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<div class="event-when"><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><h1 class="title" style="margin-bottom: 0px; font-size: 1.3em; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 153, 51); margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; clear: both; ">
Brown Bag Lunch Vigil: Healthcare Not Warfare</h1></span></strong></div><div class="event-when"><strong><br></strong></div><div class="event-when"><strong>When:</strong> Thursday, February 18, 2010, 12:00 pm to 1:30 pm</div>
<div class="event-where"><strong>Where: </strong>Downstairs from Sen. John Kerry's office • One Bowdoin Square • Boston</div></div><div class="content"><div class="event-nodeapi"></div><div class="event-nodeapi"></div>
<p style="margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.9em; "><a href="http://pdamerica.org/articles/misc/2009-11-13-12-49-50-misc.php" style="text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 102, 153); "><img alt="Healthcare Not Warfare" width="150" height="171" vspace="5" hspace="10" align="left" src="http://justicewithpeace.org/files/u1/HNW_BBV_logo_150px.jpg" style="border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; "></a></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.9em; ">We join a nationwide series of <a href="http://pdamerica.org/articles/misc/2009-11-13-12-49-50-misc.php" style="text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 102, 153); ">Brown Bag Lunch Vigils</a> on the theme, "Healthcare Not Warfare", sponsored by Progressive Democrats of America. We will carry signs "Stop the Afghanistan War" and present petitions to Sen. Kerry's staff. We plan to continue this vigil every month.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.9em; ">Since President Obama announced Dec. 1 that he will escalate the Afghanistan war by sending 30,000 additional troops, the disastrous failure of the Administration's war policy is becoming more apparent.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.9em; ">Afghanistan cannot be subdued by force. The war is causing rising civilian casualties and Afghan resentment of foreign forces. 2009 was <a target="_blank" href="http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=3pt5VjgpUIiqiXJ3gC%2BJQ76kSanqZgj2" style="text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); ">the worst year since 2001 for Afghan children</a>, and NATO forces killed civilians in multiple recent incidents. <a target="_blank" href="http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=9RLtk3QDNFe58T8dqOzsUb6kSanqZgj2" style="text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); ">The UN reported</a> that 2,412 civilians were killed in Afghanistan in 2009, a 14% increase over 2008. </p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.9em; ">Opposition to Obama's war is stirring in Congress. Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) plans to introduce a privileged resolution repealing Congressional authorization for the war. Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA) and Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI) will offer a bill to require an exit strategy. And Rep. Barbara Lee's (D-CA) HR.3699 withholds funds to pay for any increased troop levels. <strong>We call on Sen. Kerry </strong>to join these voices and oppose war funding.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.9em; ">At a time when millions of Americans are jobless and cities and towns across the country are slashing budgets for basic services, we urgently need to challenge the Administration's budgetary priorities. <b>Starve the war, not the nation! </b>Across the country students, teachers, women, the disabled, hospital and healthcare workers, the homeless, domestic workers, the unemployed, seniors and many others are protesting deep budget cuts to essential programs.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.9em; ">It's time to join our efforts for a just economy with our call for peace and to tell Congress we can't afford war anymore. Join us in a monthly <a target="_blank" href="http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=GMrI3nrGh6wEwl4dHNc%2Bxr6kSanqZgj2" style="text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); ">Brown Bag Lunch Vigil (BBLV)</a> at congressional offices, starting with Sen. Kerry's office.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.9em; ">Sponsored by UJP Afghanistan Task Force, Progressive Democrats of America, and Veterans for Peace/Smedley Butler Brigade. Email us at <a href="mailto:ujpcoalition@gmail.com" style="text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); ">ujpcoalition@gmail.com</a>.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.9em; "><em><font color="red"><a href="http://justicewithpeace.org/bblv-register" style="text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 102, 153); ">Register to attend </a><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">at <a href="http://justicewithpeace.org/bblv-register">http://justicewithpeace.org/bblv-register</a>.</span></font></font></em></p>
</div></span>-- <br>"There is no flag large enough to cover the shame of killing innocent people." <br>— Howard Zinn<br><br>Cole Harrison<br><a href="mailto:rozziecole@gmail.com">rozziecole@gmail.com</a><br>617-466-9274<br>
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