ARLINGTON EAST

Man who set himself ablaze after son died in Iraq becomes citizen

2006-12-12T21:22:00.000-05:00

December 12, 2006
By DAVID WEBER Associated Press Writer

LOWELL, Mass.— Two years ago, Carlos Arredondo tried to destroy a military van and set himself on fire in his grief over the news that his son, a Marine, had been killed in Iraq.

On Tuesday, Arredondo became a citizen of the country his son died fighting for, and used his new status in a protest, peaceful this time, of the war his son died in.

"Enough! Bring the troops home now!" read the sign Arredondo held aloft moments after he and 933 other immigrants were sworn as citizens in a ceremony at the Lowell Memorial Auditorium.

"Now I can use my First Amendment to say what I need to say," he said afterward.

"Now I can express myself without being afraid of being deported."

In August 2004, Arredondo was celebrating his 44th birthday and awaiting a phone call from Alexander, his oldest son, when a Marine Corps van pulled up in front of his house in Hollywood, Fla. The officers were there to deliver the news that 20-year-old son was dead.

At first, Arredondo would not believe it, convinced that his son, a practical joker, would dart out from behind the van and wrap him in a hug.

When Arredondo realized it was no joke, he lost it.He walked into his garage and grabbed a five gallon can of gasoline, a five-pound hammer and a propane torch, and headed for the van. Once inside he began destroying everything with the hammer, he recalled Tuesday."

I was screaming and yelling," he said. "I splashed gasoline all over the van and got some on myself. My mother was trying to pull me out of the van when I hit the button on the torch."

The explosion of the gas fumes threw Arredondo out of the van, and he was badly burned.

Arredondo, a native of Costa Rica, recovered from his injuries, and later met with the Marines to apologize. He also moved to Boston to be closer to his son, Brian, 19, and prepared to become a U.S. citizen.

"This is a way for me to honor my sons," Arredondo said about his passage into citizenship.
On Tuesday, December 12, 2006, Arredondo, 46, was among the immigrants representing 106 countries who became new United States citizens.

With his son Brian at his side, Arredondo held up a large photograph of his two sons as Rep. Marty Meehan thanked him for his son's sacrifice.

He held up his protest sign minutes later, as he left the building.U.S. District Court Chief Judge Mark Wolf, who issued the citizenship oath, asked the applicants to stand as he called the names of each of their home countries. Once they all were standing, the oath of allegiance was administered. The applicants erupted in cheers and waved tiny American flags when Wolf declared them citizens.

"You're coming here has sent us each a message," Wolf said. "You remind us that despite its imperfections, the United States remains special to people throughout the world. We thank you for delivering this message."

Suuport Soldier Resisters- Dec 8 - 10

2006-12-09T12:28:00.000-05:00

'Support the GI Movement & End the War, Again' ...by David Zeiger

General, man is very useful. He can fly and he can kill. But he has one defect: He can think.

This poem by Bertold Brecht was an anthem of the widespread GI Movement against the Vietnam War, and thirty years later it still resonates.
Today there is a growing GI movement against the War in Iraq.

It has the potential to tremendously impact the War in Iraq and end US foreign policies of empire. But it needs our help.
On December 8-10, there will be three days of action across the US to show widespread public support for the courageous troops that resist.
Educational events, rallies, marches and vigils will take place around the US. In the 1960's an anti-war movement emerged that altered the course of history.

This movement didn't take place on college campuses, but in barracks and on aircraft carriers. It flourished in Army stockades, Navy brigs and in the dingy towns that surround military bases. It penetrated elite military colleges like West Point. And it spread throughout the battlefields of Vietnam.

It was a movement no one expected, least of all those in it. Hundreds went to prison and thousands into exile. And by 1971 it had, in the words of one colonel, infested the entire armed services. I was part of that movement during the 60's, and have an intimate connection with it.
For two years I worked as a civilian at the Oleo Strut in Killeen, Texas -- one of dozens of coffeehouses that were opened near military bases to support the efforts of antiwar soldiers. I helped organize demonstrations of over 1,000 soldiers against the war and the military; I worked with guys from small towns and urban ghettos who had joined the military and gone to Vietnam out of a deep sense of duty and now risked their lives and futures to end the war; and I helped defend them when they were jailed for their antiwar activities. I made the film Sir! No Sir!, released earlier this year, to tell this suppressed story of the GI Movement. Today the new GI resistance movement is growing -- more soldiers are going public with their opposition, thousands are going AWOL, the first GI coffeehouse opened recently (with internet!), and the antiwar movement is realizing that supporting these soldiers is the next step. It's time for us to escalate public pressure and action in support of the growing movement of thousands of courageous men and women soldiers who have in many different ways followed their conscience -- upholding international law, taking a principled stand against unjust, illegal war and occupation and standing up for their rights. Widespread public support and pressure will help create true support for courageous troops facing isolation and repression, and help protect their civil liberties and human rights. Like the GI Coffeehouses of the 60's and 70's, showing widespread public support for soldiers who resist is one of the best ways those of us outside the military can encourage the growing momentum of GI resistance, a movement that has the direct power to end this war. Those of us outside the military must match their bravery by escalating our support for all GI resisters. They've got to know we're out here for them! Supporting GI resistance, together with counter-recruitment and draft resistance, is key to stopping illegal war and occupation ourselves. If the government can't recruit or draft enough new troops, and if troops refuse illegal immoral orders, it will help end the war and occupation and help prevent the next one. The December 8 - 10 Days of Action calls for: 1) Support for War Objectors 2) Protect the Right to Conscientious Objection 3) Protect the Liberties & Human Rights of GI's 4) Sanctuary for War Objectors. Support the actions or events in your area or organize an event, like showing Sir! No Sir! to a house party of friends or your local community. If not now, when? If not us, who? David Zeiger, director of the Film Sir! No Sir! was an organizer in the GI coffeehouse movement against the war in Vietnam. Visit http://www.CourageToResist.org for more information or to contribute to this campaign. To get a copy of Sir! No Sir! or see the trailer, go to www.SirNoSir.com. This letter is also this week's "Must Read" on Michael Moore's web site, http://www.michaelmoore.com/mustread/index.php?id=784

I am a republican. I am not anti-war, I am against the war in Iraq!

2006-11-26T17:52:00.000-05:00

Click on link to watch video! Why Billy Why!

I am a republican. I am not anti-war, I am against the war in Iraq.
I wrote why billy why last year when my son-in-law was deployed to Iraq. He, thankfully, came home safely, many others have not. This song is intended to be an honest look at a mother's loss. I wanted to put a face on this tragedy of war and make everyone feel for an instant, a fraction of the pain a mother feels when her son is killed in the war.
It is not unpatriotic to oppose war...it is unpatriotic to sit idly by and do nothing.
~Mark
Our soldier, Patrick Kelly, NJ, is another outstanding individual moving the marker. He just out doing his job, putting his heart on the line and making a huge contribution. He makes me proud to be an American and do the work I do getting this important message out.
Please read his letter before you vote this November.
SMC
A Truly Powerful Video
Patrick Kelly, NJ
8/26/2006
24
I was reviewing books online and somehow came across a link to this incredible video. I was at first angered by Bush's words, but that anger quickly turned to sadness.In 2004, I was stationed at Camp Wolverine in Kuwait. Among other things, my job was to remove body bags off C-130H aircraft and Blackhawk helicopters that were straight from battle scenes. We placed the bags (sometimes 200lbs, sometimes less than 2lbs) in the refrigerated mortuary trucks where they were taken to the mortuary tent for icing and paperwork processing. At the next aircraft heading back to the U.S., we’d perform the reverse. The bodies, still inside their original bag, were now inside aluminum transfer cases. We would help drape U.S. flags over them, load them aboard the aircraft (exactly like the ones you saw in Mark’s video), and all the while, perform a solemn honors ceremony at attention and with a very slow return salute downward. I can hardly recall a time that I didn’t walk away from an aircraft and cry. As the NCOIC, I was often the leader of the detail, but I didn’t want my troops to see me in this state of grief. I was often comforted by the darkness of night which served as a shield for my distorted face and tears so as not to be detected by my crew. I was 40 years old then and had the maturity to understand that the deaths of these men and women would soon, upon their not yet notified families, shatter their lives and the lives of everyone else who knew them. I don’t believe my troops, some as young as 18, could possibly fathom the depths of what they were undertaking.More difficult than that was aiding in the transfer of wounded troops on stretchers (called litters) from small aircraft/helicopters onto C-141B medical evacuation configured aircraft (Medi-vacs). Running down the center of these aircraft, from floor to ceiling were stanchions of litter racks. It was on these racks that we, along with medical staff, would secure our brave men and women by their stretcher sometimes four high and with four rows. I saw everything from mangled and splintered feet and hands, purple bloody faces (from blast burns), eyelids, cheeks, and mouths swollen beyond recognition (from the spraying of red-hot shrapnel), and freshly wrapped, blood soaked stumps where hands, arms, feet, legs, or all four use to be just hours before, functioning as strong, useful, and familiar appendages. But what haunts me most, is not so much their wounds or the fact that their lives were violently changed forever, destined to a life of confinement to mechanical wheelchairs, artificial limbs, and guide dogs. No. It was their eyes. Their eyes followed me as I would approach them from down the aircraft aisle-way. With brows raised in an arch and foreheads wrinkled, they strained to see me with painful, glaring, frightened eyes as I moved toward them and then away. It’s impossible to put these images into appropriate words. What was going on in their minds – those, that is, who were conscious? I always managed to give each hero a pat on the shoulder, the leg, or any place I could touch, and followed with words of encouragement, praise, or gratitude. I always smiled at them, as hard as it was, and then I always felt that terribly familiar surge of emotions as the doors to the aircraft closed for flight preparation. I am a Democrat and I am a proud American, more proud today then ever during my twenty plus years of service to my county. But I am not proud to have served my country in the War Against Iraq because I do not feel that we should have been in Iraq. In other words, there was no need to be in Iraq in order to necessitate one’s service to our country in the first place. Perhaps it is because of Cheney’s remarks as to why we are in Iraq that serves my anger and disgust so well. He said we are there “in order to protect our national interest in that region’s oil. Without it, our country would be in economic ruin.” Alas, the crux of the problem!I am, however, extremely proud to have served my fellow military members in the War Against Iraq because I feel that I made a difference. In some small way, I made someone feel comfort by doing little deeds for them such as giving a bunch of guys a lift to the PX in my truck, showing them my appreciation for their service with kind words of thanks and praise, and by talking to them one-on-one about home and family. The largest contribution I made was one that I performed often for my fellow brothers and sisters was to dash out to an aircraft with its engines screaming during its pre-flight check, and on behalf of late arriving troops with a pass for R&R, to plead with aircrew to take a few more troops with only 10 days to hitch a ride home and hurry back. Despite there being few available seats left without gear piled up on them, or the aircraft nearing its maximum take-off weight, I was, more often than not, able to persuade them to agree to 2, 3, 5, or more. Sometimes I would make up stories to reluctant crewmen saying that I have three brand-new fathers who desperately want to meet their babies for the first time…anything in order to find a connection with them. I rarely failed, and not because of my rank, but because I simply put those crewmembers back in touch with their human side. The hopeless faces of those “stuck” passenger anticipating my return would quickly turned to excitement, screams, and the snapping of their body posture as I would holler over the noise, “grab your gear and follow me, you’re going home!” The look on their faces and the gratitude they expressed to me, whether explicit or implicit, made my deployment worth while. And for me, that was my reward for being there. Those small deeds like that are what I take with me as having served my country during this war.My stance against this war does not make me unpatriotic. I am not anti-war, although I now see myself more a peacenik than I ever imagined possible. With the War Against Iraq constantly on my mind, with its tens of thousands of current and future U.S. troops who are and will serve in that region, let’s clean it up, make it right, keep it limited, and then withdraw all U. S. troops for good, and for the good of all.
Join us
moving the marker
Help share this important video at home and abroad by sending your contributions to:
Conant Associates
P.O. Box 703
Trinidad, CA 95570

Ralph Conant is author of more than fifteen books and monographs on a wide variety of topics, mostly in social policy, metropolitan governance, and regional planning. He holds PhD and MA degrees from the University of Chicago, where he studied public administration with Leonard D. White, urban politics with Edward C. Banfield, and political philosophy with Leo Strauss.

His most recent publications are: Toward a More Perfect Union: The Governance of Metropolitan America, with Daniel J. Myers, 1st edition, 2002; 2nd edition, 2006 and forthcoming City of Destiny: Denver in the Making, with Maxine Kurtz, to be published by Chandler & Sharp in 2007.

His other books include: The Public Library and the City, MIT, 1965; The Politics of Community Health, Public Affairs Press, 1968; Problems in Research in Community Violence, with Molly Apple Levin, Praeger,1969; The Prospects for Revolution, Harper & Row, 1971; The Metropolitan Library, MIT, 1972; The Conant Report: A Study of the Education of Librarians, MIT, 1980; Private Means Public Ends: Private Business in Social Service Delivery, with Barry J. Carroll and Thomas Easton, Praeger, 1987; Public School Finance: Toward a More Level Playing Field for Our Youth, Phelps-Stokes Fund, 1993.

He served as faculty, Michigan State University (1956-1957). Staff, National Municipal (Civic) League (1957-1959). Executive Director, Citizens for Michigan (1959-1960). Faculty, University of Denver (1960-1961). Assistant Director, Joint Center for Urban Studies, MIT-Harvard (1961-1967). Associate Director, Lemberg Center for the Study of Violence, Brandeis University (1967-1969). President, Southwest Center for Urban Research, Houston (1969-1975). President, Shimer College (1975-1978). President, Unity College in Maine (1978-1980). He lives in Trinidad, California and has a farm in Maine dating to the family settlement in 1771.

Shades of tyranny in our use of fear

2006-11-05T10:57:00.000-05:00

MY VIEW
By GAIL BANGERT

The way we think and talk about war leaves us unable to evolve beyond it. Like a hypnotic suggestion, the language of war subdues the conscious mind and makes us embrace unthinkable ideas.

With reverent words to acknowledge suffering, stirring words to honor courage, and persuasive words to rally the troops, attitudes and the phrases that express them have become hard-wired into our cultural consciousness. We utter them without needing to think. Reason gives way to habit and emotion. We don't seem to notice that over time the resignation connected with grief has morphed into acceptance of the unacceptable. We seem blind to the exploitation of our gratitude by the powerful, who send people to war, then silence opponents by equating opposition to policy with disloyalty to those who serve.

After centuries of fighting, not only do we accept war, we applaud and honor it. When it comes to war, we seem willing to shut down our brains and surrender to the emotional tide of popular sentiment.
''There are some things worth fighting for,'' we say, though the phrase offers no evidence for its assertion that violence is an effective strategy for protecting things we hold dear. We say ''freedom isn't free'' to express gratitude to veterans, but confuse promoting freedom with protecting our safety. Any use of force denies the freedom of another. A military victory may provide a measure of safety to the victors, but usually only a lull in a balance of terror, while the defeated bide their time.

Fear and the desire for revenge lurk at the heart of the most powerful attitudes about war. These emotions know no cultural boundaries, and I am not surprised that they exist, but I am amazed that we don't object to their continuing to govern our behavior in the 21st century. Respected nations still speak of ''bringing their opponents to their knees,'' and fearful populations rally in support of leaders who act tough. Seeking revenge should not be confused with problem solving. An enemy subdued is often an enemy lying in wait.

The Bush administration used fear to win initial support for the war in Iraq, and won re-election with the same appeal. To be sure, there is plenty to fear, but using fear to elicit support is more appropriate to tyranny than to democracy. At the core of our democratic ideals is the belief that government derives its power from the consent of the governed. That consent should be given after careful reflection, not taken by emotional manipulation.

Emotional thinking creates a gap between reality and what we choose to believe. The planners of the war failed to take into account the possible consequences of their actions. In a moment of hubris, they convinced themselves that they could wish a democratic ally into existence. They didn't trust democracy enough, however, to listen to voices from the region they planned to liberate, who correctly warned that attacking Iraq would inspire a million bin Ladens. Our invasion was a bonanza for terrorist recruitment, and our removal of Saddam Hussein without an effective strategy for maintaining order was an invitation to every outlaw and power seeker to take advantage of the chaos that ensued.

Experts on terrorism tell us that humiliation is one of its causes. It was certainly not logic, then, that possessed the administration to use a campaign of ''shock and awe'' to send a message to the Middle East. Our power is exactly what angers and motivates terrorists to defy us. Vast numbers of the world's people live in our shadow, and we have yet to come to terms with their resentment. Agents of our country have overthrown democratically elected governments and made behind-the-scenes deals that benefit us at the expense of others. Like frustrated players who upset the game board because they can't win, more and more angry people have decided not to play by our rules. They've empowered themselves to hurt us using methods that armies cannot easily combat. The benefits of any military action must be weighed against its value to terrorists as evidence that we deserve to be hated.

President Bush has inadvertently demonstrated just how vital democracy is to civilization. When a few people act with arrogant disregard for the opinions of others, they erode the glue of consent that holds civilization together. That is true whether plans are hatched in a cave in Afghanistan or in an office in Washington, D.C.

With violent conflicts spiraling out of control, we must think clearly about war. As some begin to call for military strikes in Iran, we need the combined wisdom of every mind capable of reason to choose strategies that make sense, not rash actions that suit our emotions.

The world will not forgive and may not survive another disastrous mistake. We would be wise to act with an eye to the rights and safety of those who have not yet joined the terrorists. Otherwise, we will continue to create enemies faster than we can kill them.
Gail Bangert lives in Harwich.
(Published: October 10, 2006)

A Mother's Prayer by Celeste Zappala

2006-11-04T08:41:00.000-05:00

Celeste Zappala is a United Methodist Christian whose son, Sherwood, was killed in Baghdad on April 26, 2004. This reflection was written by Celeste to you in response to the news that nearly 2800 soldiers and countless innocents have now lost their lives in the Iraq war.

Celeste was recently a guest preacher at the Eastham United Methodist Church, as well as the Orleans United Methodist Church on Sunday Oct 15th. United Methodist Church Community sponsored this life long Methodist from Germantown, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Mother Zappala was also a guest speaker at Arlington East the Human Cost of War, as well as on deck at Coast Guard beachhead for Arlington East from sun rise to sun set to honor all those who lost their lives in a war that didn't have to be.

What Does the Lord Require?

"On March 6, 2004, the day after I last saw Sherwood alive, I spent wild hours alone in my garden trying to understand how it was that my son was going to Iraq, and fighting my overwhelming sense of dread. I found myself thinking, "the war began a year ago-despite our protests and prayer, and since then I have been hoping something would happen so that Sher would not have to go, something to let this cup pass. But it is ours to drink now, along with the millions of others who are caught in these struggles. What arrogance for me to have thought we would not be touched by the grief of the World." I did not yet understand what the grief of the world could mean.

On April 26, 2004 my soul was seared by the reality of the death of my son in an explosion in Baghdad. A thousand times I have wished the fire ball that destroyed him could have taken me instead, and I know now the grief of the World in part is known by every parent who would have given their life to protect their child.

