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TechnoratiNational White House Call-In Day: Monday, November 23rd, 2009
Call President Obama, Your Senators, and Member of Congress to Stop the Escalation and End the War in Afghanistan
An ad-hoc coalition of national peace advocacy
organizations is calling on people from every corner of the country to
inundate the White House on Monday (November 23rd) with phone calls against military
escalation in Afghanistan.
The Obama Administration is on the verge of a major strategic decision regarding troop levels and US policy in Afghanistan. Ralph Nader recently lamented how Obama was possibly "insulating himself" - not unlike his predecessor - from expert and cautious advice as he considers this, his most perilous, foreign policy decision.
After eight years of war and occupation in Afghanistan it is now up to those Americans who have long counciled for peace and reconciliation to speak out louder than they ever have before. We take Obama's hesitation to commit more troops as a welcome sign, and see this not as presidential 'dithering', but as an opportunity.
HAVING TROUBLE GETTING THROUGH?CodePink has alternate avenues to the White House: |
Obama may not ever make the speech that Tom Engelhardt recently fantasized about, nor speak the truth that Howard Zinn so eloquently provides (see below), but the peace movement must find its ground with this new President (and this Congress) to end the assault on the Afghan people, bring our troops home, and help bring peace to a region that has far too long known only war.
On Monday (11/23), take time from your day to call the White House - 202-456-1111 - and give President Obama the advise he so desperately needs. Tell him, We, the people of this nation, will not sit idly by and watch him turn our hope into a quagmire or our dreams of peace into the continued nightmare visited upon the nation of Afghanistan. When you're done, call your Senators and House members and relate to them the same.
If there is to be an escalation, let it be ours.
In the video above -- from October 2009 -- Howard Zinn answers a question from the audience: what would he urge Barack Obama to do?
The groups supporting this Call-In Day include: Just Foreign Policy, United for Peace and Justice, the American Friends Service Committee, Peace Action, CodePink, Voters for Peace, Pax Christi, CommonDreams.org, Historians Against War, and the Institute for Policy Studies.
13 Comments so far
Show AllI called at 5:30. The office closes at 5:00.
Definitely CALL TOMORROW. 9-5.
"If there is to be an escalation, let it be ours." That is the best line I've seen in many an action alert for quite some time. Thanks CD and collaborating partners!
have you seen what Code Pink says about the war in Afghanistan?
http://codepink4peace.org/blog/category/codepinkcampaigns/afghanistan-codepinkcampaigns/
http://www.csmonitor.com/2009/1006/p06s10-wosc.html
War, while a terrible thing is not the most terrible thing. I know, I am a Soldier and have been for 22 years. None of you is more anti war than I am. I bet that sounds odd doesn't it? The fact of the matter is this, if we pull out of Afghanistan it will not stop killing, and it will facilitate a sectarian war the likes of which has never been seen. We ignored a totalitarian goverment that committed atrocities not unlike what Hitler did in the 1930s and 1940s. The only reason the Taliban (and others) did not kill more is their own lack of resources and organization.
Women will be denied health care and education and killed out right if they attempt to get either.
men will be forced to be educated by the taliban, if they are Pushtu, if not they have no rights, not even to own a automobile. People will be hung, shot and butchered.
Music will be banned http://www.rawa.org/music.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taliban
Art will be forbidden
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ht/11/nc/ht11nc.htm
Even something you appreciate every day that keeps you safe, forecasting the weather that will keep millions informed and safe will be banned
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afghanistan_Meteorological_Authority
No, they do not want us there
http://www.rawa.org/rawa.html
but even the most anti American non-jehadist knows they need us there
Read more, speak less
David
David-
I respect that you are anti-war and have been a soldier for 22 years! However, I think you left out some critical information about Afghanistan--which mitigates against us (or any other occupying power) staying there! Have you carefully studied previous attempts to take over or "help" Afghanistan? If you have, you will see that ALL HAVE FAILED!
I was a Peace Corps volunteer in India 40 years ago, and visited Pakistan. I saw a very different culture there than what we have here in the US! We cannot translate OUR values to THEIRS! Nor should we! The Taliban has been active in Afghanistan since we HELPED them during the Russian invasion. They have made life miserable for many Afghanis; however, we are not going to be able to change that! Surely you realize that! And the corrupt Afghan government is not going to help everyday Afghans! They are tied to the Warlords and the opium trade--bigtime Capitalists!!!
Perhaps in all of your years of being a soldier, David, you have failed to see the poverty and hopelessness that exists in YOUR country, America! Now we are at the point where 44,000 people die each year from lack of healthcare! Yet we cannot get a decent healthcare bill passed in our Congress, because Republicans and BlueDog Democrats (like Karzai) are in league with the rich insurance companies, and do not care if everyday Americans live or die! We have people being foreclosed and laid off jobs every minute, and we have a higher suicide rate now than every before.
What I am saying, David, is that our soldiers need to come home and help US! Our country is in terrible shape--and getting WORSE! We cannot afford to fight wars and help people in miserable, corrupt countries in the Middle East (or anywhere else)! We need to help our people HERE AT HOME!!! NOW!!!
Come home, David! Open your eyes!
Just called.. Appreciate the work CommonDreams, CodePink, et. al.
If you didn't see Moyers last show about Vietnam, I highly recommend it.
I got through to the White House comment line at 202-456-1111, and only had to hold for a minute.
I've been trying for the past 40 minutes to get the White House but always busy. That's a good sign I think. Called both Senators and my Congressperson and got through to all those offices without any difficulty.
I hope the White House gets millions of calls and yes, Ted, call from Canada by all means. They need to hear from everyone in any country, especially since they just had that big conference in Halifax.
Ditto. I kept getting a busy signal which I thought was a good sign but kept dialing and finally got through. Was on hold for a long while but felt that the operator who took my call really listened. We can hope.
Also called my 2 Senators and my Congressman who all had staff members who answered on the first round. All 3 took my full name, address, and really seemed to hear my impassioned plea and to be taking notes. Again, we can hope. And if hope fails, I will take to the streets with as many others as wish to join me.
As a Canadian, I probably have no authority to demand President Obama to end the occupation, but whatever the US does affects the rest of the world, especially Canada. I respectfully ask the President to consider the negative effects of the continuing Afghan occupation on everyone.
i just forwarded this message to at least 65 people...i will make my call(s) on monday...
pass it on.......
Is that the right telephone number? Shouldn't it have four last digits?
202-456-1111 - that *does* have 4 last digits; it worked when i called this morning.
End OBAMA'S Afghan Occupation, NOW!