DELAWARE COUNTY PLEDGE OF RESISTANCE
P.O. Box 309~Swarthmore, PA [email protected]~www.delcopledge.org Fall 2006
disturbing parallels to the current wars Pledge to are inescapable. Reasons for our mili- tary invasion of Vietnam were entirely Screen Vietnam different from those given for the inva- sion and occupation of Iraq. However, one is struck by the similar rhetoric pro- War Film duced by MacNamara and Johnson and that produced by Rumsfeld, Cheney, Sir! No Sir! and Bush.” (All quotes from the Sir! No Sir! website). After viewing Sir! No Sir! recently, by Ron Coburn I listened to a discussion that followed, which was for me a unique and sad ex- Pledge is holding a screening of Sir! No perience. I heard the anguish and fear Sir! on Saturday, October 14, 7 pm, at in the voices of a number of Vietnam Media-Providence Friends School, 125 war veterans, emotions which precipi- W. Third Street, Media, Pa. This is the tated their antiwar activities, including time to see this powerful and disquiet- the killing of their officers. I felt their ing film. It is highly unlikely that this patriotism, their grief for lost buddies, film will EVER be shown by our stan- and their disillusionment. I will never dard media outlets. forget the story of how one U.S. soldier “In the 1960s, an antiwar movement in Iraq was overheard discussing with opportunity to meet and thank them was emerged that altered the course of his- fellow soldiers questions about the ne- powerful. I recommend it to everyone. tory. This movement didn’t take place cessity of this war. He was subsequently The screening of this film will be on college campuses, but in barracks transferred to the U.S. combat force that followed by a panel discussion orga- and on aircraft carriers. It flourished in attacked and destroyed Fallujah. One nized by Bill Perry, who served in Viet- army stockades, navy brigs, and in the veteran communicated his deep sorrow, nam, now with Veterans for Peace. A dingy towns that surround military still palpable today, for his killing role in combat sniper and a medic just back from bases. It penetrated elite military col- Vietnam. The combination of Sir! No Iraq will also be present. Admission is leges like West Point. And it spread Sir!, the voices of veterans, and the free. through the battlefields of Vietnam. It was a movement no one expected, least of all those in it. Hundreds went to prison and thousands into exile. And by 1971, it had, in the words of one colo- Who Got the Button? nel, infested the entire armed services. It was estimated that more than 500,000 Our crack panel of judges has emptied the last mailbag, soldiers took part. Yet today few people pored over each entry, and determined a winner in the know about the GI movement against Pledge “Design a Button” contest! the war in Vietnam. The favorite phrase, submitted by A.N. Other, is . . “Sir! No Sir! is the story of this . . “RESISTANCE: Every Little Bit Helps.” Colorful union-made buttons antiwar movement. This film never men- sporting this slogan will soon be available at Pledge events everywhere. Be tions the words Iraq or Afghanistan but sure to grab yours. And thanks for all your creative contributions!
1 Partnership of the Americas— Blurring the Lines by Marge Van Cleef bill would change the program’s name Venezuela, bolstered with their large to “Regional Defense Combating Ter- supplies of oil and natural gas, have Partnership of the Americas is a mili- rorism Fellowship Program,” allowing already been threatened by the U.S. tary program operating out of U.S. funds to be used to send students to State Department. Cuba has recently Southern Command and implemented civilian educational institutions in the announced a tentative agreement with by U.S. Naval Forces Carrier Strike United States. What is the underlying China for technical assistance in drill- Group 10, embarked aboard the USS goal of this program? ing for oil in Cuba’s half of the Florida George Washington. It is continuing But another reality still stands. Straits, which are shared with the U.S. efforts to “improve training and readi- Certain nations in South America and We need to pay close attention to ness of U.S. naval forces in the region, the Caribbean, in particular Cuba and U.S. military operations in Latin America and enhance interoperability and rela- Haiti, have been targeted for years as and the Caribbean area. tionships with other countries’ civil and strategic to U.S. interests. They have military forces.” Assigned units focus been attacked militarily and economi- on regional “challenges such as illegal cally with invasions and sanctions. Pres- 1 Quotes from U.S. Naval Forces Southern Com- drug smuggling, illegal migration, and ently, outspoken leaders in Bolivia and mand Public Affairs at www.southcom.mil. improving training to ensure a secure maritime domain in the region,” Naval Commander Stevenson said. “Whether the sailors make repairs to a school or hospital in a community relations Travel to Haiti on project or conduct military-to-military training with regional maritime forces, Pledge Scholarship each effort directly supports security cooperation.”1 by Karen Wisniewski