In the many months since that day I have found myself on a path I never would have chosen, a path I have struggled with and cursed, and yet I am bound to it now, and realize it is the path I must honor in all that I do. I have felt the relentless, power of the Loving Creator pull my spirit upright, away from the seduction of despair. I have seen the path in the profound question of scripture "and what does the Lord require of you, but to try to do justice, try to love mercy, try to walk humbly with God," to the light that the darkness can not overcome.

For me the path must be to seek the truth, for it is in the power of the truth that we are all set free to seek the Peace we know God wants for us.

But just now, I weep for the families who will learn in the days to come that the one they prayed for is now among the fallen. I pray for their struggle, for their brokenness, for the future they will now know with out the person they held so dear. I can not help but feel a terrible sense of failure, even though we worked so hard, we have not stopped the killing.

What does the Lord require of us? Faithfulness?

I struggle with my anger, my helplessness, and yet surely as breath, I trust that nothing, nothing will separate us from the love of God, and that is both comfort and command.

The command means one can not turn away from that knowledge, and the responsibility
it instills. The path Jesus laid for us is to love the Lord with all our heart and our neighbor as ourselves.

In the despair, war, brokenness and grief of the World only that mysterious, confounding path of Love can lead to truth and peace. "

With hope,
Celeste Zappala

Vote to honor the fallen.

2006-11-04T07:24:00.000-05:00

by Dante Zappala- younger son of Celeste Zappala

On April 26th, 2004, a day before the local primary elections, Sgt. Sherwood Baker was killed in Iraq. He was a member of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard. He was my brother. Sherwood's death brought the war home to his entireextended network of family and friends. None of us thought this powerful strong man could fall. We were wrong.

The day after my brother died, amidst the disbelief and the sorrow, my mother went to our local polling station and cast her vote. Some may have toldher it was futile or seen it as meaningless. After all, it was merely a primary. Sherwood, however, wouldhave expected nothing less. He knew the definition ofcitizenship.

I've got hundreds of pictures of my brother. I can stare at them for hours. Maybe it's mental torture,maybe it's just part of the process, but I'm looking at the inflection of every smile, the direction of thecreases on his face. I'm looking at every pixel for a hint about how this came to pass. I've found a lot. We shared happiness on his 30th birthday three years ago. We shared pride and lots oftears when we were at Fort Dix before he shipped off.His face is stern and unwavering in those pictures from Dix. Sherwood wasn't bitter about being deployed.He had reservations; people in their right mindsdon't want to go to war, especially when they have a family. But he had made an oath before God to serveand he took that seriously.

He was truthful and, above all, hopefully; a patriot in the truest sense. The day Sherwood shipped off to Iraq, I knew that forour family, life was forever changed. In all I've donesince that day, I've tried to maintain his sense oftruth and hope.

And since his death, I've started listening. I've learned that the way we talk to eachother is as important as what we talk about. I believe the war has, in fact, affected almost every American family, only many have no idea how. We all go to bed with the full support of our troopsin mind and their safety in our prayers. But debates rage around dinner tables and in living rooms across the country. The righteousness of our opinions has created so much anger between us. We're red in theface proving each other wrong.

I've traveled the country, I've been in dialogue with all sorts of folks, activists, military families, politicians, people on the street. I feel a kinship, even with mysupposed enemies, because we have all made the same choice to participate in this democracy.

We have watched together as some of our most spirited citizens, living otherwise humble lives in America,have been called to war. We've watched together astheir lives are stolen away. It is not my intention to tell you who to vote for. We have all been victims of the usual fear mongering,spin and half truths that accompany the campaignseason. I understand the propensity to want to shut itdown. Television ads are either mindless or infuriating. Candidates are eager to push buttons, sowe build walls. 'They deserve each other,' we might tell ourselves. 'Why should I vote anyway?' Letting apathy take hold, however, will only spelldefeat.

We will not be defeated by one party or the other, but by an ideology of hopelessness. But of evenmore importance, staying on the sidelines betrays thenobility of those who have made the ultimatesacrifice. Believe what you will about the war in Iraq; about the pretext, the current situation and the solutions. However, understand that every Soldier and every Marine who has died in Iraq did so under the banner of our democracy.

'Support our troops' means get out andvote. While we may indulge in our cynicism as wedebate particular points of withdrawal strategies, fine men and women who love their country are being disenfranchised by death. And we have the luxury of walking to the polls andcasting a vote. Be it a vote of conscience, a vote ofpassion or a vote of frustration, by God, we can vote.Do your duty as citizens. Go to the polls. Pull thelever with an open heart. And carry with you the promises of the young men and women who can no longerdo it themselves.

HR 4232 Congressman Delahunt, Where is your leadership?

2006-11-01T08:55:00.000-05:00

Hyannis Office
Congressman Bill Delahunt

146 Main Street
Hyannis, MA 02601

(508) 771-0666
Toll-Free: (800) 870-2626
Fax: (508) 790-1959

Hey Bill, Where is your leadership? How many more grave markers will it take to awaken your leadership?

" If ever you voted for the war,

Then you're out the door"! JJB

If you are active military and want to have the support of those who disaggree with this Congressman and President then click here; Appeal for Redress.org

Click on Me to read or type Bill Number in window: TYPE HR4232

This is the letter that was sent to Congressman Delahunt on:

8 September 2006
Congressman Bill Delahunt

2454 Rayburn House Office Building

Washington, D.C. 20515

Dear Representative Delahunt,

The US war in Iraq is an endless fire consuming lives, resources, and the fragile possibilities of peace. As our member of Congress, you are the legitimate connection to end this terrible tragedy by supporting our request to cosign legislation that will bring an end to this war. Joining the Declaration of Peace campaign, a coalition of more than 250 national, religious, and peace organizations across the US, Cape Codders for Peace and Justice thank you for cosponsoring H. Con. Res. 197 to prohibit the establishment of permanent bases in Iraq. We also appreciate your support of the discharge petition with the purpose of gaining debate and a vote on HR 55. However, you have also stated this plan inhibits your support of H. R. 4232 as politically contraindicated. None of the legislation has gained supporters for months and we need bold steps to move forward. We look to you for that progressive leadership. Therefore, we request that you cosponsor H. R. 4232 to end funding for deployment of US troops to Iraq. Congress may not have control of decisions made by the administration but certainly has responsibility for the funding. We also request that you cosponsor H.Con. Res. 348 to prohibit permanent bases, control of oil and redeployment of troops.

You articulately expressed our sentiments on Iraq Watch (July 10, 2006) when you stated, “Well, the truth is, nothing has been accomplished, except the loss of thousands of American lives with a financial cost going on some half a trillion dollars. You know, one only has to watch the nightly news. I was in the cloakroom earlier and watched the national news. It was depressing, it was sad, it was tragic. What is going on in Baghdad today and all over Iraq is an orgy of violence and blood-letting.” Now please continue to speak truth to power and cosign legislation to end the war and bring the troops home, fund human needs, and resolve to deny war as national policy. We believe that humanity can and must rise above the violence to build a world of justice and peace for all peoples.

Members across the country will receive similar requests from their constituents with the belief that their representative in Congress, at this very “depressing, sad, and tragic” time, will respond to the public outcry against this invasion and war by cosponsoring the above legislation.

We would like to make an appointment with you or receive a written response to this communication on or before September 21, 2006. Thank you for your time and consideration. Declaration of Peace petition is enclosed.

signed by CCPJ legislative committee (Please note that the Declaration of Peace called for sponsorship of HR 4232)

A BUSH ATTACK ON IRAN TO SAVE THE PRESIDENCY?

2006-10-31T09:16:00.000-05:00

US-Led Military Thrust Focuses Heavily on Broad Naval DeploymentDEBKAfile Exclusive Military Report http://www.debka.com/article_print.php?aid=1223
October 30, 2006, 11:53 AM (GMT+02:00)

Hundreds of US and allied war ships foregathered in the strategic seas of the Middle East and India in the last days of October 2006 for two primary missions: To prepare for a US-led military strike against Iran which has stepped up its uranium enrichment program with a second centrifuge project - undeterred by the prospect of UN sanctions; and measures to fend off palpable al Qaeda threats to oil targets. DEBKAfile’s military sources provide details of the massive deployments: 1. A large-scale US-Indian sea exercise called Malabar 06 is in progress off the Indian coast of Goa, ending Nov. 5. The American vessels taking part are the USS Boxer carrier, the USS Bunker Hill guided missile battle cruiser, the guided missile destroyer USS Howard and the USS Benfold , as well as the Los Angeles-class nuclear attack submarine Providence and the Canadian guided missile frigate HMCS Ottawa .

Indian maritime might is displayed with its warships like INS Beas , INS Mysore , INS Shakti , INS Ganga , tanking ship INS Gharial , submarine INS Shankush and Coast Guard ship CGS Samar Malabar also involves the landing of large number of soldiers ashore, ahead of the Indian acquisition of the massive amphibious USS Trenton transport dock which can carry six helicopters and about a 1000 soldiers.

Our Tehran sources report that last Thursday, Oct. 26, Iranian officials were seriously rattled by a rumor that an Iranian spy plane had located the USS Boxer heading for the Persian Gulf. It prompted fears of an imminent American military assault to lift Republican prospects in the coming US midterm elections of Nov. 7. In any case, the Iranians suspect that at the end of the joint US-Indian exercise in the Arabian Sea, Boxer will veer west and head into the Persian Gulf.

There would then be four US air carriers with task forces parked opposite Iranian shores, including the USS Enterprise Strike Group, the USS Iwo Jima Expeditionary Strike Group and the USS Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group, which are already in place.

According to the intelligence reaching Iran, the Boxer and its escorts carry 850 Marines who have just spent months in special training for operations on offshore oil rigs and platforms.

2. American, Italy, France, Britain, Australia, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait are taking part in an exercise practicing the interception of ships carrying nuclear materials or components for use in advanced weapons. The exercise opposite Bahrain is the first to be held in the Persian Gulf under the three-year old proliferation security initiative. It applications could be translated equally into the enforcement of sanctions against North Korea, which conducted its first nuclear test on Oct. 9, or Iran.

On Oct. 27, Robert Joseph, the US undersecretary of state for arms control remarked: “From Iranian news reports we know the exercise got the attention of Iran.” But rather than climbing down, Tehran referred two days later to the war games as “adventurous” and placed its armed forces on a high alert which encompassed the joint naval units of the military and Revolutionary Guards in the Persian Gulf, while the Revolutionary Guards, the Iranian army, navy and air force were placed on “yellow” alert, one level short of full war.
Also Oct. 29, , supreme ruler Ayatollah Ali Khamenei replaced Iran’s air force chief, Karim Qavami with Brig Gen Capt Ahmad Miqani, on the recommendation of the Revolutionary Guards commander.

DEBKAfile’s Iran sources report that Khamenei did not approve of Qavami’s admiration for America’s military capabilities – especially the US air force’s advanced aircraft and equipment. Qavami was wont to speak out at general staff meetings in favor of procuring a new air fleet the better to stand up to a possible US attack. His successor follows the supreme ruler unquestioningly and has complete faith in the ability

3. Saudi Arabia did not join the multinational Bahrain exercise, but instead mustered its entire navy and all its special forces for deployment in dense defensive array around the biggest oil terminal in the world, at Ras Tanura.

Riyadh acted in response to tangible intelligence that al Qaeda is preparing to attack its oil installations.Warnings have intensified in recent days of impending al Qaeda attacks on the oil fields, oil ports, oil tankers and oil fields of Saudi Arabia and the Arabian oil emirates. One threat specifically targets the Bahraini offices and staff of the Benin Republic’s Societe Togolaise de Gaz and Societe Bengaz S.A. It is not clear exactly why al Qaeda is targeting this African-owned oil company in particular. In addition, the US embassy in Riyadh has warned Americans operating in the Gulf region to stay clear of all oil installations, especially in Saudi Arabia.

Another pointed alert covers Western residential compounds in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries, specifying American expatriates as al Qaeda targets. Saudi security forces are standing guard at these compounds which were fatally attacked in November exactly three years ago.

4. The fourth major naval concentration is deployed in the Red Sea along Saudi Arabia’s west coast. The oil kingdom has placed its military and fleet at their highest level of preparedness for Al Qaeda-instigated terrorist attacks along this coast, particularly at the ports of Jeddah and Yanbu.

DEBKAfile’s counter-terror sources report: That the Saudis have by and large switched their defenses against al Qaeda to coastal targets indicates the receipt of intelligence input of a new local sea base established by al Qaeda, which enables the jihadist group to stretch its capabilities for assaulting oil and Western shore targets from the sea. This base might be located on the shore of a Gulf nation, somewhere in the Arabian Sea or in the Horn of Africa.Copyright 2000-2006 DEBKAfile. All Rights Reserved.

RE: Naval Interdiction Exercise Said Planned for Persian Gulf By REUTERS
Posted 10/12/06 12:16DefenseNews.com

A BUSH ATTACK ON IRAN TO SAVE THE PRESIDENCY?According to the semi-official DefenseNews.com

(*A&B), a Naval interdiction exercise, (long?) “set for Oct. 31, is the …. first to be based in the Gulf near Bahrain, across from Iran,” “A senior U.S. official insisted the exercise is not aimed specifically at Iran, although it reinforces a U.S. strategy aimed at strengthening America’s ties with states in the Gulf, where Tehran and Washington are competing for influence.”According to former UN Weapons Inspector Scott Ritter: “The path that the United States is currently embarked on regarding Iran is a path that will inevitably lead to war. Such a course of action will make even the historical mistake we made in Iraq pale by comparison.”

(*C)As Zbigniew Brzezinski has said: “In a war with Iran, we'll get dragged down for 20 or 30 years. The world will condemn us. We will lose our position in the world." (*D)Is Bush is operating on the principle that “after all it is the leaders of a country who determine the policy, and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along?” (Articulated by Herman Goering, one of Adolf Hitler’s henchmen.) (*E)Will a “Gulf of Tonkin” incident with Iran do the trick for the President?

Would a 9/11 size casualty loss such as a big carrier be within his budget?
Douglas Marshall, LCDR USN Ret.24
Powderhorn Way
Sandwich, MA 02563
508-429-3151

NOTES FOR BACK GROUND:

A) For the Full Defense News article see:

B) For fuller background on Defense News see:By its own description “Defense News and its Web site, DefenseNews.com, are part of the Army Times Publishing Company, the leading military and government news periodical publisher in the world.”

C) See: http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/10/16/144204

D) See Vanity Fair, 2006: Zbigniew Brzezinski’s "I think of war with Iran as the ending of America's present role in the world. Iraq may have been a preview of that, but it's still redeemable if we get out fast. In a war with Iran, we'll get dragged down for 20 or 30 years. The world will condemn us. We will lose our position in the world."

E) See Scoop New Zealand - 2006-08-28:

(Hermann Goering) as quoted in an article entitled “US vs. Iran - Is An Attack Inevitable?:”

“Naturally, the common people don't want war ... but after all it is the leaders of a country who determine the policy, and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is to tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in every country.”

'Antiwar' and Other Fighting Words- NYT

2006-10-29T07:10:00.000-05:00

October 29, 2006
‘Antiwar’ and Other Fighting Words
By DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK
WASHINGTON
DEMOCRATS have spent three decades trying to exorcise the ghost of Senator George S. McGovern, whose losing 1972 presidential campaign calling for a withdrawal from Vietnam crystallized his party’s image as soft on national defense.
But surveying the midterm elections last week, Mr. McGovern, 84, said he sees an opportunity for an antiwar campaign in the 2008 presidential race.
“I would love to be running again if I were 25 years younger,” he said in an interview from his Montana home. “I think I would win.”
On the eve of the midterms, dismay over the Iraq war has propelled the Democrats to a political status they have not enjoyed since before Mr. McGovern: for the first time in decades, polls show that the public trusts Democrats as much as Republicans to handle foreign affairs.
But as they look ahead, Democrats are torn between two visions of their history. Some potential candidates in the 2008 Democratic primary and many liberal activists argue that the Republican responsibility for the Iraq war has, in effect, freed the Democrats from Mr. McGovern’s legacy. They say the 2006 elections will provide a mandate for a new antiwar argument: that troops can be pulled from Iraq in order to shore up American security elsewhere in the world.
Other strategists and political scientists argue that the Iraq war has given the Democrats a different opportunity to lay to rest their McGovernite image, in part by rejecting calls for a quick withdrawal in Iraq.
“All voters are doing is giving Democrats a chance, and we better not blow it,” said Gary Hart, the former senator and presidential candidate.
A younger McGovern could probably win the Democratic primary, Mr. Hart said, but he would still lose the general election. “Just running on a platform of ‘get us out of Iraq’ is not going to solve the Democrats’ problem on the issue of national security,” he said.
After Vietnam, there was a brief time when both parties seemed to compete to be seen as the party of restraint: the moment in the 1976 presidential race when Senator Bob Dole, the Republican nominee for vice president, charged that the “Democrat wars” of the 20th century had killed or wounded “1.6 million Americans, enough to fill the city of Detroit.”
But the Iranian hostage crisis three years later put an end to that short peace fad. And ever since President Ronald Reagan’s campaign for a military buildup, Democrats have suffered from a reputation as the party that was less sure to keep America safe. Their only presidential victories were in the years of relative peace between the end of the cold war and the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11.
During the midterm campaigns, Democrats have risen in the polls merely by attacking President Bush’s conduct of the war. They have not spelled out or agreed on a clear alternative of their own.
That luxury, however, is coming to an end. On Nov. 8, the day after the election, attention will shift toward the 2008 presidential race. How to handle Iraq could be the defining issue of the Democratic primary, and criticizing President Bush may not count for much in the general election since the Republican nominee may also be a vocal critic of his administration’s handling of the war.
Pleasing the party’s “bring ’em home” base while burnishing its security credentials may not be easy. A USA Today poll released Friday showed that more than 80 percent of the public expects Democrats to set a timetable for a withdrawal from Iraq if they take control of Congress. But so far none of Democratic Congressional leaders has called for a fixed deadline.
And although all the potential primary candidates — and President Bush for that matter — say they want the troops home as soon as possible, on the question of a timetable, their views could hardly be more disparate.
Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, the most prominent candidate, has rejected any timetable for withdrawal. Senator John Kerry, the 2004 nominee, and Senator Russell Feingold of Wisconsin have already called for a fixed deadline.
Many Democrats, Mr. Feingold argued, have made a “serious mistake” by getting caught up in the party’s Vietnam history. Fearing Mr. McGovern’s fate, they are stuck in what he called “the Iraq trap.”
“They think if somebody calls for a timetable to get out of Iraq they will be labeled as ‘cut and run,’ ” Mr. Feingold said. Democratic gains in the 2006 elections, he said, will show that the public accepts the broader argument for a pullout from Iraq in order to fight terrorism more effectively elsewhere in the world.
Kevin Mattson, a liberal historian at Ohio University, argued that the comparisons to the McGovern campaign were misleading and “goofy.”
For one thing, unlike critics of the Iraq war, neither Mr. McGovern nor any other prominent Democrat opposed the Vietnam War because it was an impediment to the fight against Communism — an argument that would have been hard to make at that advanced stage of the cold war. Advisers to Vice President Hubert Humphrey urged him to make such a case in 1968 but he refused, Mr. Mattson said.
Others, however, argued that letting their victories this year eclipse the McGovern experience may be the biggest risk that Democrats face in 2008. “My concern is that some Democrats will learn the wrong lessons from our victory,” Senator Joe Biden of Delaware said.
Noting the number of conservative Democratic challengers this fall, he said that voters are seeking “a bipartisan consensus” about how to leave more than chaos and instability in Iraq. “A pullout is not a plan,” Mr. Biden said, “it is a reaction.” What sealed the Democrats’ image after Vietnam, historians say, was not just Mr. McGovern’s campaign but also their reaction as public opinion turned on the war. After 1968, Democrats in Congress began pressing to curtail the war or cut off its financing. And their efforts reached a peak after the post-Watergate midterm election of 1974, when many Democrats interpreted their landslide gains as a mandate to cut back on national defense.
No one is making similar proposals today. But James M. Lindsay, a director of the Robert S. Strauss for International Security and Law at the University of Texas in Austin and a former national security official in the Clinton administration, said big wins in 2006 may well embolden antiwar Democrats in 2008, while pulling “centrists” like Mrs. Clinton closer to withdrawal.
“But there are going to be a lot of Democratic strategists whispering in their ears that ‘you don’t want to go there’ because it is bad politics, and it is bad policy to boot,” he said. “The problem is you also have to win the general election. You don’t need to appeal to people who have made up their mind and had a bumper sticker on the back of their car for the last four years.”
Mr. McGovern, for his part, said the debate reminded him of the way Republicans used to accuse Democrats of being weak on Communism, even though containment was a Democratic idea. “I sure hope we are not going to have 50 years of being weak on terrorism in the eyes of Republicans,” he said.

