Mother's Day "Pies for Peace" Rally (to support Kucinich &DoP)

[katinmn]

Is anyone else doing this? I'm excited to be working with our DFL Caucus and DoP-Minnesota to help support the DoP.

We're meeting tomorrow afternoon and taking pies to Rep. McCollum to thank her for voting against the supplemental war budget.
The idea comes from the DoP people.

For Immediate Release
Contact: Mary Jane LaVigne, 651-261-6966
May 3, 2005

On behalf of Mothers Everywhere: Peace Wants a Piece of the Pie!
Mothers Day Alert

Who: Members of Department of Peace Minnesota - Citizens Lobbying for a Department of Peace, the DFL Progressive Caucus are bringing pies for peace to congressional offices.
What: Congressional office visit and rally in support for the establishment of a U.S. Department of Peace.
Where: Rally outside Congresswoman Betty McCollum’s office 165 Western Ave. in St. Paul.
When: May 6th at 4:30 p.m.
Why: Mother's Day was in part inspired by a woman named Julia Ward Howe (Battle Hymn of the Republic), who nursed the wounded during the American Civil War. In 1870 she started a crusade to institute a Mother's Day as a Day for Peace.

"Arise all women who have hearts, say firmly: Our sons shall not be taken from us to unlearn all that we have been able to teach them of charity, mercy and patience. We women of one country will be too tender of those of another country to allow our sons to be trained to injure theirs. Disarm! Disarm! In the name of womanhood and of humanity; take counsel with each other as the means whereby the great human family can live in peace; promote the alliance of the different nationalities, amicable settlement of international questions, and great and general interests of peace." ~ Julia Ward Howe, excerpt from her Mother’s Day Proclamation.

In support of the establishment of a U.S. Department of Peace, members of the Department of Peace Minnesota and the DFL Progressive Caucus will present pies to Congresswoman McCollum for her courage in voting against the War Supplemental Appropriations Act (H.R. 1268) which passed on March 16, 2005.

Only a small percent of the national budget is spent on the cultivation of more peaceful solutions to the crises. While the United States will spend more than $400 billion on its military this year, and approximately $40 billion per year building and maintaining the nation’s prisons, it will spend little cultivating peaceful solutions and alternatives. Backers of the creation of the Department are saying: “Peace wants a piece of the pie!” (Federal budget pie chart attached.)Pie chart graphic: http://www.thepeacealliance.org/action/mothers/piehandout.pdf

On April 8, 2003, Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) introduced a bill in Congress to establish a cabinet-level Department of Peace. The bill ended the 2004 Congressional session with 54 co-sponsors. It will be re-introduced on September 13, 2005. "There really is no department within our government that looks at alternatives to war and violence," says U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Oakland. "This is a department whose time has come."

The Department will be responsible for developing new domestic policies that address issues such as child abuse, domestic violence, gang violence and cultural and racial acts of violence. The international agenda of the Department will be to research and analyze foreign policy and make recommendations to the President on how to address the root causes of war.

For more information on this legislation and the campaign, please visit The Peace Alliance Web site at: www.ThePeaceAlliance.org.

[Desertrose]

1. What a great idea

I love the way the DoP is becoming more visible and the nifty stuff they come up with!

:applause:

[katinmn]

2. Yep. Smart people. We sent out releases and made calls

to the media but you know how THAT goes.

I have begun writing up summaries of rallies and other events and sending them along with pictures to the news media despite their indifference.

This weekend I'll post something on the Pies for Peace rally. I hope we don't get rained out.

[katinmn]

3. Posted in GD

I think I am still smarting from being called "extremist" yesterday. :-)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x3613139

Yesterday a small group of representatives from Department of Peace-Minnesota, the DFL Progressive Caucus, and Merriam Park Neighbors for Peace brought pies to Congresswoman Betty McCollum's office to thank her for supporting Congressman Kucinich's proposal for a Department of Peace, for voting against the supplemental war appropriation (which passed in March), and to wish her a happy Mother's Day. (Mother's Day originated during the Civil War as a Day of Peace). McCollum wasn't in her local office but there were pies for all the staff.

Our theme was "We want a peace of the (budget) pie!" The DoPeace representative dressed up in vintage and posed with Miss Liberty at a nearby coffee shop.

After the delivery a few stood out on the corner with banners.

For more info on the citizen's lobbying effort to create a Department of Peace, visit http://www.dopcampaign.org/main.htm

[genius]

4. The DoP people suggested even bringing pies to the Republicans

Actually, that's a pretty good idea because sometimes the Republicans vote with us. Ron Paul is doing great. Voinovich in the Senate has made a sudden improvement over the average Thug. So maybe we can convert a few more. The problem with the Mother's Day pies is that a lot of people are currently depressed over the House vote on the Real ID Act. Most of the Democrats even voted for the thing. Chertoff is working to create a database with anti-Bush people, as sign that he may really be planning concentration camps. If the Senate goes along with the House on the Real ID Act, Chertoff will certainly have the power and authority to create them. At least 57 House members (including Dennis) had the courage to vote against it.

[katinmn]

5. staying on top of some of the bad legislation that's being

introduced is a full time job. There's no way we can manage it.

The sad thing is, most people have no idea what is taking place and what the implications are.

Ugghh.