We are so disappointed that President Obama proposes to increase spending on the military in his new budget. The chart below shows how much the U.S. already spends on the military, compared to other categories.
Our terrific new slide presentation, The Militarization of America: At What Cost?, discusses why the continual increase in the military portion of the budget is so important to you and your family. We'd love to show it to your group--community, political, religious or school--it can be a very small group! If you are interested or want to find out more, e-mail us here.
Read our blog post for a brief analysis of the new budget.
What's Up in Annapolis
As we reported in our last newsletter, Del. Sheila Hixson has 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 below, including the impressive list of cosponsors. If you haven't contacted your delegates yet on this bill, it's not too late: please contact your state legislators and tell them how important this bill is and that you expect them to support it. If one or more of your delegates is already a cosponsor, it will help us if you can thank them.
Our chances for passage will be enhanced if we can identify students or
parents who feel their privacy rights may have been violated as a result of
taking the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) in one of
Maryland's high schools. We need their written or spoken testimony for upcoming
committee hearings. If you know anyone who might fit this description, could you please forward this email to them and/or get in touch with us, so that we can contact them? (It usually works best to click the "forward this issue" button--that way, you don't lose formatting, and the e-mail is more readable to the recipient.)
Ending the Siege of Gaza
On Jan. 21, 54 Representatives sent President Obama a letter that termed Israel's blockade of the occupied Gaza Strip "de facto collective punishment" and called on the United States to press Israel "for immediate relief for the citizens of Gaza." We are very pleased to note that one of the signatories to the letter was Rep. Donna Edwards--please take a minute to call her office and thank her (202-225-8699)! It's so important to let members of Congress know when we appreciate their actions. You might also call Rep. Van Hollen to let him know how disappointed you are that he didn't have the courage to sign the letter (202-225-5341).
Searching for Peace-Minded High School Students and Teachers!
We are starting an exciting new youth initiative in the high schools, and we need contacts--students to be part of it and teachers to help us. You'll be hearing more about this, but if you know of anyone who might be interested, let us know!
In peace,
Jean, Pat, Steve, Pam, Fran, Nik, Dave, Mike, Tim and Bahram
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Today's Quote
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Historian and activist Howard Zinn, who passed away last week, said not long ago that he hoped to be remembered:
"For getting more people to realize that
the power which rests so far in the hands of people with wealth and guns . . . ultimately rests in people themselves and that they can use it."
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 Calendar
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 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.*
Thurs., Feb. 4: 7:30 p.m. Presentation and discussion on the campaign for a Department of Peace, led by Wendy Green of the Alliance for Peace. St. Francis of Assissi Church, Muncaster Mill Road, Derwood. Sponsored by St. Francis of Assissi Pax Christi.
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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As we reported on January 25, Delegate Sheila Hixson, Chair of the
House Ways and Means Committee, has 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? The ASVAB is heavily promoted as a vocational aptitude test, but it is primarily used as a military recruiting test--which is not made apparent to students and their parents--and it is taken by about 6,800 Maryland high school students annually (please note: in our last e-mail, we mistakenly stated that it is given to all students--it isn't, and we apologize for the error). Evidence is emerging that the test, which is supposed to be voluntary, is required in several
schools around the state. Test results and private information about students who take the test are often 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. HB 176 will ensure that only students and their parents can release ASVAB results to military recruiters should they desire to do so.
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.
Here is a list of Maryland Delegates who have either already signed onto the bill as a cosponsor or who plan to have their name added as a cosponsor this week:
Sheila Hixson, Tom Hucker, Roger Manno, John Olszewski, Kirill Reznik, Barbara Robinson, Ron
George, Alfred Carr, Jeff
Waldstreicher, Karen Montgomery,
Anne
Healey, Mary Ann Love, William Bronrott,
Theodore Sophocleus,
Jolene
Ivey, Doyle Niemann,
Victor Ramirez, Ben Kramer
Please be a part of the solution: contact your state legislators and tell them to support this bill--or thank them if they have already become a cosponsor. For more background on the ASVAB, click here.
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TO DO THIS WEEK
Contact your state legislators and ask them to support H.B. 176 to protect student privacy.
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Contact your Representative in Congress about ending the siege of Gaza:
Rep. Donna Edwards, to thank her: 202-225-8699
Rep. Chris Van Hollen, to express disappointment:
202-225-5341
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Help us identify high school students and teachers who want to work for peace.
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Forward this email to someone you think may have had their privacy rights violated as a result of the ASVAB test
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Invite us over to show our slide show on the costs of militarism!
www.PeaceActionMC org
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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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