Memorial Day '08

Dear GFP members and friends,

We will all be celebrating Memorial Day as a national holiday, but with a uniquely personal twinge as we remember loved ones who have died, and pray for the young men and women who are in danger today on active duty in foreign lands.

The following is the poem that I will read on Sunday at UU. and again on Monday when our local anti-war groups rally in St. Augustine's Plaza de la Costituzione.

Poem by Captain Michal Davis O'Donnell
Killed in Action on March 24, 1970
Republic of Vietnam

If you are able,
Save them a place
Inside of you.
And save one backward glance
When you are leaving
For the place they can no longer go.
Be not ashamed to say
You love them,
Thought you may
Not have always.
Take what they have left
And what they have taught you
With their dying.
And keep it with your own.
And in that time
When men decide and feel safe
To call the war insane,
Take one moment to embrace
Those gentle heroes you left behind.

Peg

Grannies to the Democratic Convention

Dear Anti-War Grannies Everywhere:

Last night, the Granny Peace Brigade in New York held a meeting and decided that we would like to go to the Democratic convention in Denver being held August 25-28 this summer.

Our thinking is that, first of all, it's important to let the Democrats know that we want them to make it a priority to end the occupation of Iraq and bring the troops home as well as stop all threats to Iran. Secondly, there will be huge media presence there so that we will have the optimal chance of being picked up by them and thereby spread our message of peace. We decided that it would be a lost cause to go to the Republican convention, but we might have some influence on the Democrats to achieve our ends.

We are hopeful that we can make this a coordinated national granny action and would like to know if some of you would be interested in joining with us in Denver. A group of grandmothers from all over the country would be a terrific media event, we believe, and would be helpful in applying some much-needed pressure to stiffen the Democrats' backbones, sorely in need of such treatment.

Please get back to me when you've had a chance to think about this and talk among yourselves. Then, we can put our virtual heads together and design our strategy.

Yours in Peace, Joan Wile, Granny Peace Brigade

Celebrating Mother's Day

GRANDPARENTS FOR PEACE

Peg McIntire (pegmcintire@bellsouth.net)

21 Village Las Palmas Circle

St. Augustine, FL 32080-3590

Blog : http://PegMcIntire.Blogspot.com

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can

change the world. Indeed it’s the only thing that ever has. " - Margaret Mead

Dear Mothers, Grandmothers, Daughters, Granddaughters,

SUNDAY, May 11th, 2-3 pm, GAZEBO

Vigil, bring photos and stories to share

Our political activism does not preclude our celebrating Mother's Day. We celebrated last year for the first time. We will celebrate again this year.

If you are in or near St. Augustine next Sunday, May 11th, from 2-3 pm, please join us at the Gazebo in the Plaza de la Constitucion to share photos and stories of our mothers, grandmothers, daughters, grand daughters, and our greats....

.

Peg

MaryLee and Ron Zamora

PS.

• Saturday, May 10th, at 4 pm at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, showing of documentary film Abu Ghrab.
• Tuesday, May 13th, at 7pm at Arla's hom, regular monthly PPJ meeting,
• Saturday, May 17th, 10 to 12 noon, regular 3rd Saturday anti-war rally at the Bridge of Lions.
• Monday, May 26th, Memorial Day protest . Time and place TBA.

Grandmothers Against the War

www.kensingtonbooks.com/itm_img/0806528737.gif

This is to announce the publication of my book, "GRANDMOTHERS AGAINST THE WAR: GETTING OFF OUR FANNIES AND STANDING UP FOR PEACE," with a foreword by best-selling author, Malachy McCourt, on April 29 by Citadel Press. On that date, the book will be available in all major book stores and most independent ones. It can be pre-ordered now or at any time at amazon.com or bn.com.

The first review was published yesterday on democrats.com, afterdowningstreet.com and several other blogs, and isn't so much a testimonial for the book as it is a tribute to the peace grandmothers portrayed. Here's part of the review:

Can Grandmothers End Wars?
By David Swanson

Here is the perfect Mother's Day gift for your mother, your mother in law, your grandmothers, and in fact for the men in their lives as well - who ought to be shamed into action. Joan Wile has published a book called "Grandmothers Against the War: Getting Off Our Fannies and Standing Up for Peace." As far as I know, this is her first book. It is very much an account of ordinary people doing extraordinary things. If more people did the same, we would put an end to war.

Of course, the people in this book are extraordinary, but everyone is, and the actions that Wile recounts this group of grandmothers having taken are actions she describes as fun and exciting. If more people understood that and acted on it, we would put an end to war.

These grandmothers in New York City hold a weekly vigil against the occupation of Iraq. And they mean it. They are protesting the current proposal by the Democrats to "oppose" the occupation by throwing another $178 billion at it. Quick! Quick! Can somebody "oppose" me like that?

The grannies don't just vigil. They generate significant discussion of peace in the media through actions that have included attempting to get themselves recruited at the Times Square military recruiting office. They sat down in front, were arrested, went to trial, put the war itself on trial, and were acquitted, generating more attention all the while.

They've traveled abroad, networking with peace activists, and spreading awareness of the depth of American opposition to our government's crimes.

They've bird-dogged John McCain and Hillary Clinton. And Clinton recently gave peace activists the credit for her defeat.

They've gone to Washington and lobbied for peace. They've performed hilarious and biting song and dance routines. They've inspired and collaborated with grannies around the country and others working for peace. They've knitted stump-socks in rocking chairs in front of the Veterans Administration. If more people took similar actions, we would put an end to war and have more fun at the same time.

In case you did ever doubt that a handful of people can make a difference, that one person can make a difference: READ THIS BOOK. Then go forth and do likewise. And order a copy now for every Mother's Day present you'll need.

Incidentally, the book is very inexpensive -- $14.95 -- so it won't disrupt your budget if you want to purchase it. I can't claim to have authored the literary masterpiece of the year, in all honesty, but if you're interested in a straightforward account of the events leading up to, during and following our notorious arrest and jailing when we tried to enlist at the Times Square Recruiting Center, you'll find it in my book. It's been quite a ride.

I ALSO DISCUSS SOME OF THE NATIONAL GRANNY ACTIONS MOST OF YOU PARTICIPATED IN WITH US

GfP Newsletter - May 2008

To all Grandparents for Peace members and friends:

Want War Waste

What do those three words mean to you? How do you relate them to each other?

They came to my mind on Saturday, April 22^nd, when I reflected on some very interesting booths I had seen at the Earth Day event in St. Augustine.

WANT:

As to be expected, there were several booths with information on social issues: the homeless, the hungry, the poor, the ill -- all disturbing examples of want, of need, of suffering. Each booth had personnel and literature describing the social agency’s program and accomplishments.

