When Alex did not return from Iraq......Take action on Memorial Day

Date: May 22, 2008 at 12:19:34
From: Code Pink, []
Subject: When Alex did not return from Iraq......Take action on Memorial Day

URL: http://www.codepinkalert.org

May 22, 2008

Dear Friend,

This Memorial Day, as we mourn those who have been killed during wartime, we are inspired to work even harder to bring our troops home and stop the next war now.

Our hearts break for the thousands of family members who have lost loved ones in this senseless war. May the words of Gilda Carbonaro whose only child, Alessandro, died from injuries received in Iraq, move you to take action this Memorial Day weekend:

"It still seems unreal that Alex did not return from Iraq, that his bright future was cut short, that his young bride was left a widow.

A silent scream wants to break out of my chest as I contemplate his stark absence and think of the young men and women who will die today and tomorrow to fill the other graves that have been prepared at Arlington.

We do not honor our loved ones by accepting the continued loss of life in a reckless, irresponsible war that has no military solution. We do not honor the troops by standing by indifferently as members of the Congress give their sneering Commander-in-Chief a blank check to continue a war based on a tidal wave of lies and hubris.

We honor the fallen by beginning an immediate redeployment from Iraq and by showing our determination to stop a new war with Iran. We honor the fallen by making sure that those who return from Iraq and Afghanistan receive all the help they need for their education, and their physical and mental health. We honor the fallen by taking action, by making peace."

From May 24-26, CODEPINK and other progressive groups around the country will hang freeway overpass banners calling an end to war. With thousands of motorists hitting the road for the holiday weekend, it's an ideal time to make our message visible and viable.
(for tips on freeway bannering, please go to the bottom of this message).

It's also an ideal time to call (202-224-3121) or plan visits to our Congressional reps, who will be in their home offices May 24-June 1st. We need to let our reps know we won't stand for further war funding. For information on how to organize banner drops, Congressional visits, and other Memorial Day actions, please go to: http://www.codepinkalert.org/article.php?list=type&type=356

Of course our work won't be done after Memorial Day. Come to the Pink House in DC this summer to deepen your activist skill set. Throughout June and July, we'll be holding weeklong action camps that will teach you how to talk to your congressperson, how to reach (and be) the media, how to make the war a key element of the presidential race, along with other fun and mighty activism skills. For complete details about the DC summer schedule, go to http://codepinkalert.org/article.php?id=4113.

May we transform our grief into action every day of the year.

With peace and love,
Alicia, Dana, Desiree, Farida, Gael, Gayle, Jodie, Liz, Medea, Nancy, Rae, Sarah and Tighe

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FREEWAY BANNERING TIPS AND IDEAS

Check out the Freeway Blogger Video: Bright sun shiny day IMPEACH

SLOGANS FOR SIGNS
Honor our Veterans/No More WAR
Honor our Veterans/IMPEACH the War Criminals
Honor our Veterans/IMPEACH NOW!
No more Memorial Days!

HOW TO for Highway Signs (from AustinImpeach.org)
1. Find cardboard (any old box will do).
2. Cut it to the size you want.
3. Paint it white (cheap gallon of white paint - $4-$8)
4. Paint your message in large black letters (at least 9 inches tall to read from freeway). I use an overhead projector to make it look professional - no need to do this.
5. Attach to visible overpasses, telephone/electrical poles, guardrails, parking garages - BE CREATIVE... but remember safety first always!!
6. REPEAT!! And don't forget to take lots of photos!

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS! (From Beachblogger)
Some highway bloggers prefer to make a permanent banner and hold it instead of attaching and leaving the scene. Here's a how to make a fabric banner but remember to sew sand into the bottom if it's going to be windy. Here are also some good tips here if the police arrive.

* Be respectful, but unafraid. We pay the police to protect us. We are patriotic Americans giving up our free time to defend the Constitution, which is under attack by this band of corporate thugs who have been stealing our money to pay for their wars for profit, causing us to be hated around the world, and putting us in danger of further terrorist attack at home.
* If the police order you to remove the attachments you must do so. The law says you are allowed to hold the banner with your hands.
* If they decide your banner is a traffic hazard, you will have to remove it.
* Try to negotiate, citing the huge billboard ads and use of cell phones by drivers. Ask if it would be ok to stay a few minutes longer... just ten or fifteen minutes, and then do as they say. This way you maintain good rapport and they might even look the other way the next time they see you.

MORE POLICE TIPS:
(from freewayblogger)

* Is it Legal? NO & YES!
* Think carefully about your words, movement, body language, and emotions.
* Don't get into an argument with the police.
* Remember, anything you say or do can be used against you.
* Keep your hands where the police can see them.
* Don't run. Don't touch any police officer.
* Don't resist even if you believe you are innocent.
* Don't complain on the scene or tell the police they're wrong or that you're going to file a complaint.
* Do not make any statements regarding the incident.
* Ask for a lawyer immediately upon your arrest.
* Remember officers' badge and patrol car numbers.
* Write down everything you remember ASAP.
* Try to find witnesses and their names and phone numbers.
* If you are injured, take photographs of the injuries as soon as possible, but make sure you seek medical attention first.
* If you feel your rights have been violated, file a written complaint with police department's internal affairs division or civilian complaint board.

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