Salute to the Peoples’ Organized Forces
• Reject the Failed U.S. State! Step Up the Struggle for Empowerment!
As Bush Calls for Military Rule
• People Gain Experience Solving Problems Together
Anti-War Actions
• Hundreds of Counter-Recruiting Actions Organized Nationwide: Military Recruiters Out of Our Schools!
• Bring Them Home Now Tour
Salute to the Peoples’ Organized Forces
Reject the Failed U.S. State
Step Up the Struggle for Empowerment
The consciousness of the necessity for the people to rely on themselves and their organizations to solve problems is sweeping across the country. Organized efforts of all kinds in every state, south, west, north and east have been taking place by the thousands. Through their actions, everyone is showing their rejection of the failed U.S. state and the utter violence and chaos it has brought, directly witnessed in the Katrina aftermath. They are coming forward to show that they are the representatives of the people, they are the new, emerging in the face of this failure.
All the organizations, affinity groups, military families, women, youth, workers, national minorities, all those taking action today, all those who have taken action to lend a hand in the aftermath of Katrina, to join in the many Camp Caseys, to ensure broad participation here today, each and all together represent the best of the American people and their drive to change the world. The U.S. Marxist-Leninist Organization salutes all the organized peoples forces here and abroad. We applaud all the work developing as the people organize to take matters into their own hands and empower themselves. Let all go forward to further strengthen these efforts!
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As Bush Calls for Military Rule
People Gain Experience Solving Problems Together
President George W. Bush, speaking in New Orleans, made clear that the failed U.S. state will move to military rule. He said, referring to the Katrina aftermath, “It is now clear that a challenge on this scale requires greater authority and a broader role for the armed forces — the institution of our government most capable of massive logistical operations on a moment’s notice.”
The people are rejecting this direction and stepping up their own efforts, bringing all their organizing experience to bear and guided by their principles of defending the rights of all. As one veteran, organizing aid in Covington, Louisiana, put it, “We’re not counting on the government to take care of us anymore.” Said another New Orleans resident, organizing to lend a hand from Baton Rouge, “Our government has failed us, but the people are stepping up.”
The military families and veterans that toured the country demanding an end to the war on Iraq and bringing many thousands with them to D.C. for today’s rally are similarly rejecting the government. As one of the women who participated in the Crawford, Texas, Camp Casey and the tour brought out, it is up to us to change the direction of the country and we are learning together how to succeed. Said another, now is the time for the people to lead.
Food Not Bombs, working to set up kitchens to feed people across the Gulf States, in the face of government harassment and obstructions said, “We are not backing down.” In the Algiers community of New Orleans, a community project has been organized with local people and those arriving from across the country. The project includes a medical clinic, school and more. It is directly contending with government efforts to remove people and leave them to fend for themselves.
Everywhere, people are broadly reflecting their own experience of the empowerment gained from consciously working together, organizing to solve problems large and small and standing by one’s convictions despite every effort of the government to block people’s efforts. The Camp Caseys, the Bring Them Home Now Tour, the efforts to defend the rights of the people of the Gulf States represent the drive of Americans to win change that favors the people, here and abroad. And it shows the conviction that now exists that the government is standing in the way of this change, and that it is the people themselves who are and will solve problems.
As we rally and march here together with peoples worldwide, it is also clear that Americans are rejecting the racism and chauvinism of the U.S. state, brutally demonstrated daily in Iraq, in Louisiana, wherever the U.S. goes. This can be heard whenever the military families speak of the crimes against the Iraqis being carried out. It can be seen in the complete rejection of the government’s shoot-to-kill orders in New Orleans. How dare they commit these crimes! How dare they allow even one more person, anywhere, to die by their hands. How dare they brand people organizing to secure food and water as looters and those worldwide resisting the U.S. as terrorists!
It is clear that the only way forward is for the people to step up their resistance and build on all their experiences, guided by the principles of defending the rights of all. The failed U.S. state has only repression and military force in store. Now is the time to step up the work for political empowerment and strengthen all the many efforts to govern ourselves.
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Hundreds of Counter-Recruiting Actions Organized Nationwide
Military Recruiters Out of Our Schools!
Building on the thousands of antiwar actions held across the country, parents, grandparents, students, young workers, women, educators, veterans, clergy, and activists across the country are organizing hundreds of actions in September to oppose military recruiting. A national “Not Your Soldier” Youth and Student Day of Action is planned for November 17th.
