The War Powers Act is designed to guarantee a fundamental democratic safeguard--that the people have a say, through their elected representatives, over whether or not the country goes to war. Clinton is the first president ever to violate the time limit provisions of the Act by keeping troops in combat without congressional authorization.
We learned from the Vietnam War, that the ruthlessness of leaders and the stupidity of "experts," must be countered by the courage, good sense, and persistence of the citizenry. Therefore, after painting and outfiting a school bus, four VFPers departed 19 April 1999 on a ten day, National Veterans for Peace Campaign, protesting the U.S./NATO war in Yugoslavia. The "Kosovo Peace Bus" held rallies and teach-ins, in major cities across the USA.
Friends and supporters shared diner with California participants Fredy and wife, Sherry Champagne of Myers Flat and Jim Gibson of Crestline and Florida's Jim Goodnow of Ft. Lauderdale before the short, first leg of the trip to the Federal Building in Oakland, California.
The west coast rally and send-off was held there, in front of Congress person Barbara Lee's offices. It was U.S. Rep. Lee's voice that was heard loud and clear in the initial 534 to 1 congressional decision to support the NATO war in the Balkans. Rep. Lee cast the opposing vote. An energetic sixty people wished the bus a safe journey and success in furthering the awareness of the costs of war, and in calling for an end to hostilities and war as instruments of national policy.
THE JOURNEY CITY BY CITY
After Oakland the bus traveled to Reno, Nevada for a rally at the Federal Building. The bus thanks the two anonomous nuns there, who paid for that evenings motel accomodations for the crew.Next, in Salt Lake City thirty plus folks attended a rally and press conference on Thursday April 22 at the State Capitol Building. The local Committee for Peace in the Middle East was glad that the bus, opposed to the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia, came through town. They regularly hold vigils and actions, based on ending the Iraq Sanctions and have since formed a Peace Coalition with the local Yugoslavian community.
Bus member Goodnow stated they completed press and media interviews in Douglas and Casper, Wyoming on the 23rd. Sissy and Vickie Goodwin accomodated the VFPers and they continued on.
Saturday the 24th, the bus attended a protest at the Boulder Colorado County Courthouse,
organized by the Rocky Mountain Peace and Justice Center. Over two hundred fifty local activists called for a cease-fire in Yugoslavia, and petitioned for the United Nations to assume authority and send peace keepers to Yugoslavia.On Sunday, the 25th, the bus was at an action called by the American Friends Service Committee (Quakers) and the Veterans for Peace Chapter of Kansas City, Missouri. That protest decried both the NATO bombing and the sanctions against the people of IRAQ.
The next stop, on Tuesday the 27th, the Kosovo Peace Bus joined "Women against
Military Madness" and the Twin Cities VFPers for a press conference and demonstration with the clergy at Church Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Carrie Alexander joined the bus there as the fifth member and they traveled on to Chicago the following morning.
In Chicago, Illinois, other activists, previous to the Kosovo Peace Bus tour, had scheduled a Pro-Peace demonstration for Monday the 26th. Chi-town VFPers described the tactic used by national-media spin doctors, was to have no national news organizations,present nor to pick up the demonstration as news from their affilliates. The rally was attended by 500 people! The chapter decided against holding an other event so the bus drove to the Chicago offices of Pastors for Peace.
Paranthetically, the Kosovo Peace Bus is owned by Pastors for Peace who's planned ultimate destination for this bus is Cuba. After the Peace tour, the bus will participate in the 9th annual US-Cuba Friendshipment Caravan. It will be repainted, tuned up and loaded up, then driven in the east coast leg, of the caravan. This year the caravan is dedicated to the doctors and nurses of Cuba. The bus, along with more than $10 million worth of medical supplies, will be donated to the Cubans.
After the Windy City, the bus went east to the Steel City and joined with the Pittsburg VFP Chapter, at a rally at the University of Pittsburgh, Thursday the 29th, at noon.
Sandy Kelson speaking for the Pittsburg Chapter, stated that an other action, calling attention to the plight of Iraqi children took place in Washington, D.C. with some of the dolls from that chapter's 5000 Dolls Project. He explained the 5,000 number was picked because 5000 Iraqi children each month, or 60,000 children a year, are dying because of the sanctions.
