U.S. Peace Groups Unite for Call to Action against Escalation of the War in Afghanistan
Seven American antiwar coalitions and organizations are calling for various local actions before and after President Obama decides to widen the Afghanistan war. Obama’s decision is expected on Tuesday, December 1, at West Point, the main U.S. military academy. The groups united in this call include: United for Peace and Justice, World Can’t Wait, Veterans For Peace, National Assembly, Military Families Speak Out, A.N.S.W.E.R Coalition, and National Campaign for Nonviolent Resistance.
Their call to action is below.
TEXT OF CALL TO ACTION BY SEVEN GROUPS
Any day will likely come the sickening news that President Obama has decided to escalate the war in Afghanistan. Here in the U.S. and no doubt around the world people will react in pain, anger, and sorrow, knowing what tragedy and suffering will follow.
It will mean at a very minimum that the U.S. will occupy Afghanistan for several more years, sending home dead and wounded soldiers while killing and wounding many times more Afghani people. The suffering in Afghanistan today will grow by orders of magnitude and the U.S. will be that much less secure in direct proportion.
As tragic as it was to see Lyndon Johnson’s “Great Society” crash and burn on the rocks of the Vietnam war, the stakes are much higher now. The U.S. economy today still teeters at the abyss. Escalating the Afghanistan war will not just be the ruin of desperately needed domestic programs but may very possibly destroy the entire economy.
For those reasons and many more we call upon our members and every U.S. citizen with a love of humanity in their heart to pledge to at least the following actions:
(1) Within the next few days, ideally prior to any decision from President Obama, conduct any of a wide range of local activities—from calling Members of Congress to nonviolent civil resistance and everything in between—demonstrating our opposition to and disgust with any decision to widen the war in Afghanistan.
(2) On the day immediately following an announcement to escalate the war in Afghanistan, respond again in a variety of ways. To show unity of purpose, we suggest local “March of the Dead” to federal buildings, local Congressional offices, and government buildings of any sort.
Comment by New Jersey Peace Action: Dear Friends and Neighbors, We all hope that President Obama will resist the pressures from his generals to send more troops to Afghanistan. Recently, Matthew Hoh, a former Marine and later a senior U.S. official in Afghanistan, resigned in protest over the Afghan war. U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan Karl Eikenberry has urged President Obama not to send more troops to Afghanistan.
President Obama’s decision on this is imminent. In northern New Jersey we are working with United for Peace and Justice, NJ Peace Action, Veterans for Peace, Chapter 21, Military Families Speak Out, and Teaneck Peace and Justice Coalition.
We hope you will forward this e-mail to your contacts so that we can make a big difference.