Glynn Peace press release

Since the Brunswick News seems disinclined to print anything about this event, I'm putting it here:
"PRE-MEMORIAL" SERVICE PLANNED
FOR FUTURE IRAQ WAR DEAD

GlynnPeace, a Glynn County group working to end the U.S. occupation of Iraq and bring home U.S. troops stationed there, is planning to commemorate the U.S. soldiers who will die in Iraq in the time between November 1st of this year and when George Bush leaves office on January 20, 2009.

The action will take place from 11:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. on Gloucester Street in downtown Brunswick, in front of the Federal Building (main Post Office), in which Georgia's First District Congressman, Jack Kingston, has an office. Participants will ring a bell for each of the 2030 U.S. soldiers who will die in Iraq while Bush remains in office and cross them off one by one on posters of simulated faces. The number of projected dead, based on figures obtained from the Iraq Casualties web site (http://icasualties.org/oif/), is 2.5 per day. This average was calculated prior to the increase in casualties in October.

GlynnPeace is inviting all those who want to end the Iraq War and bring U.S. troops home quickly to join them in this "pre-memorial" event. More information may be obtained by calling 262-1274 or e-mailing glynnpeace@bellsouth.net or visiting http://home.bellsouth.net/p/PWP-glynnpeace.

According to organizer Robert Randall, "George Bush has promised that U.S. troops will stay in Iraq as long as he is President. That's another 812 days beginning November 1st. In that time, using conservative casualty rates, we know there will be at least another 2030 U.S. dead, 13,000 U.S. wounded, 27,000 Iraqi dead, and more than $154 billion more dollars wasted. All this just so we can continue to strengthen the radical jihadists and make ourselves less safe!"

In the proposal for this public event, which has been circulated nationally, GlynnPeace adopted November 1st, which is celebrated in some Christian traditions as All Saints Day, as "a most appropriate day for commemorating, ahead of time, those whose names are not yet known, but who will most certainly be sacrificed to George Bush's war in Iraq." The organization is also using the occasion to point out "the very real cost if 'we the people' fail, six days later, to change the leadership of the U.S. Congress." Nov. 7th is election day for all members of the U.S. House of Representatives, including Georgia's First Congressional District, which includes Glynn County.

In a one hour meeting on September 28th with a six-person GlynnPeace delegation, Rev. Nelson, the Democratic candidate for the First District House seat currently held by Kingston, endorsed a GlynnPeace resolution which states "the time has come to end the United States' occupation of Iraq and bring our troops home." The full text of the "Resolution To Withdraw U.S. Troops From Iraq" is online at http://home.bellsouth.net/p/PWP-glynnpeace.

A GlynnPeace delegation had previously met with Kingston, who asserted his support for the Bush Iraq policy and refused to endorse the GlynnPeace resolution. At its October 4th meeting, GlynnPeace adopted a position paper which endorsed Jim Nelson's candidacy for Congress.

"The bottom line," said Randall, "is that Kingston supports the war and will continue the killing, whereas Nelson opposes it. To help end the war, we need to work to change our Representative in Congress."

GlynnPeace member Kelly Dobbin said simply, "I am voting for Jim Nelson because it is time for a change in Washington. Jack Kingston ran on term limits over a decade ago. Time is up."


-Truth is, I said more than that, but y'all know I'm not one for stating anything too simply. I will not be able to make it to this event, as my work on the island precludes a lunch-time jaunt over to Brunswick. I hope some of you can go out to show your support. Here's my suggestion for a protest sign: Side one: "Support the Troops" Side Two: "Bring them Home!"-