Sunday, December 28, 2008


Michael Kramer and Ken Dalton accepting peace award from Lisa Marie Palmieri in Jersey City on December 27. Chapter 21 received the award from the Jersey City Peace Movement in recognition of our activism for peace and justice. Kramer, chapter secretary, is an I.D.F. veteran of the 1973 Arab-Israeli war; Dalton, chapter president, is a U.S.N. veteran of the Vietnam war.

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Sign Up to Bring NJ National Guard Home

PETITION: Bring New Jersey's National Guard Home From Iraq
SPONSOR: New Jersey Peace Action, endorsed by Veterans for Peace Chapter 21
DESCRIPTION: In June 2008, President Bush ordered the deployment of nearly half the NJ National Guard to Iraq. With the deployment, many local families have been disrupted and are suffering financial and emotional hardships and our State’s ability to respond to emergencies has been greatly impaired. The war in Iraq has resulted in the deaths of over 4,118 American service men and women, with costs exceeding $1.5 trillion, $16,500 for each American family of four—already too great a cost.We, the undersigned, call on our elected officials in the NJ State Senate and Assembly to pass the resolution currently before the Legislature to order the return of NJ National Guard members, limit the service of the Guard within NJ and to withhold consent from further deployment of the NJ Guard to Iraq unless lawfully called into service under a valid and subsisting authorization from Congress.

To participate, please visit http://njpon.org/petitions/sign.php?pid=72.
Please share this with your lists.

Monday, November 24, 2008

Now More Than Ever, Our Activism Is Needed

Dear Members and Friends of VFP Chapter 21

Now that the crazy season is over and Barack Obama is the new President Elect, the question of "Where do we go from here?" has come up many times. I have also heard many voices of discontent by Obama supporters who are now upset over the people Obama has either appointed or may appoint to his new administration like Rahn Emanuel, Hilary Clinton or Joel Klein. There is also a feeling that Obama may be backing off his commitment to end the Iraq occupation due to the amount of hawks that are being brought into this new administration in order to placate neocons and republicans.

Well, this past Saturday, November 22, which was my 57th. birthday, I treated myself to a conference at William Paterson University sponsored by the Young Democratic Socialist of W.P.U. There were several fine speakers on the three panels in this program including Greg Palast, author of "Armed Madhouse" and John Perkins, author of "Confessions of an Economic Hitman". The main message all the speakers on the panels I attended was that the changes we're all hoping for won't come from Obama or the Democrats in Congress. Those changes will have to come from us!

I'm sure many of you remember me saying time and time again that we should not depend on or put too much faith in the Democrats. Once again, I'll repeat that message. Barack Obama will not end the Iraq occupation or find a resolution to the situation in Afghanistan. That is unless, we keep the heat on him, just like we did with Bush and the Republicans.

So if any of you thought our job was done by getting Obama elected President or by getting a sizable Democrat majority in Congress, you better think it over again. If you thought that you could forget about the anti war vigils, marches or demonstrations, you got another thing coming. NOW, MORE THAN EVER, OUR ACTIVISM IS NEEDED! NOW ISN'T THE TIME TO PUT AWAY OUR BANNERS AND SIGNS BUT INSTEAD, IT'S TIME TO KEEP THE HEAT ON! In fact, we'll probably need to turn it up a few notches. So don't get too comfortable, get more active! Change will only happen if all of us make it happen!

Peace and Solidarity,

Ken Dalton,
President Alan Reilly-Gene Glazer Chapter 021
Veterans For Peace, New Jersey
Life Member, Vietnam Veterans Against the War

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Message from VFP 21 President

Dear VFP Chapter 021 Members and Friends

Well we did it. We changed the course of the country away from the policies of the last eight years towards a new course that hopefully will bring a new era of peace and prosperity. Actually, the problems we all have been experiencing over the last eight years actually began with Ronald Reagan and his aggressive foreign policy based on military force and a domestic policy based on selfishness and greed.

For most of us, the Iraq war was the straw that broke the camel's back and the motivating force behind our activism. How many marches, vigils and demonstration have we participated where we had to deal with cold winter winds, hot summer sun, humidity, snow, sleet and rain? How many time have we been called traitors, unamerican or had our past service to this country questioned? Through it all we stood together and changed the attitude and opinions of our fellow citizens, laying the ground work of this new revolution.

As president of the Alan Reilly-Gene Glazer Chapter 21, Veterans For Peace, New Jersey and a life member of Vietnam Veterans Against the War, I would like to salute each and everyone of you for your courage and persistence in this struggle for our nation's soul.

