<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html charset=windows-1252"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;">Begin forwarded message:<br><div><blockquote type="cite"><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;"><span style="font-family:'Helvetica';"><br></span></div><br><div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><img width="200" height="131" alt="" src="http://org.salsalabs.com/o/826/images/VFP%20Logo%20-%20all%20caps.JPG"><img width="450" height="168" alt="" src="http://org.salsalabs.com/o/826/images/legislative_update_banner.jpg"></span></p>
<hr>
<hr>
<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="15" border="0" width="822" height="622" style="position: static; z-index: auto;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td bgcolor="#6699cc" align="center" width="250" valign="top">
<h4></h4><div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><p><a target="_blank" href="http://org.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=CRcFsNLMpZWs3sMnFOBM7cgUExbtgdGU"></a></p>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><p><a target="_blank" href="http://org.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=wQr%2Ff0yERksC%2FEbfBnFdGsgUExbtgdGU"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 128);">VFP Legislative Priorities</span></span></a></p>
</span><div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div>
</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><p><a target="_blank" href="http://org.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=X%2FL102rR6QPwRKLF9AHzTcgUExbtgdGU"></a></p>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><p><a href="http://org.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=4l8TsLesx67jv3iJQsMB4cgUExbtgdGU"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 128);">Current Bills Related to VFP Priorities</span></span></a></p>
</span><p><a href="http://org.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=PKCQ3%2Ff856JsRq4B6SOAncgUExbtgdGU" target="_blank"></a></p>
</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><p><a href="http://org.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=KfWycwQnpalKasQDOSG4esgUExbtgdGU" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 128);">Why Work With Congress?</span></span></a></p>
</span><div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><p><a href="http://org.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=ysLcjf3JlvUPFsKZK2RW4cgUExbtgdGU" target="_blank"></a></p>
</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><p><a href="http://org.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=XmVAbqTM5YkO%2FXXWXaoXmMgUExbtgdGU" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 128);">Building A Relationship With Congress</span></span></a></p>
</span><div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><p><a href="http://org.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=vbpTqqmHVk9W5uwZeAjT%2FsgUExbtgdGU"></a></p>
</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><p><a href="http://org.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=248BeGRXmaRH%2Fw5Su7CsiMgUExbtgdGU"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 128);">Preparing for a Meeting</span></span></a></p>
</span><div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><p><a href="http://org.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=59DYnKTnhBw%2BLDSC8Ee0%2FMgUExbtgdGU" target="_blank"></a></p>
</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><p><a href="http://org.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=dJbfEailWrdOufPDc6TvEsgUExbtgdGU"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 128);">Use GovTrack.us to Follow a Bill</span></span></a></p>
</span><p><a href="http://org.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=w7sq1CczfxkbcrT2hhi7zsgUExbtgdGU"></a></p>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><p><a href="http://org.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=33ReIBwJasXxFIO6ZK2iNMgUExbtgdGU"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 128);">Join VFP's Legislative Action Group</span></span></a></p><div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><p><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 128);"><img border="3" width="276" vspace="5" hspace="5" height="193" alt="" src="http://org.salsalabs.com/o/826/images/peace_pink.bmp"></span></span></p>
</span><div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div>
</td>
<td align="left" valign="top"><p><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">November, 2014<br><br></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">For VFP, there are two especially important issues before Congress in these last months of the year:<br>
</span></span></p>
<ul>
<li><p><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Stopping the U.S. war in Iraq and Syria</span></span></p>
</li>
<li><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Stopping the militarization of U.S. police forces<br>
</span></span></li>
</ul>
<hr><p><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Contact your members of Congress with the information provided below. (Toll free: 1-877-429-0678)</span></span><b><br>
</b></p>
<b><p><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Identify yourself as a member of Veterans For Peace. </span></span></p>
</b><div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div>
<b><p><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> Ask to speak to the legislative aide who handles military affairs. </span></span></p>
</b><p><b><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Try to start a dialogue; ask for a response on these issues.</span></span></b><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><br>
</span></span></p>
<hr><div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><p><b><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">1. Stop the U.S. war in Iraq and Syria </span></span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">The White House claims they need Congress to approve $5.6 billion before they can send the 1,500 additional troops to Iraq that were announced earlier this month. There may also be votes to authorize these military interventions. Tell your member of Congress to oppose funding and oppose authorization of these new wars. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">There are better ways to respond to the threat posed by ISIS, including:<br>
