Dear Friends,

This week, there is an important action call to make as congress votes on the FY 2013 military budget (NDAA) tomorrow. It contains more than $642 billion of taxpayer money to pay for a war the majority of Americans oppose, to keep troops in Iraq, make upgrades to nuclear weapons that threaten non-proliferation agreements, and pave the way for threats of war in Iran by keeping our military industrial complex strong and unchallenged.  Only 27% of people in this country say they support the war in Afghanistan – down from 37% last year and 46% the year before. But lack of support doesn’t translate into lack of violence. People continue to die there as well as in Iraq, Iran, Israel, Palestine, Korea and many other places. At the end of this month, there will be Memorial Day ceremonies in every community across the country honoring the dead of wars throughout history. It is a strange paradox to lament the dead while continuing to fund the very machine that will ensure more violence and add numbers to the ranks of the dead and wounded. Memorial Day should not be a day to glorify war, but rather to remember its costs. War takes away much more than it gives. Memorials must include mourning for the lives denied by war, and actions to fix the problem.  Will the people who oppose war speak up with the same enthusiasm with which they await the next episode of “Dancing with the Stars”? We must, even knowing it may fall on deaf ears. The lives of the veterans, civilians, and activists killed and wounded around the world demand it. Do your part to honor them by asking for an end to war. Write and call today.

With honor and hope, Betsy

PS: I will be attending a Fair Trade conference next week, so there will be no peace news…Betsy