1,000 Letters to the Editor for Cindy

[paineinthearse]

John Conyers has updated his website's front page for the first time since the 7/23 DSM meetings, it now features several ways to support Cindy Sheehan. See www.johnconyers.com

Today he challenges the world to "Help us write 1,000 Letters
to the Editor for Cindy". I think that DU itself could write at least half of the total.

Are the DU activists up the the "challange"?

=======================================================

Easy way to compose a message and select a media outlet is provided by John Conyers at http://johnconyers.com/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC=%7B142AA5F1-BC9F-4438-BB41-3926D3DCEDE5%7D

WRITE YOUR LOCAL NEWSPAPER IN SUPPORT OF CINDY SHEEHAN

Cindy Sheehan has waited a long time for answers from the President. Answers to questions about the Downing Street Minutes, about the real reasons for war in Iraq, and to what end was her son asked to sacrifice his life. Right now Mrs. Sheehan is staging a vigil outside the president's house on a sun-baked dusty road in Crawford, Texas waiting for Bush to talk to her and offer a real explanation for why we are in Iraq.

Cindy is prepared to wait as long as it takes for the President to meet with her. Write to your local papers expressing why you think Bush should meet with Cindy.

http://johnconyers.com/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC=%7B142AA5F1-BC9F-4438-BB41-3926D3DCEDE5%7D

Perhaps DU itself could write and get published 1000 letters? Is the activist group up to this?

[rocktivity]

1. JUST one thousand? I thought Conyers WASN'T a wimp!

But seriously folks, this would be a great assignment--LTTEs condeming the organized smearing of Cindy, complete with insinuations that it may have been a factor in her mother having a stroke!

:headbang:
rocknation

[paineinthearse]

3. Well, between the cross-post in GDP and here

..we have a total of 4 LTTE.

996 to go, DU.

Cross-post in GDP - http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=2017850&mesg_id=2017850 - let's give it a kick so more will see.

[paineinthearse]

6. I wish we had MORE "wimps" like John Conyers nt

[snot]

2. Here's what I just wrote:

Gentlemen and Ladies:

It seems to me that Cindy Sheehan’s creed is a simple one: killing is almost never right.

Her speeches indicates she considers herself to be religious.

Most religions permit killing under more or less limited circumstances. My cursory reading is that Christianity as preached by Christ is pretty much against killing altogether; but some Old Testament passages seem to condone it; and Christian leaders have certainly interpreted the Bible to permit killing in various situations.

Based on what little I know, the Koran seems to condone killing in a wider range of situations than do the words of Christ, though perhaps no wider than do Christ’s words as interpreted by Christian church leaders.

To me, however, the highest, best records of the statements of our best wise persons, including Christ et al., indicate agreement with Cindy that killing is almost never right.

I’d like there to be an exception for when there’s a clear, IMMEDIATE, imminent threat to one’s own life. But that’s IT. It can’t just be that you suspect that another person MIGHT be a threat. In fact, I don’t even think it should be just that you think the other person might be a threat AND you’re certain they have deadly weapons. If that’s all it takes, we might as well go ahead and delete the Second Amendment to the Constitution.

I think it should mean that you have to have REAL, reasonable evidence to believe ALL OF THE FOLLOWING: (1) that the other person intends kill or seriously harm you; (2) that the person actually has the ability to do so (i.e., they’ve actually got a weapon or other means, and it’s loaded AND within range); AND (3) that the person appears likely to actually do so—AND so soon that you truly have NO alternative but to kill the person NOW in order to prevent it.

I think there’s a reason why most people feel messed up after killing another human being: because we’re generally not supposed to do it. The act of killing another full-blown human is inherently traumatic; if it doesn’t bother you, you’re probably a psychopath.

Because there’s almost always a better solution. It just hasn’t been fully explored by our leaders, who happen to sit thousands of miles from the unpleasantness.

Cindy does not say we should never go to war. She says we should not persist in an unnecessary and illegal war of aggression that we went into based on lies.

As she’s pointed out, we still don’t even know the real reasons for the war. It’s clear now that it wasn’t for any of the reasons given so far--none of those have held up to scrutiny. And it seems clear that those who led us into war knew or, a the minimum, should have known they wouldn’t.

So, why did they lead us into war? Was it oil? Was it to enrich Bush family friends? I honestly I don’t know.

I think Cindy’s right to ask. We should all be asking. We have paid for the answers in blood, not to mention the approximately $189 billion as of the time this message is written, which could have been spent any number of other, probably better ways.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

[paineinthearse]

4. Conyers has posted this call to action at Huffington Post.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/

[paineinthearse]

5. Success: we have reached our goal of 1,000 letters in less than 24 hours

http://www.conyersblog.us/default.htm

UPDATE:

Remarkably, we have reached our goal of 1,000 letters in less than 24 hours. I am so encouraged that people took the time to write their own words of support for Cindy that I will extend this campaign to see if we can write 1,000 more letters to our local papers.

==========

Blogged by JC on 08.17.05 @ 04:42 PM ET

Join Me in Writing 1,000 Letters to Local Papers Supporting Cindy

Cross Posted at The Huffington Post

Clearly, Cindy Sheehan has struck a nerve in this country, and her willingness to speak truth to power resonates as a model of courage and dedication to us all. One way I believe all of us can help her cause – even those who cannot travel to Crawford, Texas – is by writing our local papers to support her and her efforts to meet with the president. Let's keep up the momentum so that when she is able to return to Crawford, we have not faltered in the search for a "noble cause."

I have written a letter to my local newspaper, and set up a form on my web site that will allow readers to submit their own words simultaneously to all the papers in their region. These letters are crucial to combating the nasty smear attacks that the right wing have been promoting. I will be able to keep track of the number of letters submitted through the site, and have set an initial goal of 1,000 letters and/or guest editorials.

I have also transformed the home page of my website, http://johnconyers.com, into a Crawford Action Center to assist in writing letters, and generally in organizing support and donations for Cindy. It is an online resource where you can easily find the latest information about events in Crawford through news reports, pictures, video, audio, and talking points.

I believe it is crucial that all of our local newspapers hear from us and know that support for Cindy is widespread, particularly given the smear campaign the right wing is waging against her. While Cindy has the nation's attention, we need to buttress her press coverage with personal stories from others who share her grief and outrage at the Administration's conduct in getting us into this war.

[Douglas Carpenter]

7. Another great contribution from John Conyers--now 2000 is the goal

Here is his diary on this matter from the Daily Kos

The link: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/8/19/202445/588

"2,000 Letters Supporting Cindy

by Congressman John Conyers <[br />
Fri Aug 19th, 2005 at 17:24:44 PDT

With Cindy back in California attending to her mother's illness, it is more important than ever that we think of ways to support her cause and push back against the right wing smear campaign she is facing.

Last week, we sent a letter signed by 40 Members of Congress supporting Cindy, and sought contributions to support her. This week, I am organizing a campaign to encourage supporters to write letters and guest editorials supporting Cindy to submit to their local papers. My initial goal of 1,000 letters was met today, so with the help of the Kos community, I would like to expand the goal to 2,000. If you would like to write a letter and have it automatically submitted to your local paper, click here. I have also created a Crawford Action Center on my web site which includes a variety of video and audio clips, talking points and other materials.

There is no doubt that Cindy and the other Gold Star families have touched a nerve in this country. Now more than ever, we need to let the world know that we support Cindy and her cause."

[NMMNG]

8. That seems do-able

:dem: