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