Congress

In addition to the request we posted earlier calling on African leaders to save Zimbabwe from Robert Mugabe, we also invite you to send an e-mail to your U.S. Senators urging congressional action for peace and the restoration of democracy.

Here is the letter we hope you will send:

Cindy Sheehan, now a candidate for Congress, was in Charlottesville during my recent visit and I was invited to extend a welcome to the community on behalf of FOR at an event where she was speaking. David Swanson, member of Charlottesville’s Center for Peace and Justice had invited Sheehan to join him at last weekend’s “Building a New World Conference” at Radford University in Radford, Virginia.

We all owe a debt of gratitude to Cindy Sheehan for speaking truth to power, calling in to question the commitment of political leadership to their public promises to act to bring the occupation of Iraq to an end and to stop the killing. She has stepped in to the space of citizen leadership herself by running for public office.

My friend Liza Sabater posted a blog entry reminding readers to remember the 23 Senators who voted against authorizing the war in Iraq.

Here's the list of US Senators who dared to say "NO" to the war in Iraq:

This past weekend, FOR and Interfaith Peace-Builders (IFPB) held a successful advocacy training event on Capitol Hill in Washington, where two dozen participants came together and walked the halls of Congress to call for an end to military intervention and aid in the Middle East, Latin America, and at home. We met with staff from 20 offices of U.S. Senators and Representatives, encouraging each of those political leaders to choose peace at a time when the White House -- and many in Congress -- continue to default to war.