[Peace-discuss] Co-Sponsorship Request for Ray Parrish, Military Counseling Event, 10/19.

[Aaron Patrick Smith]

Hello. I'm writing you today to see if your organization would like to
cosponsor an event the Illinois Disciples Foundation is working on...

Title: "Leave No Vet Behind!"
Speaker: Ray Parrish, Military Counselor for Vietnam Veterans Against the
War's Military Counseling Service.
Date: Tuesday, October 19th
Time: 7pm
Location: Wisegarver Lounge at Illnois Disciples Foundation

WHY IDF IS HOSTING THIS EVENT:
The Illinois Disciples Foundation has been firmly committed to anti-war
organizing since the movement against the Vietnam War.  On the eve of the
first Gulf War, the IDF helped to organize massive protests in the
Champaign-Urbana community.  Within days of the September 11th terrorist
attacks in 2001, the IDF was one of a handful of organizations to publicly
state it's opposition to hasty military retaliation.  In the lead up to
this current illegal war in Iraq, the IDF joined with millions of
protestors around the world and here in our community in opposing it.  Now
as the war and military occupation drags on, exacting a heavy burden both
on the people of Iraq and our U.S. military personnel, it is time again to
step up the pressure on our government to get out of Iraq!

As part of this effort, on October 19th, 2004, the IDF will host Ray
Parrish in a free talk entitled "Leave No Vet Behind." The event will
begin at 7pm in Wisegarver Lounge, on the first floor of the IDF.

WHAT WE'RE ASKING YOU TO DO:
We have contacted you as a representative of your organization to request
that your organization assist the IDF in bringing this event to the
Champaing-Urbana community by co-sponsoring this event.  Although
donations are always appreciated, co-sponsorship does not require any
donation.  We only ask that we be allowed to use your organization's name
in our publicity, and that you help to publicize the event to your
membership.  Any donations raised from this event will be shared with
Vietnam Veterans Against the War's Military Counseling Service.  The
deadline for co-sponsorship (to get your name on our publicity) is
Thursday, October 7th.  For more background, please continue reading after
my message.

***PLEASE REPLY TO THIS MESSAGE BY THURSDAY, OCTOBER 7TH, WITH WHETHER
YOUR ORGANIZATION WOULD LIKE TO CO-SPONSOR THIS EVENT.  Feel free to
contact Aaron or Jen at the IDF office to obtain more information about
the event, co-sponsorship, or with any other questions at (217) 352-8721
or idf at prairienet.org***

Thank you for your consideration and support,
Aaron Smith
IDF Assistant Director

BACKGROUND ON THE EVENT:
Ray Parrish is the military counselor for the Vietnam Veterans Against the
War's (VVAW) Military Counseling Service, which provides confidential
discharge counseling, legal, medical, and mental health referrals for GI's
and Veterans, counter-recruiting and draft information, and more.  Parrish
will be speaking about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, the needs of GIs
and veterans today, and the current injustices facing soldiers fighting
the war in Iraq, including:  involuntary extension of service for active
duty soldiers (basically a draft), discrimination against gays in the
service, discrimination against soldiers seeking conscientious objector
status, inappropriate handling of PTSD and other mental health conditions
(people are being sent back to fight when they should be getting a medical
discharge), and cases of rape and abuse that aren't being handled
properly.

RAY'S BIO, WHERE TO GO FOR MORE INFO:
Ray served in the USAF during the Vietnam-era. He ran the Midwest
Committee for Military Counseling for a decade until the funding ran out
in 1995. Then he spent five years as an American Legion Veterans Service
Officer until the VA had him fired. For the 3 years before coming to VVAW,
he was a mental health caseworker reintegrating the homeless into the
community. If you would like more information about the Military
Counseling Service or VVAW, please check out their website at
www.vvaw.org, specifically the last issues of their newsletter "The
Veteran" in which Ray had two articles.

Also, see the attached info about the military counseling program.

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