Please be warned that the results of the November 4th election will not be the end of our efforts, but only the end of the beginning. There will still be so much more to accomplish and gains that will have to be protected. The forces on the right are only wounded, not eliminated. They'll be back with more vigor and viciousness to impose their will and promote the wishes of Wall Street and the military industrial complex. Therefore, take a few days off to celebrate your hard earned victory and I expect to see you all back on the job next Monday.

Until then, peace and solidarity.

Kenneth Dalton,
President Alan Reilly-Gene Glazer Chapter 21
Veterans For Peace, New Jersey
Life Member, Vietnam Veterans Against the War

Saturday, November 1, 2008

VFP Chapter 21 Endorsement

JEWS UNITING TO END THE WAR AND HEAL AMERICA: ORGANIZING FOR ACTION
SUNDAY NOV. 23, 9:30AM-5PM
Central Synagogue, 123 East 55th Street, between Park & Lexington Avenues, NYC

Join hundreds of domestic and international policy, human and civil rights, peace and Jewish community experts and activists from across the nation for a daylong call to conscience and strategy session focused moving the incoming Presidential Administration---whichever it will be---to end the war in Iraq, attend to pressing domestic issues and shift to a saner foreign policy.

Speakers and workshop panelists include:

Rabbi Rebecca Alpert, Temple University; Diane Balser, Brit Tzedek V’Shalom; Jan Barry, Veterans for Peace; Jeremy Ben-Ami, J Street; Lawrence Bush, Jewish Currents; Leslie Cagan,
United for Peace and Justice; Rabbi Nina Beth Cardin, Baltimore Jewish Environmental Network; Jeff Cohen, Park Center for Independent Media; Penny Coleman, author; Adrienne Cooper, Workmen's Circle/Arbeter Ring; Je!rey Dekro, founder The Shefa Fund; Liza Featherstone, journalist and contributing editor to The Nation; Rabbi Marla Feldman, Commission on Social Action of Reform Judaism; Gary Ferdman, Common Cause; Emmaia Gelman, Center for Working Families; J.J. Goldberg, The Forward; Amy Goodman, Democracy Now; Cantor Jonathan Gordon; William Hartung, New America Foundation;!Honorable Elizabeth Holtzman, former Congresswoman, author and attorney; Mark Johnson, Fellowship of Reconciliation/Olive Branch Interfaith Partners for Peace; Rokhl Kafrissen, Jewish Currents; Rabbi Rachel Kahn-Troster, Rabbis for Human Rights-North America; Esther Kaplan, The Nation Institute; Robert Kaplan, Workmen’s Circle/Arbeter Ring; Melanie Kaye/Kantrowitz, scholar and poet; Rabbi Peter Knobel, Central Conference of American Rabbis; Charles Komano!, Carbon Tax Center; Steve Kretzmann, Oil Change International; Brad Lander, Pratt Center for Community"Development; Rabbi Ellen Lippmann, Kolot Chayeinu/Voices of Our Lives; Myriam Miedzian, author; Sammie Moshenberg, National Council of Jewish Women; Congressman Jerrold Nadler, (D-NY); Sue Niederer, Goldstar Families for Peace; Michael Ratner, Center for Constitutional Rights; Lilly Rivlin, Meretz USA; Rabbi Or Rose, Hebrew College; MJ Rosenberg, Israel Policy Forum; April Rosenblum, author; Rabbi David Saperstein, Religious Action Center"; Basya Schecter and “Pharaoh's Daughter”; Marty Schwartz, Workmen's Circle/
Arbeter Ring; Rabbi David Shneyer, Am Kolel; Dan Sieradski, Jewish Telegraphic Agency;
Dara Silverman, Jews for Racial & Economic Justice; Greg Speeter, National Priorities Project;
Ann"Toback, Workmen’s Circle/Arbeter Ring; Rabbi Arthur Waskow, The Shalom Center;
Rabbi Simkha Weintraub, Rabbis for Human Rights-North America.