WAR:

There was a dramatic anti-war presentation on stage, beginning with a tribute to Stetson Kennedy, acclaimed author and peace activist. This was followed by an award of $500 to a graduating senior of St. Augustine High School, Leda Balch. She was the winner of an Essay Contest sponsored by three local anti-war groups, People for Peace & Justice, Grandparents for Peace and Veterans for Peace. The suggested theme for the 500 word essay was taken from a song by the popular musician and anti-war activist, Michael Franti:

“We can bomb the world into pieces,
We can’t bomb it into peace.”

The 17 year old winner read her essay (attached) which began by comparing today’s fractured world with a l000 piece jigsaw puzzle, with no picture on the cover of the box to show what the finished picture would look like. She finished on a positive note. “We, the determined youth of this day and age, will find those pieces and put them together. We will find peace.”

WASTE:

And the third dreadful word, waste. There were half a dozen booths and tables showing not just the negative but the potential for avoiding waste with energy saving, water saving, and other home appliances within our grasp. We do not need costly high tech installations. Simply turning off unnecessary lights saves electricity. Turning off unnecessary running faucets saves water. Recycling and reusing prevents waste. It behooves each one of us to stop and think and make a list of what we can do. And lastly, we should write our elected officials and ask them to sponsor legislation to provide incentives via tax reductions and subsidies for new construction and for upgrading existing homes, schools, and public buildings. These suggestions, and many others, will provide employment, boost the economy, and reduce waste, assuring a cleaner and better world for generations to come.

Calendar

The photograph of the May 2008 calendar , distributed by Syracuse Cultural Workers, is a poster of a farmer with the wording “Los Campesinos del Mundo Aplastaran La Globalizacion:” Kyang Hae Lee was one of 120 Korean famers who protested in 2003 at a World Trade Organization meeting in Mexico. He climbed to the top of a barricade and stabbed himself in the heart in profound testament to the crushing burden so-called “free trade” policies placed on the world’s small farmers. In India, Korea, China, Mexico and elsewhere they face ruin as domestic markets are forced open to imports of cheap (read subsidized) staples like cotton, rice, soybeans and corn from the European Union and the U SA. He said: “My warning goes out to all citizens that human beings are in an endangered situation…that uncontrollable multinational corporations and a small number of big World Trade Organization members are leading an undesirable globalization that is inhumane, environmentally degrading, farmer-killing and undemocratic. It should be stopped immediately.” Does this sound familiar ?

Thursday, May lst, according to the Peace Calendar distributed by the Syracuse Cultural Workers, is not only International Workers Day, but also May Day ,and ushers in Asian/American Awareness month, as well as Beltane (a Festival of Fertility, Wiccan and Pagan.)

In May,1830 Mary Harris (Mother Jones) was born. She was an anti-war activist, agitator, and inspirational union organizer.

In l958, President Eisenhower declared May lst Law Day in a pathetic attempt to subvert a radical labor holiday.

May 10th is World Fair Trade Day. Free trade is FAIR only to multinationals. We can’t stop corporate globalization, but we can reduce it by looking for the label and buying FAIR TRADE CERTIFIED products which combine a fair price with rigid environmental standards for farming families, thus raising the standard of living for millions of people around the world.

In 1932 on May 25^th, thousands of World War 1 veterans marched in Washington, DC, demanding promised war benefits.

This year, Monday, May 26^th, is Memorial Day. And in St. Augustine, PPJ (People for Peace and Justice), Grandparents for Peace, and Veterans for Peace, will celebrate with a silent vigil across the street from the Record. We will have a flag-draped coffin and our white wall with the names of the Floridians who have died in this infamous war in Iraq. Time to be announced. Please join us for this special vigil, and for our rallies on the first Friday May 2^nd, and the third Saturday, May 17^th, at our usual site in the Plaza della Costituzione .

Honor the warrior, not the war.

“Those wearing the uniform must know beyond any shadow of a doubt that when refusing immoral and illegal orders, they will be supported by the people, not with mere words, but by action.”

Lt. Ehren Watada, U.S.Army, Iraq War Resister

Peace to All.
Peg

Puzzle Peace by: Leda Balch

Let me start out by thanking my preceding generation. Thanks for the puzzle you will be leaving my generation to put back together.

It is too bad that we don’t know what it should look like. There is no picture on the front of the box to guide us. There is no memory of how it used to look before you decided to break the picture up and start the puzzle over again. This is because we have never seen the puzzle all together. Maybe because the “adults” that run this world never knew how to keep it together. And a few years down the road we will be inheriting this unsolvable puzzle. Or so it seems to be unsolvable considering no one has been able to find a solution to it yet.

But I am here to change all of that. My generation is constantly growing more aware of the changes that need to be made in today’s world. Awareness leads to proactivity. Proacvitity leads to change. And the motto, be the change you wish to see in the world, is becoming ever more prevalent.

The pieces of this global puzzle seem to have been misplaced underneath the sofa cushions of life. And when we should be looking for those lost puzzle pieces, we are out there starting a new puzzle. This is not right.

What are you trying to teach the young people of the world? I thought that setting a good example for the youngsters was most important. After all we will be in your shoes one day, and then what? How many new unfinished puzzles will there be for us to complete? Or will we be too preoccupied with starting our own puzzles?

You are teaching us that if something is lost it cannot be found. You are teaching us that if something is too hard, simply give up and try something else. What kind of solution is that? No solution, I’d say.

You can do, and surely are doing what you want. You can try to bomb the world to peace, but you will only created more pieces for us to pick up. You can scatter those pieces of the puzzle across the globe. You can hide those unfinished puzzles under all of your supposedly charitable organizations. But we, the determined youth of this day and age, will find those pieces. We will find all of those unfinished puzzles and put them together again. And when we put them back together the finished picture will show a healthy state of being worldwide.

So I say, children of the world UNITE! Turn over those sofa cushions! Sweep under those bookshelves! Move furniture around! Because if nothing gets turned over and swept up and moved around, nothing will ever be found.

I know it looks bleak. I know that it seems like trying to put together a one-thousand piece puzzle of a blue sky, but do not despair. We will find the pieces. We will find peace.

Grandmothers hungry for peace

Hello All,
Here is what happening in Chico, CA.
Peg

April 17, 2008

1000 Grandmothers are getting rockers greased, and stomachs prepared for the Close the SOA Fast which will occur on April 23-25 in the Downtown City Plaza. Fasters and supporters will be in the plaza during the hours of 10am – 3pm, on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

The grannies and others will be in their rocking chairs offering information about the former School of the Americas, collecting quilt squares, and urging citizens to call Congressional District 2 Representative Wally Herger urging him to vote for House Resolution 1707. The bill before the House budget session this summer will suspend the funding of the school until a full investigation into documented abuses is reported and acted upon.

A walk/caravan to Mr. Herger’s office at Philadelphia Square on Thursday at 11am will include the giant puppet grandmother and companions featured in the city plaza on March 15^th. Trinity Methodist Church pastor David Moss will conduct a teach-in on fasting for social justice at the Congressman’s office. Rev. Moss fasted at Mr. Herger’s office for over two weeks last fall to call attention to the injustice of the Iraq War.

