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paineinthearse Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Apr-08-06 09:43 AM
Original message
If Hawaii can do it, can Massachusetts?
Hawaii Legislature Takes Steps to End War
By David Swanson

The Hawaii State Senate has passed a resolution "CALLING UPON THE GOVERNOR OF HAWAII TO TAKE STEPS TO WITHDRAW THE HAWAII ARMY AND AIR NATIONAL GUARD TROOPS FROM IRAQ." The resolution is a thing of beauty, has been mailed to the Governor and the President, and can be read at

http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessioncurrent/bills/SR12...

Both houses of Hawaii's legislature are set to vote on a resolution "REQUESTING THE ADJUTANT GENERAL OF THE HAWAII NATIONAL GUARD TO PROVIDE MEMBERS AND VETERANS OF THE ARMED FORCES HEALTH SCREENING FOR DEPLETED URANIUM EXPOSURE AND TO REPORT ON THE SCOPE AND ADEQUACY OF DEPLETED URANIUM STORAGE AND DISPOSAL IN HAWAII." This resolution, too, seems like a good model for other states. Here's the text:

http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessioncurrent/bills/SCR4...

Citizens of Hawaii who have promoted these steps include Karin Gill and Marsha Joyner of CODE PINK, Ann Wright who retired from the diplomatic service in protest the day the war began, Irradiated Veterans, and Life of the Land.
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Dystopian Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Apr-08-06 03:12 PM
Response to Original message
1. YES we can!!!
Thank you so much for posting this! I can't start a thread yet...
I spoke with Paul Shannon yesterday.....
Time to hit the streets again!

http://www.justicewithpeace.org/index.php?target=campaigns&mycampaign=Troops%20Home%20Now

Peace~
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paineinthearse Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Apr-08-06 04:19 PM
Response to Reply #1
2. Dystopian
Welcome to the Massachusetts forum. We need new blood!
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Dystopian Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Apr-08-06 10:00 PM
Response to Reply #2
5. Thank you.....
Glad to be here.....
Plans in the making for a gathering for tax day... this coming Saturday, April 15. We all have blood on our hands with our tax dollars paying for this horrific war...

AFSC has called for events:
http://www.afsc.org/iraq/activism/tax-day.htm

also:
http://bloodonourhands.us.com/demonstrate/index.php

PEACE~
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paineinthearse Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Apr-08-06 04:45 PM
Response to Original message
3. Full transcript
mahina pasted this in the Hawaii forum...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=880240&mesg_id=880240

Here's the full transcript.

THE SENATE S.R. NO. 128
TWENTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2006 S.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII
SENATE RESOLUTION

CALLING UPON THE GOVERNOR OF HAWAII TO TAKE STEPS TO WITHDRAW THE HAWAII ARMY AND AIR NATIONAL GUARD TROOPS FROM IRAQ.

WHEREAS, the Legislature strongly supports the men and women who serve in Iraq and recognizes the sacrifices that each of them are making for our country; and

WHEREAS, in October 2002, the United States Congress adopted a joint resolution to authorize the use of United States armed forces in Iraq; and

WHEREAS, the joint resolution was based upon false information regarding Saddam Hussein's involvement in the attacks of September 11, 2001, the immediacy of the threat Iraq posed to the United States, and the existence of weapons of mass destruction; and

WHEREAS, the majority of Americans are troubled by the direction the war in Iraq has taken since its inception and support the withdrawal of United States troops; and

WHEREAS, despite public sentiment against having troops remain in Iraq, there has been no exit strategy proposed by the Bush administration; and

WHEREAS, Hawaii has met the call of duty by having the highest ratio of Hawaii Army National Guard members on active duty of any other state in the Union; and

WHEREAS, the costs of deployment to our Hawaii `ohana have been high, as firefighters, police officers, nurses, mechanics, teachers, doctors, dentists, pilots, lawyers, legislators, and working people from all segments of our society have had to leave their jobs and their lives behind; and

WHEREAS, deployment of Hawaii Air and National Guard members has had other negative impacts, not only on the soldiers themselves, but also their families; and

WHEREAS, these negative impacts include the loss of life, the destruction and disruption of families, mental distress, financial hardships, career interruptions, and the disruptions of daily civic life; and

WHEREAS, these costs and negative impacts would be better understood and more acceptable if there was a immediate and credible threat to our nation, but such costs and negative impacts cannot be tolerated where no such threat exists; and

