October 7, 2001 - Operation Enduring Freedom - America's 10-Year War Continues

[sad sally]

On October 7, 2011, the United States will have been at war for ten years.

Let's mark the occasion by making a clamour for peace so loud that Congress, the president, and big media will have to pay attention.

October 7 happens to fall on a Friday this year. If you get to choose, Friday is not necessarily the most strategic day to make a national clamour for peace, because 1) Congress will likely not be in session 2) Friday is, in general, a crummy day to try to get media attention and 3) even if these two things weren't true or relevant, Friday is not a great day to try to hold public attention. People's thoughts are turning to the weekend, and then the weekend erases the chalkboard.
---
So let's mark the occasion on Thursday, October 6. Let's have a national, "ecumenical" day of action for peace: to end the wars and cut the military budget.

By "ecumenical", I mean this: everybody will "worship" in their own way. People who are willing to call Congress, will call Congress. People are willing to go to demonstrations, will go to demonstrations. People who get active online will get active online. But everybody who wants peace will do something for peace on October 6. In the comments below, tell us what you are going to do to act for peace on October 6.

Call Congress: right now, the Congressional "Supercommittee" is considering proposals to cut the US government debt by $1.2tn over ten years. One obvious choice: end the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and cut the military budget. Poll data shows that when you ask people "if the supercommittee cuts the budget, where should they cut?" military spending walks to victory. But the military contractors and war profiteers, who have grown fat from ten years of war spending, are pressing Congress not to cut the military budget and to cut your Medicare benefits instead.

If you do nothing else for peace on October 6, call at least one of your representatives in Congress - particularly if they are on the Supercommittee - and tell them to end the wars and cut the military budget. The Congressional switchboard is 202-225-3121.

http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/opinion/2011/09/201192894524354274.html?du