[Peace-discuss] Flyer for today's demonstration in downtown Champaign

Sat Jul 5 12:25:06 EDT 2014

AWARE ~ The Anti-War Anti-Racism Effort of Champaign-Urbana ~ July 2014

PRESIDENT OBAMA’S WAR COMES HOME

	President Obama was elected (and re-elected) on his promise to end the war and provide jobs. He has done neither, but he pretends to us that he is doing so. In fact, since the financial crisis of 2007-2008, 95% of the income gains have gone to the top 1% of Americans - the people whom the president is working for. 
	In the U.S. war for control of Mideast energy resources, President Obama has killed 5,000 people with drones alone (including 200 children). His global assassination campaign - illegal under US and international law - includes U.S. “special operations forces,” active in more than 130 countries around the world, who carry out kidnappings (“renditions”), murder and subversion as the president’s private army, without Congressional oversight. 
	President Obama is not different from his predecessors, in spite of his claims. In the last 50 years, U.S. presidents have killed, wounded and made homeless well over 20 million human beings, mostly civilians. But he has to pretend that he’s different, because more than two-thirds of Americans oppose his war-making.   
One effect of the president’s duplicitous policy is the militarization of the police here at home. The following is from the Champaign-Urbana News Gazette for Friday, June 30, 2014:  

SOMETHING BIG JUST ARRIVED. At 35,000 pounds, 10 feet high and 21 feet long, the heavy-duty military vehicle obtained by the Champaign County sheriff's office is easy to spot...
“You're not going to see it in the 4th of July parade or anything like that,” Champaign County Sheriff's Chief Deputy Allen Jones said. ‘If there's a situation that requires that type of protection, that's where you'll see it in action. No parades ... Active shooter, hostage situations, high-risk warrants," Jones said. "It can even help us get folks to where they need to go in bad weather.”
Currently getting a paint job — from Afghanistan sand to black and white — the MRAP comes to the county via the Law Enforcement Support Office (LESO), which finds a U.S. law enforcement home for excess Department of Defense property. It will be available for use by the Metropolitan Emergency Tactical Response Operations Special Weapons and Tactics Team...

	Last week the American Civil Liberties Union published a study of 20 different law enforcement agencies’ use of SWAT teams on 800 occasions between 2011 and 2013. They found that 62 percent of SWAT raids were over drugs, and 65 percent of those raids involved a forced entry. There is no justification for ever using violent, aggressive tactics like this over drugs. They are dangerous for law enforcement and citizens alike.
	Meanwhile, the Guardian newspaper in London reports the Pentagon's multimillion-dollar project to study peaceful protest movements and prepare for the collapse of industrial society due to factors ranging from income inequality to climate change. Militarized police via the Department of Homeland Security and local police “fusion centers” are part of the plan... 

It's time for Americans to say no to the child-killers in the White House and their enablers in Congress – particularly because we sent them there and so are responsible for what they do. We need to tell them what to do – including bringing U.S. troops home and providing real jobs for Americans. Contact the president (202-456-1111) and our representatives in Congress (202-224-3121), by phone or online:
	President Obama - <http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/submit-questions-and-comments>
	Senator Durbin - <http://www.durbin.senate.gov/contact.cfm>
	Senator Kirk - <http://www.kirk.senate.gov/?p=comment_on_legislation>
	Representative Davis - <https://rodneydavis.house.gov/contact/email-me>

And if you want to caution the Champaign authorities on their use of Obama-administration supplied military equipment against us, contact them at 
	Champaign County Board - <countyboard at co.champaign.il.us> (217) 384-3772
	Champaign County Sheriff - <sheriff at co.champaign.il.us>  (217) 384-1204

###

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.chambana.net/pipermail/peace-discuss/attachments/20140705/1c935baf/attachment.html>