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I attended a protest with about 20 other people against the war which took place at the St. George Recruiting Center, near the Staten Island Ferry terminal. This was the last in a series of five protests in response to the announcement of the 4000 US military deaths in Iraq that meet the narrow criteria the Bush regime uses to count our war dead. (Troops who die from injuries occurring in Iraq after they arrive in military hospitals in Germany and the US are not counted. Neither are dead mercenaries. Military suicides are conspicuously absent from the numbers as well.)
One aspect of the protest really brought home the fact that there is a ticking clock in the war that means we cannot passively accept the carnage going on until January 2009, much less January 2013. There were four signs, one for each digit in the number of the war dead. The organizers had to change the last digit on more than one occasion while the protests were going on over the week, and we found out that the 4005 number for tonight already was out of date by the time the protest had started.
The protest was sponsored by Military Families Speak Out, Movement for a Democratic Society - Staten Island, and Peace Action Staten Island.
Staten Island has a vocal and active peace community. The "forgotten borough" (and the red borough) of New York City has the largest Peace Action chapter in the city, despite Staten Island having the smallest population of any borough and the largest percentage of Republican and Conservative Party members. No matter where you are, a group of committed activists can have a voice on an issue.
Here are the protest's demands, from a press release circulated via email:
Join Staten Island residents, Military Families and Veterans for a Candlelight Vigil marking this TRAGIC milestone. Speak up for the soldiers who no longer have a voice.
Demand that the Bush Administration and our Congress:
Stop all funding for War and Occupation of Iraq!
Bring the Troops Home Now!
Redirect all money back to our communities for:
health care
education
housing
jobs
Staten Island? I was born in Staten Island, and in reference to your comment have been having an imaginary affair with Dennis Quaid since before The Big Easy
Back to your post; (Troops who die from injuries occurring in Iraq after they arrive in military hospitals in Germany and the US are not counted.
That's not spoken of enough. Nor are the number of troops who survive but will never have a quality of life again
The Information you are provided is not full information..........