OntheWilderSide

Congress has gone home for the holidays. But the problems that legislators grappled with this year will not go away. When the 110th Congress returns to Washington in January it will face many hard choices — including how to press the administration for a new U.S. policy in Iraq that will help to end the violence.But, while the lights are off in the Capitol building and the president waits to announce his new plan, the U.S. will reach a new, grim marker of the human toll from the on-going war and occupation of Iraq when the 3,000th U.S. soldier dies in Iraq. The war in Iraq has already cost the lives of thousands of U.S. soldiers and hundreds of thousands of Iraqis.

As communities around the country mourn this grim new marker of the human toll of the U.S. war and occupation of Iraq, we hope you will remind people in your community and your elected officials that Congress should not continue to vote more money for the failed U.S. war strategy in Iraq. We at FCNL will be lighting candles in memory of all the dead in Iraq and reminding our elected officials that the U.S. needs to replace its military adventure with an entirely new political strategy for Iraq.

When they return in January, members of the new Congress will need your support to make the sensible but hard decision to change U.S. policy in Iraq. We at FCNL look forward to working with you in the new year to lobby Congress for a fundamental change in the direction of U.S. policy in Iraq and in the region.

Take Action

Here’s a short list of some of the ways you can help commemorate those affected by the ongoing war and occupation of Iraq:

1. We at FCNL plan to light candles in solemn remembrance of the thousands who died in Iraq this year. Light three candles in your home, church, meeting, or community in remembrance of the 3,000 dead U.S. soldiers and, by some estimates, more than 600,000 Iraqis who would not have died if the U.S. had not invaded their country.

2. Join with your local AFSC office and its campaign for vigils and other events on the day after the 3,000th U.S. death in Iraq is announced.

3. Put a War Is Not the Answer sign back in your window or front yard to celebrate this season of peace.

Read more about FCNL’s Iraq Peace Campaign

________________________________________ Contact Congress and the administration.

Filed under: Action Alert!, activism, Anti-War, media, Peace, Political Websites, reform, social & economic justice, To Study Up On Nonviolence, US Politics Tagged: | book of the month, Working Families Party