Military Families Speak Out is joining with organizations throughout the country and the world in support of the Global Days of Action on Military Spending (GDAMS). This year, April 5-18, have been designated as days to support moving the money from out-of-control military spending to life-affirming, sustainable human needs.
Our special role as members of Military Families Speak Out is to point out the human costs of these wars, as we know them personally. This campaign raises awareness about the insane amounts of money spent on wars and weapons demanding it be redirected to care for our veterans and the needs of our communities – jobs, education, health care, infrastructure improvements, climate change and other pressing human needs.
There are many ways interested members can participate. Here’s a fun one!!
Between now and April 15th Post a Selfie – Telling Us What You Think! We invite you to:
1) Take a photo or video of yourself holding a “Taxes – What Are They Good For?” or “What They Are Not Good For” sign with your message in the blank space. Perhaps in front of what you want to fund. (Blank signs are available online or make your own.) Or just type your comments and post them on our TAXE$ Facebook event page at this link.
2) Post your photo or comment on our “Taxes – What Are They Good For?” event page with notes you want to add. (http://bit.ly/TaxesWhat )
3) Invite friends and others to post their messages on the Page. (http://bit.ly/TaxesWhat)
4) Come back to the Page and see what others are posting.
Members can also organize an event in your community or work in coalition with other organizations on an event such as a rally, meetings with elected officials, forums, etc.
National Priorities Project (www.Nationalpriorities.org ) has excellent resources for information about our overwhelming military spending at the expense of Americans needs here at home. For example, if you go to that website and go to data/tools, then click on trade-offs, you will see a chart. You can get information about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and its financial cost to taxpayers in the United States, your state, your county, and in your city. This information and other data on the website can be useful for a flyer, a fact-sheet, a class at a school, a poster, or elsewhere.
Please notify Pat Alviso (mfso-oc@earthlink.net )of any events you are planning so they can be posted on the MFSO Facebook page and website. Take pictures and write a short article for the next MFSO newsletter. Send those toPaularogovin3@gmail.com.
