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Atlanta
Grandmothers for Peace
c/o Georgia Peace and Justice Coalition/Atlanta
Atlanta
GA
30333
P.O. Box 133016
Dear
Peace and Justice Friends in
Atlanta
and beyond--
On
Monday, March 17, with the help of over 40 supporters, ten
Atlanta
Grandmothers for Peace carried out an act of non-violent civil
disobedience in
Atlanta
,
Georgia
.
Modeled on a similar earlier action by New York Grandmothers
Against the War, our civil disobedience was part of nation-wide protests
this week marking the 5th anniversary of the March 19, 2003,
U.S. invasion of Iraq—actions by Grandmothers for Peace in 20 cities and
by young and old in every state. We
Atlanta Grandmothers entered the U.S. Army Recruiting Station on
Ponce de Leon Avenue
at 9:30 am, engaged the recruiters in conversation, and asked to enlist in
order to take the place of young soldiers.
When our offer was turned down, we refused to leave the property.
We were arrested for criminal trespass at 10:30 am, taken to the
Fulton County Jail for processing, and released 12 hours later on our own
recognizance.
In
the coming months, we will work to reach others through local media, using
our voices as
Atlanta
Grandmothers for Peace to focus attention on the unacceptable human and
economic cost of this military occupation, both in the
U.S.
and
Iraq
. We believe
U.S.
soldiers are being sent to kill and be killed in an illegal and immoral
war and occupation. As
grandmothers, we have a unique opportunity and responsibility to act on
behalf of children. While not
all of us have biological grandchildren, we consider all young people,
including Iraqis and
U.S.
soldiers, to be our grandchildren. We
are a diverse group of women committed to on-going work toward a just
foreign policy. Ranging in age from 57 to 80, with a total of 26
grandchildren, we come from across metro Atlanta—Kennesaw in Cobb
County, Roswell and Atlanta in Fulton County, Decatur in DeKalb County,
and Norcross and Snellville in Gwinnett County.
We
plan to use our jury trial to present a case against our government’s
use of young people as cannon fodder and will appreciate your financial
support.
Recognizing that our outstanding attorneys have provided much pro
bono legal representation in their years of practice, we are
committed to paying them for taking on our case, which will involve many
hours of work and might continue for two years.
If you would like to make a contribution to the Atlanta
Grandmothers for Peace Legal Defense Fund, send checks to
Georgia
Peace and Justice Coalition/Atlanta
P.O. Box 133016
Atlanta GA 30333
On the memo line, write Grandmothers Legal Defense.
Here
is some of the media coverage. Google
Atlanta Grandmothers for Peace for more.
YouTube
video by Judy Conder of Artemis Productions--with film shot at the Recruiting Station
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUvo0BLhCT8
Article
by Matthew Cardinale,
Atlanta
Progressive News, who went into the Recruiting Station with the Grandmothers:
http://www.atlantaprogressivenews.com/news/0308.html
http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/03/18/7744/
same article on Common Dreams
http://www.ipsnoticias.net/nota.asp?idnews=87825
in Spanish
Atlanta
Journal Constitution—Article and photos (including Grandmothers' mug shots!)
http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/atlanta/stories/2008/03/18/grandma_0319.html
http://projects.ajc.com/gallery/view/metro/atlanta/protest0317/
DeKalb
Champion--
Click on This Week's Free Press
http://championnewspaper.com/page1.htm
Please read
the information and quote from each of us pasted below.
We urge others to take action as Grandmothers for Peace!
Join us--and millions of other activists nation-wide--in calling
for an end the
Iraq
occupation and for a
U.S.
foreign policy based justice and peace!
Doris Benit Age
80 Kennesaw, GA.
4 grandchildren Life-long
Republican
“During the Viet Nam War, I was married to U.S. Air Force officer
and volunteered at the base hospital.
The huge aircraft would fly in from the war zone filled to capacity
with wounded/mutilated men. Fully
understanding the pain, suffering and hardship they were facing was heart
wrenching and forever etched in my mind. It was then I decided that no
government or leader would ever again convince me that war was necessary
or just; with one exception, if we came under attack.”
