What are you doing to end the war?

[proud2BlibKansan]

This man was in KC this weekend. All I can say is WOW!

http://wtetw.com/

Step by step, peace activist delivers message


Every so often, a stranger visits the peace rallies near the Country Club Plaza, bringing a new energy, commitment and hope to people who want the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to end now.

On Sunday, Bill McDannell injected that vitality into the crowd at Mill Creek Park. “When he first started talking about it, I thought he was crazy,” said McDannell’s wife, Jonna O’Dell.

But McDannell, 57, and O’Dell, 60, former ministers in the United Methodist Church, sold their house in San Diego and nearly all of their possessions to finance his 3,000-mile walk to Washington, D.C., to deliver a petition to lawmakers demanding an end to the wars.

<skip>

“We can only count on ourselves,” he said in a speech at the peace rally. “We’re in charge. They (elected officials) are only temporary employees. We’re their boss.”

McDannell told the crowd he averaged about 17 miles on the days he walked. “I’m trying to get everybody to see that we have got to take this country back,” he said.

The wars have been destructive and costly. “What we’re doing is outrageous, it’s immoral and it’s un-American,” McDannell said.

Afghanistan and Iraq have elected governments. America “has no grievance with either,” McDannell’s petition says. “The so-called war on terrorism is not a war within the historic definition of war …” President Bush and Congress could keep the war on terror going indefinitely unless the people intervene, McDannell said.

<skip>

McDannell said he hoped his walk would encourage more dialogue, lead to Congress rescinding the war powers granted to the president, and restore public trust and the separation of power. But more people must get involved.

“Somebody’s got to do something,” McDannell said, to get things started. “I’m somebody.”

Others must step up, too.

http://www.kansascity.com/278/story/108755.html

[wtmusic]

1. Not enough. nt

[liberaldemocrat7]

10. http://endthewar.dmocrats.org

I tell people to call General Electric Corporation, a war contractor and Republican contributor, at 203 373 2211 and ask for the public relations department and tell the person, I will not buy any General electric products until the GE CEO gets George W Bush to end the occupation and war in Iraq and then resigns with Cheney.

By the way, I just spoke to the person who's walking across America and told him of my strategy to end the war and he told me he will mention it to people. I sent him an email so he will have the information as he was walking when I spoke to him.

[Cults4Bush]

14. Great job!

The corpos hate the word boycott:)

[Blue_Tires]

2. 1st rec

[care a boo]

3. John Edwards said...

He gave a list of things we could do... incl. make signs protesting the war and show them at the local Memorial Day parades.

[proud2BlibKansan]

7. Welcome to DU!

:hi:

[Name removed]

4. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[WePurrsevere]

5. What an amazing & admirable couple! Although not all of us are able to walk

and be as physically active as this couple and others, many of us do as we are able in an attempt to end this war and stop the neo-CONs in their tracks. We must remember that every step we take, every sign we post, every bumper sticker we use, every letter we write and phone call we make helps increase awareness of the nation and get the attention of the politicians.

[proud2BlibKansan]

8. How correct you are!!

:) We can ALL do SOMETHING!

[Eagle_Eye]

6. I write, email and sometimes call my representatives

Here is a good place to get email addresses
Mailing address both at home and in Washington
And good telephone numbers to call:

House of Representatives
http://www.house.gov/house/MemberWWW_by_State.shtml

The Senate
http://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/senators/f_two_sections_with_teasers/states.htm

[proud2BlibKansan]

9. That's great information!

Thank you.

[bonito]

11. No one can do everything but everyone can do something!

:toast:

[proud2BlibKansan]

12. That is so true

I have a good friend who is disabled. She barely walks. She asked me last week what could she do, she is outraged and can't come to rallies. I told her to get on the internet and do some research. Educate herself and share what she finds with everyone on her email list.

Yes, everyone can do SOMETHING.

[Cults4Bush]

13. oh... every little thing I can... and I mean little

I spent 2002 through 2006 doing the write/phone/fax thing coupled with some rallies and protests and ditch camping in Crawford.

I think the most effective thing any single person can do is just to talk about to friends and family and just be as informed with scources that are hard for war supporters to impune.

Ive also found that with particular hard headed and hateful jingoistic types asking these 2 simple questions work wonders for tieing their minds and emotions into tight little knots.

1. How much money is enough?? (How much money do they think is appropriate to spend before we can leave?, if they are willing to break the bank and go 3rd world for this war, they are in an almost indefensible position.. almost any other answer forces them to think and thats all we are trying to do here).

2. How many is too many? (how many deaths before it is not worth it for them? Stick to American deaths and know the current casualty figure via icasualties (I check it several times a day). After a bit of wrangling over this, start in on civilian casualties, I always start with lowball estimates from iraqbodycount but slip but it could be hundreds of thousands.)

Between these two questions I have "won" every debate Ive had with pro war types. They either paint themselves into a crazy corner (one said 50,000 troop loss was his limit & after asking if he knew what a small percentile he was in, he siad he didnt care and I was able to label him an extremeist with another pro war type agreeing with me who said 5000 was his cut off but didnt care how many Iraqis died, I told him that anything he says with regard to the being of Iraqi peoples was BS then, as he doesnt care. So that meant all his reason for war in the first place (the suffering of the Iraqi people being the only reason now) are null and void.

However "winning" a debateor argument isnt what its about... its about planting seeds of doubt and fertilizing them, once they sprout being pro war becomes incredibly difficult to rationalize.

[proud2BlibKansan]

17. Those are great questions!

[uppityperson]

15. Educated people via snopes.

local deli had the stupid Iraq War Patriotic bs supposedly by Robin Williams posted. I printed snopes take on it and took it in and talked with them. Their son is in Iraq and they feel they have to post everything anyone brings in. I'm hoping they will think more.

[EFerrari]

16. Off you go. n/t

[BeHereNow]

18. Well...personally, I delight in telling military recruiters about Blackwater mercs and Halliburton

FRAUD at the expense of their brothers and sisters in service.
It is astounding how many of them are COMPLETELY ignorant about such matters.
But then, given that the current "volunteer by economic necessity" military
forces are, for the most part, the least educated and opportunity
laden among us, are we surprised?
Fortunately, most do have access to the Internet and can
research for themselves from the links I provide them.

BHN:evilgrin:

[Gelliebeans]

19. Day by day update of McDannell's walk

http://wtetw.com/route.htm