This seems important and direct to me. Maybe it does to you, too!
From AfterDowningStreet.org:
On Thursday, April 29, 2010, a “Teach-In on Capitol Hill,” was held in Room 2168 of the Rayburn House Building, in Washington, D.C., dealing with the question of what the U.S. Congress must do to end the U.S. Wars and secure a peaceful Middle East. Rep. Dennis J. Kucinich (D-OH) served as the moderator. On the panel were: David Swanson, Chris Hedges, Ann Wright, Jeremy Scahill, and Josh Stieber. You can view the entire 80-minute teach-in by clicking here.
Funding an escalation of war in Afghanistan with $33 billion is:
illegal,
immoral,
against the public will,
economically catastrophic,
counterproductive on its own terms, and
a cynically motivated intentional failure
READ WHY
1. Call Your Congress Member at (202) 224-3121 and tell them that you will vote against them if they vote to fund an escalation in Afghanistan. Sure, their opponent could be worse, but not much, and decent representation will only be possible if representatives fear the public more than they fear the funders, media, and parties.
2. If they tell you they want to vote for aid to Haiti or some other lipstick included in the bill, tell them those things can pass separately and constitute no excuse. You want a commitment now to vote No no matter what.
3. If they tell you it’s the very last supplemental, tell them you didn’t believe that BS last June and won’t believe it now.
4. If they tell you they want to obey the president, ask them to read the U.S. Constitution and see what’s in Article I. Ask them why they think the framers put the war power in the Congress.
5. If they tell you they want to “support duh troops,” tell them that a No vote merely avoids or undoes an escalation, thus preventing troops from being sent to risk their lives under illegal orders.
6. If they tell you they’re voting for a toothless non-binding request for an exit time-table, tell them a growing causus opposing the funding sends a stronger message and builds toward the ability to actually end the war. Tell them the exit strategy approach, last summer, was rightly delayed until after the funding vote, and then garnered 138 votes, to which the president merely gave a one-finger salute. Let them know that ineffective rhetoric is no substitute for action.
7. Ask them to commit now to whipping their colleagues to vote No. And report on what they tell you at DefundWar.org.
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