the school to show the Benifits, aswell as the losses. Im in the Marines, and i would love to tell the kids about what you have to sacrifice, and the quality of benifits (fairly Low). Most guys get out with a disability, 40% of my platoon has had some sort of Physical Surgery, or a mental disability.

[Russell Kanning]

Im in the Marines, and i would love to tell the kids about what you have to sacrifice, and the quality of benifits (fairly Low). Most guys get out with a disability, 40% of my platoon has had some sort of Physical Surgery, or a mental disability.

I bet it would be hard for us to get into any local schools, but I think your chances of getting into your old school would be better.

[forsytjr]

I know one thing, Our school seemed like a recruiting center. We took the ASVAB at school, and also in one of our classes we had military guys come in and give their shpeil just like one of the commercials.
I think you should try to get involved with the schools aswell, because thats where alot of the guys come from. Maybe ask the school to show the Benifits, aswell as the losses. Im in the Marines, and i would love to tell the kids about what you have to sacrifice, and the quality of benifits (fairly Low). Most guys get out with a disability, 40% of my platoon has had some sort of Physical Surgery, or a mental disability.

This highlights one of the huge problems with forced mass schooling - it becomes a target for lobby groups of all kinds.  Nothing like getting them while they are young. Now, I'd rather see you prevent the recruiters from coming, than to get in and lobby against the war.  Going through the school board would be a good way to do that. 

[Caleb]

Im in the Marines, and i would love to tell the kids about what you have to sacrifice, and the quality of benifits (fairly Low). Most guys get out with a disability, 40% of my platoon has had some sort of Physical Surgery, or a mental disability.

I bet it would be hard for us to get into any local schools, but I think your chances of getting into your old school would be better.

Yes, it would be hard for us to get into any local schools...but that just might be a good cd idea itself.  Imagine showing up and crashing one of their military recruiting sessions with a good expose of the military.

Caleb