[Peace-discuss] from UFPJ: Another Grim Milestone -- 3, 000 Deaths Too Many

[Robert Naiman]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: UFPJ Action Alerts <listmaster at unitedforpeace.org>
Date: Dec 29, 2006 7:08 AM
Subject: Another Grim Milestone -- 3,000 Deaths Too Many
To: naiman.uiuc at gmail.com




Please forward widely!

Dear friend of United for Peace and Justice,

As of today, more than 2,990 U.S. troops have died in Iraq.

By the time you read this, the death toll may have reached 3,000. We
must bear witness to this tragic milestone, even though many people
are already beginning their celebrations of the new year. And when we
do take action on this occasion, we must remind others that hundreds
of thousands of Iraqi children, women and men have also died in this
outrageous war and occupation. Our call to end this war and to bring
all the troops home now must be heard in every corner of the country!
The killing must stop.

Here are some things you can do:



Make a public statement on the 3,000th U.S. death with a vigil or
other public event in your community. Under the slogan, "Not One More
Death, Not One More Dollar," the American Friends Service Committee,
which sits on UFPJ's National Steering Committee, is coordinating
events all around the country the day after the 3,000th death occurs.
If you cannot organize something that quickly, then do your activity
anytime in the next several days -- the message will still be
relevant. More than 150 events have already been listed and they
welcome more listings. Click here for resources and event ideas.



Ask people to wear black armbands or pin-on ribbons. The black (for
mourning) background with the number 3,000 in white, could be a
powerful statement of sorrow and of protest in the days after that
grim milestone is reached. A sample of what this can look like is
pictured above. The idea is to not only wear a ribbon and/or armband
yourself but to distribute these in large quantities to as many people
as possible -- in shopping districts, on campuses, in front of
government buildings, at busy mass transit stops, wherever there are
people in motion. Many will be moved to have an armband or ribbon
pinned on them. As they go about their daily routines, they will bear
witness to the anger more and more people feel. This kind of
easy-to-do activity can help bring new people into motion. Often, that
small first step -- voting in a local referendum around the war,
signing a postcard to a member of Congress, or wearing a black ribbon
-- will help people think about what else they can do to help end the
occupation.


The Bring Them Home Now! campaign has made postcards, black for
mourning, to serve as a blunt reminder of this grim milestone and to
demand that our Senators and Representatives work to end the
occupation and stop funding it! To reserve these cards for use in
organizing against the war, email BTHN! now. The unit cost of rush
printing and shipping 10,000 cards will come to a little over 10 cents
a card. Please donate this cost (or more) to the BTHN! campaign so
they can keep going, and if you can't yourself make use of the cards,
consider making a donation so they can be used by others. (Note: Local
groups can print out or photocopy labels with the addresses of elected
officials from your area to make the cards easier to use.) Fill every
Congressional mailbox with these cards. Let them and their staff know
that the way to support the troops is to Bring Them Home.


Flood your local radio talk shows with calls and write letters to the
editor. The mainstream media might give major coverage to the 3,000
U.S. death and our voices should be heard. Be sure to always talk
about the hundreds of thousands of Iraqis killed in this outrageous
war. (Click here to find contact information for your local media
outlets.)



And, when possible, be sure to let folks know that we are taking our
mourning to Washington on Saturday, Jan. 27th, for a massive march for
peace. On Monday, January 29th, we will be meeting with members of
Congress to make sure they get the message. Click here for flyers to
download and distribute.



Peace,


Leslie Cagan
National Coordinator
UFPJ





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