Tell Congress: No more money for war! We need an exit strategy for Afghanistan!
Dear Peace Action supporter,
We all know how Capitol Hill works. There’s always money for war, but there’s never money for the homeless, for education, or for our veterans. And they’re at it again… In just a few weeks Congress will be asking for billions of more dollars for the war in Afghanistan.
Luckily, there are still a few Members who stand up for the American people. Three Members with backbones are Senator Russ Fiengold, Representative Jim McGovern, and Representative Walter Jones. These three men have bravely introduced legislation, S. 3197 and H.R. 5015, to “require the President to develop a flexible timetable to drawn down U.S. troops from Afghanistan.”
To support this legislation and to end the war, Peace Action has coordinated a national call-in week with our other allies in the peace movement. We need your help to do this. Make three calls to your Congressional Delegation and tell them to co-sponsor this legislation and to vote “NO!” on all future war funding. Make three calls to the Congressional Hotline at (202) 224-3121 between 9-5 PM Eastern and help us end the war.
Look below for a call-script to help you and then pick up the phone right now.
Thank you,
Kevin M. Martin
Executive Director
Peace Action
Callscript
Call (202) 224-3121 between 9-5 PM Eastern or look up your Congresspersons’ phone numbers here.
“Hello, my name is __________. I’m a constituent and a member of Peace Action.
I’m calling from __________ (city or town).
Could I speak to your staff person who handles Afghanistan?
If no:
Leave a message urging the Senator/Representative to support and co-sponsor the bill _______ (S. 3197 or H. R. 5015) introduced by ______ (Senator Fiengold or Representatives McGovern and Jones) and to vote against all future war funding.)
If yes: “I’m very concerned about our present strategy in Afghanistan and would like the Senator/Representative to support (S. 3197 or H.R. 5015) introduced by (Senator Fiengold or Representatives McGovern and Jones). This bill would set a timetable for withdrawal from Afghanistan. Furthermore, I would like the Senator/Representative to vote “no” on all future funding requests for the war in Afghanistan.
Can you please get back to me when you’ve found out what the Senator/Representative plans to do in support of this bill?”
Reportback
After you’ve made all three of your calls, please let us know how the call went by commenting on this post.
I called Senator Specter and had to leave my message on his answering machine. I followed your script on that call and the two following calls in which I spoke to someone in the office of each: Sen. Casey and Rep. Pitts. The person in Casey’s office said he has not heard how Sen. Casey feels about this bill. I didn’t ask Rep. Pitts’ staff person, because I feel I know how he stands.
I called our Congressman and two Senators using the Friends Committee on National Legislation toll-free number for today. I talked only to the person answering the phone in each case, and they took down the message plus our contact information.
I called my representative Rick Larsen (WA). I spoke to his aid that speaks for him on Afghanistan. Rick Larsen does not support these bills and believes all the propaganda on our national security and so on and so on. I knew this when I called but I gave the aid an ear full. I will not support Larsen’s re-election.
I called to thank Senator Feingold for co-sponsoring this bill.
I called:
-Senator Feingold’s office to thank him for co-sponsoring this bill. Left a message on his voice mail.
-Senator Kohl’s office & spoke to the staff person answering the phone as the Afghanistan aid was not available. He took my info, but did not share any.
-Representative Baldwin’s office & spoke to the Afghanistan aid; she took my info & said Tammy would be happy to hear this.
Called and either left a message or talked to staffer who will pass it on to the senators or Congressman.
I called Senators Boxer and Feinstein as well as Congresswoman Speier. Since mailboxes were full, I had a chance to leave my message with a staff person for each of them.
