Exciting news: Del. Sheila Hixson on Thursday introduced a bill in the Maryland State Assembly that could dramatically diminish the ability of military recruiters to target Maryland's children--read more about this bill.
It is up to you to make this legislation pass. Please contact your state legislators and tell them how important this bill is and that you expect them to support it. This is really important!!
Forward this e-mail to your friends and encourage them to contact the State Assembly as well.
We anticipate that another key piece of legislation will be introduced in Annapolis later this week, designed to ensure that Maryland's National Guard is not illegally sent abroad. We'll let you know about that as soon as we have the bill number.
Remembering Gaza
The Gaza Freedom March wasn't allowed into Gaza, so on the anniversary of the war, those of us who participated in it took our protests to the streets of Cairo instead. You can read Jean's letters from Cairo on the Peace Action Montgomery blog, and you are invited to a report-back in Columbia on Feb. 14, with Jean and local Jewish Voice for Peace coordinator, Shelley Fudge. Check our calendar for details.
If you'd like to contribute needed supplies for Haiti, see the article below.
In peace,
Jean, Pat, Steve, Pam, Fran, Nik, Dave, Mike, Tim and Bahram
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Today's Quote
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War will exist until that distant day when the conscientious objector enjoys the same reputation and prestige that the warrior does today. John F. Kennedy
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 Calendar
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Tues., Jan. 26: 7:30 p.m. Haiti Benefit Concert, many great local musicians. Proceeds to Doctors Without Borders and Hearts with Haiti. Saint Mark's Presbyterian Fellowship Hall, 10701 Old Georgetown Road, Rockville. $20, all funds to Haiti. More info here.
Sun., Jan. 31: 10:20-11:20 a.m. "American Militarism: At What Cost?" A slide show by Jean Athey. River Road Unitarian Universalist Church, 6301 River Rd., Bethesda. Directions here.*
Thurs., Feb. 4: 7 p.m. Peace Action Montgomery meeting, 9510 Hale St., Forest Glen. This is a half-mile from the Forest Glen Metro. Let us know if you'd like a ride.*
Sun., Feb. 14: 1:30 p.m. "Eye Witness Report on the Gaza Freedom March," Howard County Central Library, Little Patuxent Parkway and South Entrance Road, Columbia. Sponsored by the Howard County Coalition to End the Israeli Occupation, presentation by Jean Athey and Shelley Fudge.*
Thurs., Feb. 18: 7 p.m. Peace Action Montgomery meeting, 9510 Hale St., Forest Glen. This is a half-mile from the Forest Glen Metro. Let us know if you'd like a ride.*
Every Saturday: Join a vigil for peace in Olney, corner of Rt. 108 and Georgia Ave., 10:30-11:30.*
Every Friday: Vigil at Walter Reed, in the open plaza between Dahlia and Elder streets, 7 to 9 p.m., come for any amount of time during that period.*
*Events that Peace Action Montgomery has discussed and formally endorsed.
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MD ASVAB Legislation
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Delegate Sheila Hixson, Chair of the
House Ways and Means Committee, recently introduced HB 176, an act
that would prohibit the use of a key military test--the ASVAB--in the state's public high
schools for military recruiting purposes without parental consent.
Why is this important? This test, misleadingly advertised as a vocational aptitude test rather than a military recruiting test, is routinely given to all high school students. Private information about students who take the test is provided to the military without the consent of students or parents. This information enables recruiters to tailor their pitch to individual students and to obtain personal contact information on students--circumventing Federal and State laws designed to protect student privacy. If Maryland can pass this legislation, it will: prove much harder for recruiters to target our children;
reestablish parents' control over the privacy of their children; and
serve as a model for the rest of the nation.
This is extremely important. It is time to roll back the militarization of our schools, and this legislation can begin that process.
Please be a part of the solution: contact your state legislators and tell them to support this bill. For more background on the ASVAB, click here.
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Rockville Helping Haiti: Fill the Container!
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A 40-foot shipping container is waiting at Rockville's Saint Elizabeth Catholic Church, 917 Montrose Road, Rockville, to be filled with essential goods destined for rural Haiti. Many who survived the quake in Port-au-Prince are returning to their home villages, where they will need medical attention, food, jobs, tools and basic living items. You can help by bringing items on the list below:
Water/Gatorade/Powerade/Vitamin Water/
Water Filters Non-perishable
foods i.e. cereal bars, crackers, power bars, and Meals Ready to Eat Tents, Cots,
Sheets/Blankets/Pillows
Towels/shoes/clothes Hand tools.
Hammers, saws, shovels, picks, gloves... Toiletries/Hand
Sanitizer/Crutches/Port-a-potty Generators/Solar
lanterns/lamps
Medical
items are in high demand. If you have connections to hospitals, clinics or
institutions, please request donations of a
portable x-ray machine; sugical
supplies; and general
essential medicines.
