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Meeting Notes
Iran-Iraq Work Group Meeting, March 1,
2007
Present: Cynthia Benjamin, Dick Powell, Kathy Fraser,
Paddy Lane, Kristina Turechek, Dave Grodsky, Verna Engstrom-Heg, Jonathan
Collett, Lyle Linder.
Cynthia chaired the meeting and called for next steps, action.
1. Daily Star editorial. Jonathan has drafted an editorial
with help from Paddy and Ed Lentz. People asked that it be as focused as possible
on defunding the war, not the troops. There was question about whether to include
a call for U. S. financial support to reconstruct Iraq in this editorial. A suggestion
was to make it a call for an “international effort.” The revision
will include some description of the possible consequences of an attack on Iran. The
Daily Star will publish it as a guest editorial on p.4 of a weekday edition.
2. Petitions and flyers. The petition with two supporting
short flyers--one about Iraq and the other about Iran, with Congressional contact
info on the reverse--is ready for distribution. We already have 32 signatures
from today's vigil. We have set Sunday, March 11, as the deadline. Petitions
can be mailed back to First United Methodist Church by March 10 or dropped off
at their office, which is downstairs from Fellowship Hall, through March 11. Our
preferrred method of delivery to our legislators would be in person to their
local offices (after we have xeroxed all of them), but we will have to see if
that is practical. We encourage everyone to see if they know others who
will pass the petition in their own communities. We recommend that those
who are passing the petition take 10 each of the Iraq & Iran flyers to hand
out to signers, encouraging them to contact our Congressfolks. Paddy will
be glad to get petitons to anyone who needs (RSVP to this email), and Walter
will post the petition on the CfD website. If you download from the website,
please also contact Paddy (grodlane@frontiernet.net)
to let her know, as we are keeping track of where it is being distributed. The
petition is similar to an open letter to Arcuri and Gillibrand that is being
circulated in Cooperstown, which has been published in the Cooperstown papers
with 400 signatures. One difference is that we are also handing out informational
flyers urging people to contact their legislators at this critical time. The
House vote on military funding will take place by March 14.
3. March 17-18. Bus leaves from Hartwick for Washington on March 17. (There
is still room, contact Betsy Bloom at BloomE@hartwick.edu or
607-432-7228). Cynthia has postcards about defunding the war from Military
Families Speak Out which are designed to be sent to Congress; contact her if
you would like some (greenmom44@hotmail.com or
607-263-9989). March in Binghamton on Monday, March 19 from 4-6: “1st day
of 5th year.”
Possible event in Oneonta on March 18: Shall we do a sidewalk march? Paddy
suggested walking past churches as they are getting out after services, although,
upon discussion, this becomes a complicated orchestration and may have the effect
of aggravating people wanting to go home rather than raising consciousness. What
about Main St square? It is not plowed, so we don't know if it will be
free of snow on March 18. We discussed having a speak-out on the square--who
would we invite to speak? Could we add a poetry slam to this? Students
who are involved in the poetry slam group at SUCO are away this week, and time
is short, but Kristina, Dave and Paddy will make inquiries. What about
music? All of these are possibilities, but we would need help in planning
and inviting people. An event in downtown Oneonta should be at 1 PM, to
catch churchgoers before they leave for home. Our discussion was inconclusive,
but we will continue making inquiries. IDEAS AND HELP ARE WELCOME. We
are aware that Cooperstown folks are planning something at 2 PM in Cooperstown
on the 18th, which may be a community discussion on the war or a first public
plunge into the issue of impeachment. It was suggested that perhaps the
impeachment issue would be better addressed at a later event which could draw
on people from both Cooperstown and Oneonta and a wider area.
We brainstormed who might be invited to speak at a Speakout:
Tom Clemow (First United Methodist minister)
Gene Marner
Paul Scheele
who from Hartwick?
Cynthia Benjamin - can speak about Military Families Speak Out
veterans - who???
Michele Feak?
Military Families Speak Out
Iraq Veterans Against the War?
ask Chris Brown re: someone he knows
MORE IDEAS AND HELP ARE WELCOME.
4. Letters to the editor. It is an important time to write letters
to the editor about Iraq and Iran--both issues are critical at the moment. Letters
can encourage people to contact their legislators. Mention legislators
by name--they will take note. Letters can be sent on-line to the Star.
Cynthia and Dave agreed to write. Paddy reads Ed’s list of ways to get
involved and agreed to ask Ed if he would incorporate these into a letter to
the editor.
5. Next steps. Thinking beyond the marches, Paddy stressed the importance
of a meeting with City Council to ask them to pass a resolution. Also, we have
not raised the impeachment issue yet in any sustained way.
NEXT MEETING: Thursday, March 8 at Methodist Church. Vigil in plaza from
4:30-5:30, followed by meeting at 6:00.
POST MEETING NOTE: WE NEED YOUR HELP IN DECIDING WHAT TO DO ON MARCH 18. IF
YOU HAVE IDEAS, PLEASE LET US KNOW.
PPS--We have just been told that if we want a permit to do something on the square
in Oneonta on March 18, we must submit the application by Monday; Concrete
suggestions for what we might do are urgently needed.
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