Panel discussions and strategy workshops on:

-Building a Jewish Anti-War Activist Network
-Confronting the War in the Jewish Community: A Historic Moment of Opportunity
-Domestic Economic Consequences of the War and Peace
-Healing Veterans, Their Families and the Families of the War Dead
-Impacts of the Iraq War on Human Rights and Civil Liberties in the U.S.
-Impacts of the Iraq War on Peace and the Broader Middle East
-Oil, War and Climate Crisis
-Takhlis: Jewish Values, Texts and Organizing with Rabbis and Synagogues
-The Media and Changing Jewish Public Opinion

For further information:
jewsunitingtoendthewar@circle.org / 212-889-6800 ext. 274
Or register online at: www.circle.org/jewsuniting

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Veterans' Poetry at Puffin Cultural Forum

Friday, November 7, 8 p.m.
POETRY: Vets Against War
Puffin Cultural Forum
20 Puffin Way, Teaneck, NJ
201-836-3499

Vietnam veterans Jan Barry and Gerald McCarthy will headline this evening of anti-war poetry and solidarity with our veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. Other poets include Dayl Wise, Thomas Brinson, Jim Murphy, Walt Nygard, Sam Weinrab, and Michael Embrich.

This will also be an open mic event emceed by Walt Nygard (VP of Veterans for Peace, Northern NJ, Chapter 21). Free and open to the public.

For more information and directions: http://www.puffinfoundation.org/forum/forum_new/home.html

Saturday, October 11, 2008

Turning Military Uniforms into Art


A thought-provoking project by a band of Iraq veterans is to gather a group of vets and students at local colleges and shred military uniforms into handmade “combat paper”—which is then inscribed with images or messages designed by the vets.

For instance, Drew Cameron printed a poem over photos of a soldier shedding his uniform, titled “You Are Not My Enemy.” His work appears in a collection of poetry and art titled Warrior Writers: Re-Making Sense, published earlier this year by Iraq Veterans Against the War.

The Combat Paper Project is bringing this creative take on war memories to New Jersey on November 10-15 at Rutgers University in New Brunswick. Garden State vets are invited to participate in the workshops, which are free, at the Brodsky Center for Print and Paper.

“Veterans of wars in Iraq, Viet Nam, World War II and Bosnia, have contributed so far,” says Cameron, an Army vet of the Iraqi campaign who has helped lead more than a dozen such workshops across the country. “From each new participant, I take a piece of fabric and mix it into the lineage pulp. This pulp is then mixed in with each new batch of pulp, so a little piece of each vet’s uniform is in every new piece of paper made.”

Many of these recycled works of art have been shown in a number of art shows and galleries around the country. But the biggest artistic impact may be on the vet who shed the uniform. “The Combat Paper Project gives vets a chance to fight back against their trauma — taking the horrors of war from the battlefield into the studio, sharing their experiences with other veterans, and remaking those experiences into something entirely new,” writer Julia Rappaport noted in a perceptive news report (“Scars & Stripes,” 9/25/08) in the Boston Phoenix.

“The story of the fiber, the blood, sweat and tears, the months of hardship and brutal violence are held within those old uniforms. The uniforms often become inhabitants of closets or boxes in the attic. Reclaiming that association of subordination, of warfare and service into something collective and beautiful is our inspiration,” says Cameron, who founded the Combat Paper Project in Burlington, Vermont with fellow artist Drew Matott.

Cameron, Matott and other papermaking veterans will be at Rutgers November 10–15 at the Judith K. and David J. Brodsky Center for Print and Paper in the Department of Visual Arts, Mason Gross School of the Arts, 33 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick. They will conduct a combat paper workshop from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday through Wednesday with area veterans and students, followed by an evening of readings and performances on Friday. To sign up, call 732-932-2222 ext 838 or email Cameron at drewcameron@combatpaper.org.

For more information: http://www.combatpaper.org/index.html

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Another Move to Bring NJ Soldiers Home

The Teaneck town council sent a message this week to Washington that it wants the NJ National Guard out of Iraq. Last month, about half of the state’s National Guard members began shipping out to Iraq, many for a second tour in the war. As host community for a National Guard armory, Teaneck has debated the war since the Bush administration invaded Iraq. Reflecting the course of that debate, the council voted 4-3 on Tuesday to support a bill in the state legislature that calls for keeping the National Guard in the state, unless Congress declares war.

“I think it is part of our responsibility to advocate on behalf of our residents,” Mayor Michael Feit replied to a councilman who questioned the legality of local government addressing a national issue. Councilman Adam Gussen said he felt the message the council majority wanted to send should be directed to Congress, but not via a local resolution in support of a state bill. A local American Legion leader spoke against the resolution from the audience, arguing that "it does not reflect the entire township" and in particular members of his veterans' group.