Listen to Veteran's home from Iraq too! Hear them!

2006-10-27T04:00:00.000-04:00

Interview with Sergeant Jimmy Massey USMC

Back From Iraq: "I Killed Innocent People For Our Government"

Active-duty troops go public to oppose Iraq war

2006-10-25T16:17:00.000-04:00

By STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS, The Virginian-Pilot
© October 25, 2006

WASHINGTON — A small group of active-duty military members opposed to the occupation of Iraq, including a Norfolk-based sailor, has created a Web site intended to collect thousands of signatures of other service members who agree.

Service members can submit their name, rank and duty station if they support the prompt withdrawal of American troops from Iraq.

The electronic grievances will be passed along to members of Congress, according to the Web site. “Staying in Iraq will not work and is not worth the price. It is time for U.S. troops to come home,” the Web site says.

Seaman Jonathan Hutto, a Norfolk-based sailor said in a telephone interview with The Virginian-Pilot that the group has collected about 120 names and is trying to verify that they are legitimate service members.

There are 1.4 million troops on active duty, including members of the National Guard and Reserve.

The group thinks their actions are legal and distinct from their official responsibilities as service members.

“We’ve given enough,” said Hutto, who joined the Navy almost three years ago. “We’ve sacrificed too much at this point.”

He said he is not a pacifist, but he has been skeptical about the reasons behind the invasion and occupation of Iraq. “This is the crisis we have created,” Hutto said. “We’re not anti-war. But at this point, our position is anti-occupation.”

Another member of the anti-war group, Liam Madden, said he opposed the war in Iraq even before he deployed with his Marine unit in late 2004. He came home more convinced that the war was wrong.

“The more informed I got, the more I opposed the war,” said Madden, 22, a Marine Corps sergeant in Quantico . Madden said the group’s long-term goal is to get U.S. troops out of Iraq.

“The short-term goal,” Madden said, “is to spread the word that service members who feel like we do have a tool to have their voice heard, and it’s their duty as a citizen of a democratic society to participate in democracy.”

The grass-roots movement is being sponsored by several anti-war groups, including Iraq Veterans Against the War, Veterans for Peace, and Military Families Speak Out.

Retired veterans have long waded into politics, including the 2004 presidential campaign when a group of veterans challenged Sen. John Kerry’s war record. More recently, several retired military generals have called on Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to resign, contending he botched the war and put troops at risk.

Hearing publicly from active-duty troops is rare. Military laws bar officers from denouncing the president and other U.S. leaders, and regulations typically prevent service members from lobbying for a particular cause while on duty or wearing the uniform.

Legal experts who reviewed the Web site said the effort probably would not violate any rules because the site is not a personal attack on members of the administration and allows service members to quietly pass their grievance to Congress in their free time.

Backers of the Web site also cite a “whistle-blower protection” law as added protection. Under the law, service members can file complaints to Congress without reprisal.

At least two senators – both critical of the administration’s handling of the war in Iraq – said they were concerned that service members speaking out against the president may undermine the military’s apolitical status.

“We expect our soldiers to follow … the legitimate orders of their commanders,” said Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island, who is helping lead Democratic opposition to the war this election season.

“And if you feel a course of action is inappropriate, your choice is just getting out of the service, basically, if you can, and making your comments as a civilian,” said Reed, a West Point graduate and former Army Ranger and paratrooper.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, a former reserve judge for the Air Force, said vocal complaints by active-duty members represented a “disturbing trend” that threatened to erode the cohesiveness of the military.

“We’ve had a long tradition making sure the military doesn’t engage in political debate,” said Graham, R-S.C.

Hutto and supporters of his Web site said they see no problem with active-duty military personnel weighing in to politics.

Hutto, 29, is a native of Atlanta who graduated from Howard University with a degree in political science. He says he joined the Navy to bring structure and focus to his life .

He won Blue Jacket of the Quarter for his diligence in the photography department aboard the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt, according to a news release on the ship’s Web site.

Hutto draws a bright line between his Navy and civilian responsibilities.

He cited the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and thousands of enlisted active-duty Vietnam War protesters as sources of inspiration . By joining the Navy, he said, “I don’t believe I have somehow cancel ed my rights as an American citizen.”

Scott Silliman, director of Duke University’s Center on Law, Ethics and National Security, said he sees the increasing political noise being made from military members – active and retired – as a relatively new phenomenon .

“Fifteen, 20 years ago you wouldn’t have seen it happen,” Silliman said.

Still, Silliman said, he sees little wrong with troops speaking out on their own time so long as they are not senior-ranking officers needed to carry out the president’s orders. “It depends certainly on who it is” ramping up opposition to the executive branch, he said.

A Pentagon spokeswoman said members can share their views with the media so long as they are not wearing the uniform and make clear that they are not speaking on behalf of the armed forces.

This article was compiled from reports by The Associated Press, McClatchy-Tribune News Service and Pilot staff writer Louis Hansen.

USER COMMENTS
Comments 1 - 10 of 41 View All Comments
I agree (hide comment) As a current active duty member, and a Republican I agree that members of the Armed Services have a right to question this war. The war itself is hurting military readiness. I have seen many people do six month turn around deployments. Moral is very low, and I believe retention of active duty members is declining. The argument of "following and not question orders" was the defense of many Nazi leaders at Nuremburg. Just because one chooses to join the military does not mean they become a "puppet on a string". For thoes of you who say "get out", they are... More than you might realize - Andy g. - Norfolk I agree (view comment)

Comments (hide comment) Just because someone says they are against this war, does not mean they are against all war. Just because someone criticizes the Bush administration, does not mean they are unpatriotic. The people out there that want to force those who do not agree to keep quiet are the ones who are unpatriotic in my mind. Everyone has a right to voice their opinion, not just those who agree with the war or the administration. -Active Duty - Jeffrey H. - Norfolk Comments (view comment)

They have the right to speak out. (hide comment) These servicemen/women absolutely have a right to speak out as we all do! As long as they do their jobs, and obey a few extra (well justified) rules they can voice their opinions. You don't lose absolutely all your rights just because you joined the military. All the people that think you don't have a right to speak out should move to a country where you can't. There are plenty of them. Move to Russia or China or N. Korea. I don't think you would like living there! So let them voice their opinion just as you do yours. Lastly, Did some of you actually read the article? A link to the website is in the fourth paragraph!!! Or did you just read the headline and fire off an uneducated opinion? This is the most uneducated city I have ever seen! - James Woods - Norfolk

How amusing... (hide comment) I am one of several other posters who have taken the oath to obey all orders, obey all officers, etc. I'm not a mental giant, but I'm pretty sure the oath doesn't forbid me from voting, nor does it prevent me from contact my elected officials on an issue of great imprtance to me. As long as these servicemen and women are making their grievances known in their off time, and they are not claiming to speak on behalf of their service, then they are perfectly within the limits of the regulations. If their message upsets you, that's too bad. You have the right to ignore it, and you have the right to start a counter-movement of your own. But you do not have the right to silence the voice of another American citizen because it offends your delicate sensibilities. If silence of dissent is to your liking, I hear real estate is booming in Beijing... - Andrew M. - Virginia Beach How amusing... (view comment)

Former and current military dependents do understand too. (hide comment) I am offended as a former military spouse that our opinion does not count as much as "active" duty members do. We serve and did serve too, in our way. We were home with the children during deployments, paying the bills, keeping the house up and working a full time job. I am no longer a military spouse but I did "serve my time" I have been overseas to a foreign country and made to sit at home because there were no jobs for "dependents". I have suffered deployments, no I have never been in the line of fire and I do not take that away from you but I have served my country in my way, by supporting my troops, all of them. No I do not agree with this war and yes I feel we need to pull our troops out. The military family is suffering by lost loved ones, lost fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers and children. We have kids who will never know their parent and for what? So a third world country can keeping killing each other like they have the past 1000 years?! - Nicole E. - Virginia Beach

Obviously military people... (hide comment) Obviously military people don't appreciate being lied to about the "Decider's" war any more than the rest of us do. Especially since they and their families appear to be the only ones sacrificing for it. No WMDs? Well, no there weren't. No terrorists in 2003? Well, no maybe not then, but they are there are now. But hey, the economy is up, the Dow just hit a record and, some of us are making money. Not only that, those making the most money received tax cuts' and also we're fighting this war on credit, so someone else's kids, middle class kids probably, will wind up paying for it. My old grand-daddy had a saying, "it's a rich man's war and a poor man's fight". Appears he was well versed in human nature. But it's asking a lot of our military to make all the sacrifices and ignore the obvious. - charles h. - montpelier

They have the right to speak out. (hide comment) These servicemen/women absolutely have a right to speak out as we all do! As long as they do their jobs, and obey a few extra (well justified) rules they can voice their opinions. You don't lose absolutely all your rights just because you joined the military. All the people that think you don't have a right to speak out should move to a country where you can't. There are plenty of them. Move to Russia or China or N. Korea. I don't think you would like living there! So let them voice their opinion just as you do yours. - James Woods - Norfolk

Only Those Who Have Served - Have a Right to Criticize (hide comment) I have read most of the comment and some of you (who may have served or not) feel that if you are a volunteer, you need to "shut up and color"! I am retired now, and I remember the oath about following the lawful orders of the officers appointed over me; since when has it become lawful to illegally invade another country and remove the rightful leader. Since when is it lawful for us kill innocent civilians and call it "collateral damage". We say we are the greatest nation on earth and I would like to be able to think that, but when we become the aggressors, and in the eyes of most of the world the "bad guys" that I begin to question our leaders. I retired from the Air Force after serving for 23+ years, and I have seen mostly under the Republican leadership a deterioration of America's prestige as a leader of human rights. I would not normally support an active duty member making a political statement, but if you watch television news you know that our generals are doing it now! - tom m. - minot

User Comment (hide comment) Once again...for all of you civillians ... You have no idea baout military life and I agree with those who say that military members have the most right to comment on the war...We are the one's that are affected. ... You have no idea about how promotion works, or what kind of training we recieve. We are constantly in training...Army, Air Force, Marines or Navy...Everday is training on something. The war on terror is a great thing...this world needs it...but the occupation of a country in not what we need. The situation is obviously getting worse as observed by battlefield commanders on the ground in Iraq. My point is...if you have no idea about the military or how it works...then shut up. Don't act like you know whats going on...just go back to your cup of coffee and Sunday paper...we'll take care of the rest. - vincent o. - Barksdale AFB User Comment (view comment)

Sad as it may be (hide comment) What right does enlisted Navy have to say about this war basing their opinions on what they see on the news??? Very few Navy know what Iraq is really like as they are not part of the ground troops like the Marines and Army. I think it is a discrace to voice an opinion when they have no real experience fighting. Most Army and Marines are proud to serve their country and fight for our freedom and know that is what they signed up to do! - Deonna W. - Virginia Beach Sad as it may be (view comment)

Photographs by Tom Turco ARLINGTON EAST

2006-10-21T10:13:00.000-04:00

Tom Turco's photos are now on the CCPJ site at

http://www.capecodpeaceandjustice.org/imgs/AE/WebPix.html

Thanks, Tom! If anyone reading this has any good pix which you'd like to share from 10/13 or 10/14, please send them to us.- David Agnew, and John Bangert

Sit Down for Peace, Justice, and Accountability

2006-10-18T21:36:00.000-04:00

I usually end my articles with a call to action, but today, I begin with one. Maybe readers get bored with my pieces before the end and don't get to the action part, which is the most important part.

Gold Star Families for Peace is calling for an action in front of the White House on the days of November 6th to November 9th (due to the urgency of our situation, we are beginning the sit-in on Saturday, Nov. 4) to perform a Gandhi-like sit down for peace and justice. Join us to sit down for all or part of the time we will be there. We might as well face it, the White House is where the power is. Congress has spent 6 years invalidating themselves and creating a Unitary Executive Branch that pats Congress on the head for being obedient and circumvents the Supreme Court and goes whining to the same agreeable Congress when the Court (in rare cases) slaps Georgie on the wrist. The potential Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi (D-Ca) has already said that if the Democrats take back the House, impeachment proceedings will not be forthcoming. Who's going to sit down with us to hold the war criminals in power accountable for their war crimes and crimes against humanity and peace?

Yesterday, without a peep from we the people, and while 10 soldiers were being murdered in George's horrendous war for corporate greed, he signed HR6166 into law. 10 soldiers were killed defending the war machine's right to garner obscene profits while the soldiers were being told that they were spreading "freedom and democracy" to Iraq. While they were dying for this supposed "freedom and democracy" their commander in chief and Congress were busy taking away ours.Who's going to sit down with us for these 10 young people to make sure their deaths do count for freedom and democracy?

HR6166 is the Military Commissions Act which allows everyone from George on down to the actual torturer to inflict inhumanity on our fellow human beings with impunity. The Act also allows George to decide who is a terrorist who does not deserve the right to Habeas Corpus and who is not a terrorist who does deserve the right to Habeas Corpus.

Who's going to sit down with us to say: "I demand my rights to Habeas Corpus and I repudiate torture in all forms."

Where were the massive demonstrations against this bill? Where was the outrage when King George the Illigitimate Pretender to the Throne signed it into law? Where are we the people? May I assume by the relative silence that the majority of Americans approve of torture and suspending Habeas Corpus? When does silence begin to equal complicity? Who's going to sit down with us to say "I am not a war criminal like BushCo?"

We the people, over two-thirds of us who disapprove of BushCo and their destructive foreign and callous domestic policies, need to stand up to be counted. Such memorials to our children who have been killed in Iraq as Arlington West and Eyes Wide Open are excoriated by the reich as "political," but they serve the purpose of showing we the people what 2768 actually looks like. 65% of America is just an abstract number. Who's going to sit down with us to show our blood-thirsty administration and Congress what a majority of America looks like?

George has condemned our irreplaceable young people to early graves and almost 700,000 innocent Iraqis have been slaughtered due to his policies. This number is staggering and heart rending to me. I met a young man in an airport that was in tears. He is a member of the First Cavalry (like Casey) and his unit is heading back to Iraq at the end of this month. He was just told that they would have to stay there for 18 months! He said he feels like he was just sentenced to a year and a half in prison for the crime of having enlisted to serve his country. Who is going to sit down with us for my young friend, Carl, and the tens of thousands of Carls who have been sentenced to similar fates?

While we the people have been naively pinning our hopes on the mid-term elections, 68 of our children have been killed in Iraq this month and untold numbers of innocent Iraqis have met similar and unjust fates. 68 families have been violently torn asunder so far this month, with no end on the horizon. 68 flag draped coffins will be coming home in a veil of secrecy, as if their civilian leaders are ashamed of them, to 68 devastated families while the war profiteers on all levels of society are rubbing their blood-stained hands with glee. 68 funerals, that George will never attend, while BushCo are planning the next wars using our children (not theirs) as pawns in their evil game of death for profit. How can we justify our comfortable complacency when 68 mothers will never be comfortable again? Who's going to sit down with us so no other mothers, Iraqi or American, white or brown, Christian or Muslim, end up with the same sorrow-filled fate?

We at Gold Star Families for Peace wonder why our children died? They all took an oath to protect and defend the Constitution from all enemies "foreign and domestic" and our leaders are busy decimating the same document, after they also took an oath. Who's going to sit down with Gold Star Families to help us bring closure to this war and help us make our loved ones' death count for the Noble Cause of peace?

There is no Noble Cause for war and other people's children are dying while our emperor without clothes, courage, or honesty is fiddling with our nation's freedoms, treasure (or lack thereof) and he is dishonorably mis-using our honorable babies who would never sign up to fight wars for the war machine if they knew what they were really getting into. Who is going to sit down with us to show the war machine that we intend to throw a monkey wrench into its ravenous cogs?

We the people do have recourse, but we can't sit on our duffs waiting for bereaved families to do most of the dirty work. It is up to us, we are the ones we have been waiting for, not the blood-thirsty Congress where most of the members are benefitting financially from the fiascoes in the Middle East. We know we can't count on the blood drenched administration to help us...George has said over and over that the troops aren't coming home while he is President. Who's going to sit down with us to make sure that Congress does the right thing and institutes impeachment proceedings so our young people can finally come home from the nightmare in the desert and so the people of Iraq can go about the business of rebuilding their own country and their demolished lives?

Please, please, please....join GSFP in front of the White House. If there ever was a time to end our complacency and commitment to politics as usual and the status quo of wars for profit, it is now.

There are people all over the world counting on us to do our parts for true democracy and for world peace.

Who's going to sit down with us for true democracy and world peace?

The time is now. The person is you!

Cindy Sheehan is the mother of Spc. Casey Sheehan who was KIA in Iraq on 04/04/04. She is the co-founder and president of Gold Star Families for Peace and author of the newly released book: Peace Mom, A Mother's Journey Through Heartache to Activism.
For more information on the sit in go to Gold Star Families for Peace or email

CampCaseyMom@yahoo.com

Cape and Islands NPR Monday Morning Report

2006-10-17T08:56:00.000-04:00

Play Taps

Photo was taken by Ken F in the afternoon at Coast Guard Beach, Eastham, Mass.

ARLINGTON EAST

NPR Radio Spot Click Here To Listen!

Coast Guard beach in Eastham should be deserted at dawn on a cold October morning. But this past Saturday, just after six AM, volunteers offload white wooden crosses from the back of a truck.
Donated coffee and doughnuts sit on a small table nearby. The volunteers hoist the crosses - 2,700 in all - onto their shoulders for the long trek down to the beach. There, the crosses will be arranged in a 600-foot long memorial called Arlington East, designed to recall Arlington National Cemetery. The idea is modeled after similar displays on the west coast, and near the Bush ranch in Texas. The event is sponsored by Cape Cod Veterans for Peace, and Cape Codders for Peace and Justice. They've received a one- day permit from the Park Service, and the elaborate display will be removed by day's end.

