[Peace-discuss] ME flyer - short or long?

[Stuart Levy]

Generally a single-page flyer seems more likely to be read through.

But on the anniversary of dropping the atomic bombs on Japan,
although taking action to prevent war with Iran is urgent,
it's a big loss to omit reminding readers of the US' role 65 years ago,
as well as of Iran's non-aggressive history.  And "[s]ilence is often
more eloquent than loud clamor, so let us attend to what is unspoken"
is a great hook, too.

So I'll vote for Carl's original two-page flyer.  But if others prefer
the briefer, more immediate version, I won't be unhappy either.
It's also very good.

On Fri, Aug 06, 2010 at 11:17:59AM -0500, C. G. Estabrook wrote:
>  [One reader has proposed a short version of the flyer for tomorrow's Main 
> Event, below.  Let me know which you prefer - the 2pp. version on the Peace 
> list, or the 1p. version below - and I'll have some prepared for 
> distribution tomorrow 2-4pm at Main & Neil.  --CGE]
>
>
>      /*Sixty-five years after the United States dropped atomic bombs on the
>      Japanese cites of Hiroshima and Nagasaki - the only country ever to 
> use
>      such weapons in war - we spend more each year on war than the entire 
> rest
>      of the world. Our country has maimed, killed and made homeless more
>      noncombatants than all the rest of the countries in the world combined
>      since World War II.*/
>
> Amid the furor over the possibility that Iran may build a nuclear weapon, 
> the International Atomic Energy Agency passed a resolution calling on 
> Israel to join the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and open its 
> nuclear facilities to inspection.
>
> The United States and Europe tried to block the IAEA resolution, but it 
> passed anyway. The media virtually ignored the event.
>
> *The United States assured Israel that it would support Israel's rejection 
> of the resolution - reaffirming a secret understanding that has allowed 
> Israel to maintain a nuclear arsenal closed to international inspections, 
> according to officials familiar with the arrangements. Again, the media 
> were silent.
>
> *Both India and Pakistan are expanding their nuclear weapons programs. They 
> have twice come dangerously close to nuclear war, and the problems that 
> almost ignited this catastrophe are very much alive.
>
> Passed unanimously, U.N. Security Council Resolution 1887 calls for the end 
> of threats of force and for all countries to join the NPT, as Iran did long 
> ago. NPT non-signers are India, Israel and Pakistan, all of which developed 
> nuclear weapons with U.S. help, in violation of the NPT.
>
> *Nonpartisan budget monitors report that the "administration's request for 
> $538 billion for the Defense Department in fiscal 2010 and its stated 
> intention to maintain a high level of funding in the coming years put the 
> president on track to spend more on defense, in real dollars, than any 
> other president has in one term of office since World War II. And that's 
> not counting the additional $130 billion the administration is requesting 
> to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan next year, with even more war 
> spending slated for future years."
> *
> /The U.S. war in the Middle East will continue until more Americans speak 
> up loudly and reject it. A majority of Americans do reject it, but that is 
> not enough for our government. If you are appalled that the US is 
> conducting an unjustified war in the Middle East -- and misrepresenting the 
> reason for it -- call your Congressional representatives. Congressman Tim 
> Johnson, Senator Roland Burris, and Senator Dick Durbin can be reached 
> through the Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121. Tell them that the US has 
> no business killing people in the Middle East for resisting our invasion 
> and occupation. (Your protest makes a difference: Congressman Johnson, who 
> voted for the invasions of Afghanistan and Pakistan, now says that he was 
> wrong to do so and refuses to vote for any more funding for war in the 
> Middle East.)
>
> You can also join a local peace group that is working to end the war in 
> Afghanistan. In Champaign-Urbana, one local peace group is AWARE, the 
> Anti-War Anti-Racism Effort (see our page on Facebook), members and friends 
> of which produced this leaflet for our monthly peace demonstration in 
> downtown Champaign. We meet every Sunday 5-6:30pm at the McKinley 
> Foundation, 5th & Daniel streets in Champaign. Visitors and new members are 
> welcome.
>
> AWARE presents "AWARE on the Air" each Tuesday 10-11pm on Urbana Public 
> Television, cable channel 6. Each week we bring you comments by members and 
> friends of AWARE about the war and the opposition to it, locally and 
> nationally, by Americans who oppose our government's betrayal of our 
> democratic principles. AWARE is composed of people opposed to the war, but 
> it is not affiliated with any other group or political party.
>
> ###
> /

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