Teaneck’s resolution was based on one passed by Highland Park in August. The municipal resolutions support bills introduced earlier this year by state Senator Loretta Weinberg (SJR55) and Assemblywomen Connie Wagner and Valerie Huttle (AJR89). The bills challenge Bush’s authority to order National Guard troops to Iraq, arguing that the U.S. Senate’s 2002 authorization to use military force in Iraq has expired.

Paula Rogovin, a leader of Military Families Speak Out, Bergen County and other peace activists in the audience applauded the Teaneck council vote. The next step, Rogovin said after the meeting, is to lobby state legislators to hold hearings and approve the National Guard bill.

“The premise of the bill is simple,” Weinberg said last month as she joined peace activists outside the Teaneck Armory to present a petition with over 4000 signatures to a representative of Governor Corzine that calls for keeping NJ’s National Guard in New Jersey. “The National Guard was called up under an Iraqi threat posed by Weapons of Mass Destruction. There were no weapons, and Iraq’s military has been defeated. There is no threat left for the National Guard to defend us from."

For more information: http://www.bringhometheguard.org/

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

WE NEED YOU

Vets for Peace, Military Families Speak Out, NJ Peace Action and other peace groups are mobilizing a campaign to bring National Guard units home from Iraq. The next step is to seek resolutions of support from local governments for a bill in the New Jersey Legislature to challenge the Bush administration's misuse of the National Guard in prolonging a reckless war. Activists in Teaneck plan to raise this issue with the town council next week.

WE NEED YOU.
On September 23, we will call on the Teaneck Town Council to pass a resolution of support for Senate Joint Resolution 55, a resolution in the NJ State Legislature. SJR55 explains that the 2002 Congressional Authorization for the use of the National Guard in Iraq has expired and insists that the Governor take action to bring the NJ Guard Home from Iraq NOW and keep them and their equipment here for the safety of the people of NJ (and other states when necessary). We all know that THE NJ NATIONAL GUARD IS A LOCAL ISSUE. It's time for the Teaneck Town Council to take a stand. Of course, we continue with our larger demands: Support the troops, Bring all of the troops home now, Bring the contractor army (of 180,000) home now, take care of our troops when they get here.

Please let us know if you will attend the meeting and if you are willing to speak during Good and Welfare. Please respond to this by hitting reply. Thanks.
_______ Yes, I will attend the September 23 meeting of the Teaneck Town Council. 8:00 pm. Municipal Building. Teaneck Road and Cedar Lane.
_______ Yes, I will speak about this resolution during Good and Welfare.

We are continuing the petition drive calling on other municipal and county governments, as well as members of the NJ Legislature and Governor Corzine to support legislation SJR55. Let us know if you would like to get your municipal government to introduce a resolution. To get more information, sign on-line or download the petition, and get a copy of SJR55 go to www.bringhometheguard.org or www.bergenjustice.net. Please return completed copies of the petition at the Wednesday vigils.

George (age 95!), a World War II veteran, and member of the Wednesday vigil, has been concerned about the numbers of troops wounded in Iraq. Here is some data and a link to www.anti-war.com/casualties. The exact numbers are not known. Injuries such as PTSD and traumatic brain injury, depleted uranium poisoning from US weapons, are not even counted. American Wounded: Official: 30,634, Estimated: Over 100,000.

Peace NOW!
Paula Rogovin, Military Families Speak Out, Bergen County. www.mfsobergencounty.org
paula.rogovin@verizon.net

Saturday, August 23, 2008

Action to Keep National Guard in NJ

After no one at the governor's office a week ago Friday would accept copies of the petition to keep New Jersey's National Guard from deployment to Iraq, Jack Donnelly, Policy Advisor to Governor Corzine on Military and Veterans' Affairs, agreed to accept the petitions at the weekly peace vigil at the National Guard Armory in Teaneck on Wednesday, September 3.

In a press release, petitition organizers also asked that vigil participants "please bring school supplies, baby supplies, and/or food for the Family Assistance Center at the National Guard Armory. Many of the families are really hurting during the deployment of their loved ones."

Activists at the vigil will also describe their efforts to gather support for a bill currently in the NJ State legislature, Senate Joint Resolution 55, which instructs Governor Corzine to refuse to send the Guard to Iraq and to return any Guard currently serving in Iraq to New Jersey. The legal basis for this resolution is explained in SJR55. "The New Jersey National Guard, now in Iraq, must be recalled and returned with their equipment to the Garden State immediately to serve the needs of the people of the State during emergencies," said Paula Rogovin, of Military Families Speak Out, Bergen County.

