Friday, August 03, 2012

Visit to Hagan's office in Asheville

Five members of Asheville Friends Meeting went to Senator Hagan's office yesterday to talk about cutting the Pentagon budget.  We brought along a pie to show how much of our budget goes to the Pentagon, and how little to human needs.  Here is the letter I sent to Senator Hagan: 


August 2, 2012


Dear Senator Hagan:

The proposed cuts to the Pentagon budget would only bring the budget back to the level it was at in 2007.  I think we need to do much more than that. 

Our country has acted for the past ten years like our very existence is in danger, all because of the terrorists attacks on 9/11.  No doubt, that was a horrible thing, but it does not justify endless wars and endless bombings of other countries.  It does not justify spending so much money on war and destruction, and it does not justify wars of aggression (in Iraq) or extra-judicial killing (drone bombings).

Contractors and lobbyists are constantly working in DC to override what is best for the American people and the world.  They are only interested in profit, not in justice, not in peace and not in being reasonable. 

I heard yesterday that even President Obama is coming out in favor of cutting our military budget.  I think that will be a popular position in the United States, and I urge you to join in public speaking out in favor of cutting the Pentagon budget in favor of focusing on meeting human needs here in our country and abroad. 

I would also like to urge you to stop US military interference in other countries and stop US contractors or CIA from engaging in harmful actions towards foreign citizens.  The sanctions against Iran are also immoral in my eyes – they are hurting ordinary Iranians, not the leaders of that country.  I heard yesterday that children who are critically ill in Iran are no longer able to get the medicine they need to stay alive.  This is Iraq all over again – where sanctions weakened and hurt ordinary people, where a pack of lies was used to justify the sanctions, and where the US eventually enacted a war of aggression on Iraq.  This is immoral, and must be stopped.

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