The main cause of death is cross-contamination between the sanitary disposal system and the water supply, which continues because spare parts for the systems are sanctioned items. The World Health Organization estimated the total number of deaths in Iraq, 1991-1999, is about one and a half million people above and beyond the normal mortality rate. Dennis Halliday, former UN coordinator in charge of administering the Oil-for-Food Program, said he agreed with the estimate. He resigned last October, because, he said, "I couldn't carry the UN flag any more after all the deaths I have seen..."
The Kosovo Peace Bus arrived in Washington, D.C. Friday evening April 30th. Lee Van der Laan, hosted the crew and briefed them about the following day's activities. Thanks to the National Veterans for Peace office staff for their effort in posting press releases from the tour.
The VFPers participated in Saturday's opening rally protesting the US Army School of the Americas in Fort Benning, Georgia. Over 3000 people across from the White House, in Lafayette Park, listened to speakers and songs about the repression in Latin American countries, and called for an end of the terrorist training at the SOA. SOA Watch, an independent organization, sponsors the annual protest, fulfilling part of its mission to close the SOA through vigils fasts, demonstrations and nonviolent protest, as well as media and legislative work. Their info page is www.soaw.org/infolinks.html.
Sunday May 2nd, the bus squad spent the day sight-seeing and being a sight for the tour groups, media, and individual tourists to photograph. A chance encounter with the Japanese premier at an intersection, evoked a pointed air horn blast.
On Monday the 3rd, the bus and 2000 others greeted the arriving Pentagon workers
with a 7AM protest against the SOA. Security was tight, as evidenced by the drug and explosive dogs who were guided to sniff the peace bus. Later that morning, the bus attended a rally by SOA Watch, on the steps of the Capitol building. The bus was stopped 3 more times to "check it out," wondering why they were circling the Capitol building. (No parking available in The Capitol).
Monday night, in a break from anti-SOA and other Pro-Peace demonstrations, Veterans for Peace joined Pastors for Peace in pro-Cuba rallies outside Camden Yards Ballpark, home of the Baltimore Orioles. The Cuban All Stars were in town for their baseball game with the Orioles. The bus squad saw the game compliments of Pastors for Peace. It was an historic night to cheer for the Cuban all-stars and a golden opportunity for people-to-people diplomacy. Our VFP banner was in the stands above the Allstars dugout, who defeated the birds 12 to 6.
Tuesday, after a rest, office work and bus cleanup, it began the two day journey through New York to the delivery point in Boston.
Other CITIES
Weekly anti-war vigils continue at the Tucson federal building, Thursdays from 4:30-5:30 p.m. Through the summer, monthly vigils at Raytheon's Tucson missile plant will take place on second Mondays, 6:30-7:30 a.m. For more information about other events, contact the Tucson Peace Action Coalition at (520)323-8697, (520)908-9269, or (520)624-4789, or c/o nukeresister@igc.org
Our mailing address is
VFP CHAPTER 22
483 Conger Street
Garberville, Ca 95542
VETERANS FOR PEACE, NATIONAL HQ Web Site
"Why doesn't HE do it?"(an editorial)
"We must do more to reach out to our children and teach them to express their anger and to resolve their conflicts with words, not weapons."--President Clinton on the Colorado school shootings
There was something incongruous on the evening news about seeing President Clinton condemn the violence in Colorado followed immediately by scenes of NATO's devastation in Yugoslavia.
We must challenge our values. We're devastated by children being killed by children but not devastated by those killed by our bombs. We must critically and courageously look at the underlying social and political conditions that condone violence as a legitimate way of dealing with conflict. The glorification of violence in the media and in the political arena coupled with the availability of guns no doubt contribute to the likelihood of frustrated teenagers resorting to quick, violent solutions.
Both tragedies demonstrate that neither reaching for a gun or dropping bombs are solutions to conflict. U.S./NATO military attacks do not protect human rights, foster dialogue, nor lay the foundation for sustainable peace. Citizens who value peace and justice; must oppose militarism, assist victims, and promote strategies that can help create a sustainable peace.
The roots of the carnage in the Bulkan region include the politics of religion, race and class. These roots also include the economics of U.S. militarism: rampant weapons sales, fueled by East-West tensions, throughout the past 50 years and our nation's definition of itself as military superpower more than moral leader.
We must spend more money on peace education peacekeeping and peace making programs, not weapon making. Let's talk about it America, not fight about it.
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