Diane Turco: "Oh my God, this is going to be just - very powerful. wow."That's Diane Turco, one of the events main organizers. In addition to the white crosses, a group of 200 thin plywood gravestones symbolize Iraqi children killed in the war.

Reporter: "How many of these gravestones are there?"Diane Turco: "There are 200 gravestones representing children who have died in Iraq. And as you can see, they lettered in English the name and age of the child, and then they wrote their names in Arabic.

"Reporter: "Can you read a couple?"Diane Turco: "Kahn Naj Adan, age 6, Zahara Kahlad Adar, age 7, Kahlid Gali Assan, age 5.

"Just beyond the grey headstones, John Bangert coordinates a team of volunteers who hammer the white crosses into the sand in neat rows. Bangert wears a red baseball cap, and a large, multi-colored peace flag is draped around his shoulders like a Superman cape.

John Bangert: "We're putting these crosses, as the morning sun is reflecting brightly on these all-recycled painted crosses, they're 10 inches by about 26 inches, and they're designed to fit deep into the Cape Cod sand. And we're leveling them, and we're trying to do the visual to make it look like Arlington cemetery in Virginia. And it's not a protest. It's just really a visual for people to come to some conclusion about this. And we hope they do.

'Aseel Al Banna has traveled from her home in Washington, DC to be here. She grew up in Baghdad, and her family is now living temporarily in Aman, Jordan. She says she's angry about the American occupation of her country, but she says she appreciates the people behind the beach memorial.

Aseel Al Banna: "I'm proud of them. They did this, they organized this, they're here at six in the morning to make this happen. I'm also thankful that they're honoring the Iraqi children and civilians that died.

"Not far down the beach, surfers in wet-suits paddle out to ride the perfect early-morning breakers. One of them is Matt Rivers of Orleans. He emerges from the water, surfboard under one arm and salt spray glistening on his face. He doesn't quite know what to make of the rows of white wooden crosses and headstones.

Matt Rivers: "Kinda eerie, kinda spooky (laugh). A lotta people, like, that don't follow the media - I'm kinda one of 'em, really - like, to see it up front in your face kinda awakens you a little bit, you know, to what's going on over there. Pretty sad."

Around noon, the finished display begins to attract a crowd. One of the onlookers is Andrew Sapp, an Iraq veteran diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder.

Andrew Sapp: "When you look at all these crosses..."Reporter: "We're looking literally as far as the eye can see, right?"Andrew Sapp: "Literally, yeah, hundreds and hundreds of feet, and rows on rows of crosses here. And when you stop and think that every one of these stands for a life, and every life has a mother and a father, spouse, children, siblings, the effect of this war is so huge.

'The crowd gathers around a bonfire for an interfaith prayer service and family remembrances of loved ones lost in Iraq.Supporters of the Iraq war point out that 2,700 American fatalities, while tragic, is relatively low compared to the 55,000 soldiers who were killed in the Vietnam War. They also point out that although the Iraq war has now lasted nearly as long as the American involvement in World War II, 2,700 dead represents less than one percent of the more than 500,000 Americans who died in that conflict. Arlington East will be mounted in other locations around the East Coast, with Philadelphia next on the list.

Broadcast October 16, 2006Brian Morris reports for WCAI, the cape and Islands NPR Station.

http://www.wgbh.org/cainan/article?item_id=3061393&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;parent_id=0&blurb_item_id=3061413

This just in from VFP Dr. Richard Gilchrist, who helped at Arlington East!

2006-10-16T12:46:00.000-04:00

John,
Hope everyone is recovering. I'm in VA to visit my brother. Always a touchy thing because we are 180 deg apart on Bush and the war. When I was working on the display, I really didn't think much about each maker that we were putting in, but when we were finished and took time to look at the rows and columns of 2795 markers the realization of what the display really got to me- what a total waste of life. I saw lots of tears and very somber people. Bush should be made to visit such a display.

Saying 2,795 is one thing, but seeing the markers go on and on really brings the point home. Went from MA to DC and stopped at the Vietnam Memorial. Another dumb and needless war- as if any were really needed. Looking at 58,285 names on black granite and reflecting on the waste of such lives along with this present war is almost unbearable, but I guess we have plenty of room on the mall for more memorials.

The government will just keeping waving the flags and keep telling the people that we are being attacked and we'll keep building more memorials an interesting experience come down from MA. I was only a mile or two away from Edgewood, MD (my main army post) and I thought that I take a picture of the front gate to show my wife.

Big mistake, I got out on the van with my camera and rapidly was surrounded by five police cars and about a dozen federal cops. After about an hour of checking me out, they finally decided that I wasn't a threat to the national security and let me go. They took pictures of the back of my van-which is covered with anti war and anti Bush stickers.

They went through my van but didn't find anything that would put me in jail so I'm a free man-well, as free as one can be in the present US.Hope things are going well!

Dr. Richard Gilchrist, Korean War Vet
Veterans for Peace Chapter 56,
Humbolt, CA
WAR IS NOT THE ANSWER !

THE ART OF ARLINGTON EAST

2006-10-15T14:56:00.000-04:00

To See More ARLINGTON EAST PHOTOS CLICK HERE:

These pictures were taken by VFP Ken who was the chief of installation.
Many many thanks for a excellent job, done well by all!
Super Peacefully Yours,

John Bangert

The human cost
By K.C. MYERS STAFF WRITER
EASTHAM - Her son taught nursery school. He was a case worker for mentally retarded adults. And he was a member of Pennsylvania National Guard who hoped the military would help him pay for his education.

Sgt. Sherwood Baker, 30, lost his life on April 26, 2004, when shrapnel from a nearby explosion in Iraq struck him in the back of his head, said his mother, Celeste Zappala of Pennsylvania.
His death is what brought Zappala to Coast Guard Beach in Eastham yesterday, where her son's cross stood among about 2,800 small grave markers plunged into the sand, each representing a U.S. soldier who has died in Iraq. Headstones nearby represented some of the Iraqi children killed in the war.

On a clear day, they stretched as far as the eye could see. The erection of ''Arlington East: The Human Cost of War'' took more than 200 volunteers in excess of six hours. They started at dawn, and would only begin to take down the grave markers after a rendition of Taps was played at 6 p.m., said Diane Turco, of Cape Codders for Peace and Justice.

For three months, her group, Veterans for Peace, and other volunteers found and cut the recycled wood and nailed together crosses. Their display, which has also been done by activists in California and Texas, made a breathtaking impact.

Every cross represents grief for family members, some of whom were there to speak out.
''Seamus was idealistic,'' said his father, Derek Davey, of Lowville, N.Y. ''He believed in his country and he believed he had a responsibility to serve.'' Seamus MacLean Davey, 25, died on Oct. 21, 2005, during combat in Iraq. ''We believe that responsibility goes two ways,'' his father continued. ''The civilian leaders have to use military forces wisely and not for their personal gain.''

The Daveys were opposed to the war from the beginning, but supported their son's decision to join the Marines in 1998 as soon as he graduated from high school.
After his death, they joined the Gold Star Families for Peace so that their son's death wouldn't be a total waste.

''We're pushing for everyone to vote,'' said his mother, Lorene Davey. ''I'm afraid people who are apathetic, who don't have a personal stake, won't come here to see this.''

Aseel Al Banna, an Iraqi who left the country in 1991 after experiencing two wars, knows the toll all too well.

Her parents are among about one million Iraqis who fled the violence to live in Amman, Jordan, where they are not allowed to work and yet must pay high rents in the adopted city, said Al Banna, who came as a member of Code Pink, an organization of women opposed to war.
''I don't know a single family that hasn't been affected directly,'' she said.

From her perspective, the United States has only made things worse. U.S. troops dismantled the government, disarmed the military, and now the country is ''a free for all'' for religious fanatics and violent groups with power and money, she said.

''It's already a civil war,'' she said. ''Yes, it will get worse temporarily if the U.S. pulls out. But then the Iraqis can rebuild it. It's their country. They've done it before.''
Andy Sapp, an Iraq war veteran who returned to his teaching job in Concord a year ago, couldn't agree more. Sapp was hammering crosses into the sand yesterday.
''I was in the National Guard,'' he said. ''We had no clear vision. It was do your time, stay alive and get out.

''I am here because most veterans and those in active duty cannot speak out,'' he continued. ''There is very real pressure. Everyone who died here is my comrade in arms. This is a very real way to support the troops.''
K.C. Myers can be reached at kcmyers@capecodonline.com.
(Published: October 15, 2006)

US troops may stay in Iraq until 2010

2006-10-13T06:41:00.000-04:00

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS WASHINGTON - The U.S. Army has plans to keep the current level of soldiers in Iraq through 2010, the top Army officer said yesterday, a later date than Bush administration or Pentagon officials have mentioned thus far.

The Army chief of staff, Gen. Peter J. Schoomaker, cautioned against reading too much into the planning, saying troops levels could be adjusted to actual conditions in Iraq. He said it is easier to hold back forces scheduled to go there than to prepare and deploy units at the last minute.
''This is not a prediction that things are going poorly or better,'' Schoomaker told reporters. ''It's just that I have to have enough ammo in the magazine that I can continue to shoot as long as they want us to shoot.''

Even so, his comments were the latest acknowledgment by Pentagon officials that a significant withdrawal of troops from Iraq is not likely in the immediate future.
Currently there are 141,000 troops in Iraq, including 120,000 Army soldiers. Those soldiers are divided among 15 Army combat brigades plus other support units.

Schoomaker's comments come less than four weeks before congressional elections, in which the unpopular war in Iraq and the Bush administration's policies there are a major campaign issue.
Last month, the top U.S. commander in the Middle East, Gen. John Abizaid, said the military would likely maintain or possibly even increase the current force levels through next spring.
(Published: October 12, 2006)

2006-10-11T22:57:00.000-04:00

Bring them home!

Iraqi Dead May Total 600,000 Study Says

2006-10-11T09:19:00.000-04:00

October 11, 2006

By SABRINA TAVERNISE and DONALD G. McNEIL Jr.
BAGHDAD, Oct. 10 — A team of American and Iraqi public health researchers has estimated that 600,000 civilians have died in violence across Iraq since the 2003 American invasion, the highest estimate ever for the toll of the war here.

The figure breaks down to about 15,000 violent deaths a month, a number that is quadruple the one for July given by Iraqi government hospitals and the morgue in Baghdad and published last month in a United Nations report in Iraq. That month was the highest for Iraqi civilian deaths since the American invasion.

But it is an estimate and not a precise count, and researchers acknowledged a margin of error that ranged from 426,369 to 793,663 deaths.

It is the second study by researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. It uses samples of casualties from Iraqi households to extrapolate an overall figure of 601,027 Iraqis dead from violence between March 2003 and July 2006.

The findings of the previous study, published in The Lancet, a British medical journal, in 2004, had been criticized as high, in part because of its relatively narrow sampling of about 1,000 families, and because it carried a large margin of error.

The new study is more representative, its researchers said, and the sampling is broader: it surveyed 1,849 Iraqi families in 47 different neighborhoods across Iraq. The selection of geographical areas in 18 regions across Iraq was based on population size, not on the level of violence, they said.

The study comes at a sensitive time for the Iraqi government, which is under pressure from American officials to take action against militias driving the sectarian killings.

In the last week of September, the government barred the central morgue in Baghdad and the Health Ministry — the two main sources of information for civilian deaths — from releasing figures to the news media. Now, only the government is allowed to release figures. It has not provided statistics for September, though a spokesman said Tuesday that it would.

The American military has disputed the Iraqi figures, saying that they are far higher than the actual number of deaths from the insurgency and sectarian violence, in part because they include natural deaths and deaths from ordinary crime, like domestic violence.

But the military has not released figures of its own, giving only percentage comparisons. For example, it cited a 46 percent drop in the murder rate in Baghdad in August from July as evidence of the success of its recent sweeps. At a briefing on Monday, the military’s spokesman declined to characterize the change for September.

The military has released rough counts of average numbers of Iraqis killed and wounded in a quarterly accounting report mandated by Congress. In the report, “Measuring Stability and Security in Iraq,” daily averages of dead and wounded Iraqi civilians, soldiers and police officers rose from 26 a day in 2004 to almost 120 a day in August 2006.

The study uses a method similar to that employed in estimates of casualty figures in other conflict areas like Darfur and Congo. It sought to measure the number of deaths that occurred as a result of the war.

It argues that absolute numbers of dead, like morgue figures, could not give a full picture of the “burden of conflict on an entire population,” because they were often incomplete.

The mortality rate before the American invasion was about 5.5 people per 1,000 per year, the study found. That rate rose to 19.8 deaths per 1,000 people in the year ending in June.

Gunshots were the largest cause of death, the study said, at 56 percent of all violent deaths, while car bombs accounted for about 13 percent. Deaths caused by the American military declined as an overall percentage from March 2003 to June 2006.

Violent deaths have soared since the American invasion, but the rise is in part a matter of spotty statistical history. Under Saddam Hussein, the state had a monopoly on killing, and the deaths of thousands of Iraqi Shiites and Kurds that it caused were never counted.

While the near collapse of the Iraqi state makes precise record-keeping difficult, authorities have made considerable progress toward tracking death figures. In 2004, when the Johns Hopkins study was first released, authorities were still compiling deaths on an ad hoc basis. But by this year, they were being provided regularly.

Iraqi authorities say morgue counts are more accurate than is generally thought. Iraqis prefer to bury their dead immediately, and hurry bodies of loved ones to plots near mosques or, in the case of Shiites, in sacred burial sites. Even so, they have strong incentives to register the death with a central morgue or hospital in order to obtain a death certificate, required at highway checkpoints, by cemetery workers, and for government pensions. Death certificates are counted in the statistics kept by morgues around the country.

The most recent United Nations figure, 3,009 Iraqis killed in violence across the country in August, was compiled by statistics from Baghdad’s central morgue, and from hospitals and morgues countrywide. It assumes a daily rate of about 97.

The figure is not exhaustive. A police official at Yarmouk Hospital in Baghdad who spoke on the condition of anonymity said he had seen nationwide counts provided to the hospital that indicated as many as 200 people a day were dying.

Gilbert Burnham, the principle author of the study, said the figures showed an increase of deaths over time that was similar to that of another civilian casualty project, Iraq Body Count, which collates deaths reported in the news media, and even to that of the military. But even Iraq Body Count puts the maximum number of deaths at just short of 49,000.

As far as skepticism about the death count, he said that counts made by journalists and others focused disproportionately on Baghdad, and that death rates were higher elsewhere.

“We found deaths all over the country,” he said. Baghdad was an area of medium violence in the country, he said. The provinces of Diyala and Salahuddin, north of Baghdad, and Anbar to the west, all had higher death rates than the capital.

Statistics experts in the United States who were able to review the study said the methods used by the interviewers looked legitimate.

Robert Blendon, director of the Harvard Program on Public Opinion and Health and Social Policy, said interviewing urban dwellers chosen at random was “the best of what you can expect in a war zone.”

But he said the number of deaths in the families interviewed — 547 in the post-invasion period versus 82 in a similar period before the invasion — was too few to extrapolate up to more than 600,000 deaths across the country.

Donald Berry, chairman of biostatistics at M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, was even more troubled by the study, which he said had “a tone of accuracy that’s just inappropriate.”

Sabrina Tavernise reported from Baghdad, and Donald G. McNeil Jr. from New York.

Organize Support & Endorse means you can help us in many ways!

2006-10-10T14:41:00.000-04:00

What it means to support, endorse or cosponsor. We are not at all corporate. What we need, is to get the word out to those who can and will help with ARLINGTON EAST. Hands, hearts, and yes, some money will make this happen.

Checks made out to

Veterans for Peace, Chapter 41,
Arlington East Fund

Duke Ellis
45 Sassafras Ln
Marstons Mills, MA 02648

This money will be deposited and is tax deductible. These may be given to anyone on committee. We have weekly meetings at Borders Books, Hyannis, MA 6:30 PM Wednesdays. Call anyone on committee for updates.

This weekend we need a few good man women and men with 2 in'' paint brushes, and gallons of white primer to paint 1200 markers at John Brewster Hopkin's barn in Truro, MA Route 6A, right after Whitman restaurant.

Call Veterans for Peace- Cape Cod Chapter

veterans4peace@comcast.net

John Brewster Hopkins - 774-836-6403

Bill Stewart - 508-775-4045

Nancy Clarke - 508-385-8636

Duke Ellis - 508-420-5532

John Bangert - 508-432-0545

Contacts for CCP&J ccpj@earthlink.net

Dianne Ashley - 508-255-2752

Diane Turco - 508-432-1744

John Bangert -508-432-0545 Cell: (508) 413-0142

Chuck Micciche -508-432-4757

Directions: just a reminder about painting grave markers this weekend, bring a 2" brush for latex, primer or white latex paint if you have any old usable cans at home, maybe a rag or two and paint clothes.

My Address: is 314 Route 6 at Augustus Construction sign right after great Hollow Road and the Whitman House Resturant eveything is set up in the barn. All day is okay for any amount of time you can do. 8am to 5 pm

John Brewster Hopkins

Gold Star Families Speak Out is a chapter of Military Families Speak Out, comprised of members whose loved ones served in the military during the period including the build-up to the war in Iraq (fall, 2002) to the present, and have been killed or have died. We believe the best way to support our troops is to bring them home now and to take care of them when they get here.

Recognizing our own and our nation's need to grieve, Gold Star Families Speak Out is the first place we seek to find peace in our hearts. All of us in this group have suffered a tremendous loss and our collective efforts to be heard can and will make a difference!
All of our stories are sad and all of them need to be told so people will understand the human cost of this war.

We are committed to truth and to bringing an end to the U.S. occupation of Iraq. We work together with like-minded organizations to build strong partnerships
Your support makes a huge difference and helps to bring the voices of Gold Star Families Speak Out to the country.

To schedule one of our speakers for interviews, speaking out at forums, rallies, workshops and other events, please visit the Members Page to contact one of our family members or send email to speakers@gsfso.org

==================================================================

ARLINGTON EAST SPEAKERS(*)

(*) CARLOS & MELIDA ARREDONDO, ROSLINDALE, MA
Carlos' son & Melida's stepson, Lcpl Alexander Arredondo was killed in Najaf, Iraq on 8.25.04

(*) KEVIN & JOYCE LUCEY, BELCHERTOWN, MA
Kevin & Joyce's son, Lcpl Jeffrey Lucey took his own life 6/22/04, after struggling with PTSD for several months.

(*) DEBBIE LUCEY
Debbie's brother, Lcpl Jeffrey Lucey took his own life 6/22/04, after struggling with PTSD for several months.

(*)CELESTE ZAPPALA- Philadelphia, PA
Celeste's son, Sgt Sherwood Baker was killed in Baghdad, Iraq on 4.26.04

ANDY SAPP IVAW

ALICE BROWN Military Families Speak Out

DUKE ELLIS Veterans for Peace - Cape Cod Chapter Chair-Host

Endorsements as of 10/06 this morning, - many more coming!
PS Party Larkin singer invited she lives in Wellfleet!