The Grandmothers organized in 2006 to join the annual protest and vigil at the gates of Ft. Benning, Georgia to demand the closure of a controversial school housed on the U.S. Army base. At that protest grandmother CathyWebster was arrested for trespassing and served two months in Sacramento County Jail. In a previous year, another Chico grandmother, Dorothy Parker, trespassed in protest at Ft. Benning and served two months in federal prison at Dublin, CA.

Cosmetic changes and slick public relations tactics have not addressed the fundamental issues in its deeply disturbing history, including its use of "torture training manuals" and the records of human rights abuses by many of its graduates. It remains a combat training school that provides dangerous skills to countries with serious on-going human rights problems despite attempts by the congressionally-mandated Board of Visitors to address some of the concerns that have been made over the years,” said Webster.

The School of the Americas, renamed the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation in 2001, is a US-taxpayer funded military training school for Latin American soldiers located in Georgia.

1000 Grandmothers is a national coalition of grandmothers and others taking direct action to close the School of the Americas/WHINSEC.

For more information on the SOA/WHINSEC, visit http://www.soaw.org/

GfP Newsletter March 2008

Dear GFP member and supporter,

Today is Saturday, Feb. 15th, the 75th day of 2008. There are 201 days left in the year.

Did you know this is "Buzzard Day"? The day the buzzards return to Hinckley, Ohio.
Trivia, yes.

But there are highlights on Feb. 15th in history: The most recent was today's funeral march that our anti-war peace groups (PPJ - People for Peace & Justice), GFP (Grandparents for Peace) and Vets for Peace) carried out on St. Augustine's busiest tourist street downtown (St. George Street) and along the Bayfront. A coffin, draped with the American flag, was carried by four black-robed persons, accompanied by solemn drumming. There were signs, of course, and flyers, and NO arrests. Tomorrow we will have the coffin and flyers about the Winter Soldier project on the sidewalk outside of the Cathedral. Hopefully NO arrests. And Wednesday evening, from 5-7, we will be at the Gazebo in the Plaza de la Costituzione
with a silent vigil reminding everyone that 5 years ago, the U.S.A. began the immoral war against Iraq -- a war not only based on lies, but continued with lies and deliberate misinformation. When will it ever end?

Some interesting historic events:

On March 15, 44 B.C Julius Caesar was assassinated by a group of nobles that included Brutus and Cassius.

On this date:

In 1493, Crhistopher Columbus returned to Spain, clncluding his first voyage to the Western Hemisphere.

In l920, Maine became the 20th state.

In 1943, President Wilson met with reporters for what has been described as the first presidential press conference.

In l956, the Lerner and Loewe musical "My Fair Lady" opened on Broadway.

In l964, Elizabeth Taylor married Richard Burton. It was her 5th marriage, his 2nd.

Ten years ago, Dr. Benjamin Spock, whose child care guidance spanned half a century, died in San Diego at age 94.

Five years ago, protesters in Washington, D.C. and around the world, demonstrated against plans for a war with Iraq.

One year ago, in the Senate, Republicans easily turned back Democratic legislation requiring a troop withdrawal from Iraq to begin within l20 days.

When will the Iraq war ever end?

What can you do to stop the war? Stay informed. Talk to your elected officials. Write letters to your local newspaper. Vote for Obama. He is not the perfect idealist by any means, but (in my opinion) he will do the most to slow down the military industrial complex, to convert it to environmentally sustainable production, to prevent a new arms race, and to heal our domestic and foreign policies. (Obama for America, P.O.B. 892708, Chicago, IL 60680.)

On the legislative front, the National Campaign for a Peace Tax Fund - 501c(4) remains a priority for me. Melani Hom, the Communication & Outreach Director, says: " I challenge you to reflect on your religious and/or ethical beliefs, and begin to continue to live out what you believe as true. Through your financial support, you can help us establish vocal strength, a powerful reputation and a realistic angle to achieve our goals." (Address: 2121 Decator Place NW, Washington, DC 20008.)

Have I told you about The Smile Train? It works in desperaly poor countries, like Ethiopia, Inner Mongolia, Rwanda, Bangladesh and Peru, where hundreds of millions of families live on less than $1 a day, Working with local doctors and hospitals, the Smile Train provides free nedical equipment,\and free training. The Smile Train performs free cleft lip or palate surgery on children in these countries, where, in as little as 45 minutes, a child can be given a new smile and a life without shame and suffering. (Address: 26 Fifth Avenue, NYC, NY l0016.)

The Helen Keller Foundation Int'l is the world's foremost non-pofit organization working to prevent blindness and malnutrition. It is a heartbreaking reality that up to 500,000 children go blind each year beause of vitamin A deficiency; 70% of them die within one year of losing their sight. A child goes blind every minute; an adult every 5 seconds. Yet for only $l per year, the HKF saves sight and lives through massive community-based distribution systems.

More than 600 HKL professionals and volunteers work in 23 countries on 3 continents, reaching tens of millions of people every year. (Address: 351 Park Ave.S, NYC,NY. l00l0.)

We have had two outstanding concerts in St. Augustine. The first, a delightful husband and wife, the Castelbays. I met them last summer at the Elderhostel at Campobello. Julia plays a Celtic harp, and Fred plays guitar, fiddle, and woodwinds: "a musical journey through time and across the Atlantic, blending the timelss trad itions of Maine's nautical legacy and its poignant Celtic heritage." They will be back again next spring. Contact me if you would like them to perform in your community.

The second was the internationally famous Anne Feeney, life-long "union maid" labor and peace activist, with an absolutely unique voice and a limitless inspiring repertoire.

Happy St. Patrick's Day, Ides of March, Winter Soldier, and soon -- Easter.

Peg

GfP Newsletter - January 2008

Dear GFP member and friend (maybe you'll join this go around)

2007 : It's history
2008 : It's up to us

Our protests, our demands, our tax money, our votes will determine the future.

I said 2007 was gone, but it cannot be forgotten. It never will be, because some terrible things occurred for the first time, and some terrible things continued, and some never happened at all. But, more importantly, some good things happened and should be recognized.

Finally there is a strong possibility that a woman or a black man might become president!

Despite the lack of media support, the demand for impeachment grew phenomenally. (I have found Kucinick and Wexler the strongest advocates.)

Death by legal injection was abolished in New Jersey, and the issue is being studied in a number of other states.

The old slogan "Think globally; Act locally" took on greater significance in the USA and in many other countries, where local peace and justice groups flexed their muscles, pressured their representatives, and got results!

Grandparents for Peace members were wonderfully active throughout the year. They worked with and gave financial support to state and national organizations, including ACLU, the Florida Coalition for Peace & Justice, Amnesty International, Southern Poverty Law Center, Global Network against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space, Veterans for Peace, the SOA Watch, the Baracoa-St. Augustine Friendship Association, and more.