A main target of the September actions targets the military demand forcing schools to provide contact information on all juniors and seniors, as mandated by the No Child Left Behind Act. Parents and school officials nationwide are furious that they are being required to hand over student information without the direct consent of youth or parents.
An “Opt Out” tour is being organized to mobilize parents, students and school districts to refuse to turn over information to the military and demand that the military stay out of the schools. Leave My Child Alone, which is a project of Working Assets, Mainstreet Moms and the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) are main organizers, joined by dozens of other groups. These include Code Pink, Veterans for Peace, Grandmothers for Peace, the American Friends Service Committee, and Student Peace Action.
On Wednesday, September 7 alone, 100 counter-recruiting actions in 30 states took place—in schools, libraries, city halls, homes, and elsewhere. The mobilization is continuing through September 30, with over 250 events scheduled in 43 states, with new actions being added every day.
In the four months since the “Opt Out” campaign began, over 86,000 citizens have taken action through the web site www.LeaveMyChildAlone.org. To date, the coalition has “opted out” over 15,000 students through online and grassroots efforts.”
The counter-recruiting efforts are also targeting the Pentagon’s illegal JAMRS database. The “Joint Advertising, Market Research and Studies system,” utilizing massive data mining to secure information on youth, went into effect June 22, 2005.
Some Highlights of September Tour:
Oklahoma: In Tahlequah, Oklahoma, the newly formed Tahlequah Peace Fellowship is organizing against military recruiters. The group has already sent letters and “opt out” forms to the superintendents of the three Cherokee County school districts and their high schools, Tahlequah, Hulbert, and Keys.
South Dakota: In Sioux Falls, the Peace and Justice Center is implementing “Eyes Wide Open,” an effort to help schools oppose the No Child Left Behind mandate and ensure parents and students use their right to “opt-out” of recruiting efforts.
Montana: On September 13, dozens of activists and parents addressed the Helena School Board, urging trustees to take action to keep military recruiters out of the schools. They are members of Just Don’t Go, a group whose mission is to stop the militarization of schools and raise awareness on military recruiting practices.
Nevada: Project Counter Recruitment is taking aim at military recruiters in local schools, organizing stop military recruiters from going on campus to enlist youth. Group representatives attended the last three Clark County School District board meetings to demand that the board ensure parents know about their “opt out” options and join in opposing the military recruiters.
Oregon: Several parents in Tigard, Oregon compelled the Tigard-Tualatin School District to change its current practices so that parents and youth decide whether to give information to recruiters, not the military.
School Board Actions
At school board meetings in Seattle, Washington; Oakland, California; and Anne Arundel County, Maryland concerned parents showed up in force and won some changes in school policies.
The Seattle School Board voted unanimously to enforce “truth in recruiting” rules. Under the amended policies, recruiters for the military who harass students, provide misleading or untrue information, or become disruptive may be banned from high school campuses for the remainder of the semester.
In Oakland California, the Oakland Unified School District unanimously passed the “Optimum Opt-Out Resolution,” which improved the notification procedure for parents, banned the military’s ASVAB test (administered by schools to tens of thousands of students) and supported the Student Privacy Protection Act (H.R. 551), a bill pending in Congress. The bill changes the No Child Left Behind Act to prevent the military from getting information from the schools without specific permission from parents and youth.
Numerous other actions included those in Fresno, California, where a march and rally was held to encourage students to “opt-out,” as well as those in Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, Missouri, and elsewhere. In New Jersey, peace activists, parents, and residents focused their counter-recruiting efforts on Essex County, which has 22 towns with many poor and minority families. “Opt-out” initiatives have already been successfully organized at some local high schools and parents are being armed with the means to exercise their “opt-out” option.
In November, numerous youth and anti-recruitment groups are joining together for coordinated local actions across the country, under the theme, We Are Not Your Soldiers!
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Bring Them Home Now Tour
Over the last three months hundreds of thousands of Americans have participated in actions to oppose the war, to demand that all U.S. troops be brought home immediately, and that President Bush be held accountable for war crimes. In August alone, in coordinated actions all across the country, thousands gathered at over 1600 vigils to express their opposition to Bush’s criminal war. Many more are also participating in actions against military recruiting across the country.
As part of actions in every state, south, west, north and east, the Bring Them Home Now Tour visited dozens of cities. The tour, made up of three regional caravans, set out from the Camp Casey site near Bush’s ranch in Crawford, Texas. Camp Casey began as a small number of veterans and military families taking their stand to demand Bush be accountable and grew to a circus-sized tent housing more than 12,000 people over a month-log period. Camp Caseys also were organized I cities and towns across the country reflecting the determination of Americans to end the Iraq war and hold Bush accountable.
