Call to Action!

Tell Obama to End U.S. Militarism

President-elect Barack Obama’s election has proven that Americans do indeed thirst for democracy. His campaign for hope and change ignited a fire of participatory fervor among a once despondent electorate, proving the power of an actively engaged citizenry. Much of Obama’s success was a direct result of the anti-war movement’s long-fought battle opposing the criminal and unethical Bush administration and its laundry list of dirty deeds. The work of those opposing U.S. militarism, however, is far from over. Indeed, it has just begun. Dick Cheney’s December interview on ABC News’s Good Morning America Dick Cheney proved as much. In the interview Cheney offered an unequivocal endorsement of Obama's national security selections: "I must say, I think it's a pretty good team." Many in the peace movement are frustrated with Obama’s failure to appoint a single anti-war voice or even someone who might offer hope of ending U.S. militarism. Of additional concern is Obama’s continued assertion that the U.S. reserves the privilege to unilaterally attack within the borders of other nations without regard for international law; and his stated intention to perpetuate the war in Afghanistan. Both of these stances have been, under the Bush administration, responsible for unforgivable carnage.

According to Reuters, “U.S. forces have carried out nearly 30 air strikes in Pakistan this year” killing more than 220 people. Among the dead have been nearly a dozen innocent Pakistani soldiers and many civilians. In July, U.S. airstrikes in Afghanistan killed 47 civilians attending a wedding, including the bride. In August, U.S. led strikes in Afghanistan killed 90 civilians including 60 children. In November, a U.S. airstrike killed another 40 civilians and wounded 28 others who were attending a wedding party. Similar strikes killed 6 Afghanistan policemen in December.

It is not enough to drawdown U.S. forces in Iraq. Those of us committed to peace and justice must demand a withdraw from Iraq and Afghanistan, an end to U.S. subversion of democracy around the world including Latin America, and a renunciation of the militaristic hubris which presumes the right to fire missiles where ever and whenever we please. To that end, please sign on to the letter below, which was composed by Voters for Peace and subsequently signed on to by a number of peace movement leaders including myself.
The deadline to sign the letter is Friday, January 16, so that it can be delivered to Obama before/by his inauguration.

Letter to Barack Obama

http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/1312/t/4175/petition.jsp?petition_KEY=1782