Support for Daniel Chen, Pfc, case of either suicide or murder from hazing, bullying of fellow soldiers;
January 27, 2012 (NYC City Council Hearing for Resolution 1188 on Military Hazing)
Military Families Speak Out supports the Chen family, the Chinese American community, and joins the coalition to investigate Pfc. Chen’s case. As family members of soldiers, our hearts break with Mr. Chen’s family. We experience the terror that our loved ones may fall to the enemy. To have to worry about harm to our loved ones from fellow troops is completely intolerable.
We recently saw on TV the photograph of a soldier who died after 14 deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. On behalf of that fearless patriot, who responded to the call of a desperate military with selfless sacrifice, we must point out that although our soldiers have endured multiple deployments, some despite being incapacitated by Post traumatic stress or other injuries, the overwhelming majority of the 2 million soldiers would not murder or abuse a US soldier to suicide. Leaders such as General Colin Powell or General Eric Shinseki are examples of hard won racial equality in the military.
Peggy Coleman wrote, “When their most basic beliefs about right and wrong, conscience, compassion and humanity are shattered, they[soldiers] can be transformed in malignant ways. For some, the urge to destructive behavior will be directed outward..” Danny Chen’s death was a terrible blow to American democracy.
The New York Times reported the military suicide and rape rate is at an all time high. If we care about our military and national security, we must care about Daniel Chen and crimes of omission or commission by privates or officers, and not let violent offenders into the service.
The original stated goals, Bin Laden’s death and the destruction of Al Queda have already occurred. The American people are tired of war. Although according to The Army Times, 52% of US troops do not believe the war in Afghanistan will succeed, it is a tragedy that any soldiers victimized an American hero like Daniel Chen. Military Families Speak Out stands with you.
Sincerely, NY metro mfso
2012: Celebrating Martin Luther King Day at peace vigil and march from St. John’s Cathedral to Riverside Church, participation in Religious march to five churches led by Father Mike;
Long Beach, CA parents of Marine who has been deployed four times:
“As a loving family, along with our son, who is a career Marine, we watched in horror when we invaded Afghanistan and the drumbeat for war lead into the senseless invasion and occupation of Iraq. Military families have paid dearly- over 4,000 of our loved ones are gone forever. Hundreds of thousands of innocent Iraqis dead. And it took all this time to finally get out of a war that should never have happened in the first place? People like us who are fighting for justice and against the misuse of our military are telling me they will believe it when they see it. In our home, we take heart in the fact that our president has announced we will finally be out in December, even though this was a result of not being able to cut a deal with the Iraqi’s regarding troop accountability and that this was President Bush’s signed Status of Forces’ Agreement, not anything President Obama decided. Our son has been deployed twice to Iraq and twice to Afghanistan. He is scheduled to be re-deployed again in January. For us- and so many others- the nightmare continues.”
Review of 2011: October 2011, demonstration at Times Square to mark the 10th Anniversary of the war in Afghanistan with guest speakers: Congressman Charles Rangel, Joan Wile of Grandmothers Against the War, Doreen Wohl of WS Campaign against Hunger, Dr. Livingston of Physicians for National Health Care; Tom Gogan of US Labor Against War; Barbara Harris, Code Pink; Larry Wood, Reverend Kooperkamp, Elizabeth Enloe, Peg Rapp, 51 reps from OWS; Raging Grannies, Vinnie; Vicki McFadyen, MFSO, Dave McReynolds, WRL; and many others
DATE: October 7, 2011
TIME: NOON-2 p.m.
PLACE: 42 ST, SE corner 7 AVE
TENTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE AFGHANISTAN WAR
MFSO says: Support Our Troops, Bring Them Home Now, Take Care of Them When They Get Here. Move the Money from War to Rebuild our Economy: Jobs, Food, Health Care, Education & Human Services
COST OF WAR
Military Families Speak Out is a national group of families of soldiers who served since 9-11 opposed to the wars in Iraq & Afghanistan.
· 17 million American kids go to bed hungry, millions have lost their homes and jobs here at home, N Y Times estimates due to corruption the US is 2nd financier of Taliban in Afghanistan;
· Auditors recently estimated the US has wasted 90 Billion Dollars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The US spends $1 million per soldier per year.
· 4,795 soldiers died in IRAQ; that war will cost $3 TRILLION;
· 2,753 died in AFGHANISTAN, cost over $1 TRILLION in Afghanistan.
· 300,000 Veterans have PTSD, 300,000 have Traumatic Brain Injuries, over 30,000 have been Mutilated, unknown # have Depleted Uranium Poisoning and are Permanently Disabled.
While WAR profits the oil and munitions industries, it brings death and disability to civilians and soldiers. The people on the planes of 9/11 were Egyptian and Saudi Arabian yet the US attacked IRAQ that has oil and AFGHANISTAN that has a pipeline the US has wanted to control since the 1960’s. OSAMA BIN LADIN is DEAD; war has helped break the US economy.
We need to MOVE THE MONEY HOME. MFSO, GRANDMOTHERS AGAINST THE WAR & CODE PINK and community groups invite you to 42nd Street and 7th Avenue on October 7, 2011, the 10th anniversary of the War in Afghanistan. TAX THE RICH, MOVE THE MONEY from WAR to JOBS, FOOD, EDUCATION, HEALTH & SERVICES. MFSO Metro Chapter, NYC
In 2011, MFSO Metro has adopted a petition by one of its members against Multiple Deployments. This campaign is in alliance with Iraq Veterans Against the War’s effort to stop deployment of wounded soldiers and Peace Action’s national petition to stop the war in Afghanistan. We regret the merciless attitude of some politicians and the defense industry, that while one of four American children go hungry, and millions are unemployed, the US government uses billions of tax dollars for war, munitions, killing and maiming innocent civilians, destroying the environment, wounding hundreds of thousands of soldiers while the US economy.
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