"…to end U.S. funded wars and occupations, to challenge
militarism globally, and to redirect our resources into health care, education,
green jobs and other life-affirming activities." —CODEPINK
Mission Statement
Since our first White House vigils in fall 2002, CODEPINK has opposed
not only the U.S.
war on Iraq with its ongoing catastrophic consequences but all the
wars and "special
operations" that the United States wastes human lives and tax
dollars on. The "war on terror" has been the pretext for the
US military-industrial complex to metastasize, with steadily increasing
budgets to a Warfare State whose representatives declare: "The
world is a battlefield."
“I respectfully disagree with plans... nearly 10,000 troops
and an unknown number of contractors in Afghanistan beyond 2014 and to
extend U.S. troop presence in Afghanistan until 2016." —
Congresswoman Barbara Lee
It costs over $1 million a year for each US soldier in Afghanistan. Meanwhile
back home, long-term unemployment insurance goes unrenewed, millions of
families live in harsh poverty, and our infrastructure is in bad need
of repair. After 13 years, join us in telling our elected officials that
it’s time to bring our war dollars home for real human needs.
- Call the White House and tell President Obama: I agree with Congresswoman
Barbara Lee - troops home from Afghanistan now! 202-456-1111.
- Call your Senator and demand a NO vote on the FY15NDAA as it stands:
202-224-3121.
- Sign
our petition to tell the president you want all our troops home,
with none left behind in Afghanistan!
In September 2013, the people of the United States expressed their war-weariness
by telling their reps and senators in no uncertain terms to stay out of
military involvement in Syria -- and the US push to war was halted! We
can do this, too. Bring our troops, our military contractors, and our
tax dollars home. As Barbara Lee also said about the US war in Afghanistan:
“Enough is enough.”
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More Ways to take action and bring
our war $$ home!
1.
Connect the Dots
Communicate with your community about how military spending, including
surveillance, leads to cuts in domestic programs:
- Download the NEW
War Dollars Home Flyer (pdf) and pass it out at congressional town
halls, school board meetings, civic events, panel discussions on economic
matters - wherever people are considering where their tax dollars go,
or should go.
- Bring this sign-up
sheet to rallies and events to gather
signatures to build your own local group and listserv, and add to CODEPINK's
national email list.
- Use the National Priorities Project "Trade-Offs"
tool to find the cost of wars and surveillance to your state, city,
county, or congressional district.
- Wear the "truth
tee" - it's a great conversation starter!
- Need one or more banners? Buy
these popular, all-weather banners in a variety of six different but
related messages.
- Write
letters to the editor of your local newspaper, referring to news
articles about city and state budget crises, school closures or other
local issues and connecting those to the tax dollars drained from your
community to fund wars, militarism and surveillance.
2. Communicate with Congress
Contact your senators and member of Congress with a Bring Our War $$ Home
message, adding the "ask" to defund the NSA now. Call 202-224-3121
and ask for your member of Congress or senator by name. Or use
our Letter to Congress tool.
3. Conduct
a Penny Poll on Real People's Economic Priorities
This is a fun activity to do at a farmers' market, in front of a post
office or any popular community spot. Here's your "recipe":
- Assemble 100 - 200 pennies, and set up a table with "Penny Poll"
sign, coins and jars.
- Give participants 10 pennies to distribute among 5 glass jars labeled:
Education, Environment, Health Care, Housing, Military.
- Have a Bring Our War $$ Home sign-up
sheet available so people can sign up to receive email alerts on
these issues.
- Invite the local media by sending a press release! And during the
penny poll, greet reporters and photographers and help them get interviews
and photos.
- Afterward, send out another press release providing the results of
your penny poll. Or, send a letter to the editor of your local paper,
announcing the results.
4. Use online tools/social media
- When you read an article online about the federal budget, surveillance,
the costs of war, or related issues, go to the comments section and
add your thoughts.
- Follow @WarDollarsHome
on Twitter, and/or use your own twitter account to post links to articles
of interest, and your opinions on war spending.
- Let your Facebook friends know your thoughts, and make suggestions
about actions they can take.
- Watch the trailer for the brilliant new documentary "Terms And
Conditions May Apply" http://tacma.net/tacma.php about government
and corporate surveillance of our electronic communications, and use
the handy tips and tools provided on the website.
For your inspiration:
See the Bring
Our War $$ Home flickr set
"I believe the public has a right to know"
—Alexa O'Brien, journalist and unofficial civilian transcriber of the
Bradley Manning trial.
“Not only is another world possible, she is on her way. On
a quiet day, I can hear her breathing.” —Arundhati Roy
"It isn't enough to talk about peace. One must believe
in it. And it isn't enough to believe in it. One must work at it."
—Eleanor Roosevelt
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