<p>Add mine too....Karen Medina</p>
<div class="gmail_quote">On Nov 20, 2014 1:09 PM, "Stuart Levy via Peace-discuss" <<a href="mailto:peace-discuss@lists.chambana.net">peace-discuss@lists.chambana.net</a>> wrote:<br type="attribution"><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">Yep, I like this, too. Could you add my name as well?<br>
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Thanks to you, Debra, and to PDA!<br>
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On 11/20/14 7:31 AM, Debra Schrishuhn via Peace wrote:<br>
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Just a note--Progressive Democrats of America members are in the<br>
process of delivering our monthly letters to Congressional district<br>
and DC offices, complete with follow-up calls to each office. Last<br>
month we delivered 391 letters, and expect to deliver a comparable<br>
number this month. Our House letters include requests on both of these<br>
issues and our Senate letter contains the following language:<br>
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Demand a debate on, and oppose, U.S. military intervention against<br>
ISIS. Also, vote against any new or renewed Authorization for the Use<br>
of Military Force (AUMF) against ISIS. The Iraq War helped create<br>
ISIS. More warfare will only increase turmoil and bloodshed in the<br>
Middle East.<br>
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To date, there is no Senate companion bill to Rep. Hank Johnson's HR 5478.<br>
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We are also asking for opposition to the TTP, expansion of voting<br>
rights, jobs legislation, and other issues of vital national<br>
importance. If you would like to join our national phone bank team,<br>
please contact Mike Fox at <a href="mailto:mikefox@pdamerica.org" target="_blank">mikefox@pdamerica.org</a>. If you would like to<br>
become involved in local delivery of letters to Sens Durbin and Kirk<br>
and Reps Davis and Shimkus, please contact me at<br>
<a href="mailto:deb.pdamerica@gmail.com" target="_blank">deb.pdamerica@gmail.com</a><br>
<br>
Deb<br>
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On 11/19/14, C. G. Estabrook via Peace <<a href="mailto:peace@lists.chambana.net" target="_blank">peace@lists.chambana.net</a>> wrote:<br>
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Begin forwarded message:<br>
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VFP Legislative Priorities<br>
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Current Bills Related to VFP Priorities<br>
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Why Work With Congress?<br>
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Building A Relationship With Congress<br>
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Preparing for a Meeting<br>
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Use GovTrack.us to Follow a Bill<br>
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Join VFP's Legislative Action Group<br>
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November, 2014<br>
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For VFP, there are two especially important issues before Congress in<br>
these last months of the year:<br>
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Stopping the U.S. war in Iraq and Syria<br>
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Stopping the militarization of U.S. police forces<br>
Contact your members of Congress with the information provided below.<br>
(Toll free: <a href="tel:1-877-429-0678" value="+18774290678" target="_blank">1-877-429-0678</a>)<br>
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Identify yourself as a member of Veterans For Peace.<br>
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Ask to speak to the legislative aide who handles military affairs.<br>
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Try to start a dialogue; ask for a response on these issues.<br>
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1. Stop the U.S. war in Iraq and Syria<br>
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The White House claims they need Congress to approve $5.6 billion before<br>
they can send the 1,500 additional troops to Iraq that were announced<br>
earlier this month. There may also be votes to authorize these military<br>
interventions. Tell your member of Congress to oppose funding and oppose<br>
authorization of these new wars.<br>
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There are better ways to respond to the threat posed by ISIS, including:<br>
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accelerating humanitarian assistance for displaced people,<br>
halting the flow of US arms to the region,<br>
pressuring allies to halt the financing and the flow of weapons and IS<br>
personnel through their territories,<br>
prioritizing diplomatic intervention under United Nations auspices,<br>
insisting on a renewed peace process for Syria that includes all parties,<br>
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involving Iran and other regional actors in the negotiations over Iraq’s<br>
future, which include the diversity of groups within that country.<br>
While none of these options are fool-proof, an American war is a proven<br>
failure.<br>
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VFP Chapter 49 – Indianapolis has created a good two-page summary on<br>
alternative responses to crises in the Middle East.<br>
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2. Stop militarization of police in the U.S.<br>
H.R. 5478: Stop Militarizing Law Enforcement Act<br>
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would help keep military hardware out of the hands of civilian police.<br>
Tell you Representative to co-sponsor this bill and call for hearings in<br>
the House Armed Services Committee.<br>
The gross militarization of the police as seen in Ferguson MO clearly<br>
shows that a review of the 1033 Weapons Transfer Program is immediately<br>
needed.<br>
Since its creation, the program has distributed at least $4 billion worth<br>
of equipment to local police departments.<br>
The program was suspended in 2012 because some states lost track of<br>
equipment! Unfortunately it was restarted in 2013.<br>
Police officers are not at war with American citizens - they are here to<br>
serve and protect us. It only makes sense that if we arm them like<br>
soldiers going into battle, they will think we want them to act like<br>
soldiers.<br>
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Thank you for raising the powerful veteran voice in Congress!<br>
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Sincerely,<br>
<br>
Michael T. McPhearson Virginia<br>
Druhe<br>
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Veterans For Peace, 216 S. Meramec, St. Louis, MO 63105, <a href="tel:314-725-6005" value="+13147256005" target="_blank">314-725-6005</a><br>
<a href="http://www.veteransforpeace.org" target="_blank">www.veteransforpeace.org</a><br>
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Make a tax-exempt donation to VFP today!<br>
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We also encourage you to join our ranks<br>
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