"Governor Corzine has legal grounds to order our National Guard to return home immediately," said Leigh Davis, a NJ coordinator of Keep the National Guard Home - It's the Law. "We want him to stand up and do what should have been done last October - reject an illegal order. States across the nation have legislation pending to return full control of their National Guard troops to the Governors."

"The war in Iraq has wreaked havoc on the U.S. troops (4138 killed and tens of thousands wounded) and contractors (1,200 killed) and on their families who face financial hardship and ruin, and who are left to support loved ones returning with PTSD, alcoholism and high rates of suicides," said Madelyn Hoffman, Director of New Jersey Peace Action. "The Federal Government is sending our National Guard personnel to be prison guards in a powder-keg situation," said Hoffman. "Instead, our NJ Guard members and their equipment should be here in New Jersey to protect the people of New Jersey in case of emergencies. Now is the time to work round the clock to bring all the troops home as quickly as possible."

For more information about the state and national efforts to de-federalize the National Guard, please visit www.bringhometheguard.org or www.bringtheguardhome.org.

People can also sign a petition supporting SJR 55 and contact their state legislators to demand the Guard be brought back from Texas to New Jersey, by visiting www.bergenjustice.net.

Monday, August 18, 2008

NJ National Guard Update

On Friday, a delegation from around NJ went to Trenton to deliver petitions with over 4000 signatures calling on Governor Corzine to take a stand NOW to keep the NJ National Guard here in New Jersey. After months of trying to set up a meeting with the Governor or his staff, there was no one at his office who would meet with us about the issue or even accept the petitions. One staff member, after much prodding, agreed to help set up a meeting. While the Gov claims to oppose the use of our National Guard in Iraq, he has done nothing at all to try to keep them here to serve the needs of the people of NJ. What a disgrace!

Please take time in the next several weeks to collect signatures on petition and flyer for the campaign cancel the deployment of the NJ National Guard and to bring them back to New Jersey where they belong. It will be available at the Wednesday vigil and at www.bringtheguardhome.org. We hope you will make copies and go with friends to supermarkets, street fairs, concerts, etc. to collect signatures. On Tuesday, September 23, we plan to go to the Teaneck Town Council to urge them to support the NO New Jersey National Guard in Iraq – Keep NJ Safe! resolution which has been introduced in the NJ State Legislature. If you want to introduce a resolution in your town council, please let us know, and we’ll support that effort.

Peace NOW!

Paula Rogovin,
Military Families Speak Out, Bergen County
www.mfsobergencounty.org

Saturday, August 16, 2008

New Cold War

The administration has been poking a stick in Russia's eye for years. Why do we need missile sites in Poland and Czechlovakia? The stated justification is "protection from Iran." Ludicrous. Has Iran got a beef with Poland? More likely, it is the neo-con policy of continuing projection of US power; yes, let's get another war going.

Friday, August 15, 2008

Abolish NATO Now!

Dear Chapter 21 Members and Friends,

Not long ago somebody asked me what we'll do once the Iraqi situation is resolved. My reply was that ending the Iraq war is only the beginning. We would still have a tremendous task ahead of us like ending militarism in the U.S., promoting peace and justice, etc, etc.

One thing that was on my mind at that time was the NATO problem. To begin with, NATO was formed during the "Cold War" to check the alleged expansion of the Soviet Empire and counter the combined military might of the Warsaw Pact. As all of you know, the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact are now relics on the junk heap of history. One would have thought that NATO would been on that same junk heap, but that was not the case. Instead, there's been a bipartisan effort by the U.S. Government to expand NATO into Eastern Europe and beyond, including former Soviet Republics like Georgia. Please note that the cost of this expansion is being paid for by U.S. taxpayers. In addition, Georgia was slated to become a NATO member in the very near future in return for supplying two thousand troops to Bush's war of aggression in Iraq.

The question I have is what would have happened if Georgia were already a NATO member? Would the United States be required to declare war on Russia? Would the Caucasus be the ignition point of a global conflagration like Bosnia was in the last century. I for one believe that expanding NATO into that part of world, or for that fact anywhere, makes the likelihood of a much larger war a very serious possibility. Therefore, I hope all of you will seriously consider adding the abolishment of NATO to your list of things to do as far as promoting peace and justice worldwide.

Peace, Justice and Solidarity,

Ken Dalton, President
Alan Reilly-Gene Glazer Chapter 021 Veterans For Peace, New Jersey
Life Member,Vietnam Veterans Against the War
EN2, U.S.N. 1970-74 USS Monticello LSD 35 USS Grand Canyon AR28