Exploring Ways To Make Peace Within
Ourselves & the World

Women In Black Denver, Colorado

Join us Saturday afternoons from 12:30pm - 1:30pm, as we stand in silent vigil for peace. Click here to learn more.

Recent Posts
Friends

Powered by Blogger

Why Do I Write This Blog???

The easiest (and probably the most honest) answer to that question is: I don't know. It all started in the summer of 2005, when I went to Crawford, Texas ( a.k.a. the home of the prez's ranch, a.k.a. the home of Camp Casey) to support Cindy Sheehan. I wanted the world to know that, contrary to what one could read in the mainstream media, the peace movement was alive and well and large numbers of Americans did not support the war in Iraq. I wanted people to know that thousands of Americans were willing to travel to Texas and tolerate the heat, humidity, and bugs in order to support a grieving mother whose new purpose was to shine a light on the lies that led to the war and to bring home our troops so that no other mother would have to know the pain that she felt.

Over time, this blog has become more of an exploration of who I am, my spirituality, and how life works. I love life's complexities, exploring the shades of gray. I want to, as Rainier Maria Rilke said,

"Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books that are now written in a very foreign tongue. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer."

Maybe my blog is just one big question about what is needed in order for people to take the time to love and cherish each other and our earth. Maybe someday, I will "live along some distant day into the answer."

In the meantime, thank you for joining me on my journey. I welcome you to share yours with me

 

Thursday, April 27, 2006

Bake Sales for Body Armor

Photo of Gaye and other women whose sons or husbands are in Iraq and Afghanistan.

I have been reading Hell, Healing and Resistance by Daniel Hallock. I don't recommend this book. Then again, it should be required reading. It is awful. It is a compilation of war veterans stories. The stuff that makes nightmares. Vets get to live these nightmares every day.

The more I read and the more I am around Gaye, the more I realize that it is CRITICAL that we support these families and their sons and daughters, husbands and wives.

Here is the info on the Bake Sale for Body Armor that we will be holding. If you live in the area, please help us out. Not only are you helping to provide needed supplies to our soldiers (guess our defense budget isn't BIG ENOUGH), but you will be supporting Gaye and other family members who get to live with this catastrophe every day. Thank you.

What: Bake Sale for Body Armor (to benefit Gaye's son and other soldiers deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan)

When: Friday, May 5th and Saturday, May 6th (times to be determined)

Where: In Front of Applejack Liquor, 3320 Youngfield, Wheat Ridge, Colorado

Why: To support our troops by keeping them safe while they are overseas

How You Can Help:

1) Donate baked goods. Of course this only applies if you live in the Denver area ;-) Contact me, if you live here and can contribute.

2) Visit our table at Applejack's and purchase mouth-watering goodies

3) Donate funds at https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr
Or send a check to Bake Sales for Body Armor, PO Box 1118, Helena MT 59624

Background

Recently, Denver area women, Gaye, Karen, Judy, and Carol went to Crawford, TX to be a part of Camp Casey at Easter. Gaye's son is stationed in Afghanistan - previously serving in Iraq for seven months. While at Camp Casey, we met so many wonderful people, including vets and military families who took us in as a part of their family. We also met the co-founders of Bake Sales for Body Armor. Gaye's son previously had to buy his own gun cover in order to protect his gun from the desert sands. Troops are supplied with body armor, but are lacking in protection for sides and deltoids, and this is costing lives.

Mission of Bake Sales for Body Armor

Bake Sales for Body Armor! was formed in response to a Department of Defense Study that showed that 74 out of 93 Marines killed between March 2003 and June 2005 could have been saved by side protecting body armor that was not being provided for our troops. After a story outlining the plan to hold bake sales to purchase the armor ran in Stars and Stripes, a military journal, the army began sending large shipments of the much needed armor to troops in Iraq. While the urgent need for body armor seems to have passed, this has not been substantiated. Furthermore, we have learned that there are still unmet needs in Iraq including, medical supplies, and communications gear. Bake Sales for Body Armor will supply as much equipment as possible for soldiers deployed around the world.
For more info, go to http://www.bakesalesforbodyarmor.org

posted by Carol at 10:34 AM

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home