Please box similar items
together and label the box. Deliver boxes to 315 Dean Dr. in Rockville any
time, or to the shipping container at the church on weekends between the hours
of 10 am to 3 pm. Email 'chuck@igc.org' to coordinate a pick up if delivery is
not possible.
CONTRIBUTIONS for shipping costs are needed: Make check payable to "GSIFDB
Shipping" and mail to: Chuck Woolery, Executive Board Gethsemane Scholarship
Institute of Fond Des Blancs Haiti, Inc. 315 Dean Dr., Rockville, MD
20851For more information on how you might help, call Chuck at 240-997-2209
chuck@igc.org Website: www.USofHaiti.org
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Quick Links
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Watch this great, short video that responds to the latest Supreme Court outrage--featuring our two favorite politicians (Donna and Jaime)! Then sign on to the campaign to restore democracy through a Constitutional amendment.
President Obama will give his state of the union speech this week. Read an excellent summary of his foreign policy successes and failures here.
Juan Cole succinctly describes the impact of the Israeli siege of Gaza.
In Haiti, words can kill--read this brilliant article by a disaster expert.
Michael Ratner, president of the Center for Constitutional Rights, participated in the Gaza Freedom March in Cairo and then traveled to the West Bank and Jerusalem. Read his amazing blog post, explaining his reactions to what he saw on the trip and how his Jewish heritage affects his perspective.
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Those Who Died, Dec. 6-Jan. 17
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Iraq:
Sgt Ralph Frietas 23
Detroit MI
Pvt Jhanner Tello 29 Los
Angeles CA
Pvt Jaiciae Pauley 29
Austell GA
Spc Brushaun Anderson 20
Columbus GA
Spc David Croft Jr 22
Plant City FL
Pvt Michael Jarrett 20
North Platte NE
603+ Iraqis were killed.
Afghanistan:
Sgt Elijah Rao 26 Lake
Oswego OR
Sgt Dennis Hansen 31
Panama City FL
Cpl Adam Drane 23
England
Cpl Xhacob Latorre 21
Waterbury CT
Sgt Anthony Campbell Jr 35
Florence KY
Pvt James Brown 18
England
Cpl david Kirkness 34
England
Sgt Kristjan Jalakas 19
Estonia
Sgt Albert Ware 27
Chicago IL
Cpl Simon Hornby 29
England
Pvt Michal Kolek 22
Poland
Pvt Serge Kropov 21
Hawley PA
Cpl Michael Pritchard 22
England
Cpl Christopher Roney 23
England
Cpl Omar Roebuck 23
Moreno Valley CA
Cpl Tommy
Brown England
Ltn Andrew Nuttall 30
Canada
Sgt David Getierrez 35
San Francisco CA
Spc Jason Johnson 24
Albion NY
Pvt Aidan Howell 19
England
Sgt Ronald Spino 45
Waterbury CT
Harold Brown Jr 37 Bolton MA
CIA Scott Roberson 39
Manchester OH
Cap Ali bin
Zeid Jordan
Pvt Garrett Chidley 21
Ontario
Cpl Zachery McCormack 21
Alberta
Sgt Kirk Taylor 28 Nova Scotia
Sgt George Miok 28
Alberta
Cpl David Watson 33
England
Spc Brian Bowman 24
Crawfordville IN
Sgt Joshua Lengstorf 24
Yoncalla OR
Pvt John Dion 19
Shattuck OK
Air Bradley Smith 24
Troy IL
Pvt Robert Hayes 19
England
Sgt Jason Hickman 35
Kingsport TN
Christian Aguirre 24 Spain
Cpl Simon Hoffman 23
Denmark
Cpl Mark Juarez 22
Bakersfield CA
Sgt Anton Phillips 31
Inglewood CA
Cpl Jacob Meinert 20 Ft
Atkinson WI
Cpl Nicholas Uzenski 21
Tomball TX
Cpl Jamie Lowe 21
Johnsonville IL
Sgt Matthew Ingham 20
Altoona PA
Cpl Daniel Read 31
England
Sgt Mathieu Toinette 27
France
Cap Fabrice Roullier 39
France
Pvt Geoffrey Whitsitt 25
Taylors SC
Sgt Daniel Merriweather
25 Collierville TN
Sgt Lucas Beachnaw 23
Lowell MI
Spc Kyle Wright 22
Romeoville IL
Sgt Christopher Hrbek 25
Westwood NJ
Cpl Lee Brownson 30
England
Pvt Luke Farmer 19
England
Sgt John Faught 44
Ontario
630+ Afghans and Pakistanis were
killed.
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