The Local mock Teen Cemetery began @ 10 am @ SBCC on the West Campus lawn across from the campus library overlooking Ledbetter Beach on the Pacific Ocean. The event is sponsored by the SB Veterans for Peace, Chapter 54, and partially funded by the fund For Santa Barbara. To date we displayed 357 tombstones and placards on 18 & 19 year olds casualties from the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts. The seven new casualties consisted of 2, 18 year olds and 5, 19 year olds. Six were from Afghanistan and one from Iraq.

August 20th was the Friday before SBCC begins it’s Fall Semester on the following Monday. Faculty & staff were on hand for in-service and students were getting oriented, buying books and getting registered. We were able to get students, staff, faculty & visitors to view the Teen Memorial, obtain free books on the Vietnam War, “Vietam Ambush” by our Chapter President, Dan Seidenberg, Jr. and DVD’s on Arlington West by Peter Dudar & Sally Mar, from Laughing Tears Productions for a small donation. Students signed petitions to Stop the Military use of Depleted Uranium for VFP, Chapter 116, P.O. Box 96, Albion, Ca 95410 and to Withdraw our Military from Iraq & Afghanistan immediately for American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), 637 Dearborn, 3rd Fl., Chicago, IL 60605.

Students also took an SBCC form to be taken off the military’s recruitment list, in opposition to the Solomon Amendment. This form allows students to prevent the release of their personal information to the Military Recruiters by using the Family Educational Rights & Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974 to withold the release of their “Directory Information” to the military and others. Students also signed up to form an official SBCC club “Veterans For Peace Student Club” for Fall, 2010.

Protest Planned at City College June 18

Santa Barbara Independent [independent.com], Mon., June 14, 2010

A mock cemetery of the U.S. Military Teen casualties is planned in Santa Barbara, California, on Friday, June 18, 2010, part of the National and International grassroots War Moratorium Movement calling for the immediate end of war and occupation from Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Palestine.

The June 18 actions here, across the country and world mark the continuation of the War Moratorium, to unite individuals and groups who act to end Wars and Massacres, on the Third Friday / weekend of every month.

A mock cemetery of the U.S. Military Teen casualties is planned in Santa Barbara, California, on Friday, June 18, 2010, part of the National and International grassroots War Moratorium Movement calling for the immediate end of war and occupation from Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Palestine.

The June 18 actions here, across the country and world mark the continuation of the War Moratorium, to unite individuals and groups who act to end Wars and Massacres, on the Third Friday / weekend of every month.

The local mock Teen Cemetery will begin @10am in Santa Barbara, California, at Santa Barbara City College (SBCC) on the West Campus lawn across from the campus library overlooking Leadbetter Beach on the Pacific Ocean.

The event is sponsored by the S.B. Vets for Peace Chapter 54, and partially funded by the Fund for Santa Barbara. The event will consist of a mock cemetery of the U.S. Military Teen Dead, from the Iraq & Afghanistan conflicts. To date we have information on 349, 18 & 19-year-old casualties from both conflicts.

The “Tombstones” will be set up by volunteers from the S.B. Vets for Peace Chapter and SBCC students. Staff, students & visitors passing by on the walkway between the East & West campuses will be asked to come down on the lawn to place a placard of a color photo & information of a teen casualty on the “Tombstones.” Information about the cost of war and the immediate withdrawal of troops from Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Palestine will be shared. Also information on the video www.RethinkAfghanistan.com will be available.

A form for students to be taken off the military’s recruitment list, in opposition to the Solomon Amendment will be given out. The Solomon Amendment allows Colleges & Universities to give student names, phone #’s and other private information to 17 components of the U.S. Military Service each term. Students can prevent the release of their information to the Military Recruiters by using the Family Educational Rights & Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974 to withold the release of their “Directory Information” to the military and others.

Two Petitions will also be circulated at the memorial to be sent to Congress to:

1. Stop the Military Use of Depleted Uranium for VFP, Chapter 116, P.O. Box 96, Albion, CA 95410

2. Withdraw our military from IRAQ and AFGHANISTAN immediately for American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), 637 Dearborn, 3rd Fl., Chicago, IL 60605

Dr. Gilberto Robledo, (805) 963-1259 or Cell (805) 252-0219 (on day of event)

Set-up will begin at 7:30 am on the beach at Stearns Wharf, Santa Barbara, with take-down scheduled for 4 pm.  We look forward to a good turnout of volunteers.

Will War Ever End?: A Soldier’s Vision of Peace for the 21st Century by Paul K. Chappell

Welcome to Captain Paul Chappell, a remarkable addition to Santa Barbara’s veterans and peace community.  Paul is the new Peace Leadership Director of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation.  A West Point graduate and Iraq veteran, he is the author of Will War Ever End?: A Soldier’s Vision of Peace for the 21st Century, published just this year while he was still on active duty. He is a member of Veterans for Peace.

Paul Chappell was a special guest of VFP Chapter 54 at our chapter meeting, Monday November 2, where he gave us a fascinating and inspiring presentation.In his new role as a spokesman for the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, he will be meeting with groups of students and veterans around the country, and we have no doubt that his message will be heard, loud and clear.  To order copies of Paul’s book “Will War Ever End?” just go to amazon.com

 

Rethink Afghanistan, directed by Robert Greenwald

Here are some notes from the video section of the film’s site rethinkafghanistan.com:

Rethink Afghanistan is a ground-breaking, full-length documentary focusing on the key issues surrounding this war. By releasing this film in parts online for free, we are able to stay on top of news of the war as it continues to unfold. We hope to raise critical questions regarding Afghanistan that Congress must address in oversight hearings, which inform the public and challenge policymakers. We strive for more discussion among experts on Afghanistan, like the debates seen below released in conjunction with our documentary campaign.

Arlington West
Courtesy SB Independent

NAME OF EVENT: Special Afghanistan Arlington West
LOCATION OF EVENT: On the beach immediately west of Stearns Wharf, Santa Barbara, CA
DESCRIPTION OF EVENT: Crosses memorializing those who died in the war in Afghanistan
TIME: All day
DATE: October 4, 2009
CONTACT INFORMATION: Mary Johnston-de Leon, maryjohns10@yahoo.com
SPONSORED BY VFP CHAPTER 54 – Santa Barbara, CA

October 7 marks the 8th year of the war on Afghanistan. Join Veterans For Peace, Iraq Veterans Against the War, and Military Families Speak Out as we continue to resist this ongoing war and occupation. For more national activities in this effort, please consult www.veteransforpeace.org.