Diane Ashley, Cape Codders for Peace & Justice

Diane Turco, Cape Codders for Peace & Justice

David Agnew, Cape Codders for Peace & Justice

Sarah & Ben Thacher, Cape Codders for Peace & Justice

William "Duke" Ellis, Veterans for Peace, Cape Cod Chapter 41

Nancy E. Clarke Ph.D , Veterans for Peace Founder Smedley Butler Chapter, & Chapter 41

William Stewart ,VVAW, VFP Western Mass Chapter, and CC Chapter

Nina Teeper, Teacher Bourne, MA

Gail M. Bangert, Mother, Writer

John J. Bangert, Father, Veterans for Peace, Cape Cod Chapter 41, CCP&J

Joe Bangert, Veterans for Peace Smedley Butler, VVAW, VAIW, CCP&J

Appeared in Sir, No Sir, Winter Soldier

Anne Spear, Cape Codders for Peace & Justice

Code Pink Massachusetts

Debbie Mc Culloch RN, Nurse- Falmouth Hospital

Ken Farr -Veterans for Peace General Smedley Butler Chapter-Boston

Pat Scanlon- Veterans for Peace, North Shore Merrimack Valley

Winston Warfield,Veterans for Peace General Smedley Butler Chapter-Boston

Frank Corcoran,Veterans for Peace, Philadelphia Chapter 31

John Grant, Veterans for Peace King of Prussia Chapter, PA

John Beitzel, Veterans for Peace, Philadelphia, VVAW, Sir, No Sir!, Winter Soldier

Bill Perry, Veteran For Peace, Levittown, PA

Richard Gilchrist, VFP Chapter 56 Humboldt, CA

Veterans For America Delaware Valley, PA

Arlington North Philadelphia, PA 5/30/06

The Honorable Edward Mc Manus , Harwich Selectman

The Honorable Sarah Peake, Provincetown Select(wo)man

Carlos & Melida Arredondo, Gold Stars Families Speak Out- E-Mail:

Chuck Micciche, Cape Codders for Peace & Justice, Yarmouth Friends Meeting

Rev. Malcolm Mc Dowell, Priest - Christ Church Episcopal

Sheila House,Harwich

Capt. Jennifer Smith, Eastham Fire Depatment, Mother, College Student

Elaine Walsh, CCP&J,

Serena Walsh Student-Bridgewater State College

Sheila Lyons,Wellfleet Activist and Leader

The Martha's Vineyard Peace Council endorses VFP's Oct. 13th & 14th days of action.

Western Mass Jobs with Peace

Town of Dennis Democratic Town Committee Pat Bresnahan- Chair

Democratic Town Committee of Wellfleet, MA

Democratic Town Committee of Sandwich, MA

Democratic Town Committee of Provincetown, MA

Steve Morse, GI Rights (CCCO) and VFP Chapter 069.

Will Thomas Coordinator - "NH Veterans for Peace endorses Arlington East."Sow Justice, Reap Peace," AJ Muste Chapter NH VFP

Veterans for Peace -General Smedley Butler Brigade Chapter Boston

Traprock Peace Center, Sunny Miller Deerfield, MA

Central Committee for Conscientious Objectors

Military Families Speakout

Gold Star Families Speak Out

Gold Star Families for Peace

IVAW - Iraq Veterans Againist War

UUSC -UnitiarianUniversalist Service Committee

AFSC -American Friends Service Committee

Arab-American Anti-Discrimination Committee of Mass

Mainsheet CCCC Newspaper (Letter to the Editor)

EPIC-USA Education for Peace In Iraq

Eastham United Methodist Church Social Concerns Committee

Rev. Mike Davis Pastor, EUMC

The Nauset Interfaith Association voted to endorse Arlington East.

Rev. Mike Davis, Eastham United Methodist Church (Host for Pot Luck)

Rev. Larry Snow, Wellfleet United Methodist Church

Rev. Wesley Williams, Orleans United Methodist Church

Rev. Mark Wilkerson, Church of the Holy Spirit (Orleans Episcopal)

Rev. Michele Rogers-Brigham, Federated Church of Orleans

Rev. Mal Bertram, United Church of Christ (Retired)

Rev. Kent Moorehead, United Methodist (Church Retired)

Florence Seldin, Am Ha Yam Fellowship Hebrew Havurah Eastham

Rev. E. Bonnie Goodwin Minister, Christian Union Church, North Truro, MA

New Hampshire Peace Action

Merrimack Valley People for Peace

Massachusetts Peace Action

ARLINGTON WEST

Massachusetts Veterans for Peace

WHY CROSSES ?

2006-10-10T07:00:00.000-04:00

The Arlington West's, and North's, East's, and South's use the ancient pre-Christian symbol of a cross for economic reasons, as well as storage ability. We certainly know and of course acknowledge that those thousands who were killed, were not just Christians, but women and men who embraced the full spectrum of faiths and no faiths. So the symbols of crescents for Arabs, Star of David for Jews, or symbols for the panoply of faiths cannot detract from the real reason and symbol DEATH.

From its simplicity of form, the cross has been used both as a religious symbol and as an ornament, from the dawn of man's civilization. Various objects, dating from periods long anterior to the Christian era, have been found, marked with crosses of different designs, in almost every part of the old world. India, Syria, Persia and Egypt have all yielded numberless examples, while numerous instances, dating from the later Stone Age to Christian times, have been found in nearly every part of Europe. The use of the cross as a religious symbol in pre-Christian times, and among non-Christian peoples, may probably be regarded as almost universal, and in very many cases it was connected with some form of nature worship. (The Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th ed., 1910, Vol. 7, pg. 506. Emphasis ours.)

2006-10-06T22:10:00.000-04:00

Veterans for Peace Video

A father shows his grief

2006-10-06T21:22:00.000-04:00

Carlos Arredondo standing outside of Whithouse with Alex's photo.

October 6, 2006 By Mary Ann Bragg Staff Writer- Cape Cod Times

Carlos Arredondo lost his 20-year-old son Alexander in 2004 in the Iraq war.
Arredondo, of Roslindale, displays his grief over his son's death on his pickup truck, which he likes to park on busy street corners. A closed casket sits in the bed of the truck, and inside are childhood mementos of Alexander's, including a baseball, a soccer ball, a stuffed teddy bear dressed in camouflage. On the back is a copy of a town-square sign that has been posted in Alexander's honor in Jamaica Plain. Alexander's camouflage shirt hangs from the back. An enlarged photo of Alexander lying in a casket is pressed against one window.

Carlos Arredondo was on Cape Cod in early September and will speak at the ''Arlington East, The Human Cost of War'' weekend of activities planned next Friday and Saturday in Eastham.

''Arlington East'' is sponsored by Cape Codders for Peace and Justice and the local chapter of Veterans For Peace, according to chapter member John Bangert of Harwich.
A memorial service for people killed in the Iraq war is planned for 7:30 p.m. next Friday at Nauset Regional High School, and 2,700 pine crosses will be displayed from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday at Coast Guard Beach in the Cape Cod National Seashore. An interfaith prayer service will be at noon at the beach.

As of this yesterday 2,727 American servicemen have been killed in the Iraq war, according to the Department of Defense.

''Arlington East'' is being held for the first time but mirrors a similar display that occurs regularly at a beach in Santa Monica, Calif., Bangert said. That display, which began in 2004, also is sponsored by Veterans For Peace, according to the group's Internet site.
Carlos Arredondo gained national attention as the man who in 2004, in the driveway of his home in Hollywood, Fla., became so upset on hearing the news of his son's death that he set himself and a Marine Corps van on fire.

The three Marines who had come with the news rescued Arredondo from the van, according to news reports at the time. Two years later, his burns are healed. He has returned to Massachusetts and turned to activism full time. ''The money we spend in war right now, it should be (used) back home for spending in the community,'' he said during a visit to the Cape over Labor Day. ''I want peace; I'm not a Republican. I'm not a Democrat. ... My message is that I want unity.''

The veterans group has obtained a permit from the Seashore for the beach event on Saturday, according to Seashore Chief Ranger Stephen Prokop. ''The National Park Service honors First Amendment requests, and this event will honor those soldiers that have been lost in the Iraq war,'' he said.
Mary Ann Bragg can be reached at mbragg@capecodonline.com.

Debbie McCulloch, left, and Gail Bangert work in a Truro barn making thousands of crosses to be displayed next weekend at Coast Guard Beach,Eastham. The display is planned as a one-day memorial to U.S. servicemen who have died in Iraq. A service will be held on the beach at noon, Oct. 14. (Staff photo by Steve Heaslip)

There will be work party all weekend at John Hopkin's barn in Truro 314 Route 6, Truro, MA (next to Whitman House)jjb:) Come on over!

Veterans for Peace for Arlington East Will Provided Security and Honor Guards to the families of the fallen and others.

2006-10-06T19:53:00.000-04:00

These black arm bands will be warn by VFP members to assist anyone who may need to find a grave marker.

A list will be made available from the organizers and sturdy white name cards will enable family, friends, ond other loved ones to add these to the assembled markers and affixed with rubber bands.

Notice: Arlington Memorials are important and effective initiatives by local Veterans For Peace chapters. These memorials are conducted to make the consequences of war real and to allow people to express their grief, respect and thoughts. As a result of the power of these memorials and our stance against war, Veterans For Peace has come under attack from some quarters, mostly people who support the war in Iraq. However, VFP has also received a few complaints from Gold Star family members. These wishes should be taken into consideration when conducting the Arlington Memorials, thus the following policy has been adopted by the National Board of Directors. The Directors request that all VFP chapters and affiliated memorials follow these guidelines for the use of the names of the fallen and recognition of the deaths of Iraqis and other victims of war.

POLICY: The names of the fallen are released by the Department of Defense and they are published weekly throughout the country as part of the public record. Several Veterans For Peace memorials and vigils list a number or all of the names of the fallen on name tags, or other means and post them on crosses, tombstones, boots or other items to represent those service members who have lost their lives in the occupation and war in Iraq.

Veterans For Peace conducts these events to remember and honor those who have given their lives in their country's service, and to offer friends, relatives and those who served in the military with the deceased an opportunity to pay their respects.

If an immediate family member (mother, father or spouse) personally requests that we not post a person's name publicly, VFP chapters and members should (1) honor these requests and the name of the person should be kept on file, so that visitors wishing to honor that person may do so in a manner of their own choosing and (2) get this request in writing and contact the national office so that the information is given to all memorials affiliated with Veterans For Peace.

The Arlington East & West and other memorials are primarily in honor of fallen U.S. service members. However, in accordance with the mission of Veterans For Peace; to increase the public awareness of the cost of war and to seek justice for veterans and victims of war, it is equally important to remember the civilian lives lost. When possible, shoes, photographs or other appropriate images or symbols should accompany the memorials or vigils in remembrance of the Iraqi and other civilian deaths.

NAMES:

These are the names of the Fallen we have compiled, that we have been requested by Gold Star Family members to no longer post. If you know of other, please secure the request in writing and send to the National Office so that we may disseminate it the information.

SFC Robert Rooney – Army National Guard

SGT TJ Sutton - Army

CPT Christopher J. Kenny - Army

SGT Keith Lee Smette - Army

SSG Davin J Evans – Army

MAJ William F. Hecker III – Army

CPT Derek Argel – Air Force

VFP National Office

Building Arlington East - What it means?

2006-10-01T10:33:00.000-04:00

Building Arlington East is building friendships based of ideas, not things ! "I ve got a feeling, we've been here before" and "Where is the Anger, Oh Where is the Rage:

by Veterans for Peace Pat Scanlon

Check out USA Today (Click on the words below) Link is built into html)
Arlington West
film clips!

Watch the most excellent AFSC music video of Robert Cray

John Bangert here, parent of a Harwich High freshman at 3:15 AM. Back pain woke me up. But I wanted to use this awareness to remind folks that the war in Iraq is omnipresent in the lives of those families, who have lost loved ones.

My thoughts go to Carlos, Melida, and Brian Arrendondo, Joyce Kevin and Debbie Lucey, Celeste, Dante, Raphael, Al, Zappala, and Joan Kosloff and to 100's of thousands Iraqi families who live with death and pain everyday. As you know these God Star families will be with us at Nauset Regional High School on Friday, October 13, from 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm. Some of these families will stay in Harwich, Eastham, Orleans and Chatham.

Alex Arredondo, Jeff Lucey and Sherwood Baker Presente!
These and many other spirits will be present this first day of October.

With every cross stake we paint, it means a group of families members not being together for holidays, birthdays, weddings, and graduations. Giant gapping holes in the human families lives forever. I am reminded of these families pain by my annoying symptoms, but my pain will eventually go away. The effects of war never does.

Some of the cut sticks are old recycled dark fir, and oak wood, some, new pine samplings just coming of age, their annual rings reminds me of the young Marines, Navy, Coast Guard and Army youngsters barely a few months in uniform. Some of the wood is nicked or with rusty nails or stapled like those with family problems, drinking, drugs, loanliness (owing money on CC cards) and using the signing bonus to get out of debt. And real loneliness from society wanting to be all they can be, the few and the brave and yes, the poor.

Recently, I call to mind being with Carlos in Provincetown and in South Chatham labor day weekend. Carlos told me to look into Alex's face on the enlarged picture on Alex in Najaf three weeks before he was killed. He is on a Humvee(*) with a rapid fire machine gun. The next enlarged picture is Alex laid out in his Marine Corp dress uniform in his coffin. Carlos said something so profound, "Killing begets killing and is eternal. It never stops until all are dead." War is never winnable. War is NOT the answer!

Kevin Lucey calling from Chicago yesterday, during a break at a seminar, spoke on his cell in his hushed sweet parents' voice, reminding me of how Gandhi would speak. Kevin & Joyce's profound sadness is resulting in community education. Jeff's death is not counted in the death count, but we count Jeff and 90 other know or admitted suicides of hundreds coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan. How many families are not coming forward? Kevin found his son hanging in their Belchertown basement after returning home from a family gathering. Jeff had hanged himself. Kevin removed his son from the garden hose and took his son down and cradled him one last time home before the Belchertown police came. The dog tags Jeff had laid out on his bed were those tags of Iraqi killed.

So today Sunday, let us give up our churches, or autumnal walks and get together as a caring, loving community, to paint, and assemble markers which stand for the dead for crosses, crescents, and stars' of david. Come be among like minded folks. Turn off your talking tubes and make history.

Talking of history-! Today is also Elder John Brewster Hopkins birthday, we learned at the Whitman House restaurant following yesterday's painting. I was awe struck, but not shocked, to learn that we were sitting six degrees from history with true patriots descendents of John Adams, Elder William Brewster Nickerson from the Mayflower, Pennsylvania's David Rittenhouse, Daniel Boone, and yes a few Irish, Italians, Germans as well as native Americans and ofcourse, the great Turco line from Sicilia and Massena!

Come today and next week and the week after.
Change your plans join Harwich highschoolers and thier parents to build this moving memorial. Have a hand in Arlington East now! All Day Peaceful Pot luck lunch starts at 1pm, come earlier we have a lot of work to do.

(*)The Humvee name comes from the pronunciation of the abbreviation of its prosaic military title: High Mobility Multi-Purpose Wheeled Vehicle -- HMMWV.

Come today, Sunday Oct 1, and join a wonderful community effort to paint the memorial markers for Arlington East. Bring a dish to share. Painting all day-potluck begins about 1:00.

From: Elder John Brewster Hopkins, VFP

"Just a reminder about painting grave markers this weekend, bring a 2" brush for latex, primer or white latex paint if you have any old usable cans at home, maybe a rag or two and paint clothes.

Directions to my house: is 314 Route 6 at Augustus Construction sign right after great Hollow Road and after the Whitman House Restaurant. Everything is set up in the barn.
Phone: 774-836-6403

All day is okay for any amount of time you can do. 8am to 5 pm"

Celeste Zappala Gold Star Familes Coming to Cape Cod!

2006-09-30T23:24:00.000-04:00

Celeste Zappala-Co-Founder of Military Families Speaking Out, will be visiting Eastham's ARLINGTON EAST and staying as a guest of Eastham United Methodist Church's Social Concerns Committee. Her Son Sherwood Was Killed in Iraq on April 24, 2004

Celeste Zappala Mother of Sgt. Sherwood Baker (National Guard) and Co-Founder of Gold Star Families for Peace

Sherwood Baker, a sergeant in the Pennsylvania National Guard, arrived in Baghdad at the beginning of 2004, serving as a member of the military security detail for the Iraq Survey Group, which was looking for weapons of mass destruction. On April 24, 2004, Baker's unit was in Baghdad inspecting buildings when the building he was in exploded, killing him. He was 30 years old.

"When we buried my son, Sgt. Sherwood Baker, I knelt beside his coffin and vowed to him I would speak the truth for him. I believe this war is a disaster, a betrayal of the noblity of our miltary and of the democracy they are charged to protect. For the past 16 months I have been faithfully trying to keep my vow to my son," said his mother, Celeste Zappala , in an interview with washingtonpost.com.

Celeste Zappala and Sherwood Baker

Zappala was online Friday, Aug. 19, at 1:30 p.m. ET to discuss her reasons for opposing the war and supporting the efforts of antiwar activist Cindy Sheehan.
A transcript follows.

Oakton, Va.: Do you think that if your son had been fighting a "just" war, and he was killed, you would still support the war? Or would his death turn you against the war?
I think many people in America may doubt you because they may think you are reacting to your son's unfortunate death. I do not support this war, but while I empathize for you and your family, it is hard for your words to carry much weight given the circumstances. Do you realize this, and how do you approach/counter/deal with this?

Celeste Zappala: Thank you for asking about this idea of a just war. It has been said that a just war is the one you would be willing to send your own child to. And for those who are the architects of this war it seems their kin are not involved nor expected to be involved. I think that is very important, and that seems to have an effect on recruitment too, many parents are not encouraging their young ones to join, i see that also as a failure of support by our Nation for this war. I, as a very committed religious person, have always tried to practise non-violence and taught this principle to my kids, I also tried to teach them service- to whom much is given much is asked- so when my son joined the national guard I was worried for him, but not surprised - he was the kind of person you would turn to for help and protection.

What I find appaling in all of this is that the noble spirit and lives of our troops are so casually spent. It is evident this was a war of choice, supported by great stretches of logic and fact, if not out right fabrication, is that a justification or a definition of a just war , no! War is a failure of human behavior, if war is a tactic it should be the last resort, I always thought that was a guding principle of our country.

Maryland: It sounds like Cindy Sheehan is going beyond her original reasons for protest and is now letting other people and groups dictate her agenda. Shouldn't she be more focused on her original motives?

Celeste Zappala: Cindy is my friend and we with a few others are co-founders of Gold Star Families for Peace, we have been working- speaking- writing- pleading about the war for more that a year. Cindy would like to meet with the president and ask her questions, but she, I and all of us are most interested and desperately want to end the war and bring our troops home now and take care of them when they get home. Others have joined us, supported us, stood with us, we are grateful for the support, our message has not changed. This is about ending the war.

Washington, D.C.: Mrs. Zappala, I am very sorry for your loss and I understand your frustration with a war in which your son lost his life. Are you still affiliated with Gov. Ed Rendell's office in Pennsylvania? I know that the governor, as a Democrat, and the president, as a Republican, do not see eye to eye on the war in Iraq.

