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Catholics for Peace and Justice has joined over 500 other organizations of peace and faith in southeastern Wisconsin and nation wide to endorse the Declaration of Peace , to take action for troop withdrawal from Iraq, and to pray for peace in the Middle East.
THINGS YOU CAN DO to Help End the War
STOP THE WAR FUNDING: Please continue your efforts to bring peace to reality. We must continue to keep our voices heard. Please write and call your Legislators (3 people) or Tired of Writing Your Legislators? Write the Leaders of the Democratic and Republican Parities and tell them what Congress needs to do. The Catholics for Peace and Justice Stop the War Group believes that Congress needs to:
•Begin a Responsible Withdrawal of our troops from Iraq Now by taking steps to de-fund a continued prosecution of the war. Prior to embarking on the “Surge” the current Secretary of defense in the opening paragraph of the Iraq Study Group Report stated, “In this report, we make a number of recommendations for actions to be taken in Iraq, the US and the region. Our most important recommendations call for new and enhanced diplomatic and political efforts in Iraq and the region, and a change in the primary mission of the US forces in Iraq that will enable the US to begin to move its combat forces out of Iraq responsibly.” Further he stated, “Because none of the operations conducted by US and Iraqi military forces are fundamentally changing the conditions encouraging the sectarian violence, US forces seem to be caught in a mission that has no foreseeable end.”
•Ensure that President Bush does not engage in a preventive military attack on Iran by enacting legislation that will rescind the authority Congress gave President Bush in 2002 to autonomously attack another country without the consent of Congress – a measure that eliminated the checks and balances of our original constitution. Only Congress has the authority to declare war.
•Provide services and funding for the proper healthcare of our returning service people and in particular to recognize that the psychological damage of war is as debilitating as the physical damage. We must stop denying the existence of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder [PTSD]. We must assist our brothers and sisters with dignity and respect and on a timely basis.
PRAY TOGETHER! STAND TOGETHER!
Prayer Service for Peace Tuesday, March 4, 2008, 7pm at St. Bruno in Douseman
Why Setting Withdrawal Dates in the Supplemental Spending Bills is Not Enough:
Although recently Congress has made some progress by setting dates for withdrawal of U.S. soldiers within the language of the Supplemental spending bills H.R. 1591 [House Bill] and S.965 [Senate version], CPJ and the Declaration of Peace Campaign believe we must continue to push for de-funding the war effort. The supplemental spending bill sends a message to President Bush, but at the same time funds the administration’s “Surge” or Escalation of the war and contains multiple loop holes that significantly soften the administrations requirement for the removal of U.S. troops by the specified dates. In September 07, the President will request an additional $145 billion to fund a continuation of the "Surge" even though the Secretary of Defence has stated that the Surge is not resolving the inability for the Iraq government to politically reconcile their issues and move forward. Read more. Why CPJ and the DoP Are Not Supporting the Supplemental Funding Bill.
>Senator Feingold on De-Funding the War
>31 Activists Face Jail if Involved in Protests in Next 6 Months Press Release
>Congressman Wexler on Why the Surge Didn't Work
>Congressman Kucinich on De-Funding the War
>Should We Stay or Should We Go? Policy Options for Iraq”
>The Logic of Withdrawal"
>The Iraq Study Group Report
>The Silence of the Bombs: Norman Sullivan
>USCCB Questions and Answers on the War in Iraq February 2007
>The Trials, and Blessings, Of Peacework: John Dear SJ
Do you want to join a delegation to visit your representative in Milwaukee? Contact Us
January 29, 07 Letter to Senator Kohl
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The US Conference of Catholic Bishops’ November Statement on Iraq
By now you are probably aware from the news that the US Catholics Bishops gathered the second week of November in Baltimore. Beside the much publicized statements on homosexuality, the bishops called for “Dialog and Action” toward a “Responsible Transition in Iraq.”
They state “The search for genuine justice and peace in Iraq requires moral urgency, substantive dialogue and new directions. To meet these challenges, we hope our nation has moved beyond the divisive rhetoric of the recent campaign and the shrill and shallow debate that distorts reality and reduces the options to “cut and run” versus “stay the course.” Our nation needs a much more substantive, civil and non-partisan discussion of ways to plan and secure a responsible transition in Iraq. . . . Our nation’s military forces should remain in Iraq only as long as their presence contributes to a responsible transition. Our nation should look for effective ways to end their deployment at the earliest opportunity consistent with this goal.
The full bishops’ statement on Iraq and other recent bishops’ statements can be reached by clicking on the document below.
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More on Bringing Peace to Iraq . . .
>Alternatives to "Staying the Course" - Expert Opinions on Strategies to Withdraw Our Troops
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Declaration of Peace
The Declaration of Peace is a commitment supported by the members of over 500 peace and faith organizations nationwide to take nonviolent steps for a comprehensive concrete and rapid end to the US war in Iraq.
We ask you to join us now by signing the Declaration of Peace and joining Catholics for Peace and Justice in concrete actions to bring an end to the war.
With nearly seventy percent of the people of the United States opposing this war, there is a growing call to bring the troops home now and to establish a comprehensive, concrete and rapid plan to end the war. This comprehensive plan must include
*Rapid withdrawal of US troops and all coalition forces, with no future redeployments
*No permanent US military bases or installations
*Support for an Iraqi-led peace process, including a peace conference to shape a post-occupation transition
*Return of Iraqi control over the political and economic life of the nation, including its oil resources
*Reparations and reconstruction to address the destruction caused by the US invasion, occupation, and 13 years of sanctions
*Establish a US peace dividend for job creation, health care, education, housing, and other vital social needs
*Increased support for US veterans of the Iraq war, and
*No “preventive” war against Iran or any other nation
Read More on the Declaration of Peace
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