Contact Me
Wednesday, May 31, 2006
Trading Herbs for Oil?
Photo by Ellen Jaskol at the Rocky Mountain NewsToday at the last minute, I decided to go to the press conference of the "No Blood for Oil 12". I had been really happy to have the day entirely free to study herbs and clean the house, but I realized that going to the press conference could be a great opportunity to gather information, write it, and get it out wherever I could. Who needs a clean house anyway???
Listening to the stories of these brave people, I am inspired and grateful. I wonder why they are punished for acting from their consciences when so many who appear to have little conscience freely destroy... I plan to post some of their stories over the next few days leading up to their trial.
Now that I have posted an article on some sites, I'm tired of the computer and want to read about herbs. Here's my article:
Anti-War Defendants Speak Out
Cheryl Distaso, a mother of three teenage boys, stood in front of a huge banner that read "Save our Soldiers, Save the Children, No Blood for Oil". She admitted that her conscience required her to act last November when she and eleven others stood in front of the Lakewood Armed Forces Recruitment Center and were arrested for trespassing and obstructing a passageway.
Cheryl is one of the "No Blood for Oil 12" that gathered today, once again in front of the recruitment center, to talk about the reasons behind the November actions, which coincided with similar protests around the country. The group, ranging in age from 27 to 80-plus, is scheduled for trial on Monday, June 5th at 8:00 a.m. in the Jefferson County Courthouse.
Claire Ryder noted a military ad she had found in a women’s magazine. The ad acknowledged that talking with one’s son about the military can make one anxious and emotional, but having the facts can be reassuring. Claire then went on to list off facts about the number of Iraqi civilians killed (200-300,000), the number of U.S. soldiers killed (almost 2500), and the over 20,000 U.S. soldiers who have been injured. She broke down the fiscal costs, revealing that the U.S. has spent $282 billion toward the war, while the price for the state of Colorado has been over $4 billion. She ended by suggesting recruiters explain these facts in their presentations to potential recruits.
T J Bowen stated that our military is violating the Geneva Conventions and the U.N. Charter. For him, blocking a recruitment center is a nonviolent method to symbolically prevent our fellow citizens from engaging in illegal activity.
A disabled veteran, Drew Edmondson, addressing the fact that he may face jail time, spoke of the irony of a system that will free a soldier found guilty of torture, while the person who finds the act of torture unacceptable is put in jail.
The trial for the “No Blood for Oil 12” is scheduled for Monday, June 5th at 8:00 a.m. at the Jefferson County Courthouse, 100 Jefferson Parkway in Golden. A pre-trial rally will be held outside the Courthouse at 7:00 a.m. that same day.
posted by Carol at 1:51 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home