Such efforts have taken place in Honduras, St. Kitt’s, and the Domini- The Delaware County can Republic. In May 2006, members of Pledge of Resistance is the Colombian navy visited the George very pleased to an- Washington to conduct bilateral train- nounce an opportunity ing with U.S. sailors who provided the for a young activist to guests with an orientation for operations travel to Haiti on schol- at sea on both an aircraft carrier and arship. We are looking surface combatants. for people in their 20s We might thus conclude that Part- and 30s who have an in- nership of the Americas is a well- terest in Latin America planned attempt to blur the lines be- and the Caribbean, and tween military and civilian goals in the who would like the op- Haitian women show off their voter registration cards. region of the Americas, as described portunity to explore the by the Latin America Working Group’s human rights situation in clude in the request your experience as paper “Erasing the Lines” on foreign Haiti. We would be able to help design an activist, why you are interested in military and police forces the trip to meet the specific interests of Latin America and the Caribbean, and (www.wola.org). They have stated that the person traveling. specifically what you would like to in- “to further the militarization goals, the Upon return from Haiti, we would clude in your itinerary in Haiti. Bush administration’s counterterrorism ask the recipient to be available for With this scholarship program, the program legitimizes the Defense making presentations about the experi- Delaware County Pledge of Resistance Department’s role in foreign military ence and to write an article for our news- hopes to support and encourage young training.” On May 11, 2006, the House letter. activists. We would like to sponsor the of Representatives approved its version If you or someone you know might first trip in the spring of 2007. of H.R. 5122, the 2007 National Defense be interested, please submit your re- For more information, contact the Authorization Act. Section 1024 of this quest to be considered in writing. In- Pledge at 610 -543-8427 or 215 -545-4122. 2 Don’t Spy On Me!
When our government undermines democracy in Haiti, or greases the skids for working people in the name of “free trade,” or baldly lies to justify its wars, we will criticize our government. That’s our re- sponsibility as citizens. When our officials respond by spying, that’s un-American and represents a threat we must challenge.—Pledge statement in support of “Don’t Members of Delco Pledge, Brandywine Peace Community, Catholic Peace Spy On Me!” campaign Fellowship, Darfur Alert Coalition, and Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom participated in the “Don’t Spy On Me!” action. by Brad Bradlee rights to free speech and assembly, we Me!” campaign, we knew it was impor- gathered outside the National Constitu- It is no secret that our government has tant to jump on board. tion Center at noon for a rally launching long targeted dissident citizens with “Don’t Spy On Me!” is a national the campaign. After a short parade to unfashionable views. Police surveil- effort to expose illegal, secret govern- the Federal Building and delicate nego- lance of 1980s Central America affinity ment investigations of dissident groups tiations with security, a delegation de- groups, COINTELPRO’s anti-movement and individuals. The Philadelphia cam- livered our FOIA request to the offices intrigues, state harassment of WWI paign is directed by the Pennsylvania of the FBI and Sen. Arlen Spector. We pacifists—our government’s intoler- ACLU and has brought together 23 lo- await the government’s response. ance of dissent reaches throughout our cal peace and justice groups, including We filed for an “expedited process- history. Today, we read fresh stories of the Delco Pledge. Our organizations ing” of our request because the public robust domestic spying operations— want to know if government snoops has an urgent need to be informed about NSA eavesdropping on domestic calls, have us in their sights, so we thought our undercover government. And be- Pentagon surveillance of “suspicious” we would use a straightforward tactic cause it is clear the government is expe- antiwar meetings, FBI investigations of to find out: we’d ask them. On June 14, ditiously ramping up its Big Brother as- Pittsburgh’s pacifist Thomas Merton “Don’t Spy On Me!” filed a Freedom of pirations. The “Don’t Spy On Me!” Center. It has always been up to ordi- Information Act (FOIA) request to de- launch statement makes it plain: nary people to stand up to this kind of mand that government intelligence official intimidation and speak out for agencies disclose information they The admitted practice of domestic their own rights, so when the Pledge have collected on our groups and our spying, government secrecy, illegal 1 heard about the ACLU “Don’t Spy On legal, peaceful activities. Exercising our detention and even torture, threatens us all. Our constitution must protect all or eventually none will be pro- tected from the suppression of hu- man rights and civil liberties, and the government assault on freedom.