GFP members in St. Augustine frequently attended City and County Commission meetings, worked with and gave financial assistance to PPJ (People for Peace & Justice), CIA (Citizens in Action), the St. Francis House (for homeless), Betty Griffin House (for abused women), Council on Aging, the Food Bank, Habitat for Humanity, PUSH (People United to Stop Homelessness), and more.

Together with PPJ and Vets for Peace, we held 1st and 3rd Saturday morning anti-war vigils all year long at the foot of the Bridge of Lions. We held several special events in the Plaza, including Mothers Day, Fathers Day, Tax Day and Constitution Day.

Representing GFP, I went to Miami to attend a Florida Coalition event, an art exhibit of a fabulous anti-war mural by Vietnamese artist, Anna Huong. I was thrilled to see the same mural later, this time at the University of North Florida, in Jacksonville. I represented GFP at the Florida Coalition Convocation in St. Petersburg; at a Pax Christi gathering in Gainesville with Bishop Gumbleton; at several Wage Peace events in Jacksonville, at Bridges Across Borders in Gainesville; at the SOA, Ft. Benning,GA, where I walked and wailed with hundreds of white-kerchiefed Grannies and my beautiful wounded baby doll.

Finally, at a fitting end-of-the-year gathering at Crooked River State Park, St. Marys, GA, some of us sneaked off to Cumberland Island (to visit the Carnegie estate and see the wild horses), but returned in time for the communal banquet. Some 50 or 60 peace activists came from N.E. Florida and Georgia to share their food and stories. This was followed by the traditional candle-lit walk to Kings Bay Naval Base, home to some dozen vicious Trident Submarines.

Personally, in January I had 10 glorious days in Hawaii (I loved the lava); then there were a few difficult months until I recovered enough to visit Bruce and Mary Beth for a busy week in Maine, followed by a lovely week with Elderhostel at Campobello, Bay of Fundy (where I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the summer home of Eleanor and FDR (both of them have long been my heroes) exploring the lighthouses, seeing whales, and meeting the residents of the community. I always recommend an Elderhostel vacation. I went again to the Peanut Festival in Plains, GA, and again enjoyed Jimmy Carter's Sunday School lesson. This year, though, either his health or his security guard prevented his playing the traditional baseball game: but he threw the opening pitch.

It's fun living in St. Augustine. Lots of concerts (the pier, the plaza, the college and home concerts) Lots of art and archeology. I work Mondays at the Candle Shop, I tape oral histories of the clients of the Council on Aging on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and Wednesday and Friday afternoons I play duplicate bridge. Sundays I go to the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, which has interesting programs, a good Social Concerns Committee, and feeds us fabulously on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.

The year 2008 is off to a great start. Together with PPJ and Vets for Peace we did a die-in on St. George Street one Saturday, and put up a clothesline with Bush's Dirty Laundry on another. We plan to host Anne Feeney. We will be participating in the MLK events. This week we will launch our Peace Scholarship Competition - 500Words = $500. The essay theme is from Michael Franti's song: "You can bomb the world into pieces. You can't bomb it into peace." We are helping plan Earth Day, April l9, and the Gamble Rogers Music Festival in May.

Which brings me to a reminder that dues are due. $l5 for an individual, $25 for a family.

Checks should be made out and mailed to Grandparents for Peace, 21 Village Las Palmas Circle, St. Augustine, FL, 32080. Thanks in advance.

Perhaps you would like a financial report before writing your check. Here goes:

Opening balance, Jan. 2007 $161.69
+ Dues & Contributions l,685.00
- News letters, donations, misc. 1,539.40
Closing balance, Dec. 2007 $ 307.29

Commitments: $50 Earth Day, $50 Scholarship Fund. $25 Anne Feeny, $50 reserve fund.

If anyone of you wants a detailed itemized report, don't hesitate to ask. Transparency is the name of the game.

2008! Make it a good one. For yourselves and for every living creature, every where.

Peg

GfP Newsletter - Christmas 2007

1. THANKS and GREETINGS

Without your support, Grandparents for Peace could not exist. Forgive the collective thanks and greetings, but please know that each one of you is very dear to me. And I wish each of you a happy, healthy, adventure-filled New Year.

2. I think you know that for the last two years, I have been volunteering and taping oral histories at the Council on Aging. Yesterday I distributed 125 Hug Coupons. Now here is one for you!

"A hug has...

No moving parts, no batteries, no monthly payments and no fees.
It is inflation-proof and non-taxable. In fact, it is quite relaxing.

It can't be stolen, won' t pollute, One size fits all, will not dilute
It uses little energy, but yields results tremendously.

Your circulation corrects, without unpleasant side effects.
It's the best prescription drug. There's nothing like a simple hug.

AND OF COURSE IT IS FULLY RETURNABLE!

The above coupon entitles bearer to One Free Hug, redeemable from any participating human being.

3. CONTRATULATIONS

Irania Martinez Garcia of Guantanamo, Cuba, received a CNN Heroes award in the "Defending the Planet" category. She transformed a toxic dump in her hometown into an eco-friendly "Garden of Eden". Her name and project were submitted by the St. Augustine-Baracoa Friendship Association, with which my son and daughter-in-law, Jo and Sali, have been intimately involved.

4. KUDOS TO GRANNIES

Especially to those who participated in or supported the white-kerchiefed grannies at the SOA (School of the Americas/Assassins) Watch demonstration at Fort Benning, GA. We were a very visible group and I think impacted strongly on the attendees, particularly the youth.

5. ACTIONS and EVENTS

In November, GFP and PPJ (our local People for Peace & Justice) executed a dramatic die-in on St. Augustine's most traveled tourist street, St. George. In December, together with PPJ, we did effective street theatre with two members dressed as Bush and Cheney. Next month we will have a clothesline art exhibit entitled "Bush's Dirty Laundry" with a host of signs and boxer shorts.

New Year's weekend,, GFP will be celebrating together with activists from all over Florida and many from nearby Georgia, at Crooked River State Park, St. Mary's, GA. This is the site of the largest Trident Submarine Base. After a communal banquet, from 9-11 on New Year's Eve we hold a 3-mile candle-lit walk from the town's center to the naval base, then chant, pray and dance around a small fire to bring in the New Year. Our goal is to transform the military facility into a Peace University.

On January 3rd, GFP (together with the Social Concerns Committee of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship) will present Bruce Gagnon, the founder and director of Global Network against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space. Andy Johnson, who hosts a progressive radio talk show in Jacksonville, will be MC and facilitator of the question and answer period, and Catherine Archer, guitarist and vocalist, will sing "The Sound of Silence" and "Imagine".

6. SCHOLARSHIP

GFP and PPJ are offering a $500 scholarship to a graduating high school senior. The suggested essay theme is taken from a song by Michael Franti..."You can bomb the world into pieces but you can't bomb it into peace." The award will be presented on the stage of the newly renovated Amphitheatre on Earth Day.

