Firstly, do not forget our monthly vigil in front of the Livingston Post Office at 4 pm on Monday, March 3.

AND

FROM Margarita McLarty (Bozeman Peace Seekers)
(406) 333-4746,  margarita@wispwest.net <mailto:margarita@wispwest.net>

It’s time  to De-Fund the War and Declare Peace!

A Call for Nonviolent  Direct Action

“Not  one more death, not one more day, not one more  dollar.”

On  March 19th,  2008, the  fifth anniversary of “Shock and Awe” when the United States began bombing  Baghdad, Montanans  will gather  from all around the state in a Peace Seeking action affirming that the “Iraq War”  can  soon end and our troops  can  come home.

This is a call to join in a citizen occupation of  Senator Max Baucus’ Helena office to  “Defund the War and Declare Peace” in  coordination with Nonviolent Direct Actions that will be happening in  Washington D.C. and all across the nation.   Now is the time  for the US occupation to end, for a peace process to begin, and for the US to  shift funding from permanent war to reconstruction of Iraq and meeting human  needs at home.

Together  Peace Seekers will create an event where people come from all over Montana to  engage in a thoughtful, joyful occupation of the Helena  offices of Senator Max Baucus.   They will acknowledge that Max  can: 1) pledge that he will represent the wishes of Montanans by refusing to  vote any more funds for the “war” in Iraq, and 2) assure us that he will take  legislative action calling for the safe and rapid withdrawal of all U.S.  troops from Iraq and the closure of U.S. bases there.

Some  will choose to remain in the offices in courteous defiance of police orders to  leave.  In an act of nonviolent civil disobedience they  will accept arrest on trespassing charges.  Most folks will opt to exit the  building when ordered to do so, and then gather outside in support of those  opting for arrest. They will rally to encourage Senator Baucus to join the  growing number of legislators who have made a commitment to refuse further war  funding.

Peace  Seekers intend to prepare for this action with careful planning and open and  respectful communication with Helena Police and the Senator’s office staff.

Given  enough interest within peace groups around the state, nonviolent training  workshops can be conducted and citizens encouraged to participate in one large  statewide direct action on this significant date, in this important year of  the Senator’s hope for re-election.

Peace  Seekers will actively occupy the Senator’s office with song, with prayer, with  stirring statements of conscience and sharing of hopes that empower all  to act in a spirit of belief in the changes that can be accomplished  together.

Five  years ago On March 19th twenty-five Montana Peace Seekers sat down  in front of the doors to the Capitol Building in Helena and sang patriotic  songs while placing their bodies in the way of the Montana government’s  ability to conduct business as usual – as the bombs began to fall.  Nine who had prepared for civil  disobedience declined to accept police orders to move and were arrested, held  overnight in the Helena jail, charged with misdemeanor trespass and released  the next day.

From  their shared humanity and conscience, many Montana Peace Seekers believe it is  essential to take action to bring attention of the public at large to the  unjust, oil-motivated occupation of Iraq by observing the beginning of the  sixth year of this “war” through another act of purposeful Peace Seeking.

We  invite you to join us.

“One  Person can gently shake the world” ~ Mohandas  Gandhi

For more information — or to arrange a direct action  workshop:

CONTACT Margarita McLarty   (406) 333-4746,  margarita@wispwest.net <mailto:margarita@wispwest.net>

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Also: Here are some 2/18/08 notes/thoughts on the McLarty  proposal for March 19th actions in Helena from Mary Kay Craig of Butte’s  peace organization TAPS (Taking Action for Peaceful Solutions),  MaryKayCraig@bresnan.net>

Regarding the Call to Action handout written by Margarita (copy  attached), here is a portion of an email I [Mary Kay] sent to Margarita on  Feb. 18:

“…. I think we have to have a stated  purpose for this action. The purposes in my mind (most not included in the  handout) are:

1. Call the attention of Montana citizens to these  facts:

* It’s the 5th anniversary and beginning of  the 6th year of the war
* MT Sen. Baucus has  definitively chosen to ignore the majority of Montanans who want to De-Fund  this “war.”
* Sen. Baucus wants Montanans to re-elect  him in 2008 for another six years
* It is an unjust war,  inhumane war; e.g.:
- Is an oil resource war according to Sen. Jon  Tester
- There was  no urgency for the invasion of 2003 - no WMDs and UN Chief Inspector begged  for   more time
-  Lack of proportionality - Shocking the world to show off overwhelming military  superiority vs. a small  country
- Targeting  of civilians is an international crime

2. Ask Montana citizens of to  call, write, email, fax Senator Baucus, demanding he change his position and  vote to de-fund the war for Iraq Oil, threatening him with loss of votes if he  continues on the course he has set.

What you think?

Mary Kay Craig < <mailto:MaryKayCraig@bresnan.net> MaryKayCraig@bresnan.net>
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Also from Mary Kay Craig:

The fact is that either Baucus or Tester could put a hold on a  war-funding bill if either wished to end the U.S. occupation of Iraq. I copy  below (#1) Data I sent out last October about the big lie that keeps us in  Iraq.

1. October 2007 BIG LIE info sent by 8th Day Center for Justice  [ http://www.8thdaycenter.org/  ]

THE BIG LIE
It is a lie that Congress must pass a bill to  end the occupation of Iraq. The occupation can be ended with an announcement  by Congressional leaders that there will be no more funding. Should someone  offer a proposal to fund the war, Democrats can block it in several  ways.

For example, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Senate  Majority Leader Harry Reid could, if they wanted, announce today that the  House and Senate will no longer bring to a vote any bills to fund anything  other than withdrawal of the troops. They have many colleagues already on  board with that position, not to mention two thirds of the country.

In  the House, a bill cannot come to the floor for a vote without Pelosi’s  approval unless 218 representatives sign, what is called, “a discharge  petition” to force the bill to the floor. It is unlikely enough House  Democrats would oppose their party to fund Bush’s war in that way. (The house  is composed of 435 representatives: 233 Democrats and 202  Republicans.)

In the Senate, Reid alone could refuse to bring a bill to the  floor, or another senator could put a secret hold on a bill.

Should  either of these methods fail and a funding bill comes to the floor for a vote,  Senate Democrats could tie up the bill by conducting a Filibuster. A  filibuster is an extended debate upon a proposal in order to delay or  completely prevent a vote on its passage. It takes a super-majority,  three-fifths of the Senate (60 Senators, if all 100 seats are filled) to bring  a debate to a close. Thus, just 41 votes in the Senate would block any attempt  by those in the Senate who wish to continue funding the war.

ANOTHER  LIE
To further justify their support of war funding, members of Congress  use their supposed concern for U.S. troops as a human shield. They are hiding  behind soldiers and the threat that if they cut off funds U.S. soldiers would  wake up tomorrow and not have food, water, or even funds to pull  out.

This is also a lie. The Pentagon does not live pay check to  paycheck like working people do. The budget and supply process is decided  months and years in advance. There is a long supply chain – planning and  allocation are known many months in advance.

Bush has billions of  dollars for withdrawal in the pipeline and could be given more for that  exclusive purpose.

So, when Democrats say they are voting to protect  the troops or that they don’t have the votes to end the occupation, they are  lying to you.
———
For more info on funding, see

End the War - Keep War Funding Off The  Floor! at http://encampmenttostopthewar.blogspot.com/2007/09/end-war-keep-war-funding-off-floor_22.html <http://encampmenttostopthewar.blogspot.com/2007/09/end-war-keep-war-funding-off-floor_22.html>
and

Congress Ignoring Critical Report on Pentagon  Spending

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/101007J.shtml <http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/101007J.shtml>

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