1 “Don’t Spy On Me!” member groups filing an FOIA request included Brandywine Peace Commu- nity, Catholic Peace Fellowship, Darfur Alert Coa- lition, Defenestrator, Delco Wage Peace and Jus- tice, Delco Pledge of Resistance, House of Grace Catholic Worker, Campus Activism, IWW-Phila. Branch, Military Families Speak Out, Northwest Greens, Peace Center of Delaware County, Phila. Regional Anti-War Network, Kensington Welfare Rights Union, Poor People’s Economic Human Rights Campaign, Student Environmental Action Coalition, School of the Americas Watch North- east, Shalom Center, Veterans for Peace-Chapter The Philadelphia “Don’t Spy On Me!” campaign is directed by the Pennsylvania 31, Vietnam Veterans against the War; Women’s ACLU and has brought together 23 local peace and justice groups. International League for Peace and Freedom, WILPF- Phila. Branch, WILPF-Delco Branch. 3 Witness for Peace Delegation toVenezuela
by Julia Graff land reform, health, and education; and The Mid-Atlantic Region of Witness discuss alterna- for Peace is hosting a delegation to tives to current U.S. Venezuela from January 11-21, 2007. policies and ways The theme of the delegation is to advocate for “Venezuela’s Allocation of Natural Re- more just policies. sources and U.S. Foreign Policy: Is ‘An- The price of other Way’ Possible?” This delegation this ten-day delega- President Chavez giving land titles and farm machinery offers opportunities to understand the tion is $1,350, which to farmers in the southern state of Apure. impact of U.S. policies toward Venezu- includes meals, ela; meet Venezuelan workers, commu- lodging, interpret- nity activists, political dissidents, ers, transportation within Venezuela, non-refundable deposit of $150 is due labor organizers, scholars, and business and extensive reading materials and as soon as possible to reserve your people to discuss the economic, social, activist tools before and after the del- place. and political issues confronting Ven- egation. The fee does not cover airfare For more information and an appli- ezuela; learn about grassroots resis- to and from Venezuela. Some cation, please contact the delegation tance to unjust global economic trends; fundraising assistance is available. Stu- leaders, Julia Graff, 202-494-0560, witness the innovative social programs dents may be able to arrange to receive [email protected], and Nancy Gwin, of the Chavez administration, including academic credit. An application with 315-422-4689, [email protected].
tance to globalized economic violence. Learn How U.S. Intervention Cost: $1,399 + airfare covers all lodgings and most meals, transporta- in Venezuela Works tion, and program set-up. The delega- tion is limited to 23 people. Apply ASAP by John Mateyko to examine how U.S. intervention works. as space is limited. Delegation leaders We will witness firsthand some of the are: John Mateyko, WFP Mid- Over 24 years, Witness for Peace has most innovative social programs in the Atlantic coordinator, 302-645-2657 or sponsored more than 750 delegations world and learn about grassroots resis- [email protected]. to Latin America. A special WFP del- egation, “A Delegation to Venezuela and the Washington Institutions of Domination,” will take place January 31- February 13, 2007. Its goal is to exam- ine how power is deployed against Ven- ezuela by U.S. policy. The delegation begins in Washington, D.C. with meet- ings at the International Monetary Fund (IMF), U.S. State Department, USAID, and the National Endowment for De- mocracy (a subsidiary of the CIA). Next follows an evening of debriefing with former CIA top analyst Ray McGovern. Then, in Venezuela, we will have extensive meetings with political par- ties, unions, think-tanks, human rights groups, and community organizations 4 Hunger on the Border
To explore conditions for Mexican bor- to work almost half a der workers, David Bacon interviewed day just to buy a gal- Julia Quiñones, coordinator of the Bor- lon of milk. What are the der Committee of Women Workers, the conditions in which Comité Fronterizo de Obreras (CFO), an people live? organization of rank and file women, led by women and men who work in the Julia: The lucky ones maquiladoras with offices in Piedras can acquire a house Negras, Mexico. January 25, 2006 through the Mexican Many maquiladora workers live in conditions similar to these housing program, eight years after NAFTA.