From Dennis & Elizabeth Kucinich,

[G_j]

Dear Friend,

On this 13th anniversary of 9/11, this solemn day of remembrance and reflection, let us resolve to change the present paradigm of fear, endless war and destruction of liberty.

Let us begin a new journey to redefine “National Security” to be truly reflective of our practical aspirations and “Human Security” needs: Food Security, Water Security, Economic Security, Job Security, Health Security, Education Security, Environmental Security, and Peace.

During the next 2 months, from 9/11 (Terror) to 11/11 (Armistice), Elizabeth and I will be making national appearances to begin a conversation to redefine national security around these important topics.

Last night, on the eve of 9/11 we witnessed a replay of the official response that cast us as helpless players in an ever-widening cycle of warfare.

We reject endless, mindless war. Yes, we live in an uncertain world, but we can be certain of our own choices and their consequences. Let us create new paths toward self-empowerment, towards transformational courage.

We hope you will join us in the upcoming months in Iowa (Occupy the World Food Prize in Des Moines, & Redefining National Security events), New York (Climate Change Conference), Oregon (Food Security & GMO Labeling), Southern and Northern California (Peace & the Middle East, 5K walks for UNRWA), Colorado (Food Security & GMO Labeling) and others to follow.

All details of our appearances and the topics will be posted and shared on our Facebook events pages.

Dennis: www.facebook.com/DennisKucinich

Elizabeth: www.facebook.com/Elizabeth.Kucinich

We still have a few dates open. If you wish to work with either of us in creating a forum in your community, please contact us directly: Elizabeth & Dennis

Please like our FB pages, and please share what you are doing to help forge a path to transformation in our homes, our communities and our nation.

Let us embark together on a path which transforms terror to peace.

#911to1111
#FromTerrorToPeace

Dennis & Elizabeth

[marions ghost]

1. Yes!

We need Dennis and Elizabeth on this---This is the bill that Dennis introduced two months before Sept 11, 2001:

----------

Provisions of the Kucinich Bill

Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich introduced U.S. Department of Peace legislation to Congress in July 2001, two months before the September 11 attacks. Kucinich has reintroduced the legislation every 2 years since. The bill currently has 52 cosponsors. Some of the numerous organizations endorsing the legislation include Amnesty International and the National Organization for Women.

This bill includes several additional proposed mandates that would work in partnership with the U.S. Department of State and go beyond the existing mandates of the United States Institute of Peace. Some highlights among the areas of proposed additional responsibility include:

Provide violence prevention, conflict resolution skills and mediation to America's school children in classrooms as an elective or requirement, providing them with the communication tools they need to express themselves beginning in elementary school through high school.
Provide support and grants for violence prevention programs addressing domestic violence, gang violence, drug- and alcohol-related violence, and the like.
To effectively treat and dismantle gang psychology.
To rehabilitate the prison population.
To build peace making efforts among conflicting cultures both here and abroad.
To support our military with complementary approaches to ending violence.
Monitoring of all domestic arms production, including non-military arms, conventional military arms, and of weapons of mass destruction.
Make expert recommendations on the latest techniques for diplomacy, mediation, conflict resolution to the U.S. President for various strategies.
Assumption of a more proactive level of involvement in the establishment of international dialogues for international conflict resolution (as a cabinet level department).
Establishment of a U.S. Peace Academy, which among other things would train international peace-keepers.
Development of an educational media program to promote nonviolence in the domestic media.
Monitoring of human rights, both domestically and abroad.
Making regular recommendations to the President for the maintenance and improvement of these human rights.
Receiving a timely mandatory advance consultation from the Secretaries of State, and of Defense, prior to any engagement of U.S. troops in any armed conflict with any other nation.
Establishment of a national Peace Day.
Participation by the secretary of peace as a member of the National Security Council.
Expansion of the national Sister City program.
Significant expansion of current Institute of Peace program involvement in educational affairs, in areas such as:

Drug rehabilitation,
Policy reviews concerning crime prevention, punishment, and rehabilitation,
Implementation of violence prevention counseling programs and peer mediation programs in schools,
Also, making recommendations regarding:
Battered women's rights,
Animal rights,
Various other "peace related areas of responsibility".

Proposed funding for a U.S. Department of Peace would initially come from a budget that is defined by the prevention bill as, "at least 1 percent of the proposed federal discretionary budget, FY 2008 of which 53% is already allocated to the Department of Defense (budget)". Whether or not the U.S. Institute of Peace would be promoted to a cabinet level position, is not addressed by this bill.

A growing, national movement of citizens continues to actively promote and lobby for this legislation.
The Peace Alliance is the National Organization spearheading the passage of the legislation.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Department_of_Peace

[G_j]

3. something we, and the world desperately need!

but people scoff at peace.