Ella
Ruth Hunnicutt Age 79
Roswell
, GA. 8 grandchildren
Retired public school teacher in special education.
“This is a terrible time in our history.
We are no longer respected by other nations—the land of the free
and the home of the brave. Our
young people are dying, come home wounded, many mentally deranged and with
no promise of medical assistance. The
War has gone on with no end is in sight.
Our grandchildren are of age and could be involved.
I do not want
Iraq
and or American or our world’s children to die.”
Betsey Miklethun
Age 74
Norcross
,
GA
4 grandchildren
Retired social worker
“I
had four older brothers. All
were in WW II and one didn't come home. My dad's words when he got
the telegram that his second son was killed, were: "What A
Waste!" I've thought of those true words often through life.
War is such A Waste! It
is necessary for grandparents--and parents--to take stronger steps to stop
our Government's continued intervention in and occupation of
IRAQ
. We must do it for our grandchildren and theirs.”
Dorothy
(Dot) Shaw Age 73
Snellville
,
GA
4 grandchildren Retired Air
Force civil service; now substitute teacher
“I used to help build the Military Industrial Complex and I used
to be a Republican. Now I am active in the peace movement and work in the
Gwinnett Democratic Party. Not just that I don't want my grandchildren
to fight a war; I don't want us to waste our country's youth in such a
brutal and useless endeavor. I hope we can make friends of enemies. I
regret the Iraqi loss of life in this useless war, also.”
Minnie Ruffin
Age 66
Atlanta
,
GA
2
grandchildren Retired educator
“Getting out of
Iraq
is important to me because I have grandchildren. I would like them to grow
up in an
America
that is free from conflicts, especially ones that we started. Also, I
would like to see my country once again admired for good deeds instead of
despised for trying to control the world's resources and the people of the
world.”
Gloria Tatum Age
65 Decatur, GA 4
grandchildren
Neuromuscular therapist
“The Bush administration made over 935 false statements http://www.publicintegrity.org/WarCard/ in two years following 9/11 about the national
security threat posed by Saddam Hussein.
The blood of the Iraqi people,
U.S.
troops, and coalition soldiers who died because of those lies now stains
our national soul. We can not bomb a country (which did nothing to
us) and kill its citizens and then expect to win hearts and minds and call
these atrocities bringing freedom and democracy to
Iraq
.”
Ann Mauney Age
65
Atlanta, GA
Retired public school
history teacher
“I believe that Georgians do not want a
U.S.
empire and parents do not want to send their sons and daughters to occupy
and to die in a country that never threatened us.
Even when these young soldiers return alive, they carry physical
and emotional scars forever. If
we believe our leaders are using our grandchildren as cannon fodder, we
grandparents must do what we can to stop these criminal actions.”
Judy
Conder Age 60.
Decatur
Freelance videographer
"I have no grandchildren, but I'm a
grandmother in spirit. We have had the opportunity to live our
lives, make our choices, and to grow old. We now have a
responsibility to our grandchildren to insure that they have the
opportunity to grow, pursue their goals, and try to find happiness.
If you are outraged by the rising statistics (4 thousand
U.S.
troops killed, one million Iraqi's killed), become outrageous for peace. I
believe that a group of old women can make a difference. We're not dead
yet."
Bobbie
Paul Age 58
Atlanta
,
GA
Director of non-profit
women’s peace organization
“
Vietnam
crippled many of my generation. Forty years later, its crippling effects
are still being felt. I don't
want another mother or grandmother to suffer the anguish of losing a son
or daughter in this immoral war in
Iraq
. I hope, today, that we, the
women, can help empower other women to unite in one voice calling for an
end to pre-emptive attacks on other nations and an end to massive Pentagon
spending that leaves us weak at home and pushes us to war.”
Susan
Keith Age 57
Decatur, GA Medical
technologist
“I am doing this because I don't want anymore young people to be
damaged by the horrors of war. I think if the armies of the world were all
grandparents that the killing and destruction would stop and we would be
playing with children and planting gardens instead. Wouldn't that be
lovely?”
SAVE
THE CHILDREN!
