2020 Action

Get America Out of the War in Yemen

December 2018 - The war in Yemen is causing the world's worst catastrophe, having killed tens of thousands of civilians, and threatening famine to 8 million people, half of them children. The Saudi coalition, supported militarily by the US, is carrying out widespread bombing, including hitting hospitals, schools, and civilian areas. This war boiled up in 2015, when the Saudi coalition began the bombing against the insurgent Yemeni Houthis, who apparently received some missiles from Iran that they shot at Saudi Arabia, with little results. Saudi Arabia has now largely closed the harbor of Hudaydah, shutting off the main supply of food and medicine to Yemen.

America has stationed US troops in Saudi Arabia to help with intelligence and bomb targeting and we assist in refueling Saudi bombers. US support for this human catastrophe must stop. A bill in the Senate, S. J. Res 54, calls for the removal of US troops from Saudi Arabia, which would end US targeting assistance, and US airborne refueling. A similar bill in the House was recently voted down by only 18 votes. It will likely come back to the House in 2019. Just as the House bill was coming to the floor, the Administration announced an "intention to halt" the refueling. However, Pres. Trump has not ordered a halt to US arms sales to Saudi Arabia because, he said, the sales are so lucrative.

ACTION: Please do this action immediately as the vote may be at the beginning of December. Urge your Senators, ASAP, to support this bill to help end this horrific human tragedy. We cannot sit by while the US supports action that results in famine for 8 million people, mostly children!

CONTACT: Your Senators

• Web: Find their names and links to their websites at senate.gov, send an email or leave a message via ‘Contact’ on his/her website
• Tel: 202 224-3121 (Capitol switchboard-ask for his/her office & leave a message)
• Mail: Senator (first & last name) S. Senate, Washington, D.C. 20510

Multiply this Message: Use this information to write a letter to the editor about this important & timely issue. This is a powerful way to educate and mobilize others—our job now & in the coming years!

Stop Hurting Innocents as a Policy Tool

June 2018 - Killing and hurting innocent people as a means of achieving political ends is the very essence of terrorism, wherever it occurs. In recent weeks, Israeli forces have killed an estimated 100+ Palestinians at its border fence, supposedly to protect the soldiers and Israel, while not a single Israeli was wounded or killed. Less well known is the abhorrent treatment of Palestinian children in Israeli military prisons. This includes beatings and illegal restrictions on communication with their families that contravene human rights and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. House bill HR 4391 has been introduced in the US Congress to mandate that the US not be complicit in these inhumane Israeli acts. It would require subtracting all funds that enable these illegal actions from what the US would otherwise contribute in aid to Israel. 

We also need to change our US treatment of innocent children and abolish the horrific US policy of separating children from their mothers or fathers as they seek asylum in the US. In a case currently in court, a 7-year old girl was taken away screaming after her mother "surrendered to immigration agents and asked for asylum." (NPR 2/27/2018) Immigration lawyers report this policy is effective: Mothers drop their claims for asylum, in order to retrieve their children. 

ACTION: Urge your Representative to co-sponsor and support HR 4391, to separate the US from complicity in the inhumane, illegal treatment of children in Israeli military prisons. In addition, urge him or her to file and support a bill to end the horrific US policy of forcefully taking children from their parents at the border. These are not our values.

CONTACT: Your Representative in Congress

• Web: Find his or her name and link to their websites at house.gov; send an email or leave a message via ‘Contact’ on his/her website
• Tel: 202 224-3121 (Capitol switchboard-ask for his/her office & leave a message)
• Mail: Representative (first & last name) S. House of Representatives, Washington, D.C. 20515

Multiply this Message: Use this information to write a letter to the editor about this important & timely issue. This is a powerful way to educate and mobilize others.

Call for Action on Climate Change, War, & Nuclear Weapons

September 2014 - Humanity is at a crossroads. Either we watch in a stupor as climate change accelerates, nuclear weapons are "improved", and wars spiral out of control—tempting the use of nuclear weapons, OR, "We the People of the World" take action to change things. These growing threats to a healthy planet and to human well-being urge us to mobilize and take action.

Sunday, September 21, the International Day of Peace, is such an opportunity with events planned around the world. A huge rally is being organized for New York City on that day. It will call on the heads of state gathering for UN talks on climate change to take serious, decisive action before it is too late—before a catastrophe is inevitable no matter what we do. There will also be events on the preceding days (Friday and Saturday) focused on the need to abolish nuclear weapons, reduce dependence on nuclear power, cut military spending worldwide, and support environmental protection everywhere. As of July 20, there were already 550 co-sponsoring organizations.

Additional information can be found at www.peoplesclimate.org. Click on the options at the top. 

This Month's Action 

Come to NYC with your friends; help gather others. Get info atwww.peoplesclimate.org. Buses and trains are being organized. Letters to the editor of your local paper are excellent ways to get the news out, as is the use of social media. If you can’t come to NYC, organize or participate in some way where you live on Sunday, September 21—the International Day of Peace. Why are we doing this? Just look at some enthusiastic three-year-olds and think of their tomorrows.

Photo credit: Anemone, Ron Wolf