7. CHRISTMAS BY THE NUMBERS

Are we a religiously pluralistic society? According to a poll conducted by Newsweek and reported in Folio last week, 85% of Americans identify themselves as Christian (63% Protestant and 22% Catholic) , Jews and Muslims each make up 1% ( perhaps a little more with updated polling, 4% did not designate their religion and 6% profess to believe in nothing, So in order to be politically correct, we should all wish the majority of our fellow Americans a Merry Christmas -- and all the rest a Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanza, Bid al Adha, Bodhi Day, Zarathishi Diso, Winter Solstice, Human Light and Epiphany.

To each of you, again, my thanks and very best wishes.

LET THERE BE PEACE.

Peg

Please mark your calendars: A POSITIVE VISION

Bruce Gagnon, founder and coordinator of Global Network against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space, will speak at the UU Fellowshp on Thursday, January 3rd, at 7 pm.

Gagnon has traveled to and spoken in England, Germany, Mexico, Canada, France, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Japan, Australia, Scotland, Wales, Greece, Japan and India. He has addressed thousands in churches and college campuses. He has written for numerous magazines, hosted many cable TV shows, and is presently working to update his book "Come Together Right Now. "

The logo of Global Network is "Keep space for Peace...not for War."

Gagnon will bring news and views of our space program - inventions and experiments, cost and threats - and this will lead to a discussion of the Iraq-Iran situation. Even more importantly, Gagnon promises to conclude with a positive transformative vision for the future.

Gagnon combines a great deal of technological information with a down-to-earth spirtuality, respect for humanity and love for the planet.

Following the talk there will be time for discussion, and time to enjoy refreshments.

The event is co-sponsored by the Social Concerns Committee of the UU Fellowship and Grandparents for Peace, St. Augustine. There is no admission charge but a donation will be requested.

For further information, Internet www.space4peace.org,

or
Peg McIntire, phone 904 471 1986..
Member , Social Concerns Committee of UU Fellowship
Coordinator, Grandparents for Peace, St Augustine

GfP Newsletter - November

November 11, 2007

Dear GFP members and friends,

In one way I can't believe 2007 is so close to ending. In another way, I can hardly wait for 2008 to begin. IT HAS TO BE BETTER! Maybe the occupation of Iraq will be greatly diminished. Maybe the threat of war on Iran will die out. Maybe a Democratic administration will enact laws to help the homeless, the uninsured, and the unemployed. Maybe the culture of our society will transform itself from one of violence to one of non-violence. Maybe we, the people, will take back our civil liberties.

Is that too much to hope for? Too much to strive for? I don't think so. We have been angry too long. Now its time for us to change our ANGER into ACTION.

I am proud of our organization, GRANDPARENTS FOR PEACE, and proud to be an affiliate of GRANDMOTHERS FOR PEACE. Every day, several times a day in fact, my Email brings updates about our participating in the upcoming SOA event, the weekend Nov. 16-18, at Fort Benning, Georgia. Some 20,000 peace activists from across the nation, and from Central and South America, will demand that the infamous military School of the Americas (now euphemistically called Western Hemisphere for Security Cooperation) be closed. I will be going with Renee Mintz and Judy Schekel. I’m looking forward to seeing the white-kerchiefed 1,000 grannies. Join us. If you can't come, write or phone your Congressmen. The governments of Venezuela, Costa Rica, Argentina and Uruguay have all announced that they will no longer send students to rain at the school of the Americas… Bolivia looks set to cut its ties with the school, as does Ecuador.


I am proud of our local PPJ (People for Peace & Justice) who have vigiled every first Saturday for more than six years. Yes, we began before the war, in an effort to keep it from happening. In recent months we have added a vigil on every third Saturday.

We've delivered our anti-war message at several large rallies and numerous holiday events, including Christmas and Easter parades, Mothers' Day and Fathers' Day. This coming Sunday, Veterans Day, we will wear black, gather the Gazebo in the Plaza, then stage a die-in on St. George Street. The following day, again in black, we will hold a funeral procession at the entrance of the Flagler College Auditorium prior to the concert, "Tribute to Veterans". This bit of street theater is not to entertain, but to HONOR those who have lost their lives not only in the current war, but in past wars as well. Our mission is to promote peace. Grandparents for Peace works with People for Peace & Justice and Veterans of America toward this end. Members include Gina Burrell,Stetson & Sandra Kennedy, Mary Lawrence, Renee Mintz, Diana Smith, Judy Sharpe, Ron & Mary Lee Zamora, and others.

Since my last letter, I was asked to represent GFP at several events. An unusual one was a Council of Elders luncheon at North Florida University in Jacksonville. John Linnehan and Stetson Kennedy were also invited. Student activists asked questions about each of our peace activities and organizing techniques. They all expressed surprise that we had pursued peace-making for so many years, that we had not gotten discouraged, or burnt out.

On October 24th several GFPers attended the regional anti-war demonstration in Orlando. Among these were Mary Claire, Al Geiger, June Aplen, Nancy & David, Bernie Welsh, and Rita Lucey. Keynote speaker was former Democratic Sen. Gravel from Alaska, a presidential candidate who was eliminated from a recent Democratic debate by BBC (owned by General Electric) because he had not raised enough campaign money. He spoke out against the corruption in both parties and the need for financial and judicial reform. I called for the impeachment of both Bush and Cheney.
The crowd was particularly responsive to my reporting how Florida taxpayers could have provided health care to four MILLION people, eight Million homes with renewable electricity could have been constructed, and two HUNDRED THOUSAND music and arts teachers could have been employed in Florida schools -l -- had we not squandered that same amount of money in this disastrous war in Iraq. "Democracy and freedom are a sham when adequate education, affordable housing, and quality health care are less important than bombs and missiles."

At a Pax Christi retreat in Gainesville, Bishop Gumbleton spoke fervently against all war, saying that there was no such thing as a "just" war, and urged all of us to pray and act for reconciliation, reconstruction, and world community. It was wonderful to see Phyllis Jepson, the Mazurs, the Fuchs, Connie, Marilyn Elsen, and so many other GFP members and supporters at this annual event.

On that same day, Annette, Lois, Alice, Judy, Renee and other GFPers attended the Florida Democratic Convention at Disney World. Unfortunately no presidential candidate bothered to come because our delegates to the National Convention will not be allowed to vote (due to the Republican-engineered early January primary).

As the holiday season approaches, our thoughts turn to gifts, I have two suggestions. The first is a donation to the HEIFER PROJECT. A twenty dollar gift certificate will buy a chicken for a family in Kenya. The second is a subscription to SUN MAGAZINE which I enjoy every month, and read every word. You can get more information about each of these from the Internet.

I turned 97 in October. That makes me a Libra. According to one horoscope, “The most enterprising side of your nature is ready to express itself and you are more ambitious than ever”.
If this means more eager to fix the world, she’s right. But time is flying. It is elusive, hard to catch, impossible to hold on to. My desk is a mess, my body is succumbing to gravity, my mind is full of things I want to do. I need more time…..