Celeste Zappala: Yes I worked fior the Governor when he was Mayor and have great respect for him, I do not speak for him, but I was grateful that he attended my son's funeral, helped to pass legislation to assure that the children of fallen guards men could go to college in Pennsylvania. I think he is a compassonate personbut I have never met the President.

Easton, Md.: Why don't more families speak up? Do they really believe that this war is worth their sacrifices? I've been stunned by how supportive the military families have been in the last year. I deeply regret the loss of your son. Recently I've asked why I should continue to care about service people dying in Iraq when so many of their own families seem to think it's a worthy cause. I'll don't think it's a worthy cause, but I wonder why I'm so bothered by developments when the military families keep singing the praises of this war. Can you shed some light on this for me?

Celeste Zappala: there is a whole spectrum of thought and feeling of military families, i do not doubt that some people are reluctant to say anything because they fear retaliaiton to their loved one serving, for those serving they may not want their families to know about their own doubts and fears, understand please that it is agony to have your beloved one away in danger, the phone ringing is a threat, the unexpected knock at the door is terrifying,
so many remain silent with the prayer that their person will just come home whole, soon
for others - they are supportive of the warrior, perhaps not the war, and no doubt there are families who fully agree with the war I respect the service of all the military folks, we need a military, the adminsitration shoul dtreat them with repect, not lip service do you know families have to buy equipment fo r their deploying sodliers? that still not all the humvees are un-armored, that contractors in the privitization of the war make 10 times the soldiers pay- something is very wrong here, but many families just live in silent fear

Reston, Va.: I agree that the war has 'been a disaster' from elements of planning, preparation, and reason. But I'm of the opinion that 'we broke it, we bought it'. Pulling our forces out of Iraq would seemingly create an even bigger disaster. Who would run that country? Would it disolve into a state similar to that of Somalia (another place that we've left behind in worse shape)?
Is saving the American lives by pulling out worth the thousands (if not millions) of Iraqis that may be killed in the void?
How do you propose that we fix things?

Celeste Zappala: I think that having an honest policy would move us a long way, How can we trust those who stretched the truth, refused to listen to correct infomration, trashed their critics - why are they still making decisions? There are many iraqs who have asked us to leave, many people on the ground think that our presence is inflamatory, and I think it is true we are making enemies faster thanwe can kill them, harsh as that may sound we should remember that iraq is a 6000 year old civilizaiton, with educated people who have a right to their own resources, and yes we have serious responsiblity to that country, but why are we bui.lding permanent bases? why did we want on denationalize the oil production?
Is it time to listen to others who have ideas about exit strategy? Shouldn't we insist that Congress talk about an exit strategy and be leaders? Why should we continue a disaterous war to prevent "further disaster", we all as a nation have to have this conversation, its OUR war.

Woodstock Ga.: No questions. I was in the Gulf Of Tonkin thirty years ago. I found the reasoning for that war to be as big a lie as this one. I am glad to see a peace movment start. I support it and you fully.

Celeste Zappala: Thank you, there are many vets for peace in the movement who remember the same lessons you learned.Thanks you for your service

Portland, Ore.: Mrs. Zappala,
Please accept my deepest condolences on the loss of your son.
My question has to do with media coverage of the antiwar movement. In view of the media's less-than-thorough vetting of the WMD claims advanced to justify the war, and their practice of embedding their reporters with military units, do you think the media is still capable of covering the antiwar movement fairly? How are you adjusting to being in the public eye?

Celeste Zappala: We families have been speaking out since the war started, it has been difficult to capture the media's attention and I do fault the main stream media for just accepting the pretense for war and not being willing to ask the terrible questions that should have been answered before we invaded. The public spot light is difficult to handle, it is exhausting and remember none of us are pforessionals- we are not the pundits of the sunday talk shows, we are just oprdinary people, moslty middle aged woman who have lost their kids and know it weas wrong. Our message may be unpolished and shakey sometimes, our truth is real, I think the reporters for the most part that are doing the stories forom crawford are respectful and curious,- yes i think they can do a good job, they are professionals and intelligent, and i think many feel they were wrong to not have questioned earlier just wish they had listened when the american death count was 720- now we are at 1862. That is what really is important!

Lusby, Md.: When your son volunteered did you believe that he may never seem harm's way? When you stand and take the oath you are pledging to support and defend and follow the orders of those appointed above you. You may not agree with national policy but your son did by raising his hand. I just retired from 21 years of active duty and have several years of time in combat zones so I am qualified to comment.

Celeste Zappala: You are more than qualified to comment. My son was honorable - a 20 year old national guards man, who said to us "I took an oath before God, I will go and do the job and bring myself and my men home safely, his men returned, he did not.
I do not believe that just because a person has the job of president that his word, motives and decisions shluld be taken without question, that surely is not a democarcy, my son did his job, he was betrayed by an administreation that has not done theirs well.
The only title greater than president is citizen. Thank you for being a citizen.

Anonymous: How is serving in Iraq a betrayal of the American democracy?

Celeste Zappala: The decision to go in to this war, defy the facts, throw away the intelligence, ignore the advice of military leaders, and trash the advice of the whole world, in my mind is a betrayal of our military. Service to our country is noble, people give service in many ways, and I wish everyone felt that unselfish service to their country was important.
Honor them all!

Washington, D.C.: Dear Celeste, I'm very grateful for you and Cindy for making your concerns public. This past Wednesday, Fred Kagan of the American Enterprise Institute said that he thought U.S. soldiers are amply qualified to build democracy in Iraq (rather than simply fighting Saddam's forces), and he listed a whole laundry list of nation-building tasks for our forces. Do you have any idea how Sherwood or his buddies would have felt about that mission?

Celeste Zappala: My son was assigned to the Iraq survey group, they were still looking for the weapons of mass destruciton long after everyone knew they were not here, a month after the President made a great joke out of looking under his desk and asking "where are those weapons" no laughs from me, or so many who are lost in this sad misadventure.
Sher went to try to do good things, that's who he was, thas how he lived his life, he was a caseworker for mentally challenged adults, the best most families had ever had, he was a great father, volunteered at community events, he should have had 50 more years to build this country. So do I know what he would have thought? Its hard to say, he did his job as asked, I hear form so many returning vets about the futility of what is happening now, perhaps we should be asking them all more quesitons and listening!

Woodbridge, Va.: Mrs. Zappala -- As a proud member of a military family, I must respectfully disagree with your views. Whether you (or Ms. Sheehan) or any of us believe that this is a "just" war is irrelevant. Our soldiers are there now -- it was their choice to sign up and their duty to go. There are stories every day of men who have been wounded in this "disaster" of a war who choose to return to fight -- for comrades, for the cause, for many reasons. What right do you or I have to take that choice away from them? What right do we have to dishonor the memories of those who have fought and died by, in essence, calling this war a colossal waste of time that should be ended as quickly and injudiciously as possible? Didn't we do that thirty years ago? It seems to me a far better tribute to leave a legacy of success to the fallen than failure.
Celeste Zappala: With deep respect- the military leadership have said there is no military solution, there will be a political solution. I say the things I say because I love my country and am trying to speak the truth as I see it, I try to speak with humility, I do not want to be on this path, but I am on it.
I am grateful that you and others here are wililng to be in dialogue, this is what our nation needs to do if we are ever going to figure out how to get to Peace.

Dale City, Va.: I am so sorry for your loss. When did your son join the military? I think many of those in Iraq joined in response to the attack of 911 because they felt they could make a difference. However, Iraq was not invaded because of 911 no matter how many times the Administration has tried to say otherwise. Do you feel we may have done a better job in Afghanistan if we had not detoured to Iraq?

Celeste Zappala: He joined tha national guard in 1997, and told us, don't worry the national guard does not go to foriegn wars, they are here to protect the homeland, against fires and floods and disters. And he would always tell me "Mom don't worry no one from the PA national guard has been killed in combat since 1945-" he became the first. Sadly, I think our nation is still in great danger, Osama is still free, other countries have experienced attacks, suppose the resources of our country had been used to capture those responsible for 911? Where would we be now? These are hard questions, and what are we not paying attention to right now that will harm us in the future because we are immersed in this war of choice?
It makes me weep for the nation!

Pittsburgh, Pa.: My husband, an Army reservist, made it home in one piece from Iraq. Every day I wake up and wonder if this will be the day he is recalled to lay down his life for the Islamic Republic of Iraq. I am so very sorry for your loss and I am thrilled that you and Cindy Sheehan are in Crawford highlighting how much the military families have been asked to sacrifice while everyone else gets on with their lives. Thank you for what you are doing.

Celeste Zappala: I am grateful too that he got back whole.
I ask this quesiton to people all the itme, what is the sacrifice required by all americans? so many people ignore the war, and so many who criticize us for speaking out cound go themselves if they believed in it, or could send the young ones they hold dear.
This is everyone's war, everyone needs to solve it- for some of us there can nevetr be a "going on" we will forever relive the day we learned our prayers would not be answer.

Dale City, Va.: What do you think about the possiblity that women may lose what little freedom they had before we invaded under the constitution now being drafted? I think the women who were liberated from the Taliban regime could provide some real insight into what life may become for them in a theocracy. Is that really what Americans are being asked to die for?
Celeste Zappala: Women's rights are surely a gret concern to many of the political facitons in Iraq, butwhat comporimises will be made to satisfy a cobbled government.
It is a sad sad realization that probalby women will end up being less free in Iraq.

Washington, D.C.: Good afternoon Celeste,
First let me say. My prayers go out to you, your family, and all the fallen soldiers of this war. You are very brave for the stance that you've taken.
What do you think about the backlash that Ms. Sheehan is enduring from pro-Bush suporters?
What, if any backlash have you had to endure because of your antiwar stance?

Celeste Zappala: My family and I made a list of all the people who spoke out against this administration and then were trashed and belittled. It was a long list.
Cindy is suffering - people will say terrible things, she will be misquoted maybe i will be too, but nothing changes the fact that our kids are dead, or that as we did this disucsiion some one else died in Iraq, and that we - all of us have a responsiblity to step up and try to end this war.
we will keep doing it to honor the vows we made to our children, we will do it to protect other peoples kids and loved ones
and as to what would my son think of what i am doing?
I think he would expect no less of me.

Celeste Zappala: Thank you to everyone who participated today, I appreciated hearing your thoughts and questions, and for your warm support.
For those who disagree I thank you too for the chance to be in civil dialogue, I love my country, I know you do to, may we be guided by our best instincts and faith to get to Peace.
I believe we honor our heros by BEING the Democracy.
Peace be with you, Celeste Zappala

ARLINGTON EAST DATES, DIRECTIONS & ACCOMADATIONS

2006-09-26T17:00:00.000-04:00

Friday Night: 10/13/06

Nauset Regional High School Speak Out & Peace Rally

with musical performances by folk

songster Pat Scanlon singing-

"I've got a feeling I've been here before!"

" Where is the anger, Oh Where is the Rage?"

Military Families Speak Out, Gold Star Families Speak Out, Iraqi Veterans Againist the War, Veterans for Peace, Cape Codder's for Peace and Justice

FRIDAY SPEAKERS INCLUDE:
Carlos & Melida Arrendondo
Celeste Zappala
Kevin, Joyce & Debbie Lucey
Andy Sapp IVAW

Aseel Al Banna was born and raised in Baghdad, Iraq were she studied architecture and urban studies at the school of architectural engineering at the University of Technology. Finding herself in the midst of violence wrought by the First Gulf War, Aseel left Iraq in 1992 and eventually made it to the United States where she obtained her architectural degree from the University of Kentucky. Aseel has been politically active in her community. Most recently she traveled with an Iraqi women's delegation throughout the United States to shed light on the horrors of the war in Iraq and its impact on women and children. Throughout her architectural practice and her political interest she finds herself acting as bridge between both the Iraqi and the American culture.

9:00 am - Sunset

Saturday Coast Guard Beach will be set out with over 2700 markers like Arlington Cemetery to commemorate the human cost of the war in IRAQ. There will also be an Iraqi grave markers.

12 Noon Interndenomination, Non-Denomational
Interfaith Memorial Service

Locally Sponsored Veterans for Peace, Cape Codders for Peace & Justice as well as 41 groups and individuals.

Community Pot Luck Dinner Eastham United Methodist Hall
Shuttle Service from Salt Pond Visitor's Center to Coast Guard Beach
Served also by CC Bike Trail
Public Transportation by CCRTA Flex Route Every Hour
Public Restrooms at Visitor's Center
Consolers & Grief Counselors
VFP Honor Guard with Taps
disAbility Accessible

FRIDAY NIGHT MEETING SPEAK OUT & RALLY 10/13/06 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm
Directions Interstate 95 North to Providence RI, Rt. 195 to Rt. 25 to Route 6 MidCape Highway all the way to Eastham Rotary, then road becomes Rt. 6A go about 3 miles
Get off at Rte. 6A in Eastham, at the Ben & Jerry Traffic Light Brackett Road, follow signs to Nauset Regional High School (NRHS) on right hand side of (100 Cable Road)
If you end up at the Atlantic Ocean Nauset Light House turn around and go back @ 1 mile!

http://nausetschools.org/

SATURDAY SUNRISE SUNSET COAST GUARD BEACH 1//14/06

same directions from N Rt. 95 or South 95, 93 or Rt.3 to Sagamore Bridge
Rte. 6 to Eastham Rotary then 6A to Cape Cod National Seashore Salt Pond Visitor's Center on Right Park in drivway, and grab shuttle buses at end of driveway.

Salt Pond Visitor's Center
http://www.nps.gov/archive/caco/places/saltpondvc.html

COAST GUARD BEACH
http://www.nps.gov/archive/caco/places/coastguardbeach.html

CAPE COD NATIONAL SEASHORE
http://www.nps.gov/archive/caco/home.html

Ocean Park Inn
3900 Route 6
Eastham , MA 02642
Check-In: Fri, Oct 13, 2006
Check-Out: Sun, Oct 15, 2006
Nights: 2 Nights

Rooms: Many rooms reserved but make your registration NOW!
SPECIAL ARLINGTON EAST GROUP
NEGOTIATED PRICE $69. Per Night

Call (508) 255-5000 Ask for Cassandra

Cape Codder Newspaper Article

2006-09-14T13:36:00.000-04:00

'Arlington East' will mark Iraqi war dead
By Marilyn Miller
Friday, August 25, 2006

EASTHAM -Cape Codders for Peace and Justice, and Veterans for Peace, Cape Cod Chapter, have revealed plans for "Arlington East" on Coast Guard Beach in Eastham Saturday, Oct. 14, to memorialize those who have died in Iraq.

The plan, said Nancy Clarke, an Army veteran who holds a doctorate degree in rehabilitative services, is to place 2,700 white crosses on the beach to memorialize the American men and women who have given their lives while fighting in Iraq. White markers standing for Iraqi soldiers and civilians who have lost their lives during the war will also be erected, she said.

The groups have obtained permission from Cape Cod National Seashore to use the beach for this service.

Photo Caption >Arlington West Veterans for Peace volunteers set up help for the day in California !

"We started out with a few people, but we've been contacting organizations and veterans for peace from California to Maine, and we have a lot of support. I'm a veteran myself, having served three years with the Army at Fort Bragg in North Carolina and this is not an anti-war rally," she said. "It is not anti-anything. It's about recognizing what is going on and how war is not the answer."

On Oct. 13, a public program will be held at Nauset Regional High School in the evening, where people will have a chance to speak out and a program of international music will be offered. Then on Saturday, the group will build "Arlington East" on the beach. An inter-denominational service will be held there at noon.

"We will have some Gold Star Mothers there who have lost their children in the war," said John Bangert, who is also helping to plan the event with Clarke and other Cape Codders residents.

"This installation will be a very respectful and awesome presence for all of us to reflect on war and its cost in human assets," he said. "Please work and pray for peace now, and if you want to join us or even co-sponsor this event, please contact us." Bangert can be reached at 508-432-0545 and Clarke can be reached at 508-385-8636.

Public transportation will be available through the Flex bus to reach the beach, and the beach is handicap accessible.

Random Acts or Vigils and Visitation with Carlos & Melida Arredondo!

2006-09-05T14:40:00.000-04:00

September 5, 2006
Goodbye, and - take a stand
By CHRISTIE SMYTHE Cape Cod Times Staff Writer -On Route 6 overpasses, at rest areas and at rotaries, the annual ritual was in full swing yesterday. People gathered near the roads to wave to visitors leaving the Cape as the year's biggest season for tourism came to a close. Some held ''see you next year'' banners, and others, aware of the election on the horizon, brandished signs with political messages. But one element was missing: the traffic.

Caption Veterans for Peace Chapter 41, John Bangert, stands out on Rte. 6, in Sandwich with his childhood friend, John Beitzel and family, from Veterans for Peace Philadelphia Chapter.

At about 3 p.m. yesterday, a driver could do the unthinkable: drive the better part of Route 6 on Labor Day, all the way to the Sagamore Bridge, without hitting gridlock.

A group of anti-war demonstrators at a Route 6 rest area in Sandwich noticed the unusually easy flow of the cars passing by. ''I suspect a lot of people left yesterday because the weather was so rotten,'' said Brewster resident Elenita Muniz, a member of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom. Drizzle and clouds were common throughout the weekend, except yesterday, when the sun came out for much of the day.

Muniz's organization, along with Cape Codders for Peace and Justice, Veterans for Peace and other groups, regularly hold demonstrations against the Iraq War at the rest area on high-traffic holidays. This year, they invited the father and stepmother of 20-year-old Marine Alexander Scott Arredondo of Randolph, who was killed in Iraq in 2005. Carlos and Melida Arredondo said they are traveling the country to urge the federal government to bring troops back home. Altogether, about 20 people stood at the rest area, holding signs saying ''end the war,'' ''impeach'' and ''honor the dead.''

But although there might have been fewer cars whizzing by this year than usual, demonstrators said the motorists seemed more supportive of their message than in years past. ''Traffic is much lighter, but the honks, I think, are proportionally greater,'' said Lynn Hiller, coordinator of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom. ''My sense is even people in the middle are starting to question the war,'' said Harwich resident Chuck Micciche of Cape Codders for Peace and Justice. Another political group seeking attention from Labor Day motorists was a Barnstable organization supporting gubernatorial candidate Deval Patrick. Centerville residents and Patrick supporters William and Dorte Griswold displayed three signs for Patrick.
Christie Smythe can be reached at csmythe@capecodonline.com.
(Published: September 5, 2006)

Sandwich Exit 3 Parking Lot Route 6 going home with our message - End the war!

Ken Farr Veterans for (Peace Gen. Smedley Butler Brigade) took the torch of honor and stood by the flag draped casket of Alex Arrendondo which was at the Bourne Rotary on Labor Day 2006!

Melida Arredondo plants a kiss on Howard Zinn in Wellfleet, Mass, Vigil for Peace, Saturday September 2, 2006 Howard and Mrs. Zinn stood with us during this vigil.

Carlos in Texas cowboy hat, John Bangert in 1950's summer hat, David Agnew looking on holding Stop Iraq War sign.

Gold Star Families Speak Out

2006-09-04T01:51:00.000-04:00

Cape Cod National Seashore will host the Gold Star Families for Peace.

MISSION STATEMENT

2006-09-01T15:06:00.000-04:00

Arlington East Mission Statement:

"The purpose of this project is to make the consequences of war real and to allow people to express their grief, respect, and thoughts.

