From
NC Peace and Justice Coalition:
Over the past three years, North Carolina has been home to one of the South's most vibrant anti-war movements. From the 8,000-person-strong demonstration in Raleigh before the invasion of Iraq on February 15, 2003, to the local constituents who have pushed Republican Congressman Howard Coble to announce that he is calling for a return of the troops home, North Carolinians have resisted the war along with tens of millions of people worldwide.
Last year's mobilization was the largest demonstration in Fayetteville since the Vietnam War and was a huge success. It drew media attention from across the country and gave many service men and women a chance to speak out. This year promises to be even more significant as the American public is increasingly weary with the arrogance, lies, and coercion that are used to keep us in this war.
This year, we're upping the ante. Already, we have been contacted by grandparents who are driving from Texas with their three grandchildren to help end the war. Parents of soldiers killed in Iraq will come for comfort and resistance. Buses will come from New York and beyond. Energy is high, and the commitment is strong to "Show REAL Support for the Troops: Bring Them Home Now!" We want: "Money for Jobs and Education, NOT for War and Occupations!" "The world STILL says no to war."
Mobilize! Volunteer! Donate! Co-Sponsor! Publicize!
Come To Fayetteville March 19:
The Troops At Ft. Bragg Need Your Help
March 19, 2005 marks the second anniversary of the US invasion of Iraq.
Perhaps no place in the United States has been affected to a greater degree by that war than Fayetteville, NC, the home of Ft. Bragg.
The US government continues to deploy soldiers stationed at nearby Ft. Bragg to fight and die in a country doesn't threaten our security and probably never did.
Many from the 82nd Airborne Division and the Army's Special Forces Command realize that those who really support them are their families and their community.
The appeal of the empty slogans and the yellow ribbon magnets of the right-wing pro-war zealots faded long ago. In 2005, Real Support for the Troops Means Bring Them Home Now!
On March 19, 2005, Fayetteville Peace With Justice, a small group of veterans, military spouses, community activists and even an occasional paratrooper in conjunction with Quaker House, the legendary home of GI organizing in the South invites all people of conscious to join with us in historic Rowan Street Park for a peace gathering like none you've ever seen.
Speakers from groups like Iraq Veterans Against the War, Military Families Speak Out, Veterans for Peace, Vietnam Veterans Against the War and many others promise to deliver a message from their experience that promises to resonate around the world.
We also need the support of our allies in communities of faith, trade unions, local peace groups and anyone else who realizes that The World Still Says No to War.
In this, the richest country in the world, soldiers return home from war to an uncertain economic future. Their teenage children see no way to enter college without also bartering their lives in military service for a small slice of the GI Bill. Americans applaud the $335 million promised to tsunami victims, but the US spends that amount every three days in Iraq. We need Money for Jobs and Education, Not for wars and Occupations.
Come to Fayetteville this year.
Come and hear from parents whose children died in Iraq because this war continues.
Come and see children growing up while their fathers and mothers are trying to survive in a country where they are not wanted and where they do not want to be.
Your support can make a difference.
Your presence can save lives.
For more information, contact Lou Plummer, Fayetteville Peace With Justice (lou.plummer@mac.com, (910) 433-9053) or Chuck Fager, Quaker House (chuckfager@aol.com (910) 323-3912)
Peace,
Lou Plummer
Military Families Speak Out
Bring Them Home Now!
Fayetteville Peace With Justice
Do you have a friend or relative in the service? Forward this E-MAIL along, or send us the address if you wish and well send it regularly. Whether in Iraq or stuck on a base in the USA, this is extra important for your service friend, too often cut off from access to encouraging news of growing resistance to the war, at home and inside the armed services. Send requests to address up top.