Get Off Your Ass And Reach Out In Person
To Some Troops For The Holidays:
“A Christmas Push For Conscience”
There have been a number of recent posts on the ‘Appeal For Redress Initiative’ by Active Duty Military personal. These have been from folks who have found this call for Action, by those still Active Duty, which is Great to see.
Myself, and others, had posted about this right after the origianal call had gone out, you can read mine Here which I had also sent out and posted on a number of boards on 9-24-06.
Once again it’s Great to see others have found the call and are fully behind this.
Back in the day, of our other Tragic Debacle, myself and my brother/sister ‘Nam Vets know just what went down as to Real Support between us returning Vets and the Anti-War Movement {and there was No Spitting, except the Verbal Type from the same makeup as today, the So Called Support The Troops patriots[?]}, and frankly their Still Verbally Spitting On Us, but we’re used to it!!
We worked together to Finally End That Debacle! The Vet’s, The Goldstar Moms/Families, The Anti-War Movement and the Intelligent Politicians of that time, along with others!
Now YOU can do some reachout to the present Military Personal who understand what this Country has done as to this so called ‘War on Terrorism’, this Holiday Season!
Liam Madden of Bellows Falls, Vt., said he doesn’t think he would’ve joined the Marines if he had known the government would lie to start a war on Iraq. The 22-year-old sergeant, who spent seven months in Iraq, is part of a group of service members who organizing a Christmas holiday outreach around the Appeal for Redress to get our troops out of Iraq: Appeal for Redress Initiative.
(AP Photo/Courtesy of Liam Madden)
Subject: A Christmas push for conscience
Happy Holidays fellow service members,
Greetings, my name is Liam Madden, one of the founders of the Appeal For Redress campaign.
As the Christmas season approaches, the alliance of MFSO (Military Families Speak out) IVAW (Iraq Veterans Against the War), and the Appeal for Redress initiative are coordinating a drive to deliver holiday care packages to the Active Duty community near you on the 18th-20th of December.
These Care Packages will bring troops some delicious treats, but more importantly they will be filled with information about the sponsoring organizations and “locked and loaded” with an Appeal For Redress ready to be mailed off to congress.
We believe for every one of you who have learned about the appeal and were eager to let your voice be heard, there are hundreds more waiting to discover our movement.
We are asking for your help in reaching out to your fellow service members; if you can lend a hand please contact me at Liam Madden.
Once we have your responses we will put you in contact with each other and the supporting network of family members and veterans participating.Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Liam Madden
Sergeant USMC
Iraq Veterans Against The War Say:
“Support For Our Troops By Handing Out Care PackagesToThemOutsideThe Gates Of Active Duty Bases Just Before Christmas”
December 11, 2006 IVAW Holiday Bulletin
We at IVAW know that reaching out to active-duty men and women is one of the most crucial steps to ending the war in Iraq.
IVAW will be working with members from the Appeal for Redress , Veterans for Peace, and Military Families Speak Out to show our support for our troops by handing out care packages to them outside the gates of active-duty bases just before Christmas (Dec 18-20).
Besides treats like cookies and candy, these care packages will include information on the anti-war movement and resources so that they can become directly involved in ending the war and caring for their brothers and sisters as they return home.
Suggested items for the care packages include: the Appeal for Redress, Iraq Veterans Against the War flyers, “Iraq for Sale,” and “Sir, No Sir!” postcards telling soldiers how to get their free copy, information on Vets for Peace, Military Families Speak Out, Courage to Resist, and the GI Rights Hotline, as well as cookies, candy, and other holiday treats.
To make this work, we need teams of at least six people to go and stand in front of the gates (on the public right of way) of active duty bases prior to the Christmas holiday. Team members can hold signs such as, “Happy Holidays” and “Free Care Package for Active Duty” while they hand out the packages.
This is a great way that you can help support our troops and bridge the gap between the peace movement and those serving in the military.
If you are interested in participating with compiling and/or delivering the care packages, please email Liam Madden with your name, organization, and the military base nearest you.Peace and Joy over the holiday season and into the New Year,
Kelly Dougherty,
Executive Director IVAW
Gold Star Families For Peace Say:
“Help Spread The Word By Delivering Care Packages Filled With Tasty
Treats & Information About The Appeal To Military Bases”
‘Tis the Season to Support the Troops.
Many active duty, reserve, and guard service members are concerned about the war in Iraq and support the withdrawal of U.S. troops. The Appeal for Redress Initiative, sponsored by active duty service members based in the Norfolk area, provides a way in
which individual service members can appeal to their Congressional Representative and US Senators to urge an end to the U.S. military occupation. Almost 2000 active duty members have signed onto the appeal. Click here to read a note from one of the co-founders of the Appeal for Redress Initiative, Liam Madden.
GOLD STAR Families for Peace is proud to support their effort! This holiday season we are joining a coalition of groups including Iraq Veterans Against the War & Veterans for Peace in a campaign to help spread the word by delivering care packages filled with tasty treats & information about the appeal to military bases. Although this is a campaign that will be on-going, we are working to help gather as many signatures as possible before the new year since the appeal will be delivered to Congress in January of 2007. Get on Santa’s nice list by taking some goodies to troops in your community. It’s as easy as one, two, three.1 } Find a base near you to spread some holiday cheer. For a map of U.S. military bases click here.
2 } Sign up & let us know you’ll be in on the action. Once you sign up we’ll send you a copy of the petition & updates about the action. Be sure to let us know what base you’ll be visiting & the number of care packages you’ll be taking. Click here to sign up.
3 } Plan your merrymaking. A few suggestions to make your action a sure-fire success:
Invite your friends and family to join you, the more the merrier! Pick a high traffic time like early morning or late afternoon when troops are coming and going from the base. Scout the base before your day of delivery. Since every base has several entrances, make sure you’re at the busiest gate and pick a spot to stand that is visible to traffic and people walking in/out of the base. You don’t have to be Martha Stewart to make a care-package for delivery. A simple brown paper lunch sack can be decorated with messages of support and filled with cookies, candies and other holiday goodies. Homemade is always best, but store bought treats will do the trick. (Don’t forget to include a copy of the Appeal for Redress.) The important thing is reaching out to the troops in a way that is friendly and supportive. Be sure that your signs and banners are supportive and don’t seem aggressive towards the military – remember we are trying to communicate with them not put them on the defensive.
While this is abit of a late call, only a week left, many who are willing can do the above in small groups.
Many who have stayed Active in the Actions taken place, over these years, know members of the above linked groups, you can make contact with them and join their efforts.
Those who are new to the game can visit the Websites and make contact through them to find local members, of same, who might be doing the above call for Action.
Some can also visit HERE which is a listing site of the Veterans For Peace Chapters
I will close with this:
Who Are We
You look at me
You look away
You ignore me
You have nothing to sayI wander the streets
I pick in the trash
I have nothing to eat
I don’t have any cashI shuffle along,
from one place to another
I have nobody that cares,
maybe you, my brotherWhen it rains,
I get wet
When it’s hot,
I’m drenched in sweatI am tired
I am old
I am freezing
It’s getting coldYou think I chose this
That I am lazy
You say I’m mental
I’m just crazyI have no bed
I have no phone
I talk all the time
I’m always aloneI lay in the alley
on rocks and debris
I served in the military
So we can be freePamela GilesM
A nation of sheep will beget a government of wolves.” – Edward R. Murrow