Here and Now

The starkness of the times

causing even old warriors

to fall

the suffering can bear a load

even on the strongest

 

For many moons our people

have struggled to survive

been through hell

and back

but we are here

 

Now

 

Many of us have fallen

victim to the hype, the pretense,

the flim-flam man,

and the desire to just

be one of the crowd

 

That’s OK

 

It’s just time to move on

to get serious about dealing

with our present here

and now

 

Let the spiritual connection

to our relatives,

that is real,

the two-leggeds.

the four-leggeds, the things

that fly, the things that swim,

the water, the air, the earth

 

All our relatives

 

We must fight, crawl, dribble,

snort, swear, and swim

in order to protect

the future generations

who cry out to us

in our sleep.

Here we are now…..

 

© Bruce K. Gagnon
Coordinator
Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space

Bradley Manning update

They are at a crucial turning point in our campaign to support WikiLeaks whistleblower Chelsea Manning. Chelsea’s future hangs in the balance, and your support can make a huge difference!

Last week, Chelesa’s trial attorney, David Coombs, released a statement with an insider’s view of the injustices of the court martial proceedings and the excessive 35-year sentence. He warned:
I have fought to ensure that she received a fair trial and a just result. Unfortunately, I do not believe that she received either… The government-wide crackdown on whistleblowers and the extension of this crackdown to journalists threatens to stifle the very freedoms that we [the United States] have fought so hard to ensure.
Read More: http://www.chelseamanning.org/featured/david-coombs-update-on-pfc-chelsea-manning

Shooting Brings More Awareness to Dangers of Psychiatric Drugs

Veterans Today News Article: http://www.veteranstoday.com/2014/04/11/fort-hood-shooting-more-fallout-from-psychiatric-drugs/

Colonel Bart Billings is a military psychologist (retired after 34 years of military service) who started the first U.S. annual conference on Combat Stress more than 25 years ago.

Veterans for Peace Regional Conference

Veterans for Peace Regional Conference

Los Angeles 
April 12, 2014
10 am – 6 pm
Location: Peace Center, 3916 Sepulveda Blvd., Culver City, CA  90320

This year’s theme: “Moving Forward in  Solidarity”.

This year’s organizing committee planning a regional conference is to network and find ways to strengthen our efforts as a VFP region not necessarily to educate ourselves on the issues about which we already know.

Overview

• Morning Brunch – mingle and check out chapter displays

• Present state of our VFP chapters.

• Presentation by VFP National – Casey Steinmetz

• Lunch is provided

• MLK music powerpoint – Mr. Lanny Kaufer

• Breakout clusters by similar interest groups to network and collaborate

• Report out from breakout clusters

• Cleanup

• Dinner at nearby location

Please pass along to all of your VFP friends. We are looking info free overnight housing.
*Download jpeg

RSVP: 

Kathleen Hernandez
310-339-1770
hernandezkathleen@hotmail.com

or

Jim Summers
619-339-1827
poozles@hotmail.com