Vermont, Montana, Oregon and now Washington; Resolution to Governor Recall National Guard troops

   This might be a good time to lend support to what is going on in Recall the National Guard troops initiatives in now 4 states; Vermont, Montana, Oregon, Washington.  

    This week I accompanied a small delegation to our State Capital to present the Washington state Resolution to the Governor's office.  The delegation represented Military Families Speak Out and Gold Star Families for Peace along with some other partnering groups.  

    For more detail on both the Washington Resolution and the Oregon Resolution, visit website Military FAmilies Speak Out, Pacific Northwest at
http://coastalrain.tripod.com/wmfso/

  (sorry haven't figured out how to insert links yet at DK) .... more ...

   Two articles in our Washington local media have carried the story of our meeting with Executive Policy Advisor, Antonio Ginatta of the Governor's Executive Policy Office.

http://www.theolympian.com/home/specialsections/Legislature/20050309/102508.shtml

Fort Lewis soldier's family urges Gregoire to oppose deployment

 The Olympian, Brad Shannon

 Three military-family activists hoping to pull U.S. troops back from Iraq have met with an aide to Gov. Christine Gregoire, urging her to question President Bush's authority to keep Washington National Guard troops deployed in the occupied country.

"This group was very serious ... very direct. The governor will hear about it, and we'll see where she goes with it," said Antonio Ginatta, Gregoire's policy adviser on general government issues, including the military.

Ginatta met with Susan Livingston, sister of Fort Lewis-based Stryker Brigade member Joe Blickenstaff, who died in Iraq, as well as widow Angela Blickenstaff and Lietta Ruger. Ruger said she has a nephew and son-in-law who served in Iraq.

"He said there will be continued dialogue," Livingston said of Ginatta after the meeting. Blickenstaff was among the first Fort Lewis-based Stryker soldiers to die in Iraq, and Livingston said "the governor has a duty to do everything in her power to bring our National Guard troops home as soon as possible, and to make certain they stay here, where we need them."

In a move the activists said was repeated in Oregon with Gov. Ted Kulongoski, they pointed out to Ginatta that the state's drought conditions make it more likely Washington will need Guard troops to deal with wildfire.

The three women are affiliated with military family groups such as the Washington Chapter of Gold Star Families for Peace and Military Families Against the War.

They noted that Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer on Friday asked the Pentagon to return some of that state's Guardsmen in order to fight wildfires. CNN quoted Schweitzer as saying: "Somebody's going to have a blowup. Is it Northern Idaho, is it Eastern Washington, or is it Montana?"

"I know our governor has expressed a particular concern for our veterans returning home from Iraq," Ginatta said. "So I know she will be interested in hearing about the meeting. ... This will get raised to her in the next couple of days."

  ... end article

  Too much to say, but of particular relevance is that the two young ladies (20 something) who were part of our delegation were beyond impressive and were the vital heart of our delegation's presentation.  It was inspiring to see ones so young carry themselves with such dignity and composure in this important meeting in the political venue.  More so in that they have suffered the loss of their own beloved in Iraq.

   Request:  if you are from Oregon or Washington, there is download copy of the Resolution for both states at our website.  We invite you to download a copy, sign it and add your address and mail it to the respective Governors (Oregon = Kulongoski; Washington = Gregoire).  

•  Keep the pressure on

  I was in Salem on the 1st of March when we presented the resolution to the legislature.
  

  by BOHICA on Wed Mar 09, 2005 at 01:19:40 PM PDT

•  another thing you may want

  to try is to see if you can get a state legislator to introduce a bill that would divest the guard units of being considered the states militia.

  Under the 1940 act that reorginized them and introduced the guard, you should be able to do that.  And once done then you can induct the previously existing units as part of the militia.

  Sounds kind of stupid doesn't it?

  But it isn't.  You see, militia troops have to Federalized differently then guard units!  Congress just has to pass an act to do so.  Militia units require a congressional act and the states agreement!  

  And since the congress has passed no act asking for state militias to be called up, only guard units... all of the militia units would have to be recalled home.

  this also comes in handy in case a plan "B" option becomes necessary down the road....

  by skippythebox on Wed Mar 09, 2005 at 01:51:51 PM PDT

•  the grey box

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  put your content here
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  by lostinbrasil on Wed Mar 09, 2005 at 03:50:56 PM PDT