Mass. Peace Action co-sponsors a monthly vigil at Sen. Kerry’s office calling for an end to the Afghanistan War. The next vigil is Wednesday, August 18, from noon to 1:30 p.m., at One Bowdoin Square, Boston (Bowdoin T, blue line).
US deaths in Afghanistan reached 1,217 in July, and 6,773 have been wounded. Expenditures on the Afghanistan war have reached $324 billion. WikiLeaks made clear that the war is going even worse than the government admits, but Congress approved another $38 billion to escalate troop levels in Afghanistan with the support of Senators Kerry and Brown.
Congress and the administration are out of synch with the rest of the country. Long-term unemployment rates are higher than in 60 years—and the figures will be bad for years to come. More money is needed as a job stimulus—the economy will improve when more people have jobs.
It’s folly to cut Medicare and Social Security to reduce the deficit — Americans need these safety nets. The costs for Medicare and Social Security are dwarfed by military spending. Our taxes need to come back into our communities—not go overseas to fund occupation, corruption, and the deaths of innocents.
We call on Sen. Kerry to:
- Join Rep. John Conyers’ Out of Afghanistan Caucus
- Cosponsor Rep. Barbara Lee’s HR 6045: Responsible End to the War in Afghanistan Act
- Support Rep. Barney Frank’s call to reduce military spending by 25 percent, to fund our communities.
The vigil is sponsored by UJP Afghanistan Task Force, Progressive Democrats of America, and Veterans for Peace/Smedley Butler Brigade.