[Peace-discuss] Illinois communities' results - let's write letters!

[Ricky Baldwin]

ACROSS ILLINOIS VOTERS SAY "BRING OUR TROOPS HOME"

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:

    * Carl Davidson - CAWI (312) 415-2499;
carld717 at aol.com
    * Wick Swanton - MK Communications (312) 822-0505;
wswanton at mkcpr.com


ANTIWAR REFERENDUM PASSES BY OVERWHELMING MAJORITIES

IN CHICAGO, COOK COUNTY SUBURBS AND SEVERAL ILLINOIS
CITIES

CHICAGO (Nov 8, 2006) - Huge numbers of voters across
the state of Ilinois, wherever antiwar referendums
appeared on the ballot, voted to stop the war and
'immediately begin an orderly and rapid withdawal.

At midnight, in the City of Chicago, with 75 percent
of precincts reporting, the margin was 80 percent to
20 percent--338,000 'Yes' and 84,000 'No'. The tallies
were similar thoughout suburban Cook County, where
towns like Evanston and Oak Park had the measure on
the ballot as well.

'Countywide Public Policy Referenda #3' is a
non-binding referendum on the war which asks voters:
"Shall the United States Government immediately begin
an orderly and rapid withdrawal of all its military
personnel from Iraq, beginning with the National Guard
and Reserves?" The ballot measure, which mirrors
similar resolutions passed by more than 100 city
councils nationwide, including the Chicago City
Council, as well as the AFL-CIO, is non-binding,
meaning a "yes" vote is simply the decision of the
voter to show their support for a stop-the-war stand.

The placement of the referendum on the War in Iraq on
the Cook County ballot is the work of Chicagoans
Against War and Injustice (CAWI), its citywide network
of neighborhood affiliates and allied peace groups.
CAWI has been mobilizing against Bush's Iraqi
misadventure since its first demonstration in October
2002, Also joining their effort were dozens of
suburban anti-war groups that are part of the Illinois
Coalition for Peace and Justice (ILCPJ).

The ballot question has received strong support across
the state:

% voters voting to bring troops home (unoffical
results):

Cook County(49% reporting) 80%
Whiteside County 53%
Aurora 60%
Berwyn 71%
Champaign 58%
Cunningham 65%
DeKalb 58%
Downers Grove 55%
Geneva 54%
Oak Park 76%
Riverside 61%

Total across state: 75% Yes

"Millions have demonstrated against the war, hundreds
of towns and cities have passed resolutions against
the war; now we have given about half the voters
across the state a chance to vote their opinion
directly in this critical national election," said
Carl Davidson, Co-Chair of CAWI. "Some say advisory
votes like this don't matter, but they actually matter
a great deal in expressing and shaping public opinion.
This is only one action among many, but they all add
up."

"This sends a strong message to public officials--both
Democrat and Republican--who may have privately
opposed or doubted Bush and the war, but were
concerned about popular support for a tougher antiwar
stand," added Marilyn Katz, who with Davidson and
other activists initiated CAWI in the fall of 2002.
"Now they know there is an insurgent antiwar majority
out there, and its time to speak and act for them
forcefully and effectively."

Since its founding, CAWI has organized dozens of peace
rallies, forums and voter drives enabling thousands of
ordinary, everyday Chicagoans to speak out against the
Iraq War and other social injustices, as well as
working with the Chicago City Council and other
councils throughout the nation to oppose the war.

The Illinois Coalition for Peace and Justice, founded
in April 2006, is the coming together of more than 90
justice, community, faith-based, student and labor
groups in Illinois. Acting in a broad non-partisan
alliance, ILCPJ hopes to end US military actions and
shift resources to social justice around the world.

For more information on the Illinois Coalition for
Peace and Justice or the November 7th resolution,
please visit http://www.ilcpj.org .


 
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