Courage to Resist announces a National Week of Letter Writing to Show Support for War Resisters March 16-23, 2009
Where: In your community (at your house, community center, religious space, etc.)
Organize a letter-writing party in your community to show support for war resisters. Robin Long, recently deported from Canada, is serving a 15-month sentence for refusing to fight in Iraq. Tony Anderson is currently serving a 14-month sentencing for resisting deployment to Iraq. Many more war resisters are sitting in prison for refusing to fight in Iraq and Afghanistan, and countless more live with that possibility. Several war resisters have been threatened with deportation from Canada, and Chris Teske and Cliff Cornell have already been forced to leave.
We are asking allies of the G.I. resistance movement to gather together to write:
Letters of support to war resisters in prison, awaiting trial, or seeking refuge in Canada
Letters to the Canadian government asking that war resisters be granted sanctuary
Letters to our own government demanding amnesty for war resisters
War Resister Letter-Writing Parties provide a concrete way to show emotional support for war resisters and establish human connections between civilian support networks and troops refusing to fight. The idea is for a group of people to bring their community together to write letters and to use the occasion to build awareness and solidarity around the issue of G.I. resistance.
We are asking folks to organize their letter-writing events around the sixth anniversary of the Iraq War so that we can take this somber occasion to recognize the brave troops who refuse to fight: the people who give us hope that an end to unjust war is possible.
Courage to Resist will provide you with all of the materials and information you need to host your letter-writing party, including: information and contact info of war resisters, template letters for U.S. and Canadian governments, and literature about G.I. resistance.
If you are interested in organizing a letter-writing party, or if you have any questions, please contact us at [email protected] or 510-488-3559.
We are happy to walk you through the process of organizing a letter-writing party and brainstorm ways to tailor your event to the needs of your community.
Here are a few of thr folks we willbe sending lteetrs to:
Anthony Michael Anderson, PO Box 305, Fort Sill, OK 73503-5305Robin Long, PO Box 452136, San Diego CA 92145-2136Iraq War resister currently serving a 14-month sentence at the Fort Sill stockade. Expected release: November 2009
Iraq War resister deported from Canada currently serving a 15-month sentence at the Marine Corps Air Station Miramar brig. Expected release: July 2009
Cliff Cornell, c/o Courage to Resist, 484 Lake Park Ave #41 Oakland CA 94610
Iraq War resister currently pending court-martial at Fort Stewart, Georgia after returning from Canada.
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