The Tour was organized by Gold Star Families for Peace, Iraq Veterans Against the War, Military Families Speak Out, and Veterans For Peace, with many groups and organizations in the various cities joining in to provide housing and organize rallies.
Tour Highlights: In the South
Dothan, Alabama: The Tour made a stop at Ross Clark Circle in Dothan, Alabama on September 6 where a delegation of military families, veterans of the Iraq war and veterans of previous wars spoke from first hand experience about the devastating effects of war on humanity. Similar actions were also held in Montgomery, Alabama on September 5.
Florida: The Tour arrived in Gainesville, Florida on September 7 and visited the Civic Media Center on West University Avenue, where military family members informed and inspired everyone. Antiwar actions were also held the day before on the Old Capitol steps in Tallahassee.
Athens, Georgia: An enthusiastic crowed gathered in Athens at the Common Ground activist meeting hall on Newton Street during the September 10 weekend. Numerous local groups opposed to the Iraq war, including the Athens Global Justice Collective, Women in Black, the Athens Religious Society of Friends, the Unitarian Universalist Social Action/Social Justice Committee, and OPEN (Our Peace Efforts Now) helped organize the actions.
North Carolina: The North Carolina State University Campus Greens organized an antiwar action on the Brickyard on campus giving many youth and students space to express their opposition to the war and to further strengthen their unity and plans for future actions. Hundreds also participated in actions at the McKimmon Center on campus. Several activities were also organized on September 16 in Fayetteville, including a peace vigil, a press conference, and a public discussion.
Columbia, South Carolina: On September 14, people gathered at Martin Luther King Park to express their opposition to the war and the Bush agenda. Activists organized press conferences, meetings, and rallies. The day before several actions were held in Charleston, South Carolina, including a candlelight walk.
Houston, Texas: Women, youth, activists and military families converged at the Resurrection Metropolitan Community Church in Houston on September 1 st to demand that all U.S. troops be brought home immediately. Many demonstrated in front of Tom DeLay's Congressional office in Webster as well. Antiwar actions were also held the day before in front of the State Capitol in Austin, Texas.
Richmond, Virginia: On September 19, a lunchtime antiwar demonstration in downtown Richmond drew hundreds of demonstrators. About a dozen participants fro the Tour stopped and protested in front of the Virginia Army National Guard office at 304 W. Broad St. Spirited actions also took place in Norfolk and Williamsburg, Virginia.
Midwest and East
Indiana: On September 8 activists with the Tour converged on Ridge Road at Highland's Highway of the Flags Veterans Memorial on Indianapolis Boulevard. The Northwest Indiana Coalition Against the Iraq War sponsored the action.
Chicago, Illinois: Also on September 8, people from all walks of life attended the antiwar vigil at the Danada Equestrian Center in Wheaton, Illinois. Hundreds also came from around the Fox Valley and as far away as Wisconsin and Iowa to picket in front of the Batavia offices of U.S. House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.).
Detroit, Michigan: The Tour stopped in Detroit over the weekend of September 10-11, holding a rally in Grand Circus Park downtown Saturday afternoon. Parents of soldiers serving in Iraq, several Iraq war veterans, and many others addressed the rally.
Rochester, New York: Hundreds crowded the sidewalk in front of Downtown United Presbyterian Church on September 13, as the national tour made a stop in Rochester. A parade of speakers took to the podium to express opposition to the war and the Bush government, and to call for the immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq.
Cleveland, Ohio: Women, youth, and activists gathered to hear parents of servicemen killed in Iraq and of those still serving, as well as veterans of previous wars, talk about why they think the war is wrong and how further opposition can be organized. The Bring Them Home Now Tour stopped Friday night [September 9] at the Church of the Savior in Cleveland Heights. The tour also stopped Friday at Congregation of St. Joseph on Cleveland’s West Side.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Hundreds also gathered on September 12 for a memorial service at Flagstaff Hill in Schenley Park. That was followed by a candlelight march to Soldiers & Sailors National Military Museum & Memorial in Oakland. About a thousand demonstrators carried candles and paused for a moment of silence at the Hall.
Madison, Wisconsin: On September 4th antiwar speakers visited congregations and attended services in Madison. In Milwaukee a large action was held at 1:30 pm at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Veterans Park Lincoln Memorial Drive, just north of the Milwaukee Art Museum.
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