—from the International Association David: What are the effects of free trade INFONAVIT. But if they of Machinists and Aerospace Workers website. and NAFTA, as you see them in your do so they’re really in section of the border? debt to the Mexican government for the rest of their lives. Julia: Right now, what’s most important Julia: With the advent of NAFTA 11 years Those houses are in slightly better con- to us is developing a greater level of com- ago, the working conditions in the dition. Otherwise, workers are forced to mitment to Mexican workers among U.S. maquiladoras got much worse. Even build their own houses out of whatever unions. those plants, which over the years had materials they can find—cardboard, or achieved better benefits and wages, be- materials taken from the factories—in David: What can an ordinary worker in gan to move south into the interior of places that are completely inappropriate, the US do to be part of this? Mexico, where the salaries were much along the sides of cliffs or in areas prone lower and the conditions worse. to flooding, like stream beds. Julia: The first thing workers can do is In the houses built by INFONAVIT, organize themselves and fight for their David: Have salaries gone up in the years the government does provide electricity. own jobs where they are. This is the first that NAFTA has been in effect? The problem there is that the bills are very step towards building international soli- high. A monthly electricity bill might get darity. For the companies, there are sim- Julia: Salaries have not gotten better; in up to 450 pesos, or US $45, and a water ply no borders anymore or barriers to the fact, they’re completely insufficient for bill 150 pesos per month, or US $15. And movement of capital. We need to take a anybody to live on. Workers continue to the water is not drinkable. In other neigh- lesson from their mentality and build the live in extreme poverty, and at the same borhoods, where people squat and build same borderless solidarity and support time, many people still arrive in the bor- their houses the best they can, the gov- for one another. If workers in the U.S. der region looking for work. The cities ernment doesn’t provide services. People understand that Mexican workers face are overloaded and don’t provide basic are reduced often to robbing power from huge economic difficulties when they try services or infrastructure. electrical lines. Many times when you go to organize themselves, they can con- into people’s houses, you can see the tribute economic support. David: What is an average maquiladora wires run along the ground where kids Supporting Mexican workers in the factory wage? are walking and playing around them. United States is important, too. The ef- fort of Mexican and other immigrant work- Julia: The average salary for a David: Is there any form of labor protec- ers to legalize their status is connected maquiladora worker is US $45 a week. This tion that can be incorporated into agree- to our rights as workers in Mexico. If allows workers to buy just the basic ments like NAFTA, that would guaran- workers in the U.S. can’t exercise fully things to eat. They can’t buy cereals. No tee workers rights? their rights, it brings everybody down. meat. They buy milk on rare occasions, if Ultimately, the economic level of every- there are children. In Piedras Negras, a Julia: NAFTA could be renegotiated to body has to come up. Corporations are gallon of milk costs 45 pesos or about US include effective and obligatory measures very good at looking around the world $4.50—twice as expensive [as in the U.S.]. to enforce workers’ rights. Holding to see where conditions are the worst, If there’s just one head of the family work- transnational corporations accountable and move to that place. If we can help ing, other members have to supplement for complying with the law would be help- each other come up, they won’t be able their income by selling things like beauty ful to workers. to do that. products. Often people cross the border to sell their blood. David: What about support from unions For more information, see www. on the other side of the border? cfomaquiladoras.org. David: That means that somebody has 5
Address correction requested correction Address
www.delcopledge.org
Swarthmore, PA 19081 PA Swarthmore,
PO Box 309 Box PO Delaware County Pledge of Resistance of Pledge County Delaware
Peace Activists Parade on Fourth of July in Swarthmore
This year for the first time since the Delco Pledge has been marching in the Swarthmore Fourth of July parade, the Pledge and other activists finally got their picture in the Swarthmorean. Pictured right are (l-r) Bob Small, Judy Goodrobb, Paula Bronstein, and Ron Coburn. Also marching this year was Pledge photographer Brad Bradlee, not pictured.
Joining the parade this year as in years past were members of the Brandywine Peace Community at left. The crowd along the parade route this year was small but supportive, applauding and cheering as the activists marched past.
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