Gray Panthers on the prowl
Power should not be concentrated in the hands of so few, and powerlessness in the hands of so many.
-- maggie kuhn, founder
| silence is consent - speak out to end the war |
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Don’t be lulled by the swelling public mood against the war—that’s only half the story. Even if the troops come home tomorrow, this war’s immense costs will weigh down the next generation(s).  Download Flyer [pdf] The war’s supporters and some of its opponents will make the working poor, the ill and the old pay the price by cutting funds for housing, health and education and more. Scream like a scalded panther to keep it from happening: “Congress!! Stop the war AND serve the people!” As of this last week of May 2008, War in Iraq has cost over $523,245,000,000; the total is rising at the rate of about $200,000 every minute. That’s a conservative estimate, by the way, and it doesn’t include anything for Afghanistan or other hot spots. Nor does it include economic impact costs to Americans—interrupted careers, uprooted families and reduced lifetime earnings for war-damaged veterans, to name a few examples. The total also does not include opportunity costs: that is, all that is given up when money is thrown on the bloody, sacrificial pyre that is Iraq. Health Care: An additional 40,500,000 people could be covered by insurance. Improved Public Education: An additional 2,260,000 elementary school teachers could be hired. Affordable Housing: 1,070,000 units of affordable housing could be made available. So, what has the war REALLY cost? Dollars, yes; but disastrously, it has robbed us of human capital and quality of life, in every way, in the years to come. Want to see the latest figures? Check out the National Priorities Project website at http://nationalpriorities.org/ for today’s totals. And for an even better picture, add in the non-economic costs: 4,110 reported deaths and over 29,000 injuries of American military personnel; deaths and injuries of contractor personnel and of allied forces; deaths and injuries of Iraqi’s. No dollar value captures the enormity of these loses. (Source: http://icasualties.org ) And now that a supposed end date for the pull out of American troops has been set for 2011, this president is defying Congress once again in demanding to be a 'decider' in determining our future role in Iraq. We all know now the 'deciders'—knew then: no weapons of mass destruction, no link to Bin Laden, no plan beyond toppling Saddam Hussein. Anti-War Arrests Climbing According to truthout.org (hyper link this), arrests for antiwar protesters are again on the rise. There have been over 15,000 arrests since 2002 and Gray Panthers is concerned. 2002 - 1,800 arrests
Let Congress know NOW that it’s time to end this hemorrhage of lives and treasure! Make your elected officials stand up and take notice. THEY work for YOU! Send your Senators and Representatives post cards and tell them to STOP THIS MADNESS and pay attention to the needs of our children, elderly, people with disabilities and poor who are poor. Post cards, for individuals or for groups, are available from Gray Panthers Headquarters. Just click here This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it to send the national Gray Panther office a request for post cards. Let us know how many cards you’d like. Don’t forget to include your family and friends. One Day of the War in Iraq Video
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