</span></span></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">accelerating humanitarian assistance for displaced people,</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">halting the flow of US arms to the region, <br>
</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">pressuring allies to halt the financing and the flow of weapons and IS personnel through their territories,<br>
</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">prioritizing diplomatic intervention under United Nations auspices, <br>
</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">insisting on a renewed peace process for Syria that includes all parties, <br>
</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">involving Iran and other regional actors in the negotiations over Iraq’s future, which include the diversity of groups within that country. <br>
</span></span></li>
</ul><p><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">While none of these options are fool-proof, an American war is a proven failure.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><br>
<b>VFP Chapter 49 – Indianapolis</b> has created a good two-page summary on <a href="http://org.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=dhp9Ugn%2BG6IFk2OkfQH6M8gUExbtgdGU">alternative responses to crises in the Middle East</a>.<br>
<br>
<b>2. Stop militarization of police in the U.S. </b><br>
<a href="http://org.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=DSvMLh1%2B3G44vN8oBz8XMcgUExbtgdGU">H.R. 5478</a>: Stop Militarizing Law Enforcement Act <br>
</span></span></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">would help keep military hardware out of the hands of civilian police. Tell you Representative to co-sponsor this bill and call for hearings in the House Armed Services Committee. </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">The gross militarization of the police as seen in Ferguson MO clearly shows that a review of the 1033 Weapons Transfer Program is immediately needed.<br>
</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Since its creation, the program has distributed at least $4 billion worth of equipment to local police departments.<br>
</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">The program was suspended in 2012 because some states lost track of equipment! Unfortunately it was restarted in 2013. <br>
</span></span></li>
</ul><p><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Police officers are not at war with American citizens - they are here to serve and protect us. It only makes sense that if we arm them like soldiers going into battle, they will think we want them to act like soldiers.<br>
<br>
Thank you for raising the powerful veteran voice in Congress!<br>
<br>
<br>
Sincerely,</span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><img width="200" height="39" src="http://org.salsalabs.com/o/826/images/Signatures/Formal%20Michael-Signature%20small.jpg" alt=""> <img width="200" height="61" src="http://org.salsalabs.com/o/826/images/Signatures/sig%20druhe.jpg" alt=""><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Michael T. McPhearson Virginia Druhe</span></span></p><div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><font size="2"><br>
</font></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><font size="2"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Veterans For Peace</span></b><span style="font-size: small;">, 216 S. Meramec, St. Louis, MO 63105, 314-725-6005 </span></font></span><font size="2" face="Verdana"><a title="http://org.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?key=-1&url_num=13&url=http%3A%2F%2Forg.salsalabs.com%2Fdia%2Ftrack.jsp%3Fkey%3D-1%26amp%3Burl_num%3D6%26amp%3Burl%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.veteransforpeace.org" target="_blank" href="http://org.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=kiLxwuzh7ZpW%2F4fijy4ba8gUExbtgdGU"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: small;">www.veteransforpeace.org</span></span></a></font></p>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="2"><span style="font-size: larger;"> </span></font><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div>
</span><div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div>
<span times="" new=""><hr>
</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td bgcolor="#6699cc" align="center" width="250" valign="top"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><br>
</span></td>
<td align="left" valign="top"><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial;">Make a tax-exempt </span></b></span><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><a href="http://org.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=ysLcjf3JlvUPENZ9IV9qTsgUExbtgdGU"><span style="font-size: 18px;">donation</span></a></span><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> to VFP today!</span></span></span></b></p><div style="text-align: center;"><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: small;">We also encourage you to </span></span><font size="2" face="Verdana"><font size="2"><strong style="font-weight: 400;"><font face="Verdana"><a title="http://org.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?key=-1&url_num=15&url=https%3A%2F%2Fapp.etapestry.com%2Fhosted%2FVeteransforPeace%2FOnlineMembership.html" href="http://org.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=3db3Ixgbed0JErGJlza348gUExbtgdGU"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> join our ranks</span></a></font></strong></font></font></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><p style="text-align: center;"><font size="2"><a href="mailto:Enter e-mail address here?Subject=FWD:%20VFP%20Legislative%20Update:%20Two%20important%20issues%20before%20Congress&Body=I%20thought%20you%20might%20be%20interested%20in%20this%20message%20http://THE%20NODE%20YOU%20ARE%20ON/blastContent.jsp?email_blast_KEY=1310627"><span style="font-size: small;">Forward to a Friend</span></a></font></p>
</span><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://org.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=u3ZtvzHuaaOkzTrXdMOpssgUExbtgdGU"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><font size="2">Unsubscribe</font></span></a></p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table><div style="text-align: center;"><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><img src="http://cdn.mailscanner.info/1x1spacer.gif" width="1" height="1" alt="Web Bug from http://org.salsalabs.com/dia/TrackImage?key=3098825828"><diaemailid='3098825828' thread="11064"></diaemailid='3098825828'></div></blockquote></div><br></body></html>