[Peace-discuss] [Peace] Veterans to stage protest at Tim Johnson's office this Thursday on the Eve of Veterans' Day

[C. G. ESTABROOK]

Dear Sarah Lazare & D.M. Amerson:

As the host (for lack of a better term) of AWARE's regular weekly  
cable TV program, "AWARE On The Air," I would like to invite you to  
participate in the show to discuss IVAW's protest at Tim Johnson's  
office on the Eve of Veterans' Day.

We record this week's program tomorrow (11/8) at 1pm at the Urbana  
City Council chambers for cablecast at 10pm on channels 6 & 99 in C-U  
(and then on the web).

AWARE of course is in general support of IVAW, but I think that in  
this case you may have been misled, presumably by the local Democrats  
and particularly perennial Congressional candidate David Gill.

Congressman Johnson voted for the invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 and  
the invasion of Iraq in 2003 (although I told him not to, when I ran  
against him as a Green in 2002). But - and this is important - Johnson  
subsequently said that he was wrong to do so; pledged to vote for no  
more money for war in the Mideast; and has in fact voted consistently  
against war in the Mideast and North Africa. (He was one of ten  
members of Congress - including Dennis Kucinich and Ron Paul - who  
sued President Obama for violating the War Powers Act in attacking  
Libya.)

But David Gill has refused to echo Johnson's pledge and to say that he  
would vote against money for war, were he to be elected to Congress.  
Since he's also unwilling to condemn Johnson's anti-war position  
outright, he contends that he is condemning what he calls Tim's  
refusal to vote for veterans' benefits (often of course included in  
money for war).

Gill's mendacious position seems to have confused some people who  
would presumably otherwise support Johnson's anti-war position (but  
not of course his pro-austerity views).

It should be noted for example that "Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of  
America" <http://iava.org/> - the purported source of the "veterans  
report card" - is quite different from IVAW. In fact, IAVA is a well- 
funded pro-war group. Its board of directors includes several Wall  
Street investment bankers and the president emeritus of the Council on  
Foreign Relations, Les Gelb, a long-time Pentagon and State Department  
apparatchik who, during the 2011 Egyptian protests against President  
Hosni Mubarak, was called by Salon.com "the Egyptian dictator's  
freelance spokesman in America."

My guess is that the local IVAW got the information about the "report  
card" from local Democrats associated with the Gill campaign and are  
inadvertently using it to attack an opponent of the war, as IAVA  
wishes. Certainly, veterans' benefits should be supported. But they  
should not be used as a cover for more killing in Africa and Asia.

Best regards,
C. G. Estabrook


Begin forwarded message:

> Iraq Veterans Against the War to stage protest at Tim Johnson's  
> office on the Eve of Veterans' Day (Thursday, November 10)
>
> Contact:
> ~David Amerson - Iraq Veterans Against the War member, Marine veteran,
> 217-622-7929, d.m.amerson at gmail.com
> ~Sarah Lazare - The Civilian-Soldier Alliance, media liaison,
> 217-816-2918, sarah.lazare at gmail.com
>
> CHAMPAIGN, IL - Representative Tim Johnson's website claims that he  
> has "paid special attention to the needs of Veterans," but he  
> received an "F" on his voting for veterans report card from Iraq and  
> Afghanistan Veterans of America*. Over the last few legislative  
> sessions, Johnson has
> ~Voted NO on giving education benefit's to children of fallen  
> troops: HR 2346 / Vote 348
> ~Voted NO to Mortgage Rellef for Deployed Troops, Veterans, and the  
> Families of those who were killed in action: HR 836 / Vote 174
> ~Voted NO to a mental health screening for troops returning home  
> from deployment: HR 2647 / Vote 770
>
> As we approach Veterans' Day November 11th, Representative Johnson  
> continues to vote for policies that put veterans out on the streets.
>
> WHAT: The night before Veterans Day, members of Iraq Veterans  
> Against the War, with the endorsement of Occupy Champaign-Urbana,  
> will go to Tim Johnson's office to stage an occupation-style  
> protest, in solidarity with the countless veterans who have been put  
> out on the streets by the representative's policies.
>
> WHO: Iraq Veterans Against the War (Afghanistan & Iraq vets), the  
> Civilian-Soldier Alliance, Occupy Champaign-Urbana
>
> WHEN: Thursday, November 10th (the day before Veterans' Day) at 5:30pm
>
> WHERE: Tim Johnson's office, 2004 Fox Drive in Champaign
>
> WHY: Veterans demand dignity and well-being for service members  
> returning from war. The 1% elite who controls wealth and politics in  
> this country continues to pour money into the defense budget while  
> denying basic services and benefits to the service members being  
> placed in harm's way. Veterans demand the right to heal, which  
> includes full benefits for returning soldiers and safety from  
> eviction and foreclosure.
>
> VISUALS: Veterans in uniform, banners, signs, Occupy rally, tents.
>
> ###

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