PeaceAction Montgomery
Dear Friend for Peace,
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.

discretionary budget
 
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


Today's Quote

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."

calendarCalendar
Speak Up for Peace

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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ASVABMD ASVAB Legislation

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.


Forward this issue
Peace Demands Action
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
Quick Links
The always brilliant Tom Englehardt shares his thoughts on military funding.

Rabbi Brian Walt, on a trip to Palestine, reflects on Howard Zinn and the Holocaust: must reading!
Those Who Died, Dec. 6-Jan. 17

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.