We believe that humanity can and must rise above violence to build a world of justice and peace for all peoples."

VFP Member John Hopkins has invited folks to come to his workshop on the following Sunday, Sept. 10, 17, 21-to paint grave markers.

Carlos and Melida Arredondo were on Cape Cod Labor Day Weekend!

2006-08-31T22:06:00.000-04:00

Carlos Arredondo of Boston, Mass., father of Marine Corps Lance Corp. Alexander Scott Arredondo, who was killed in action on Aug. 25, 2004 in Iraq, is travelling the country with a mobile casket in the back of his truck as a memorial and protest to the war in Iraq. The Arredondo's were here on Cape Cod to tell Alex's story.

Alesander Arrendondo, USMC military boots, dog tags and photo sit on the casket top. Carlos and his wife Melida Arredondo toured Cod Cod from Provincetown to Falmouth on Labor Day weekend! If you want to book them for your event please click on Melida Arredondo's name and e-mail her directly.

Read the present edition of the BAY STATE BANNER to see and hear why Carlos is talking!

For more information call (508) 432-9256

They meet with Democracy Now TV host Amy Goodman in Provincetown on Friday September 1, 2006 WOMR's 10 Anniversay Program

CCP&J , Veterans for at Peace Vigils Eastham, Wellfleet, Provincetown, Harwich, Hyannis, Sandwich, Bourne.

NATIONAL NEWS HOST AMY GOODMAN SPOKE IN PROVINCETOWN

DATE / TIME: Friday, September 1, 2006, 8 p.m.

CONTACT: Dave Myers, Exec. Dir. / WOMR-FM, 508-487-2619 dave@womr.org

Doors will open at 7:30 p.m., with the talk beginning at 8:00. Tickets to the event are $15 ($12 for WOMR members), and can be purchased by phone and credit card from the WOMR offices at 508-487-2619, in person from the WOMR office at 494 Commercial Street in Provincetown, or at the door at the Provincetown High School, which is located at 12 Winslow Street in Provincetown. For more information or directions, call WOMR at 508-487-2619.

ARLINGTON NORTH, PHILADELPHIA, PA

2006-08-31T14:58:00.000-04:00

ARLINGTON NORTH INDEPENDENCE MALL

in Philadelphia, PA Memorial Day 2006!

Democracy Now Transcript of Carlos & Melida Arrendondo interview with Amy Goodman

2006-08-25T18:30:00.000-04:00

Wednesday, September 6th, 2006

Father Recounts Burning Marine Van and Himself After Learning of Son's Death in Iraq

For the second year in a row, activists convened in Crawford, Texas this August as President Bush took his late-summer vacation at his ranch. The gathering is called Camp Casey, named for the son of anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan. Casy Sheehan died in Iraq on April 4, 2004.

On Tuesday, Camp Casey followed the President back to Washington, D.C. to launch a new protest gathering: Camp Democracy. It's taking place over the next few weeks on the National Mall. In addition to the Iraq war, the event will also focus on other social justice causes at home and abroad. Events will be held around the rights of immigrants, workers, women, voters and victims of Hurricane Katrina.

On Friday night, as we began our 80 city-Breaking the Sound Barrier tour, we pulled up to Provincetown Highs School. In front of it stood a man and his wife with a coffin. Hanging off of it was an Army jacket and next to it, were Army boots. It was Carlos Arredondo and his wife Melida. They told me about his son, Alexander, who died two years ago in Najaf, on Carlos' 46th birthday. Carlos will be heading to Camp Democracy later today.

Carlos Arredondo, his son, 20-year-old Marine Lance Cpl. Alexander S. Arredondo, was killed in Najaf on Aug. 25, 2004.
Melida Arredondo, wife of Carlos Arredondo.

- Read Carlos' account in The Nation
- See photos of Alexander Arredondo and his family

RUSH TRANSCRIPT

This transcript is available free of charge. However, donations help us provide closed captioning for the deaf and hard of hearing on our TV broadcast. Thank you for your generous contribution.
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AMY GOODMAN: Carlos and Melida join us today from a studio in Boston. We welcome you both to Democracy Now!

CARLOS ARREDONDO: Good morning.

MELIDA ARREDONDO: Good morning, Amy.

AMY GOODMAN: Well, Carlos, you became a national story, horrifying as it is to say that, two years ago, when you learned of your son's death, who was killed August 25th, 2004. Can you talk about that day and where you were?

CARLOS ARREDONDO: Yeah. That day was my 46th birthday and -- my 44th birthday. I was in Hollywood, Florida, and I was expecting the phone call from my son Alexander who -- he never missed a call for my birthday, and pretty much I was outside my house, waiting for my wife to come home to celebrate my birthday. My mother was at the house.

And the next thing I know, three U.S. Marines, a casualty team, came to my house. And they pretty much parked in front of my house. And for a moment I thought it was a surprise from my son Alex. I thought he was home. And the next thing I know, they are out telling me my son Alexander, Lance Corporal Alexander Arredondo was killed in Iraq, and no scripts for that kind of news. No scripts for that kind of situation. I pretty much spent almost a half-hour asking three different times the U.S. Marine team to leave my house. They never was prepared about the situation. They never asked me to come inside the house. They never supported me or helped me mentally, because I run around the house. I asked three different times to leave my house, and they still not leave my house.

My second time that I attempt to leave, I walk out with a hammer, five pound hammer, to pretty much ask them to leave my house, otherwise I’ll destroy their van, and still nothing happened. My third time, almost half-hour later, I asked them to leave my house. And at that time, you know, I walk out with five gallons of gasoline, a propane torch, and I started destroying the U.S. Marine van that was in front of my house with a hammer and destroy everything, threw everything all over the place and poured it with gasoline and then opened the gas -- propane torch, and which the van blew up with myself inside. Luckily I was near the driving side door, which explosion threw me out to the street on fire, and I get 26% of my body burned. And I’m still suffering that consequences, but I've been speaking --

AMY GOODMAN: Your mother had tried to pull you out of the van before it lit, and that set off the torch in your hand?

CARLOS ARREDONDO: That's correct. My mother was the whole time, was at the door screaming and yelling for help. And she doesn't speak English, but she was yelling so loud, you know, anybody can -- for the help that she was asking, nobody was around. The Marines was in the same spot the whole time. When I tried to reach the driver's side door, because the fumes of the gasoline was very strong, I cannot breathe, pretty much, that's when my mother reached into my hand and pulled me -- tried to pull me out. That's when I pressed the button which ignited the flames. That's when the explosion occurred.

AMY GOODMAN: And at that point -- as we turn to your wife, Melida -- at that point, Melida, you were just pulling up in the car?

MELIDA ARREDONDO: That's right. I had just turned the corner to the house, and I saw ahead something on fire, and I was perplexed. And I thought it was a house, and then I approached. I saw was a van. Then I realized the van was in front of my home, and then on the other side of the street I saw my husband with a Marine sitting on top of him, and my husband was burned.

AMY GOODMAN: What happened next?

MELIDA ARREDONDO: I pulled up. I tried to stop the car right in front, but the Marine said to me, "No, no, no! Go! Go! The van’s going to blow! The van's going to blow!" So I had to drive the car to the corner and then run back, and the van did blow two or three times. And as I approached Carlos, the thing that I noticed the most was his skin. He also had a shirt over his eyes with the Marine on top of him. The shirt was like over his head. And I tried to relax Carlos as much as possible, saying, "Relax, relax. Okay, calm down, calm down."

And finally, the Marine let go, and we got the shirt out from over his head, because my husband couldn't really breathe very well between the pressure and the smell of the smoke and everything. He did have some smoke inhalation. And at that point, we were surrounded by helicopters, press, ambulances, fire trucks, neighbors. It became sensational within seconds.

My mother-in-law said, "Here, here, the phone. It's Brian. It's Brian." She said it in Spanish. And Brian is my younger stepson, and he was with his mom in Maine during that period. And he asked, “Where is dad?” And I said, “Oh my God, Brian! Oh my God! Turn on the TV! Turn on the TV!” He did. He said, “What's going on? There's dad! There's dad!” It was being shown live in Maine, as it was all around the country. And I'm saying to him, “Yes, your father lost it. He couldn't deal with it, you know. Alex is gone and -- I’m sorry, Brian.” He said, “Well, I --“ Brian was basically almost crying, and he said, "Well, I called to wish dad a happy birthday."

AMY GOODMAN: And Brian then was seventeen years old?

MELIDA ARREDONDO: At that time, he was sixteen.

AMY GOODMAN: Sixteen. We're talking to Melida and Carlos Arredondo. Two years ago, Carlos's son, Melida's stepson, died in Najaf in Iraq. That was two years ago, Carlos. After that, what happened? Did you start speaking out right away? How long did it take you? And how long has it taken you to heal physically? And then we can talk about emotionally.

CARLOS ARREDONDO: Well, it pretty much, you know, it took some time, you know, just to deal with the mourning and with Alexander's death and also the issue about me not being an American citizen. I am a legal resident, and so I was trying not to get in trouble with that issue, because I might be deported. At the time when I was in the hospital, I thought I was going to be ended up in Guantanamo, because, you know, I pretty much targeted a U.S. government property.

And all that was taken care. I am still speaking out pretty much. Almost a year later, we started speaking out. And when the 2,000 casualty, whose name was Alexander also, that's when pretty much I put together my display that have been going across country, bringing to cities and towns, to Washington, to the Congress and everywhere I can, like asking people have a little bit of feelings about all this nonsense war.

AMY GOODMAN: Carlos, before we talk about the coffin that you take around the country, I wanted to go back to this issue of you being legal resident, an immigrant from Costa Rica?

CARLOS ARREDONDO: Correct.

AMY GOODMAN: Now, you have applied for citizenship but have not gotten it, even after your son died in Iraq?

CARLOS ARREDONDO: No, because the reason is everybody got to wait in line. And when I moved from Massachusetts to Hollywood, Florida, I ended up moving my documents to my new state, and so I ended up going to the last of the list -- line. And then when I move back to Massachusetts for my son's burial, also to come back to Massachusetts, my citizenship application ended up being once again in line, in the bottom line of all those applications that are waiting. And at this point, I’m not too sure where my number is right now in that line.

AMY GOODMAN: I’m looking at a letter. At Provincetown High School, you had the coffin in the back of a pickup truck. You had the Army jacket, the Army boots of your son Alex, and you have a whole display and a notebook of different letters. Among them is a letter from Alex that he wrote from sea as he was being shipped out to Kuwait, dated January 19th, 2003, right before the invasion. He writes, “I’m not afraid of dying. I’m more afraid of what will happen to all the ones I love if something happens to me.” When did you receive that letter?

CARLOS ARREDONDO: Well, we received that letter -- that was his first letter home on the way to war. He was being transported in the Dubuque, this Naval ship that was on the way to Kuwait. And pretty much, as soon as I received that letter, I started sharing that letter to friends and family and people that crossed my way, to let them know if they can support Alex by writing him back, and pretty much I started then sharing these feelings and emotions.

MELIDA ARREDONDO: But you ask an interesting question, Amy. Actually --

AMY GOODMAN: Yes, Melida.

MELIDA ARREDONDO: There are -- there's a lot of communication blackouts, and at the beginning of the war -- I’m sure we weren't the only anxious family in the United States -- we didn't hear from Alex. So that letter was not the first communication. He wrote it before the war, as he was on the USS Dubuque, but what we actually heard first was Alex's voice on an NPR radio show by John Burnett, and it was totally a coincidence. We were on our way to walk our dogs in a local park, and the radio came in and we were listening because it was about Iraq. And then all of a sudden, John Burnett said, “And here I am with Lance Corporal Alex Arredondo.” Oh, my goodness! That was early March, mid-March. And then the letter arrived late March.

AMY GOODMAN: We're going to break. When we come back, I want to ask you about Brian, your younger son, who, as we talked on Friday night in Provincetown, Massachusetts, not that far from Walpole, where you live, you'd said is being aggressively recruited himself, now 19 years old, by the National Guard. We're talking with Melida and Carlos Arredondo. They lost their son two years ago, August 25th, 2004, in Najaf. Carlos heads today to Camp Democracy in Washington, D.C. He will be one of the first people to speak tomorrow on the National Mall. Stay with us.

[break]

AMY GOODMAN: We're joined in Massachusetts by Carlos and Melida Arredondo, who lost their son Alex, Lance Corporal Alex Arredondo, killed in Najaf, August 25, 2004. Carlos, you have been pulling a coffin, whether in a pickup truck, as I saw you in Provincetown, or across the capital in Washington, D.C., in Waco and Crawford, you just came from -- the coffin that symbolizes the death of your son. Can you talk about this display that you carry and all that you have in it?

CARLOS ARREDONDO: Well, I’m trying to honor my son Alexander and trying to do it as personal as I can. I cannot speak up for any other family. But also, I want to remind the American people for all those fallen heroes that we already lost, the American fallen heroes, at the same time, when I speak, I remind people, all the people who have been killed in Iraq, remember them and honor them and do something about this nonsense war. I also want people to understand and remember there is NATO forces. We almost have 250 NATO forces from El Salvador, Australia, England, Spain, you know, all these people who sacrifice their lives, and we need to remember them.

And the way I’m going around the country from the west coast to the east coast and letting know people what the situation happened to me in this case, how my son was recruited, how the notification team deal with my situation, and how it's been for ourself. Not all the families in this country, the Gold Star Families speaking out, it's very hard for them to come out and deal with the situation, but in my case, in Massachusetts, we have two families right now speaking out: the Lucey family and Arredondo family right now. We are working very hard to share our story to the American people. We have more than 50 casualties right now in Massachusetts. On Wednesday, we bury one more soldier here at home. Just last night, we lost one more soldier in Iraq from Massachusetts. And this is getting out of hand. And we don't even know the number in Iraq and Afghanistan or the citizens that’s been killed.

And my purpose of me traveling around the country is to let know people that we are fighting an immoral war. This administration has been pretty much doing their own thing their own way. And I’m coming from a third world country, Costa Rica. Right there, we have a free care for all. All by selling bananas and coffee, school for all the kids. So I am meeting with senators and congressmen to let them know there is something wrong with our picture, because being from a third world country, we can handle that situation. Why can this country cannot do it?

Also, one of the messages I got from people in the Congress, senators and congressmen, is pretty much that we need to draft this up together and let know the American people that we need to vote. 5% of the American people is what we have in the world. And when they make the wrong mistake, everybody in the world pay the big price. And right now, everybody paying the price for this nonsense war.

AMY GOODMAN: One of the things you showed me was a letter from the Army National Guard, and I wanted to read an excerpt of it, that came to your son Brian. It begins, “Dear American.” And it starts off by talking about why it's important to be in the National Guard, to serve in situations like Katrina, interestingly enough, where people said the National Guard didn't show up, because they were in Iraq. But it goes on to say, “You could be eligible for an enlistment bonus of up to $20,000 for joining the Army National Guard. What can you do with $20,000? A new car? Pay off credit cards? Help your family? It’s up to you. It’ll be your money, money earned by making a commitment to serve your country. Remember, the decision you make right now will have a huge impact on how the rest of your life turns out.”

Melida, I wanted to ask you about this letter and about the recruitment of your younger son, of Brian.

MELIDA ARREDONDO: Brian was planning to be a Marine. He always looked to Alex for guidance and wanted to follow his big brother's footsteps. Obviously, with losing Alex, he's really questioned that decision. At this point, Brian has not continued with high school yet. He has not completed it. However, the military has changed the rules, and you do not have to have a high school diploma or a GED anymore. You can earn it by going into the military and getting it after a period of time.

However, Brian and I and his dad and everybody who knows him has spoken to him long about this. And one of the things that I pointed out to him is, Alex trusted his brothers-in-arms and Uncle Sam to take really good care of him. Alex did everything right. And still, he was killed. Alex was killed by a shot to the left temple. It calls to question -- he did have his helmet on. It calls to question the adequacy of the gear that he had on. And that really got Brian thinking, along with all the other conversations that people -- he had with other people.

Brian tells me that he's received items from recruiters in malls, on the streets. He has hats, backpacks, lighters. They have gone all out in their marketing, and Brian pretty much has a pretty big collection of items that have been given to him to try to get him interested.

AMY GOODMAN: Let me ask you about Brian. Carlos, how would you feel if he decided to enlist?

CARLOS ARREDONDO: Well, it’s a lot that covers Brian from not to go there, but doesn't mean he cannot join if he want to. Of course, if he want to, I’m just going to try to do my best for him not to go. And pretty much, I’m telling him he know what we doing. I also, you know, am telling him the tactics the government was using on young girls and kids to pretty much seduce them. They say “volunteer, volunteer,” but I call it “seducing.” They seduce them with all these gizmos and all these offers of money and all that. They are walking around high schools, and everybody know how the tactics are, pretty much.

And pretty much, I’m telling Brian how they pretty much have been targeting now the immigrants. You know, the immigrants right now has been offered that kind of money and also the citizenship. And we already have a big amount, a number of immigrants who are fighting right now in Iraq for the citizenship. So, me helping Brian by giving this information, I just hope he not to go there. But if he feels the need for him to go there, as a father, I will support him all the way, and God protect him and myself. And I just hope for him to make the right choice and not to go.

AMY GOODMAN: Melida, how is Brian doing? He's 19 now, lost his role model, his big brother.

MELIDA ARREDONDO: Brian, himself, says, you know, “I’m bored.” Bored equals depressed. He's had a hard time holding a job, and he hangs out on the block, as I call it, with his pals or whatever. Last week I was with him and a friend, and his friend has taken the ASVAB, which is the exam to go into the military. And that has me concerned, because now his friends are his role models. Brian has told Carlos that he does not want to go in, because he doesn't want to see the same thing happen to his family that happened, you know, when Alex was killed. However, you know, he's at an age where his friends mean a lot to him. And finding out that this friend was interested in going into the Army did not make me feel as good about it as previously.

AMY GOODMAN: You live in Walpole, Massachusetts. It's known for the big prison there.

MELIDA ARREDONDO: Actually, we live in Roslindale, but that's where Alex is buried.

AMY GOODMAN: When I spoke to you on Friday night, you talked about your concerns about the options for young people, particularly young people of color right now.

MELIDA ARREDONDO: Yeah. The block, as we call it -- I live in Dorchester. I work in Roslindale. It's a part of the city of Boston. Brian is basically hanging out in different parts of town. And there's been a lot of violence this year in the city of Boston and outlying areas. Unfortunately, Boston now has been cast as a high place for crime. There were seven murders in seven days in the city of Boston, right in the vicinity of where I work and where my family and I often are together doing different events. And it has us all concerned.

Brian and Alex both have always said, “Don't worry, don't worry. We'll be fine, we'll be fine.” There's no way we can't worry about this. I believe that -- not just believe, but we know that there are three things that recruiters look for: people are who are low-income, people of Hispanic dissent, and people who come from single female-headed households. I found out this information with my husband from the GAO website after Alex was killed.

AMY GOODMAN: We're going to have to leave it there. But I want to thank you both very much for joining us. We will certainly continue to follow events at Camp Democracy, Carlos, where you’re headed today, speaking out there tomorrow. Carlos and Melida Arredondo, I want to thank you very much for joining us and condolences on the death of your son, on the death of Marine Lance Corporal Alexander S. Arredondo, who died on August 25, 2004, Carlos's 46th birthday. He died at the age of 20 years and 20 days.

