[Antiracism] 2/17: Cut Off ALL War Funds Day

[Nick Camerota]

TO ALL OUR FRIENDS IN THE STRUGGLE AGAINST RACISM, POVERTY & WAR: please 
forward this item widely. ALSO: Please scroll to the last item in this email 
for information about Western Mass. bus transportation to the March 17 MARCH 
ON THE PENTAGON.
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Vote NoWarFunding.org
February 17: CUT OFF ALL WAR FUNDS DAY
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On February 17: Demand Congress Cut Off ALL War Funding
PLEASE SIGN THE ONLINE PETITION BELOW
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TELL CONGRESS:
Not one more day.
Not one more dollar.
Not another death.
No hiding behind "non-binding" resolutions and timetables.
End This War & Bring All the Troops Home NOW!

Soon, Congress will vote on Bush's request for more than $100 billion in 
additional funding for the criminal occupation of Iraq.

Congress has the power to stop the war by cutting off war funding. They 
cannot hide behind "non-binding resolutions" and hearings; they must stop 
the war. They cannot hide behind the claim that they are "supporting the 
troops"; voting to fund the war is voting to continue the war, which means 
more soldiers and Iraqis will die.

On February 17, in New York City, Boston, Detroit, Philadelphia, Los 
Angeles, Raleigh, Atlanta and other cities and towns across the U.S., 
activists will make it clear to Congress that we will not allow another 
dollar to be spent on the war.

PLEASE SUPPORT THIS CAMPAIGN to demand Congress cut off all war funding.

PLEASE SIGN the OPEN LETTER TO CONGRESS: (see text below*) which will go to 
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Sen. 
Hillary Clinton, Sen. Charles Schumer, and other leaders of the Senate and 
House of Representatives. To sign and send, please access: 
http://www.votenowarfunding.org/votenowarfunding.shtml

Organize or Participate in local actions on February 17, NATIONAL NO MORE $$ 
FOR WAR DAY: Activists across the country are planning pickets, rallies, 
sit-ins, and other forms of creative resistance
and direct action. <http://troopsoutnow.org/feb17mar17volunteer.shtml>
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* An Open Letter to all 535 members of Congress

Dear Members of Congress,

END THE WAR NOW: YOU HAVE THE POWER VOTE 'NO' TO MORE WAR FUNDING

On February 17, "VOTE NO WAR FUNDS DAY," we will be rallying around the 
country to let you know we'll be keeping a close watch on how you vote on 
this critical issue.

Last November the people voted to change the leadership of Congress so it 
could do what the President is unwilling to do -- to end the war now. As 
Sen. Russ Feingold said recently at a Senate Hearing on Congressional war 
powers, "Congress has the power to stop the war if it wants to."  Now the 
people have given you the mandate to do that.

Soon you will be asked to vote your approval of more funds to pay for the 
war. A few of you have already indicated that you will not approve another 
dollar for war. All of you must to do the same. The next war funding vote 
will be every bit as important as the vote by the 109th Congress to 
authorize the war in October 2002.

If you vote no to more war funding the troops will come home, lives will be 
saved and this nightmare will come to an end. If you approve more funds for 
war, then more U.S. soldiers will die, more soldiers will be maimed for 
life, and the war will go on and on. If you approve more war funds, then no 
one can claim that this is solely the President's war, or only one political 
party's war; it will be Congress's war.

It's not enough to vote for symbolic, non-binding resolutions that only 
oppose the escalation of the war. It's not enough to cross-examine and 
criticize generals and the President's cabinet secretaries in Congressional 
hearings. It will not suffice to say that you oppose the war, but that 
you're voting for more war funding to support the troops. The real support 
the troops and their families need is for you to act decisively, cut off the 
war funding and bring everyone home alive.

Activists from across the country have designated Sat., Feb. 17, "VOTE NO 
WAR FUNDS DAY." On that day, thousands of peace-loving people will rally and 
march in their communities to tell Congress that when it comes time to vote 
on more funds for war, the people will be watching and waiting.

Many of those participating in the Feb. 17 nationwide protests will bring 
some of the bills they can't afford to pay: medical, utility, food, and rent 
bills; their student loan debts; and their credit card bills. More and more 
people are being forced to use credit cards to pay for basic necessities. 
The reason for bringing all of these bills to the protest is to remind 
Congress, as it considers its vote on the new war funding request, of the 
growing ranks of the poor who desperately need the money that has been 
wasted on this war to help them in their daily struggle to survive.

- Sign the Open Letter to Congress
<http://www.votenowarfunding.org/votenowarfunding.shtml>
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* AND ON MARCH 17, a worldwide day of protest: MARCH ON THE PENTAGON to mark 
the 4th anniversary of the invasion of Iraq. For information about bus 
transportation from Western Mass. to this national antiwar demonstration, 
please email valleyantiwar at hotmail.com and type 'M17DCBUS' in the subject 
line. Please act quickly; seating is limited.
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SENT BY the Western Mass. Organizing Committee of the INTERNATIONAL ACTION 
CENTER/Troops Out Now Coalition
wmassiac at hotmail.com
http://www.IACenter.org
http://www.PeopleJudgeBush.org
SUBSCRIBE TO WMass IAC's low-volume listserve for political analysis, plus 
news of upcoming area events and national mobilizations; email 
wmassanswer-subscribe at yahoogroups.com and reply to yahoogroups' verification 
notice.
[Anyone can subscribe to the International Action Center's national list by 
sending an email request to Action.News-subscribe at organizerweb.com]
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