Action at Allen's Office Planned
by Jack Bussell, Maine Veterans for Peace
As part of an ongoing series of visits to our legislators, peace activists
representing Peace Action Maine, Maine Veterans For Peace, Global Network
Against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space and other groups will occupy
Representative Tom Allen's office on March 18th, at 11:30 AM. Allen's new
office is at 57 Exchange St, Suite 302. We will deliver a prepared
statement to Representative Allen, which will, among other points, ask the
Congressman to support the Woosley amendment calling for an immediate plan
for the withdrawal of U.S. military forces. We will then read the names and
ages of the over 1,500 U.S. service people who have died in the illegal and
immoral war in Iraq.
For every U.S. service person's name that is read, we will also read the
name and age, of an Iraqi civilian or family who has died as a direct result
of our war and subsequent occupation. Unfortunately, a complete reading of
the Iraqi war dead would be impossible for we do not know how many have
died, let alone who they are.
The purpose of this affinity group action is to make a statement to an
elected official who is responsible for approving the funding for this
costly war. Each person attending this action wishes to make a moral and
ethical appeal to Representative Allen, and his staff, that our occupation
of another sovereign nation has to end and to do that all U.S. service
people should be withdrawn immediately.
We will be urging Congressman Allen, as we did Senators Collins and Snowe
during similar actions at their offices in December and February, to speak
out against the war; to call for a cut in funding for the war and to bring
all U.S. troops home immediately. We will also request a public meeting with
Congressman Allen so people in the community can raise their concerns with
him.
We hope you will find time to join us in this moving and uplifting action.
We meet at the Peace & Justice Center of Southern Maine, 1 Pleasant St,
Portland, at 10:30 for a short planning session and will walk over to
Allen's office.
Contact information for this event: Jack Bussell, Veterans for Peace,
772-1442; Karen Wainberg, Peace Action Maine 772-0680; Bruce Gagnon, Global
Network 729-0517.
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Talk Index, Spring 2005