Not In Our Name Newsletter: March 23rd

[Dharma_Bum]

Not In Our Name Newsletter

March 23, 2006
1. Speaking the Unspeakable, Monday evening, March 27
2. Cindy Sheehan, Saturday, April 22
3. Bill calling for the Withdrawal of the National Guard in Iraq
4. Petition Against the Killing of Student Activists in the Philippines
5. Comments on GI's who opposed the march
6. Community events

Speaking the Unspeakable: Is the Bush Administration Guilty
of War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity?
March 27, 2006, 7 pm, UH Art Department Auditorium
(doors open at 6 pm; tables from organizations will be set up)
The first event in this tour is kicking off this Thursday, March 23 at the UC Berkeley and will feature Cindy Sheehan, Ray McGovern, & Larry Everest. Ours will be the second, on Monday, March 27th. Ours will feature Ann Wright, Joshua Dawson, and other Iraq/Afghanistan veterans. Carolyn Hadfield will introduce the event.

The tour is an effort to paint a clear picture of the full scope and nature of the Bush administration's actions, cut through the fog of official obfuscation and disinformation, and clearly establish the culpability of the administration at the highest levels. Furthermore, it aims to provoke discussion of the moral imperatives and political responsibilities that flow from the recognition of these realities.

The tour is inspired by hearings held by the International Commission of Inquiry on Crimes Against Humanity by the Bush Administration held in October 2005 and January 2006at the Manhattan Center, Riverside Church and Columbia University Law School in New York City. Ann Wright, 29-year reserve Colonel with 16 years in the State Department as former deputy ambassador in Afghanistan, Mongolia, Sierra Leone, and Micronesia, gave a keynote message at the first session and served as a judge at the second. Speaking about her experience at the Commission she said:

"I believe the Commission is incredibly important for the future of the United States and really the world, because it's the people of America who are speaking to these very serious indictments. It's the people who are coming forward with evidence, their personal testimony in many cases of things that have happened to them, or cases of their lawyers, cases they have worked on, the human face of what torture is all about, what detention is about, what war is all about -a war that's conducted the invasion and occupation of a country that did nothing to the United States of America."

Don't miss this important event! If you're not sure where the UH-Art Dept Auditorium is, it's easy to find. If you're driving, enter from either Dole or University, and ask the guard at the gate for directions. You'll also see signs directing you. You can park anywhere on campus on Monday evening for $3 (and there will be lots of parking because it's spring break).

Talk by Cindy Sheehan
Saturday, April 22, 7 pm
First United Methodist Church
Cindy Sheehan will speak at the First United Methodist Church on Saturday evening, April 22nd, as part of a three-island speaking tour. She will continue from Honolulu to speak at the Maui Cultural Arts Center at 8 pm on Sunday, April 23 (following a showing of "ir, No Sir" at 6 pm). She’ll then speak at UH Hilo (Room 301, Campus Center) on Monday noon on the 24th, before appearing at the Aloha Theatre in Kona at 6:30 the same evening. She'll then fly on to NYC, where she is scheduled to appear in court on April 26th on charges stemming from the recent protest at the UN where she, along with Iraqi women and other activists, attempted to deliver a petition demanding an end of the US-led occupation of Iraq signed by more than 70,000 people.
HR Bill 252
"Calling Upon the Governor to Take Immediate Steps to Withdraw the Hawaii Army and Air National Guard Troops From Iraq Now"
This bill has been introduced and e-mails supporting the Bill can be made to Senator Sakamoto, who is Majority Policy Leader and also the Chair of the Senate Committee on Educaion and Military Affairs. His e-mail is [e-mail]. The date of the hearing is not yet set. Sometimes there’s only 24-hours notice so you may want to get written testimony ready to send in now. For the procedure for doing this see: testimony

Call from AnakBayan-Hawai`i
At last week's rally a representative from AnakBayan Hawai`i called on people to oppose the U.S.-supported Arroyo Regime. During the past months the killings of Filipino activists has been escalating, exceeding the numbers that were killed by the Marcos Regime. Many student activists have been killed. AnakBayan has generated a petition to Arroyo demanding an end to the killing of activists. You can sign online at: petition.
Some Comments on GI's and the War
We've received a lot of comments from supporters about last Saturday's march in Waikiki. Most has been very positive, and people have also made good suggestions for future marches as well. And thanks, Don Lichty, for the letter to the editor about the march that appeared in yesterday's Advertiser (letter).
A lot of people referred to the GI's who opposed us along the march. We have a few comments about this. First, the majority of the GI's along the march expressed support, although many just smiled and told the person walking alongside and inviting them to join the march that they couldn't because they were military (untrue, they can legally march with us as long as they aren't in uniform). A few DID join the march, and a few others came down to the park to talk afterwards. Others went out of their way to take pictures of the march and were clearly supportive. Nonetheless, a few were upset, and from letters we received it’s apparent that some of the marchers were quite fearful of the GI's.

Current statistics indicate that more than 25% of GI's who served in Iraq are suffering from PTSD in some form. Many of these GI's have been deployed to Iraq several times, and are scheduled to go back. The GI who people seemed most afraid of (who went alongside of the march yelling obscenities, and tried to get his friends to take more physical action) had served two terms and was returning to Iraq in several weeks. He was angry about having to return. He was angry at us. He was also pretty drunk. When an activist talked to him he began crying while he continued yelling, saying that he had no choice. And at this point, the police grabbed him from the back and roughly pulled him away from the march. This only made him angrier and he kept following.

