PEACE

TELL CONGRESS THEY MUST CUT MILITARY SPENDING

Senator John McCain wants to keep us from bringing military spending under control. Under last year's deficit deal, military and domestic programs are supposed to be cut equally over the next ten years. The Pentagon has barely been nicked. Its budget will shrink for one year, then start growing again. But domestic programs have suffered massive cuts. Now McCain wants to stop the clock, suspend next year's cuts, and establish the principle that military spending cannot be touched. It's up to us to say: NO! McCain is just one loud voice in a huge pro-war choir. The whole military-industrial-Congressional complex is rejecting limits on military spending. They've churned out a distortion-packed video, filed "stop the cuts" legislation in the House, and released a study on the economic impact of Pentagon cuts. The Pentagon will keep growing and eating up more of the federal budget. There is no way we can recover from the recession if we don't cut military spending and shift hundreds of billions of dollars to the jobs and services we need in our communities. The hawks are drawing a clear line. It's the Pentagon or us. Let's help Congress make the right choice. 1. Write your Senators and Representative. Click here for a sample email to your Senators and Representative. Tell them to speak out for real Pentagon cuts and real domestic spending increases. 2. Write a letter to the editor. Click here for a sample letter, talking points, a fact sheet, and tips for writing letters to the editor. Click here for a link to your local newspaper. Thanks for taking action. Source of information and links: Pax Christi USA IT'S TIME TO SPEAK UP FOR PALESTINE

During the last United Nations Security Council debate about Palestinian statehood, once again, the United States announced that it would stand in the way of a vote for Palestinian self-determination.

This isn’t the first time. Nor the second, or tenth or twentieth time. In fact, it’s the forty-first time.

Forty-one times during the last forty years, the United States has said no, one way or another, to the Palestinian struggle for human rights.

Forty-one times, in votes at the UN Security Council, the United States has been the only country to use its veto to override the votes of every other member.

Forty-one times, the US has been the one country to protect Israel no matter how many settlements it builds, orchards it destroys, or acres it takes. The one country to say no to democracy, fairness and justice for Palestinians and yes to more pain and destruction for both Palestinians and Israelis.

Now, as soon as this September, the United States will vote one more time.

It’s up to us to make this the last time. Join in telling U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Ambassador Rice that it’s time for them to vote for justice. They must not veto for the 42nd time.

The whole world will be watching. You. Me. Millions of people from around the world will be watching and hoping that the U.S. will not block UN recognition of Palestine as a member state.

Our leaders must hear from us: This time, vote yes.

We know that the vote is just one step, and only a beginning.  It won’t stop the growing pace of Israeli settlement in East Jerusalem and the West Bank.  It won’t suddenly mean there is a viable Palestinian state, or freedom for those in Gaza, or a just resolution to the problem of refugees. 

But it will recognize the right to Palestinian self-determination, give our movement additional tools in moving toward a truly just resolution, and give fresh hope to all the people of Palestine and Israel who deserve to live in freedom and democracy.

Do we think the US will change and finally do the right thing this time? Probably not. The US will likely again stand alone in the Security Council and once again veto, or vote no with the few allies  it can find, like Micronesia and Palau, if the vote goes to the UN General Assembly. 

Source of information and links: Jewish Voice for Peace