From the article: “Lauri Loving of Davis and Military Families Speak Out/Veterans for Peace decried the “spiritual death” of the U.S. and its military incursions all over the planet. “It’s time to bring the troops back and take [care] of them,” said Loving, whose son suffers from PTSD and other physical ailments because of his deployment in Iraq.

She criticized the “economic draft” that preys on young men and women in high school to use as “cannon fodder” in “unpopular, unwinnable wars.””

http://www.davisvanguard.org/2018/02/wave-arrests-california-u-s-promised-poor-peoples-campaign-citing-fight/

By Mary Hladky, Military Families Speak Out

October 5, 2017 — Watching the PBS series on Vietnam is a graphic reminder of the horrors of war.  Unfortunately, one of the few things the U.S. government learned from Vietnam was how to hide the horrors of the Afghanistan war from public view as much as possible, to prevent the backlash experienced during the Vietnam war.  No body counts, no reporters roaming free, only embedded journalists, minimal media coverage with little footage of the actual war, and no pictures of coffins returning home.

The Trump Administration has decided to continue to support the war in Afghanistan, only with more troops and no stated end game.  As this war completes its 16^th year, on October 7, more troops are on their way to Afghanistan.  The suffering of our troops, their families and the Afghan people will continue.

Afghanistan is the forgotten war, even though it is currently the United States’ largest military foreign engagement, with 16,000+ troops and tens of thousands of defense and agency contractors.
The only people who benefit from this war are the military contractors and the corrupt Afghan government, made up of many drug and war lords guilty of human rights abuses and war crimes.  The Afghan government and Taliban controls, protects, and benefits from the enormous poppy crop that supplies over 90% of the world’s heroin.  SIGAR (Special Inspector General for Afghan Reconstruction) reports that reconstruction in Afghanistan is nearly nonexistent after spending $100 billion.

The Afghan government, which the U.S. has propped up with billions of dollars and thousands of American livesremains overwhelmingly corrupt, a government the Afghan people will never accept.
In the meantime, the Taliban has grown in numbers and holds more territory than ever before, 40-50% of the country.

The human costs of war for our troops, the Afghan forces and civilians has been enormous.  Death, injuries and nearly a trillion dollars have been wasted for no redeemable benefit.  Yet instead of pursuing peace, our government continues to opt for more war.
Americans need to take a stand against the Afghanistan war.  We need to reflect on what it is that we believe – ask yourself two basic questions:

How, as Americans, do we continually accept sending young men and women to risk their lives for a futile, never ending war?
What would you say to a mother who loses her son or daughter in Afghanistan?  Can you explain what her child actually died for?  What was the noble cause?

It’s up to everyone one of us who are uncomfortable with the answers to these questions, to demand an end to the Afghanistan War.      

HUNTINGTON BEACH, CA – August 20, 2017 –  Military Families Speak Out (MFSO) members know the true costs of the war.  In response to President Trump’s upcoming Afghanistan policy announcement, we are prepared to hold demonstrations to protest any increase of “boots on the ground” in Afghanistan.  This will occur on the day following Trump’s official announcement in conjunction with simultaneous protests at Congressional offices by members of Military Families Speak Out, Veterans for Peace, and supporting organizations in New York, New Jersey, Ohio, and Long Beach, California.

Since the start of the war on Afghanistan, over 2400 American service members and many thousands of civilians have been killed according to icasualties.org. Countless others have been injured, lost to suicide, or suffer from invisible wounds such as Traumatic Brain Injury, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, along with drug and alcohol abuse. To many Americans these are just statistics, but these are our loved ones.

“The losses and injuries our families have already suffered from the ongoing wars in the Middle East have not been addressed and there is no end is in sight for them. We simply cannot ask our troops to make any more sacrifices than they already have,” says Military Families Speak Out National Coordinator, Pat Alviso, whose son was recently been deployed for the sixth time.

Our members know the long-term effects of military action as part of an unjust war.  We have members available for interviews nationwide to talk about how this will affect the lives of their loved ones and their families

When:  Tuesday, August 20th, at 4 PM

Address: Pacific Coast Highway and Main St. in Huntington Beach by Congressman Dana Rohrabacher’s office (101 Main Street, Huntington Beach, CA 92648)

Media Contacts:

Pat Alviso  562-833-8035

Tim Kahlor  951-216-9620

Military Families Speak Out continues our demand that the military cease involvement in Afghanistan and bring all our troops home now! We call for the use of diplomacy.