It's difficult to talk to an angry GI while marching. We could have done better by having an experienced team alongside the march whose specific task was to speak to GI's, listen to their rage, give them literature as to where they can get help, etc. We'll do better next time.

However, rather than just being fearful for our own safety, we need to think how these same GI's may react when Iraqi people shake their fists at them, and demand that they go home, while their commander-in-chief continues to tell them they're "liberation forces". When they taste fear every minute. Imagine how they act when they are with a crew that kicks a door down and holds an Iraqi family at gunpoint. Imagine how quick on the trigger they are. One of the GI’s who was following alongside the march kept chanting: I'm going to Iraq to KILL-KILL-KILL! That's the kind of mentality that an immoral and unjust war engenders.

During the past couple of months there have been increasing reports of war crimes committed by GI's. The 20+ people, including women and children, killed in cold blood in November. The Iraqi man shot through the back of his head while handcuffed. The stories now seem endless. See Iraqi deaths.

The U.S. is sending young people to a war they don' believe in. They feel they have no option but to obey orders to deploy. They have nightmares and can't sleep. Many are mentally unstable. The reality of what's happening to these young people (and the people they confront in Iraq and elsewhere)demands more of us. We have to stop this criminal war. We have to let the GI's know that they DO have options. Yes, the options are difficult, but it may be the only way they can preserve their own humanity.

Hawai'i is now hooked in to the GI Rights Hotline.
There GI's can speak with someone trained to talk with them about their rights and their options. Lawyers are ready to assist GI's. We, as a community, have an obligation to reach out to GI's. For more information on the GI Rights Hotline: GI Rights. The GI Rights Hotline is [phone]. This is an invaluable resource! Familiarize yourself with the site. Always carry the phone number on you so you can pass it on to GI's you meet at work, at school, at church, etc. Put the number on bulletin boards.

This Saturday evening a crew of activists will be going to Waikiki to talk with GI's. They'll be passing out a small GI Rights pamphlet, along with a leaflet encouraging them to come to the Bush Crimes Inquiry at UH on Monday evening. Will it be controversial? Definitely! But an increasing number of GI’s are seeking ways to resist (including refusing to deploy), and they need to know that there's a community in Hawai'i that will support them if they make this decision.

If you want to join the team, send an e-mail to [e-mail] before 3 pm on Saturday afternoon. Include your phone number so the team leader can give you a call. The team will be in Waikiki from 9-11 that evening.

Community events:
Monday, March 27, 7 pm
UH Art Auditorium: "Speaking the Unspeakable" (see above)
Thursday, April 6, 7 pm
World Can't Wait Organizer's meeting at CoffeeTalk
People wanting to help organize to Drive Out the Bush Regime are invited.

Tuesday, March 28, 8 pm (doors open at 7 pm)
Re:Verses at The Arts at Mark's Garage.
Lots of you have asked where you can hear more from the poets who spoke at the last rallies. Here's your chance. This is a small and informal venue, and more than ten poets perform every last Thursday of the month Just $5

Tuesday, April 4th: NION-UH Political Film Series
(film to be announced in a later e-mail. Recently there's been a mix-up and while the films have been happening we haven't gotten notices out in time. We'll try to do better!)

April 5-9: Perspectives of the Peacemakers
"Myths, Propaganda and Annexation in Palestine and Israel"
With Jerry and Sis Levin
Jerry Levin is a full-time volunteer with Christian Peacemaker Teams in Hebron. Sis Levin is the founding director of The Children of Abraham Interfaith Education for Peace Project. The Levins led the CPT delegation to Baghdad at the time of the US 2003 invasion and stayed in Baghdad for several weeks after the war began.

Wed, April 5, 7 am: Open Table, St. Mark’s Coptic Church
Wed, April 5, 7 pm: Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Kailua
Thurs, April 6: 11:45 am to 1:30 pm: University of Hawai`i, Kuykendall Auditorium
Friday, April 7: 7 pm: Church of the Crossroads
Saturday, April 8, 2 pm: Harris United Methodist Church
Sunday, April 9, 8-10 am: Aiea United Methodist Church
Sunday, April 9, 10:30-1 pm: Trinity United Methodist Church

Sponsored by Friends of Sabeel HI, AFSC-HI, HI Friends of Jewish Voice for Peace, HI People’s Fund, Global Ministry for the Parish of St. Clement’s, Crossroads Mission Team for Peace and Justice. For more information: 949-2220.

April 6: First Thursday Poetry Slam
The Hawaiian Hut, doors open at 8:30
If you want a whole evening of slam poetry, this is the one. This is a more competitive atmosphere (the poets are judged by the audience), and there are two rounds with the evening's finalists competing in the last round.

Thursday, April 6: World Can't Wait Organizer's Meeting at Coffee Talk at 7 pm

Thursday, April 13, 7 pm: Not In Our Name Planning Committee
Friends Meeting House

April 17-21, 2006, UH-Manoa
Filipino Indie Film Festival, UH Manoa
Films begin at 6 pm each evening. Admission is free.