Diplomacy Works! War Is Not Inevitable.

Granny Peace Brigade and CodePink Phone-A-Thon
Friday, September 19 – at City Hall Park, NYC

There’s plenty of unease in the economy this week; today’s flier is headlined “DOES YOUR BUDGET HAVE $$$ FOR WAR?” Edith greets passers- by with, “Help stop the next war! Call your senators!” People accept the flier.

We talk about the way senators have been sounding the war drums towards Iran in amendments to the Fiscal 2009 Defense Authorization Bill. Turns out it has been passed the day before, minus most of the over 200 amendments proposed. The workings of the senate aren’t easy to explain to citizens on the street, nor for us to follow, even if we’re trying hard to stay on top of things.

Policemen and postmen and lots of other people give us the thumbs up when they see this sign.

These things cheer us: Fran’s newly registered 19 year-old Queens woman, learning who is her congressional rep, taking our info sheet for phoning reps and senators. Caroline’s Russian woman who doesn’t trust her English but wants to thank her Congresswoman Yvette Clark for supporting Peace by abstaining from H Con Res 362, the anti-Iran tirade proposed by New York’s Gary Ackerman.

Phoners to representatives reading the back of the flier find:
THERE IS LEGISLATION PENDING IN THE SENATE & HOUSE THAT CAN LEAD TO SANE, SMART FOREIGN POLICY.
Senator Clinton is co-sponsor of S 759 – prohibiting the use of funds for military operations in Iran.
In the House: HR 5056, the Iran Diplomatic Accountability Act of 2008, calls for the appointment of a high-level United States representative/special envoy for Iran for the purpose of easing tensions and normalizing relations between the United States and Iran.
DIPLOMACY WORKS!
WAR IS NOT INEVITABLE.
Call the Congressional switchboard (800) 828-0498.

In the coming weeks we’ll tell people about a new resolution: On September 18, Representative Barbara Lee (D-CA) introduced H.R. 6951, “To prohibit the use of funds by the Central Intelligence Agency or the Department of Defense to provide covert or clandestine assistance for the purpose of overthrowing the Government of Iran.” The short title of the legislation has been changed to “Transparent Actions over Covert Tactics in Iran Act 0f 2008” or the “TACT in Iran Act.” The bill has six co-sponsors, including Representatives Raul Grijalva (D-NM), Maurice Hinchey (D-NY), James McGovern (D-MA), Maxine Waters (D-CA) and Lynn Woolsey (D-CA). We’ll ask New York City Congressional Reps to sign onto this one.

– Caroline Chinlund with Fran, Jenny, Joan P., Eva-Lee, Edith and Owen
– Photos, Eva-Lee Baird