Silence of the Dead, Voices of the Living: A Witness to End the War in Iraq - A Call to Action to help Cindy Sheehan

Hello - I am asking a request of you all. Please join us in DC for this event.

If you knew Alex or any of the troops who were killed in Iraq, if you have shed a tear over the loss of life, if you want to honor our troops, YOU SHOULD BE THERE! This is a family event. Please bring your kids. This is not a "rah, rah / yea peace event". This event will contemplative and powerful. For further questions, contact me or the email listed below. If you are not pleased that I have sent you this email, please try to comprehend that I am sending this email out to have you as many people unite to honor Alex. Memorial Day will be a few days later. There are many purposes of this march, one of which is to have so many who are uncncerned TO WAKE UP! THE WAR IS NOT A VIDEO GAME OR REALITY TV FOR ENTERTAINMENT.
Melida Arredondo

A call to take part in
Silence of the Dead, Voices of the Living:
A Witness to End the War in Iraq

May 11-14, 2006

at the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

and across the United States On Mother’s Day weekend, you are invited to join members and supporters of the American Friends Service Committee, Gold Star Families for Peace, Gold Star Families Speak Out, Iraq Veterans Against the War, Military Families Speak Out, September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows, and Veterans for Peace, who will gather for four days of witness in Washington, D.C. (and in sites around the country) to call for an end to the Iraq War. We will mourn for the thousands who have been lost and call for an end to the war that continues to take Iraqi, U.S. and other lives.

Led by many of those who have borne the cost of the war, silent marchers will carry boots representing those who have died and photos of those still in harm’s way -- calling on Congress to save lives by stopping the war. Participants will include: veterans; families of the U.S. soldiers who have been killed and wounded; families of those on active duty who remain in harm’s way; families of those who died in the attacks on September 11th in whose name the Iraq War was started, and representatives of the people of Iraq, who have seen more than 100,000 deaths and the destruction of their country. Eyes Wide Open: The Human Cost of the Iraq War, the American Friends Service Committee’s touring exhibit (eyes.afsc.org) that honors the lives lost in Iraq will return to Washington, D.C. for these days of witness, with combat boots representing the deaths of U.S. military personnel, a striking new representation of Iraqi losses, and symbols of the lives that will most certainly be lost before the end of 2006, if the U.S. “stays the course.” The exhibit will provide a dramatic visual backdrop for the words and emotions of those who have lost the most in this conflict – and stand to lose more. Please come and take part in: the set up and staffing of the Eyes Wide Open exhibit; a daily reading of names of U.S. service personnel and Iraqis killed in the war; a silent memorial procession around the Mall; testimonies from those who have lost loved ones and from those whose loved ones remain in harm’s way; a candlelight vigil; and other events.
For more information, contact: Chris Pifer, AFSC Washington Office
eyesvol@afsc.org Interested in volunteering
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This is a follow up to the email I fowarded from Cindy a little while ago about Howard Kooligan, who is running for Congress in California, hoping to replace the disgraced "Duke" Cunningham. Check out this link for his website, where his organization is described in the "About Us" section. He talks about the "Voices of Soldiers" Truth tour and Move America Forward along with the "You Don't Speak for Me Cindy" tour. And, for toppers, to prove how much he and his supporters support our troops, they launched the "Coffee for Our Troops" program and later sent cookies to go with the coffee. http://www.kaloogianforcongress.com/aboutus.asp?id06=116&par06=104

Honestly, as the mother of a dead soldier, I am offended by this man and his blatant lies about the "several thousand" supporters he had in Crawford in August and his lies about the truth of the situation in Iraq. I will be writing a letter to this man and I encourage all of you to do the same.

You can send me copies of your emails (BCC please). Let's make this a public issue and make sure the truth about this man is told. His email is howard@kaloogianforcongress.com

Oh, and forward this along to all of your friends and family so they, too, can let Howard know what they think of him and his unethnical lies.

Peace, Amy