WHEREAS, Hawaii is one of the most isolated archipelagos in the world, far removed from interstate emergency relief; and

WHEREAS, there is strong reason to believe that the war in Iraq and the federalization and deployment of Air and Army National Guard members may render the remaining Guard force in Hawaii unable to carry out its responsibilities to our State in the event of a hurricane, tsunami, volcanic eruption, other natural disaster, a terrorist attack, or even a health crisis, such as an outbreak of the avian flu; and

WHEREAS, the Pentagon has announced that in 2006, the Air and National Guard's role in the war in Iraq and in Afghanistan are to be reduced from over fifty percent to twenty percent; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2006, that the Governor is called upon to take steps to secure the withdrawal of all Hawaii Air and Army National Guard members from Iraq; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Governor, the President of the United States of America, each member of the Hawaii Congressional delegation, the President of the Hawaii State Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
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unhappycamper Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Apr-08-06 04:47 PM
Response to Original message
4. To be honest, I'm still fuming about the mis-managed effort
last fall to get an initiative on the Massachusetts 2006 ballot. We had 5+ weeks and needed only 60,000 signatures. IIRC, we ended up with around 25k. Grrrrrrr.
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Dystopian Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Apr-08-06 10:25 PM
Response to Reply #4
6. I agree....
Edited on Sat Apr-08-06 10:30 PM by Dystopian
I can't even remember when/where I first heard about it, but I thought we'd get enough signatures. It was mismanaged for sure!
You're still fuming...and I was bummed out for a very long time...
I'm hoping that this time around will be different. I received a letter from AFSC. They're getting coordinators from each district. 200 signatures from each district should be easy...
We need more awareness, advertising and people...
Last time...I heard nothing about it in the MSM.....
The anti-gay marriage people were running all over the place making the news....People getting killed in Iraq, and all they cared about was making sure marriage was between a man and a woman.... They got their signatures....I don't get it....
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paineinthearse Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Apr-09-06 01:10 AM
Response to Reply #6
7. "I don't get it...."
Maybe you can explain the reaction of DU GEN - :boring: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=880240&mesg_id=880240

This is fantastic news of a milestone accomplishment. I don't get it, either.

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Dystopian Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Apr-10-06 08:51 PM
Response to Reply #7
8. Perplexed....
This really is a milestone ~
Also.....I don't understand the 'response' (DU GEN :boring: ).....
(Personally, I get lost in DU GEN...this place is huge)
Every state in the union needs to start at this level, and WE have to be the ones doing it...
Our elected officials>:scared:
My limited knowledge regarding states involved in this ballet initiative comes from the CODEPINK site....it needs to be updated.
I'm not aware of any press coverage during the signature collection events/sites last fall.....
We need to be seen & heard this time!
So thrilled we have another chance at this...

http://www.justicewithpeace.org/index.php?target=campaigns&mycampaign=Troops%20Home%20Now

Everyone! Please call Paul Shannon! We can do it, too!
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Dystopian Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Apr-14-06 07:18 PM
Response to Reply #8
9. TAX DAY~protest/gathering at Central MA post office 4/15/06
Hello~
In a bind as I still can't start a thread.....so might as well reply to myself!
We will be holding a Tax Day gathering in front of the Gardner post office tomorrow from 12:00~2:00 PM.

Please check the following sites:
http://bloodonourhands.us.com/demonstrate/index.php

Action ideas for Tax Day:
http://www.warresisters.org/tax-day_ideas.htm

http://www.afsc.org/iraq/activism/tax-day.htm

Please reply if interested. Also, if anyone would like to start a thread on this, it would be greatly appreciated. Not to be redundant, but it might get more viewing. I am not yet able to email messages to others......Not quite sure how this works, but if long-time posters can email me, please feel free. If someone could also post this on the activist board it may be helpful. It's worth a shot...who knows? :shrug:
PEACE~
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Cos Donating Member (179 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Apr-15-06 12:53 PM
Response to Reply #4
10. That was much too short a time
Getting 60,000 signatures in 5 weeks is a tremendously difficult task. Even 25,000 is impressive. The real problem was that the campaign started too late.
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newyawker99 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Apr-15-06 02:20 PM
Response to Reply #10
11. Hi Cos!!
Welcome to DU!! :toast:
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