Peg

Grandmothers March Again - Close the SOA

1000 Grandmothers March Again In Georgia November 18 Calling For Closure of Controversial Training Facility for Latin Americans

St. Augustine’s grandmothers are joining grandmothers across the nation in preparation for the annual mobilization to close the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation/ School of the Americas (WHINSEC/SOA) at Ft. Benning, Georgia on November 16-18, 2007.

The grandmothers and their supporters will join tens of thousands of people at the US Army base to bring attention to the notorious training facility and to demand closure of the school.

Last year a campaign to bring 1000 Grandmothers to the gates of Ft. Benning began in Chico, California. Thousands of white-kerchief’d grandmothers swelled the throng at the demonstration, voicing “Presente!”. Six grandparents trespassed on the base in an act of nonviolent civil disobedience. Each spent time in prison, with sentences ranging from 2 to 6 months.

Despite a shocking human rights record, this school continues to operate with US taxpayer money. America’s grandparents are neither afraid, nor hesitant to speak forcefully to what they clearly see: our own nation divided, militaristic and subsidizing other nations’ militarism. As shepherds of the next generations we have a stake in how our country relates to the rest of the world.”

Inspired by the Holly Near song “1000 Grandmothers” that calls on the strength, wisdom and courage of the elders to end violence, grandmother Cathy Webster of Chico, California relayed the call to the grandmas of America . Webster served two months in jail for her actions with fifteen others at the military base during the demonstration in 2006.

The School of the Americas, now called Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation, made headlines in 1996 when the Pentagon released training manuals used at the school that advocated torture, extortion and execution. Despite this admission and hundreds of documented human rights abuses connected to soldiers trained at the school, no independent investigation into the facility has ever taken place. New research confirms that the school continues to support know human rights abusers.

More information about the School of the Americas can be found on the SOAWatch website at www.soaw.org.

I spoke at the demonstration at the gates of Fort Benning last year and will be going again this year. I hope you might consider joining me. It’s an important and inspiring event.

Thanks.
Peg.

GfP Newsletter - July 2007

Dear GFP member, and Friend of GFP

I can't believe it is halfway thru August already. Time flies. I hope you have been having fun, because I have been very happy!

In addition to PPJ vigils and rallies, Homeless Coalition meetings, concerts at the pier and at the plaza, and acquarobics in the condo pool, I have just had two wonderful weeks away.

The first was with Mary Beth and Bruce in Maine. As most of you know, they coordinate Global Network against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space. Very busy organizing an international week of protest to stop the Militarization of Space, Oct 4 - 13. Their flyer reads:

"Is this the world we want? Satellites, giant
romes, radar installations watching for military
targets everywhere? Cruise missiles,
weapons in space, global strike capacity from
US bases around the globe?

For more information, see their web www.space4peace.org Bruce will be in Bradenton on Jan. lst. He is a powerful speaker, with a powerful message. I will trey to set up a local venue for him here.

From there I went to an Elderhostel at Campobello, on the Bay of Fundy (Canada). It was held at the International Franklin D. Roosevelt Park. We were suffused with stories and anecdotes about FDR and Eleanor and their five children. I had always known of their commitment to Peace & Justice issues, but hearing and reading about Eleanor, especially, made me appreciate her as a woman, wife, and mother with a delightful sense of humor. My favorite joke:

"They named a rose after me, and I was very
flattered until I read the following description in
the catalogue: 'Not good in a bed, but fine up
against a wall.'"

The Elderhostel group was composed of 28 intelligent people from many parts of the U.S. We had a beautiful facility, marvelous food, a variety of workshops (the bog, the tides and fog, shells and rocks, the salt and salmon industries, folklore & music), and one glorious day on a windjammer schooner where we saw whales, porpoises, and seals. What made this experience different from other Elderhostel programs that I've been on was the amount of interaction with members of the Campobello community, so we learned of their efforts to preserve the lighthouses, to restore buildings, and to protect their environment. They are fighting hard to prevent a Natural Gas project from being permitted on their precious shore.

Now, I am back in Florida and thinking of the agenda for Grandparents for Peace. The 1st & 3rd Saturday anti-war vigil has been held at the Bridge of Lions for 6 years! At our last PPJ (People for Peace & Justice) meeting, we voted to move to Walmart, and set up a table so we could meet and talk with people, instead of just standing & waving signs.

For the third year, GFP together with PPJ will offer a scholarship essay contest. Instead of giving one high school senior $500, the decision was made to give $l00 to a winner at each of the seven high schools. I volunteered to undertake the marketing, i.e. contacting the guidance counselor or dean at each school, asking each one to promote the contest, and give us the name of the winner, so that on Earth Day, we will have seven winners up on the stage of a new Amphitheatre in St. Augustine.

August l9 GFP will attend a Bridges Across Borders event in Gainesville, FL.. Some of you know that BAB is especially active in Colombia and Panama.

August 25 and 26, GFP will be represented at the first meeting of the new Board of Directors of the Florida Coalition for Peace & Justice in
Gainesville, FL..

November l6-18 is the big School of the Americas Watch at Ft. Benning, GA.. We are getting closer to victory each year. It is an important one-of-a kind international event, so come while you can.

And please consider planning to spend the long New Year's Eve weekend at the Crooked River State Park facilities - near Kings Bay, GA.

Before closing, I want to bring to your attention once again the organization Compassion & Choices.

"When faced with the possibility of uncontrollable suffering and loss of autonomy at the end of life, people need help to understand their situation and choices. They need guidance to navigate the medical system and achieve a peaceful, humane ending. Compassion & Choices has met these needs throughout the nation for 14 years. No one who comes to us will suffer in their dying or chose a violent course or die without loved ones present because they have no other choice. We affirm that no end-of-life decision, including aid in dying, is secret or shameful."

I think this is a pretty unique service which merits our support. Their address is P O Box 101810, Denver, CO 80250,

Read. Act. Enjoy.

END THE WAR NOW!

Peg

Fathers’ and Grandfathers' Day

PEACE AND IMPEACH

Sunday, June 17th from 2-4 pm.
Gazebo, Plaza de la Constitucione

Sponsored by Grandparents for Peace, St. Augustine

Bring photos, letters, poems, and memories to share. Bring your daughter, mother, wife, grandmother, and great-grand.

It will be the first time that this important holiday has been celebrated publicly in St. Augustine. Men deserve more than ties and meals. Women couldn’t produce babies without them. There are more men than women in Congress.

We must tell Congress how we stand: We stand for PEACE AND IMPEACH!

This event is open to all. It is suggested that women wear pants and ties. For info, call 471 1986.

History of Father’s Day- Sonra Louise Smart Dodd of Spokane, WA, started the observance of the Father's Day on the 19th of June, in 1910. She wanted to express her thanks to her own father, who had reared her on his own, since the death of her mother. Her father, Henry Jackson Dodd celebrated his birthday in June, thus, she chose this month to celebrate the holiday.

3,000 dead in Iraq

Dear GFP Members and friends,

I am forwarding (as an attachment) a very beautiful, very sad letter from Lorraine Krofchok, President of Grandmothers for Peace International (of which we are an affiliate, as most of you already know).