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DN! 10th Anniversary
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NYC Cooper Union
Sept 11
• Amy Goodman
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DN! at 10!
80 City Tour

DN! 10th Anniversary
& Launch of New Book STATIC
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9/8: Minneapolis
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more…

Exclusive from Havana: Castro is "Very alive and very alert"

Cuban National Assembly President Ricardo Alarcon speaks to DN!

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Goodman on MSNBC's 10th Anniversary

Why was Donahue axed? Where are the voices of peace?

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New! 10-CD audiobook read by Amy Goodman with DN! excerpts.

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Lies of our Times: The NYTimes & Judith Miller

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TODAY'S STORIES

Headlines for September 6, 2006

Los Titulares de Hoy: Democracy Now!'s daily news summary translated into Spanish

Mexico Court Declares Calderon Winner of Disputed Election, Lopez Obrador Vows to Form Parallel Gov't

Father Recounts Burning Marine Van and Himself After Learning of Son's Death in Iraq

Robert Fisk on Lebanon: "The Ceasefire Can't Work"

US Marines to deplay 2,500 more troops!

2006-08-23T06:36:00.000-04:00

Marines to deploy up to 2,500 in Individual Ready Reserve

By Jeff Schogol, Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Wednesday, August 23, 2006

ARLINGTON, Va. — The Marine Corps will mobilize up to 2,500 Marines in the Individual Ready Reserve to go downrange, said Guy A. Stratton, head of Manpower and Mobilization Plans.

Those called up can expect to be mobilized for 12 to 18 months, with a maximum service time of two years, Marine officials said.

Servicemembers in the IRR have left active duty but still have time on their obligation to serve. Unlike other reserve component troops, they do not drill.

For the past few years, the Marines have used volunteers from the IRR, but the number of Marines volunteering to be mobilized has decreased over the past two years, and now the Marine Corps is about 1,200 Marines short of its needs, Stratton said.

“Most of the Marines when we call and talk to them will have told us that, ‘If you need me, call me, but right now, I just, I’m doing other things in my life, so I just don’t want to volunteer right now,’ ” Stratton said.

Of the roughly 59,000 Marines in the IRR, about 35,000 are eligible to be mobilized because the Marine Corps is excluding those who have already volunteered for duty or who are serving their first or fourth years in the IRR, Stratton said.

He said the Marine Corps is looking at mobilizing Marines in the following specialties: communications, engineers, military police, intelligence, aviation mechanics, truck drivers and infantry.

The Marines have called up about 4,500 members of the IRR since 2003, but almost 2,700 of them were volunteers for the initial part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Most did not go to Iraq because of the short duration of the initial invasion, Stratton said.

The Army has also called up soldiers from the IRR since January 2004.

According to the U.S. Army Reserve, approximately 14,000 soldiers on IRR status have been called to active duty since March 2003 and about 7,300 have been deployed to Iraq, The Associated Press reported recently.

The Army struggled to bring IRR soldiers back initially. Half of the Individual Ready Reserve members given orders in 2004 by the Army asked for either a delay or an exemption to the order, according to a report in Stars and Stripes from January 2005.

Hundreds of other IRR members failed to show up at deployment stations when ordered to do so, the story noted.

2006-08-23T06:24:00.000-04:00

Poll: Opposition to Iraq war at all-time high

Monday, August 21, 2006; Posted: 5:54 p.m. EDT (21:54 GMT)

President Bush Monday said he does not follow polls when making policy decisions.

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Opposition among Americans to the war in Iraq has reached a new high, with only about a third of respondents saying they favor it, according to a poll released Monday.

Poll: Opposition to Iraq war at all-time high

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Opposition among Americans to the war in Iraq has reached a new high, with only about a third of respondents saying they favor it, according to a poll released Monday.

Just 35 percent of 1,033 adults polled say they favor the war in Iraq; 61 percent say they oppose it -- the highest opposition noted in any CNN poll since the conflict began more than three years ago.

Despite the rising opposition to the war, President Bush said the U.S. will not withdraw from Iraq while he is president.

"In this case, it would give the terrorists and extremists an additional tool besides safe haven, and that is revenues from oil sales," the president said. "Leaving before the job is done would be a disaster," he said. (Full story)

A bare majority (51 percent) say they see Bush as a strong leader, but on most other attributes he gets negative marks. (Interactive: Poll results)

Most Americans (54 percent) don't consider him honest, most (54 percent) don't think he shares their values and most (58 percent) say he does not inspire confidence. (Complete poll results -- PDF)

Bush's stand on the issues is also problematic, with more than half (57 percent) of Americans saying they disagree with him on the issues they care about.

That's an indication that issues, not personal characteristics, are keeping his approval rating well below 50 percent.

Majority disapprove of Bush

Bush's disapproval rating exceeds his approval, 57 percent to 42 percent.

That's in the same ballpark as was found in an August 2-3 poll: Bush garnered a 40 percent approval.

And that was up slightly from a 37 percent approval in a poll carried out June 14-15.

Fewer than half of respondents (44 percent) say they believe Bush is honest and trustworthy; 54 percent do not.

And just 41 percent say they agree with Bush on issues, versus 57 percent who say they disagree.

Americans are about evenly split on whether their commander-in-chief understands complex issues, with 47 percent saying yes, and 51 percent saying no.

Democrats enjoy lead

Bush's tepid ratings do not bode well for his party's odds in the coming congressional elections. Asked which party's candidate they would vote for if the elections were held today, 52 percent of respondents cited the Democratic Party's; 43 percent the GOP's.

Bush dismissed a question about his popularity during a news conference Monday.

"I don't think you've ever heard me say: 'Gosh, I better change positions because the polls say this or that,'" he told reporters. "I've been here long enough to understand, you cannot make good decisions if you're trying to chase a poll."

He added, "I'm going to do what I think is right, and if, you know, if people don't like me for it, that's just the way it is."

The poll of 1,033 Americans was carried out for CNN by Opinion Research from Friday through Sunday.

The polls had sampling errors of plus-or-minus 3 points.

For veteran Tammy Duckworth, latest fight is for a House seat

2006-08-22T17:37:00.000-04:00

MAJ. TAMMY DUCKWORTH: The Iraq veteran from Illinois has the best shot at a win.

Wounded in the Iraq war, the Democratic newcomer is heating up the race in Chicago's Republican suburbs

"I was proud to respond when my country called, and I have no regrets. But from a policy perspective, invading Iraq was a mistake. We should have focused our military resources instead on pursuing the terrorists who attacked our country and on capturing Osama Bin Laden. Not only did we misdirect our human and financial resources; we squandered an enormous amount of international goodwill that we acquired after 9/11."
From her Campaign Website. She is running for US Congress. CCN

Veterans for Peace Draft Statement

2006-08-22T09:24:00.000-04:00

The world is not at peace! It is time for peace to lead the way.

We hope to bring together policy makers, community leaders, mediators, parents, clergy, students, activists, media folks, artists, film makers, educators, nonprofit organizations, and others - to explore how diverse peace actors can work together to increase their impact. We reach across all political spectrum and parties as well as to any non-aligned individuals and groups. Please take a stand today and join us in this effort! War is not the answer!

A public program will be held Friday evening, October 13 (the day before Arlington East) at Nauset Regional High School in Eastham. We plan this to be a speak out format along with an international music program.

On Saturday, October 14th, Cape Codders for Peace and Justice and Veterans for Peace Cape Cod Chapter plan a day of action by building ‘Arlington East’ on Cape Cod National Seashore, Eastham, MA to memorialize those who have died in Iraq. Similar to ‘Arlington West’ in Santa Monica, CA, and ‘Arlington South’ in Crawford, TX, grave markers will represent each American soldiers who has been killed in Iraq. Iraq civilian deaths will be represented. An interdenominational service will be held at noon.

This installation shall be, in earnest, a very respectful and yet inspiring presence for all of us to reflect on war and it's cost in human assets. Please work and pray for peace now! Our collective desire is to address the global anxiety about global conflicts and to find commonality and shape positive action, going beyond politics. The ocean setting should be honored as a sacred place and a sacred time of remembrance and reconciliation for all the victims of war. If you wish to join us and or even Co-sponsor this event contact any one of us. War is not the answer.

There will be another organizing committee meeting next coming Wednesday, August 30, 2006, at 6:30 p.m., at Borders Books on Rte. 132. Please feel free to come and join us to plan this regional and GLOCAL event. Please consider Co-sponsoring this event as an individual, organization, church or community group. Veteran's for Peace is a not-for-profit non-governmental organization. Contributions are tax deductible.

WHAT: ARINGTON EAST

WHEN: October 13,- 14, 2006

WHERE: Cape Cod National Seashore

This event will be disAbility accessible!
Ramp goes from parking lot to beach, public transportation (The Flex Route) Cost $1. or 50 cents if you are 60+ , or have a disAbility. A bike path serves this venue. We will try to arrange to have a shuttle vehicle at the Salt Pond Visitors center, please leave the 25 parking spots at Coast Guard Beach for those with special license plates. We also will need bathrooms opened or provided for back at Salt Pond vistors center.

George W the 1st

2006-08-19T17:03:00.000-04:00

“My first wish is to see War, this plague to mankind, banished from this earth.”

- General George Washington, First President of the United States, 1796.

How to do Arlington East? Let's ask Arlington West Organizers!

2006-08-19T15:00:00.000-04:00

Arlington West How to do it!

First Cape Cod Native Killed in Iraq

2006-08-17T16:42:00.000-04:00

Thursday, August 17, 2006

By Matt Millham, Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Friday, July 28, 2006

Sgt. Mark R. Vecchione, Company B, 1st Battalion, 37th Armor Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, was killed in Iraq July 18

FRIEDBERG, Germany — Sgt. Mark R. Vecchione avoided death one time — but fell squarely in its path seconds later.

Vecchione, 25, of Eastham, Mass., a member of Company B, 1st Battalion, 37th Armor Regiment — part of the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division — was recently given command of a tank of his own.

But, on July 18, he volunteered to fill in as gunner on another tank as it was about to roll out on a mission in Ramadi, Iraq. During the operation, a roadside bomb explosion set fire to the front fuel cell of Vecchione’s borrowed ride.

Remarkably, every member of the crew made it through the blast without a scratch. But with the front of the vehicle engulfed in flames, they were forced to abandon it.

Under normal procedures, Vecchione would have been one of the first people to get off. But he was the last, jumping right onto another roadside bomb.

“If he’d jumped three feet to the left or three feet to the right, this wouldn’t have happened,” said Capt. Jason Irwin, the company commander, who considered his former soldier and gunner a friend. Nobody else was injured.

It was an astonishing stroke of bad luck that ended the life of this soldier, whom colleagues and superiors said could have made sergeant major of the Army.

Hundreds of mourners packed the chapel at Ray Barracks on Wednesday to honor the fallen soldier.

“Anyone who even knew his name, that’s who’s going to miss him,” said Sgt. Jason Sawyer, one of Vecchione’s closest friends.

Sawyer and others spoke of Vecchione’s indomitable work ethic, unflinching optimism and reputation for perfection, which made him somewhat of a legend in the battalion.

During the unit’s first deployment to Iraq in 2003, Vecchione was assigned to work in the battalion’s tactical operations center as a radio telephone operator. He would rather have been doing his regular job as a tanker, but the leadership wouldn’t let him go because he was so good at the job, said Staff Sgt. Scott Ramen, who worked with Vecchione during that deployment.

“That’s why he was determined to get his stripes, because they’d have to let him back on a tank,” Ramen said.

Despite the fact Vecchione considered his radio job boring, Ramen and Sawyer said they never once saw him without a smile on his face.

“He was a soldier’s soldier,” Sawyer said.

When the unit got back to Germany, Vecchione got his sergeant stripes and was made Irwin’s gunner. The position is given to the best gunner in the company, and brings with it the responsibility of commanding the tank in the commander’s absence.

“Sergeant Vecchione used to joke that it was his tank, and he only let Captain Irwin ride in it sometimes,” Sawyer said.

Vecchione’s crew was quickly recognized as the best in the battalion.

“Officers used to go to him for advice on making their crews better,” Sawyer said.

Officers don’t usually ask for advice from lower enlisted, he said.

Not long after he got to Iraq, Vecchione’s excellence earned him another promotion — he was given command of a tank of his own.

He addressed the possibility of his own death on his Web page. A questionnaire posted on it asks, “Goal you would like to achieve this year?”

Vecchione answered, “Making it home alive.”

To the question, “How do you want to die?” Vecchione answered, “With as little pain as possible.”

The questionnaire also asked, “Do you believe in yourself?”

“Of course,” Vecchione responded. “Who else would.”

He sorely underestimated his influence on his friends and colleagues.

“Nobody’s going to talk about the deceased badly,” Sawyer said, admitting that troops killed in war are sometimes lionized for their sacrifice even if they weren’t fantastic soldiers. “But Sergeant ‘Vecc’ was the kind of guy who, no matter how hard you looked, you couldn’t find anything wrong with him.”

© 2006 Stars and Stripes. All Rights Reserved.

Alexander Arredondo USMC

2006-08-16T20:39:00.000-04:00

Presente!

Lance Cpl. "Dondo" Alexander Arredondo USMC

ARLINGTON EAST COMING SOON!

2006-08-16T13:16:00.000-04:00

Taps
Day is done, gone the sun,
From the hills, from the lake,
From the sky.
All is well, safely rest,
God is nigh.

Go to sleep, peaceful sleep,
May the soldier or sailor,
God keep.
On the land or the deep,
Safe in sleep.

Love, good night, Must thou go,
When the day, And the night
Need thee so?
All is well. Speedeth all
To their rest.

Fades the light; And afar
Goeth day, And the stars
Shineth bright,
Fare thee well; Day has gone,
Night is on.

Thanks and praise, For our days,
'Neath the sun, Neath the stars,
'Neath the sky,
As we go, This we know,
God is nigh.

WIKIPEDIA -Arlington West refers to the "temporary cemetery" itself, as well as Veterans for Peace's project of installing the temporary memorial. The name comes from the name of the national cemetery of the United States, Arlington National Cemetery, a burial place of honor for fallen war heroes. Arlington National Cemetery is the location of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and is also the final resting place for John F. Kennedy. Arlington West -- in a manner similar to "real" cemeteries -- is intended by the project organizers to be a place to mourn, reflect, contemplate, grieve, and meditate, to honor and acknowledge those who have lost their lives, and to reflect upon the costs of war.

The memorial in Santa Barbara, California, which was first put together on November 2, 2003, is installed each Sunday by a team of volunteers on the beach immediately west of Stearns Wharf. Visitors walking to the tourist attractions on the wharf have a clear view, from the boardwalk, along the beach with the white crosses in the foreground. From the walkway, visitors can see a flag-draped coffin and more than 2000 crosses, made of wood, which are intended to resemble and represent traditional military grave markers. In addition to the simulated graveyard, a placard listing all the fallen American military personnel since the U.S. invaded and occupied Iraq is prominently displayed; this list is updated weekly. Adjacent to the placards is a sign containing the message: "If we were to put up a cross for each Iraqi person killed, the numbers of crosses would fill the entire beach."

Although there is no way of knowing the various faiths or philosophies of the many people who died, the cross (a common symbol of Christianity) was selected to used as a marker.

The original Arlington West memorial, Santa Barbara, California; the USS Ronald Reagan is in the background

The second Arlington West was installed in Santa Monica, California on February 15, 2004, a Sunday. It was built on the sand just north of the pier at Santa Monica Beach, "as a way to acknowledge the costs and consequences of the addiction to war as an instrument of international policy" (quote from Veterans for Peace). Like the initial memorial in Santa Barbara, it has been reinstalled each Sunday since its inception.

Similar memorials have also been installed on other beaches on the West Coast of the U.S..
On December 14, 2003 Arlington West Santa Barbara was illuminated by 455 candles in red cups for the city's annual Parade of Lights. The cups glowed a blood red while the light projected upward from the cups caused the white crosses to glow in a flickering, living light. Photojournalists on hand commented that the sight of the illuminated memorial "upstaged the Parade of Lights" (boats in the harbor decked out in Christmas lights). The display drew thousands of spectators during the two hours the candles burned.

Veterans For Peace, an official non-governmental organization (NGO) founded in 1985 includes men and women veterans from World War II, Korea, Vietnam, the Gulf War, and other conflicts, as well as peacetime veterans. The group has published a 'how-to' for organising, planning and constructing and erecting Arlington West. Several other Memorials have been erected by chapters of Veterans for Peace and other groups.

In the spring and summer of 2005, a similar Arlington West display was taken on a U.S. tour, being installed at places such as Ohio's Kent State University (for the 35th commemoration of the tragedy of May 4, 1970), as well as at "Camp Casey," the site of anti-war protestor Cindy Sheehan's vigil outside the ranch of President George W. Bush near Crawford, Texas.

Veterans for Peace Cape Cod Chapter

2006-08-16T11:20:00.000-04:00

Veterans for Peace, Inc. (VFP) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) educational and humanitarian organization dedicated to the abolishment of war.

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
We, having dutifully served our nation, do hereby affirm our greater responsibility to serve the cause of world peace. To this end we will work, with others (a) Toward increasing public awareness of the costs of war (b) To restrain our government from intervening, overtly and covertly, in the internal affairs of other nations (c) To end the arms race and to reduce and eventually eliminate nuclear weapons(d) To seek justice for veterans and victims of war(e) To abolish war as an instrument of national policy.

To achieve these goals, members of Veterans For Peace pledge to use non-violent means and to maintain an organization that is both democratic and open with the understanding that all members are trusted to act in the best interests of the group for the larger purpose of world peace.

We urge all people who share this vision to join us.
Our membership is comprised of veterans from all wars spanning from The Spanish Civil War to the Gulf War, and the Iraq War. These members are distributed amongst 135 nationwide chapters, and dozens of international affiliations. Our international activities include working with our affiliations in El Salvador, Russia, Canada, Japan, Guatemala, Viet Nam, the Netherlands, Chiapas (Mexico), France, England, Cuba, Nicaragua, Vieques (Puerto Rico), and numerous others. A member of the Nobel-Peace Prize winning Coalition to Ban the Sale and Use of Landmines, VFP has been undertaking arduous tasks since its inception. From bringing medical aid to Central American nations, to evacuating wounded children from war-torn Bosnian hospitals and securing medical treatment elsewhere around the globe, or just sitting down with American high school kids so that they may make choices for themselves based on reality, and not myth. We remain firmly committed to the abolition of war.We know the consequences of American foreign policy because once, at a time in our lives, so many of us carried it out. We find it sad that war seems so delightful, so often, to those that have no knowledge of it. We will proudly, and patriotically, continue to denounce war despite whatever misguided sense of euphoria supports it.

1985 - 2005 Twenty Years of Waging Peace

Veterans for Peace
Cape Cod - Chapter 41

Duke Ellis (508) 420-5532

Dr. Nancy Clarke (508) 385-8636

Bob Silverman (

John Brewster Hopkins (774) 836-6403

ARLINGTON WEST MEMORIAL

2006-08-16T10:58:00.000-04:00