JOIN VETERANS FOR PEACE & MILITARY FAMILIES SPEAK OUT  (Chapter 110/ OC)

In a demonstration against another troop level  increase in Afghanistan

4:00 p.m. the day after the Trump Administration makes the announcement

PCH and Main St. in Huntington Beach by Congressman Dana Rohrabacher’s office

Please join veterans, military families and other peace groups that are opposed to the increase of troop levels in Afghanistan. Each new sitting president has increased troop levels and it’s time to “END THESE ESCALATIONS”

Join Veterans, Military Families, and other area residents in the

Peace Contingent

Teaneck, NJ’s

4^th of July Parade

Meet at 9 am

Queen Anne Road and Van Buren, just South of Cedar Lane

Rides are available during the parade.

We will have signs and banners.

Feel free to make your own with these themes:

Bring the troops and contractors home from Afghanistan NOW!

Take care of our troops and veterans when they get home!

Don’t send the NJ National Guard to Afghanistan. Keep them here in NJ for NJ!

Bring the War Dollars Home for Our Communities. Money for health care (education, jobs, housing) – not for war!

The Peace Contingent is sponsored by the Teaneck Peace Vigil, Military Families Speak Out, Bergen County, and Veterans For Peace, Chapter 21 NJ

For final details check the local newspaper.

Military Families Speak Out grieves for the Syrian families who lost loved ones or were injured in the recent Syrian chemical attack.  We know this pain.  We know war, violence and destruction are not the answer to the world’s problems.  We have grave concerns over our military’s deepening involvement in Syria as well as Iraq, and Yemen.  We continually rely on military intervention when we have been told multiple times, that there is no military solution to the problems in the Middle East, and the region.  We need determined diplomacy to reach a political solution in Syria and the region.  We must increase humanitarian aid.

MFSO is a member group of United for Peace & Justice and we support their message, below:

“Once again, the United States is sliding towards a wider war in the Middle East. Only two days after the first allegations of the use of chemical weapons against a village in Syria, the United States has attacked an air base in Syria with more than fifty sea launched cruise missiles. With both Russian and U.S. forces on the ground and in the air in Syria, the risk of a wider war is real.

Both the United Nations Charter and the Chemical Weapons Convention provide means for international investigation and sanction of the use of prohibited weapons.  Unilateral use of military force in these circumstances by the United States, which has not been attacked and is not in imminent danger of attack, is unlawful.”

Call the White House  202-456-1111 and your Senators and Congressional Representatives 202-224-3121 and tell them that military action only increases the dangers and intensifies the humanitarian catastrophe in the region.

Please Call Today – it takes just a few minutes.  Remember to identify yourself as someone who has a loved one in the military.

These calls are logged and counted by the White House and by members of Congress – MFSO voices matter and, if we are persistent, can affect votes.

Then let’s hit the streets and Say NO To U.S. Military Intervention in Syria!! YES to diplomacy!

Go to www.unitedforpeace.org and www.veteransforpeace.org to find a demonstration in your community or work with others to organize a demonstration and post. Send details to MFSO@mfso.org so we can post it on our website and Facebook page.

Military Families Speak Out continues to demonstrate the futility of continuing our military presence in the Middle East.  We know that there is no military solution to our problems in the Middle East and surrounding areas.  We need to stop multiple deployments which hurt our troops and their families.  We need to focus on caring for our troops, our military families and all the civilians who have suffered from these many wars.

After 17 years of war, we stand ready to meet the challenges ahead with renewed vigor and hope that you will stand with us. We need help from every member if we are to end these wars once and for all. Please get involved today!

Ways to Get Involved

1. Join or rejoin MFSO, even if your loved one is no longer in the military.
2. Sign the PeacePledge.  MFSO, as an organization, has endorsed United for Peace & Justice’s Peace Pledge.  Any member can individually sign this Peace Pledge.  Go to: http://peacepledge.unitedforpeace.org/
3. Be visible. Organize a weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly vigil in your community. Be sure to encourage other organizations to co-sponsor.( We can help you find local allies)
4. Write letters to the editor of local newspapers or blogs-and send us a copy. We can then multiply its exposure by sending it to our larger allies like VFP, IVAW, UFPJ .
5.  Plan special protests at the local offices of  members of Congress that have voted or promote war. We can target representatives for you.. Co-sponsor with other groups.
6. Meet with members of Congress to share your concerns.  Campaign to get a meeting with your congressional representatives; be sure to tell them that you’re a military family member.
7.  If there is no chapter nearby, consider starting an MFSO chapter. You only need 3 people and we have a very good Chapter Building Kit we will send you. We will also help you get media coverage when you launch your chapter.
8. Give us a call at the MFSO office. We are very open to your ideas and have suggestions for other ways that we can use your help on a national level. Reach us at mfsooc@earthlink.net; we have Facebook page, a website (mfso.org), and during West Coast business hours you can reach us at 562-597-3980 or after hours at 562-833-8035.