I cannot think of anything to add to her message. I did light a candle and will try to light one every evening until the war and occupation are over. I hope some of you will join the nationwide candle ritual. It will bond us to each other and strengthen our peace-making efforts. Ultimately our mission will be to assure appropriate honor be given to the returning troops, and adequate care to the many who will need it.

Peg


Dear Grandmothers for Peace:

It is yet another sad day for America and families of the now 3,000 dead. What a way to end the year of 2006...

Heart wrenching, devastating, outrageous, misery, depression--whatever you are feeling, it has been an awful year and an awful three years, almost four into this "war". Bush has his revenge, Saddam is dead. Was it worth it for all the lives lost--Americans and Iraqi?

Has he called his daddy and said "look what I have accomplished!" Iraq is in a shambles, the world hates us, the Iraqi people are leaving their homes and fleeing to other countries. Democracy?

One bully has the other bully dead now. What next? Osama, where are you...

Please light a candle, put a number in your window, attend a vigil, or just reflect on all the lives lost. So many young. They never had a start in life. As I have said so often, "what if the cure for cancer or any other devastating disease has died with one of those minds?" It truly is a sad day.

The name of the 3,000th victim is no more or less important than the 2,452 or the first, they all mattered to someone. Who will be the last?

Call Congress on Wednesday--(202) 224-3121--or your local offices.

Demand an end to this war, no more funds, no more "surge", bring them home!

I understand Tuesday will be a "holiday" for government workers because of the death of President Ford. 3,000 Americans will never have another holiday.

Peace to all of us,
Lorraine

GfP Schedule - May 2007

To all GFP members and friends:

A quick reminder:

Tonight, Friday May 4th First Friday art walk in St. Augustine.

This weekend, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, May 4, 5 and 6 -- Gamble Rogers Folk Festival at the new Amphitheatre on Anastasia Blvd.

Monday, May 7th. Guest speaker from Nicaragua, Sarah Woodruff, at my condo, Ocean Gallery. potluck at 6, slide show and discussion from 7-9.

Tuesday, May 8th. The regular 2nd Tuesday night PPJ meeting. 6-8 pm. my condo.

Sunday, May l3th, Mother's Day gathering at the Plaza, 2-4 pm. Bring a poem, or a flower, or a photo of a loved one.

Saturday, May l9th The regular 3rd Saturday morning rally, downtown St. Augustine, 10-noon.

Sunday, May 20th My favorites: Nightfall, at Kingfish Grill, from 4-7 pm.

And again, on Wednesday, May 23, at the Beach Pier, a free concert, from 7-9.

For information about any of these events, call 471 1986, or my cell 501 4494.

I'll be looking for you.

Peg

GfP Newsletter - April 2007

Friday, April 27, 2007

Dear GFP members & friends:

A reminder:

Tomorrow Saturday April 28th is IMPEACH DAY. in St. Augustine (and many other places across the nation). From 10 to 12. Great timing as it follows closely on the Kucinich Resolution to impeach Cheney. Thank you, Mr. Kucinich. I say IMPEACH BOTH OF THEM. Join us in the downtown Plaza de la Constitution. Bring signs, bring a friend, bring your kids. Spell it out!

Monday, May 7: A Guest activist from Nicaragua: potluck at 6, slide show and discussion from 7 to 9. My condo, 21 Village Las Palmas in Ocean Gallery, 4600 A1A South, St. Augustine.

Sunday, May 13. a gentle Mother's Day gathering in the Plaza. Bring a poem, or a photo. Bring your Mom, and your kids.

MODERN-DAY INDENTURED SERVITUDE:

GFP has received an urgent appeal from the Southern Poverty Law Center, asking each of us to write to President Bush, Senators Bill Nelson and Mel Martinez, and Representative John L. Mica.

"For too long our country has reaped economic benefits from the labor of foreign guest workers - but has ignored the incredible abuses they endure: cheated out of wages, charged exorbitant fees to obtain low wage, temporary jobs, virtual enslavement by employers, forced to live in squalid conditions and denied medical benefits."

We can right this terrible wrong. We must reform our immigration system, not by perpetuating the exploitation of guest workers but by acting to insist that strong labor protections are enacted and vigorously enforced.

If you want to support the SPC's work for justice, write letters or email the President and your Congressmen, and/or send a check to the Southern Poverty Law Center, P O Box 548, Montgomery, AL 36177..

COLLEGE DEBTS:

How many of you have children or grandchildren attending or graduating from college, burdened with debt? Last month the N Y Times had an article about this very sad situation.

"Young men and women are leaving college with debt loads that would break the back of a mule," wrote Bob Herbert. "Families in many cases are taking out second mortgages, loading up credit cards and raiding 40l(k) to supplement the students' first wave of debt, the ubiquitous college loan. Bright students have been forced to leave college or never went to college at all. Two-thirds of all graduates now leave with some form of debt. The average amount is close to $20,000. Some owe many times that... In a nation as rich as ours, it should be easy to pay for college. For some reason, we find it easier to pay for wars."

ILLINOIS STATE SEN BARACK OBAMA:

In October of 2002, Sen. Barack Obama said: "I don't oppose all wars. After September 11, after witnessing the carnage and destruction, the dust and the tears, I supported this administration's pledge to hunt down and root out those who would slaughter innocents in the name of intolerance, and I would willingly take up arms myself to prevent such tragedy from happening again.

"I don't oppose all wars. What I am opposed to is a dumb war. What I am opposed to is a rash war. A war based not on reason but on passion, not on principle but on politics."

In the fight with Bin Laden and al-Qaeda, Obama called for an effective coordinated intelligence, a shutting down of the financial networks that support terrorism, and an efficient homeland security program.

He called for a vigorously enforced non-proliferation treaty, for the elimination of all stores of nuclear material, and for the arms merchants in our own country to stop feeding the countless wars that were raging across the globe.

He urged Bush to demand that our so-called allies in the Middle East, the Saudis and the Egyptians, stop oppressing their own people, and mismanaging their economies so that their youth grow up without education, without prospects, without hope, the ready recruits of terrorist cells.

He challenged the Bush administration to wean ourselves off Middle East oil with a creative energy policy, not one that simply serves the interests of Exxon and Mobil.

Today, nearly 5 years later, all of the Democratic Presidential candidates, oppose the war in Iraq, but Sen. Obama's voice is the strongest and clearest. There are many who say he is too young, too under funded, and too inexperienced for the job. Maybe so, but I support his candidacy because I respect his intelligence, his courage, and his values.

How about you?

Peg.

Lorraine's GfP letter

From Lorraine, Director of Grandmothers for Peace International, of which we, GFP, are an affiliate.

Dear Grandmothers for Peace:

Congress is returning from vacation after Labor Day. Welcome them back! Flood their offices with phone calls demanding an end to the US war in Iraq. They hold the power of the purse and we must attempt to give Congress the backbone they sadly lack. Along with your phone calls, please continue to send them post cards.