For Congresswoman Speier’s staff person for Afghanistan, I also inquired if she knew about Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan and encouraged to learn more about him in our efforts to look for alternatives to military involvement in Afghanistan. More can be learned about Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khan_Abdul_Ghaffar_Khan
“Nonviolence is the answer to the crucial political and moral questions of our time” – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
I have called Sen. Klobuchar (MN)’s office and left a message regarding support of an exit strategy for Afghanistan and saying no to all future funding of the war.
spoke with staff of Sens Kerry and BRown, and Rep Delahunt who will “pass along” – We strongly believe that the peace building efforts of Peace Action and Greg Mortenson/CAI – Three Cups of Tea should receive 90% of our tax support as a military solution, isn’t1
I left messages for CA Sen Boxer (on voicemail) and CA Rep Mack (with receptionist) to stop funding the war and to support S.3197 and H.R.5015, respectively. CA Sen Feinstein’s line was busy.
I called the offices of MN Rep. Lujan, Sen. Udall, and Sen. Bingaman and left message on voice mail or with staff. I didn’t ask this time for the legislator’s position–I think I am tired of hearing “he usually waits til he’s gotten all the input to decide” or something like that. Maybe I hear that from (Tom) Udall’s office when I ask. Next time I call I will try to ask.
Sometimes it might be nice to read a log like this before calling. The comment referencing Greg Mortenson’s work (Three Cups of Tea/school building in Afghanistan in Iraq) and others might have put me in a more articulate mood, awakening my own desires to speak on behalf of human needs, etc… see, NOW I’m ready to speak more clearly about WHY I want what I am asking for.
Thanks for the action prompt, Peace Action!
For the umpteenth time I’ve called members of the Oregon delegation. War takes oil. We need to cut our dependence on oil. We need to quit making war and clean up the Gulf spill.
I called my Congressmen (Tierney, Brown and Kerry) and received responses that they are considering the bill.
Yes! Grassroots action is the only thing that will end war in Afghanistan and elsewhere. People just need a newer way of thinking about self-empowerment.
North Carolina: McHenry won’t comment (he loves war).
Senator Hagan: “We’ll pass along your comments”. She supports the DNC and Obama, so will vote for more war.
Richar Burr: “He supports President Obama’s plan”
No surprise here.
I called Sen. Richard Burr and Kay Hagan. I didn’t speak to any specific Afghanistan staff person, nor did I get a direct response about their support or not.
called and left message either on answering or staffer. Called Warner, Webb and Cantor
The answer is in nature.. nature has all the answers. To begin, there must be peace. Only then can the body heal and only then do you have growth. I call for ceasefire for one day. Just to show the world that peace is something tangible. The prophesy is to have New Years Eve 2012 be the end of the old word and celebration of a new world that lives in peace… for the children of the world. Everyone loves their children even Taliban.. a global cease fire.. to respect mothers and humanity.
A day of world peace.. no sponsors, no money being asked,.. just dont kill anhone for one day… New Years Day 2012.. beginning at midnight.. celebrate life.. let New Years Eve be a celebration of what we as a world can one day achieve together as humans. Drum circle begins midnight Hiroshima.. rolls around the world.. anyone can play drum.. all cultures have drum.. the message is peace for a day.. dance, eat, drink, it is a safe day for the world.. 24 hours of peace.. just to show it can be done.
Listen,
The problem with a lot of the war is there is no need for the war. Politicians will tell you there is a reason for it. In the back of their minds they are saying “I need this much money from Afghanistan…” and so on. Problem is death and hurting people is part of our human culture. The romans did it, the egyptians did it, and all our ancestors did it.
The only time war will stop is when people stop saying “I need this much money for…” and perhaps we stop caring about little green slips of paper inked upon.
I may be wrong, but I think there is a clause in the constitution that says if our government becomes corrupt, we have the right to pick up arms and scuttle it. Talking to these politicians won’t solve much at all. You will get a nice curt reply saying, “Thank you concerned citizen….And I will seriously consider this,” When your reply was recieved perhaps by a computer, perhaps by a representative.
We have seen the enemy and the enemy is us. The only true way to stop the hubbub with the war is simply to stop fighting each other. And can we do it? That is a hard one isn’t it?
I appreciate the fact people want to work within guidelines to stop the madness. But it isn’t going to work, people are still going to want to fight each other at some point or another in time.
If you want change, start with yourself.