Ella
Ruth Hunnicutt Age 79
Roswell
, GA. 8 grandchildren
Retired public school teacher in special education.
“This is a terrible time in our history.
We are no longer respected by other nations—the land of the free
and the home of the brave. Our
young people are dying, come home wounded, many mentally deranged and with
no promise of medical assistance. The
War has gone on with no end is in sight.
Our grandchildren are of age and could be involved.
I do not want
Iraq
and or American or our world’s children to die.”
Betsey Miklethun
Age 74
Norcross
,
GA
4 grandchildren
Retired social worker
“I
had four older brothers. All
were in WW II and one didn't come home. My dad's words when he got
the telegram that his second son was killed, were: "What A
Waste!" I've thought of those true words often through life.
War is such A Waste! It
is necessary for grandparents--and parents--to take stronger steps to stop
our Government's continued intervention in and occupation of
IRAQ
. We must do it for our grandchildren and theirs.”
Dorothy
(Dot) Shaw Age 73
Snellville
,
GA
4 grandchildren Retired Air
Force civil service; now substitute teacher
“I used to help build the Military Industrial Complex and I used
to be a Republican. Now I am active in the peace movement and work in the
Gwinnett Democratic Party. Not just that I don't want my grandchildren
to fight a war; I don't want us to waste our country's youth in such a
brutal and useless endeavor. I hope we can make friends of enemies. I
regret the Iraqi loss of life in this useless war, also.”
Minnie Ruffin
Age 66
Atlanta
,
GA
2
grandchildren Retired educator
“Getting out of
Iraq
is important to me because I have grandchildren. I would like them to grow
up in an
America
that is free from conflicts, especially ones that we started. Also, I
would like to see my country once again admired for good deeds instead of
despised for trying to control the world's resources and the people of the
world.”
Gloria Tatum Age
65 Decatur, GA 4
grandchildren
Neuromuscular therapist
“The Bush administration made over 935 false statements http://www.publicintegrity.org/WarCard/ in two years following 9/11 about the national
security threat posed by Saddam Hussein.
The blood of the Iraqi people,
U.S.
troops, and coalition soldiers who died because of those lies now stains
our national soul. We can not bomb a country (which did nothing to
us) and kill its citizens and then expect to win hearts and minds and call
these atrocities bringing freedom and democracy to
Iraq
.”
Ann Mauney Age
65
Atlanta, GA
Retired public school
history teacher
“I believe that Georgians do not want a
U.S.
empire and parents do not want to send their sons and daughters to occupy
and to die in a country that never threatened us.
Even when these young soldiers return alive, they carry physical
and emotional scars forever. If
we believe our leaders are using our grandchildren as cannon fodder, we
grandparents must do what we can to stop these criminal actions.”
Judy
Conder Age 60.
Decatur
Freelance videographer
"I have no grandchildren, but I'm a
grandmother in spirit. We have had the opportunity to live our
lives, make our choices, and to grow old. We now have a
responsibility to our grandchildren to insure that they have the
opportunity to grow, pursue their goals, and try to find happiness.
If you are outraged by the rising statistics (4 thousand
U.S.
troops killed, one million Iraqi's killed), become outrageous for peace. I
believe that a group of old women can make a difference. We're not dead
yet."
Bobbie
Paul Age 58
Atlanta
,
GA
Director of non-profit
women’s peace organization
“
Vietnam
crippled many of my generation. Forty years later, its crippling effects
are still being felt. I don't
want another mother or grandmother to suffer the anguish of losing a son
or daughter in this immoral war in
Iraq
. I hope, today, that we, the
women, can help empower other women to unite in one voice calling for an
end to pre-emptive attacks on other nations and an end to massive Pentagon
spending that leaves us weak at home and pushes us to war.”
Susan Keith
Age 57 Decatur, GA
Medical technologist
“I am doing this because I don't want anymore young people to be
damaged by the horrors of war. I think if the armies of the world were all
grandparents that the killing and destruction would stop and we would be
playing with children and planting gardens instead. Wouldn't that be
lovely?”
SAVE
THE CHILDREN!
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