Look up the war dead at http://icasualties.org/oif/ and put that number in big bold black writing and say "How Many More?" Add any other comments you want. Post cards are best, they go right through and no anthrax testing to delay your message.

Each day I have the sad task of walking out to my whiteboard in front of our home and change the casualty numbers. I have had that board there for over two years. Each time I change the number, it means someone has had that dreadful knock on the door. Each morning is a new emotional experience and empathy for the pain of some family...

George Bush continues to ask for additional funding. It is time to stop throwing our tax dollars away! Bring the troops home now. They will need our help and our care. Remember, they will not be returning to Washington, DC and the Department of Defense will not be taking care of them. They will be returning to our cities, towns, and villages.

WE will have to take care of them. Many will return broken in mind, body and spirit. But, they are ours, all of them. Although only one percent "officially" have loved ones in Iraq, remember, we ALL have someone in Iraq. They are Americans. We need to bring them home. The suffering in our nation and the world will last for years.

Remember, "Silence is Affirmation". We will NOT be silent. The Capitol Switchboard is 202-224-3121

Peace to all of us, Lorraine

Best wishes
Peg

GfP Newsletter - February 2007

Dear Members and Friends,

It seems like yesterday that I sent out the January newsletter. Thanks to everyone who sent in dues and contributions. GFP can't exist without your help .

We get so many appeals for funds. I'm sure you do too. I try to select the smaller but well-administered organizations. During the last quarter of 2006 donations were made to Compassion & Choices, National Glaucoma, Witness for Peace, Global Network, Food for the Poor, SOA Watch, the Carter Center, Nuke Watch, Cushway family (cancer), Jonas Rempert (a goat for a family in Africa) and others. Do you approve? Have you a favorite to suggest?

Grandparents for Peace, in addition to financial contributions, is very active networking with other groups. Our support for the l,000 Grannies at Ft. Benning, Georgia, in November, received lots of good publicity. In order to identify each other, we wore white kerchiefs. I had seen this in Buenos Aires. The core group of Grannies liked the idea and invited me to address the 22,000 attendees. I explained that the Argentine grandmothers used kerchiefs to remind them of their babies. Well, our babies wore diapers, too. But there is a difference.

The Argentine babies "disappeared". They were either stolen or killed or given to a military family, perhaps even to be trained at this infamous School of the Americas. But we in the USA know only too well where our babies went ... to Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq.

Three of the Grannies went through the l8 ft. fence, were arrested for trespassing and sentenced for from 3 to 6 months. Please remember them in your prayers and thank them for their courageous stand against the war, and against the infamous School.

A GFP member sent me the following quote from Walter Sisulu, a Black South African freedom activist, reflecting on his and Nelson Mandela's decision to NOT appeal the death penalty if it had been imposed on them. I think it fits such acts of civil disobedience.

"I was thinking how I must go to the gallows. And I thought I must go singing... for the youth that follow us, so they will know that we went without fear and that we had fulfilled our task in life. We must show that our death would not mark the end, but would be an inspiration to our people."

Other instances of networking:

Many you will go to Washington for the March on the Pentagon on March 17th. We will hold a demonstration on that day, in solidarity with Peace & Justice groups across the country.

We will co-sponsor a reading of Poems for Peace at the UU Fellowship on March 4th. This event is an initiative of Amnesty International and features the acclaimed poet, Sam Hammill.

We will continue to support PPJ (People for Peace & Justice) in their second Tuesday meetings and third Saturday end the war - bring the troops home rallies at the foot of the Bridge of Lions.

We write lots of letters -- sign lots of petitions. Attend city and county meetings about vendors and panhandlers - about the homeless - destruction of wetlands - overdevelopment.

It's a tough world, a very tough world, but GFP will never stop trying to make it better.

"Just when the caterpillar thought his world was over it became a butterfly." Unknown

Thanks again to all of you.

Live, work, enjoy!


I’m home again, recuperating rapidly.

GfP Newsletter - January 2007

January 2007

Dear GFP member, and friends (Hope you will join in 2007):

I don't know how to begin this news letter. I won't bore you with a review, and I don't want to make a whole lot of resolutions, but I promise to try to be just as active and involved in the New Year as I was in 2006.

The fabric of the world is woven out of small gestures. The large ones, like the terrible war in Iraq, just rend the world and leave more to mend. The newspapers, TV, and radio blast us with these stories every day. The small gestures tend to get overlooked. I am grateful to one of our members, Tony Ehrlich, who sent me a report of dozens of small, and not-so-small victories which activists won for human rights and the environment in 2006.

Here are some of them:

. Indigenous people won victories all over the world, perhaps beginning with the inauguration of labor leader Evo Morale as president of Bolivia on January 22nd.
· In July the Nigerian courts ordered Shell Corp. to pay $l.5 billion for compensation of environmental devastation.
· In November the people of the Peru-Ecuador rainforest succeeded in blocking a major oil producer and forced it and the Peruvian government to implement substantial environmental reforms.
· In October a major U.S. citizen achievement was the defeat of attempts to privatize and jack up usage fees on the Internet, despite $200 million in corporate spending on the issue.
· Another grassroots groundswell that mattered was the immigrants' rights marches. In Los Angeles more than a million Latinos and others marched in defiance of the crackdown against immigrants.
· Mexicans rose up in 2006 and the country seems to be on the brink of revolution.
· The Bush administration continued its slide into ignominy. It was a lousy year to be a Republican president, though not nearly as bad as being a U.S. soldier or an Iraqi citizen.
· In September five central Asian nations signed a treaty forswearing nuclear weapons anywhere on their territory.
· Ronald Rumsfeld was obliged to resign after the 2006 elections.
· It wasn't such a great year to be a Free Trade advocate either. The World Trade Organization continued to falter.
· Hugo Chavez's Bolivian revolution continued to evolve.
· Wal-Mart too met with major set backs.
· Late this year even the European Union struck a blow against the reign of corporations (such as Monsanto) when it adopted the Reach Regulation, a set of laws that essentially implements the precautionary principle that corporations will have to prove their chemicals are safe, rather than requiring government agencies to prove they are dangerous.

What all these victories add up to is a message that the grim superpowers of militaries and corporations can be resisted, and that the power of small activist groups, of workers, of citizens, of indigenous tribes, of people of conscience matters.

That's where Grandparents for Peace comes in!

No one person can be concerned for all issues reported, or similar issues. We must each choose our priorities. Then work on them patiently and consistently. Victory will be ours. If I didn't believe that I wouldn't ask you to support our organization. Remember, dues are due! And thanks are also due, for your past, present and future for cooperation.

May 2007 be a healthy and rewarding year for each of you.

Peg

P.S. Checks for dues and/or donations should be made out to Grandparents for Peace, and mailed to me, Peg McIntire, at 21 Village Las Palmas, St. Augustine, Fl. 32080.

Thanks again.