[marions ghost]

5. They might understand

if we were working on it as hard as we work on war.

That's why I support the Dept of Peace concept. We need people actively working on it.

[G_j]

7. I completely agree!

We need it now more than we ever have. A lot of people don't realize that even George Washington envisioned something that would be called a 'Department of Peace'.

[marions ghost]

10. Yes, it is NOT a new idea...

1925: Carrie Chapman Catt, founder of the League of Women Voters, at the Cause and Cure for War Conference, publicly suggested a cabinet-level Department of Peace and secretary of peace be established.[3]
1926/1927: Kirby Page, author of A National Peace Department, wrote, published and distributed a proposal for a cabinet-level Department of Peace and secretary of peace.[4]
1935: Senator Matthew M. Neely (D-West Virginia) wrote and introduced the first bill calling for the creation of a United States Department of Peace. Reintroduced in 1937 and 1939.
1943: Senator Alexander Wiley (R-Wisconsin) spoke on the Senate floor calling for the United States of America to become the first government in the world to have a secretary of peace.
1945: Representative Louis Ludlow (D-Indiana) re-introduced a bill, S. 1237,[5] to create a United States Department of Peace.
1946: Senator Jennings Randolph (D-West Virginia) re-introduced a bill to create a United States Department of Peace.
1947: Representative Everett Dirksen (R-Illinois) introduced a bill for “A Peace Division in the State Department”.
1955 to 1968: Eighty-five Senate and House of Representative bills were introduced calling for a United States Department of Peace.[6]
1969: Senator Vance Hartke (D-Indiana) and Representative Seymour Halpern (R-New York) re-introduced bills to create a U.S. Department of Peace in the House of Representatives and the Senate. The 14 Senate cosponsors of S. 953, the "Peace Act",[7] included Birch Bayh (D-IN), Robert Byrd (D-WV), Alan Cranston (D-CA), Daniel Inouye (D-HI) and Edmund Muskie (D-ME). The 67 House cosponsors included Ed Koch of New York, Donald Fraser of Minnesota, and Abner Mikva of Illinois, as well as Republican Pete McCloskey of California.
1979: Senator Spark Matsunaga (D-Hawaii) re-introduced a bill, S. 2103, "Department of Peace Organization Act of 1979" to create a U.S. Department of Peace.[8]
2001: Representative Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) re-introduced a bill to create a U.S. Department of Peace. This bill has since been introduced in each session of Congress from 2001 to 2009. It was re-introduced as H.R. 808 on February 3, 2009 and is currently supported by 72 cosponsors. In July 2008, the first Republican cosponsor, Rep. Wayne Gilchrest (R-MD) signed on.
2005: Senator Mark Dayton (D-Minnesota) introduced legislation in the Senate to create a cabinet-level department of peace a week after Dennis Kucinich introduced a similar bill in the House.
(wiki)

[G_j]

20. an amazing history lesson

and it's amazing how much resistance there has been. War is a racket...

[marions ghost]

21. The peacemongers have to grow in numbers,

and become louder in the face of the insidious takeover of the US by warmongers.

It goes against the grain of peace workers to fight, but that's what it will take.

[adieu]

11. Like him or not

His vision for world peace is unequivocable. That's why I voted for him in 2008 (yeah it was a meaningless gesture by the time of the general election)

[marions ghost]

18. Yes

Thx for your vote.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

2. Bravo for sanity! K&R

[riversedge]

4. Reminds me of how he wanted a Peace cabinet

position to offset the War department (DHS).

[OilemFirchen]

6. Ths shot heard 'round Cleveland.

This changes everything.

[newthinking]

8. Imagine how different policy might be with a Department of Peace

to advocate for science and push back against the war capitalists.

[dilby]

9. Imagine if he would have been elected, how better the world would be.

Peace and prosperity instead of dead women, children and American soldiers. But lets all start waving our flags because we have to support our President.

[zappaman]

14. Seriously?

I guess he would just wave his magic wand, eh?

[RoccoR5955]

12. Go Kooch!

I would rec this a bazillion times if I could!

[lovemydog]

13. K & R

I support Dennis & Elizabeth Kucinich, not only on this issue but on nearly every issue. If we had a majority in Congress like them for the past 20 years, we'd have peace and prosperity. We'd also be more secure.

[malaise]

15. +1,000

Rec

[Zorra]

16. Dennis and Elizabeth really get it. nt

[brooklynite]

17. Interesting that nobody's put a "Kucinich 2016" avatar on their posts...

...given the neo-con sellouts by Warren and Sanders.

[flvegan]

19. Yes, this.

But then libs, dems, progressives, et al when working towards (what they think is) real change would have soooo much less to bitch about.

So then, there's that.

[Puzzledtraveller]

22. Peace!