Ann Wright, ret. Colonel and diplomat who served in Somalia, Uzbekistan, and Mongolia; tireless advocate for Palestinians in Gaza, and for military sexual trauma survivors, and Citizen of the Year in Atlanta, 2009...will join us for an afternoon in Tacoma!

Her talk will focus on the costs of wars, and relationships among wars in the Middle East.
We’ll discuss what these costs are, in ways that everyone shares concerns: Dwindling jobs, health care and education, globally. And of course, what people are doing and planning in response to economic changes. Community building seems to be on the agenda.

KING’S BOOKS
218 St Helen’s Ave
Tacoma, WA 98402
(253-272-8801)  read more »

By Jon R. Anderson - Staff writer, Army Times
Posted : Sunday Mar 7, 2010 12:55:44 EST

LAKEWOOD, Wash. — Seth Manzel is not your typical peacenik.
An Iraq veteran with an ash-black crucifix tattoo on his forearm, he wears his hair short, as if he were still an infantry squad leader. At home, he has a safe full of guns. At work, he’s the strong-arm night guard for a rough-and-tumble motel.
But by day, he helps run a coffee shop just outside Fort Lewis, where war fighters mingle with anti-war activists over hot brew and heated discussion.  read more »

Coffee Strong seeks the following Volunteer positions,or Internships! Positions are available now, with a goal to fill them by the end of March.

Media Assistant: Drafts press releases, maintains the Media database, searches for media opportunities to promote Coffee Strong. Attends weekly staff meetings.

Website Assistant: maintains contact with primary web manager, adds content under direction, updates Resources page; may be asked to serve as a moderator.

Outreach: develop and keep an inventory of "tabling in a box" (t-shirts, donation forms, brochures, sign-up sheets, etc.) Coordinates tabling events, identifies events for reaching specific groups.  read more »

WAR RESISTER TRAVIS BISHOP GETS THREE MONTH REDUCTION IN SENTENCE
Hundreds of letters from supporters credited with large part in victory

February 10, 2010
http://freetravisbishop.wordpress.com/

FORT HOOD, Texas – Sergeant Travis Bishop received word this week that he was given a 3-month suspension, of the 12 month sentence he received last year for refusing to deploy to Afghanistan based on his Christian religious beliefs against war.

Lt. General Robert Cone, commanding general of Fort Hood approved the sentence reduction on February 4th after considering Sgt. Bishop’s clemency application.  read more »

Two very powerful speakers will discuss dynamics they've identified over the last decade working with military sexual trauma (Stinson) and sexual assault among wives or partners of police officers (Brannan). Both women have extraordinary backgrounds, and both have received honors for their work in Sonoma County, CA.

Elizabeth Stinson is a military trauma therapist, as well as a mediator who worked for many years with several tribes, as a UN certified forensics expert. Her diplomatic skills saved sacred sites and properties. Come meet her, and appreciate the clarity of her communication, very respectful yet clear approach to resolving issues that threaten the power and rights of women and soldiers.  read more »

It's Time to Change the Rules!

There is no charge to participate; donations to Coffee Strong gladly accepted.

The Supreme Court ruling in Citizens United is just the latest--and most blatant--example that corporations have hijacked our government. The ruling leaves ordinary citizens little oportunity to participate in making the fundamental decisions that affect our lives. Corporations are using our legal system against us.

It's Time For a People's Movement, to draw many in the community together. Meet others who are very concerned. Speakers will give an excellent overview.

We must amend the US Constitution to affirm that only people, NOT corporations, are entitled to constitutional protections specific to elections, and other violations of democratic rights.  read more »

This young woman, Spc. Hutchinson, whose mother initially agreed to provide care for her baby, discovered her mother was also caring for three disabled or ill relatives. The mother became clear within a week that she couldn't care for the infant in addition to her other commitments.

The military PLACED the baby in protective custody, took the baby from the mother, Alexis, and has now awarded her four court martials.

Read about Alexis, and write a letter to the military commanders. Sign the petition. See http://www.couragetoresist.org/x/content/view/811/1/

Please, take a minute to write Marc a letter of support! These letters should be delivered without any problem.

Army Spc. Marc Hall sits in jail over “Stop-loss” song

After over a month of confinement, Army Specialist Marc Hall still sits incarcerated in the Liberty County Jail near Fort Stewart, GA. The U.S. Army jailed Hall on December 11, claiming that the lyrics of his hip-hop song, “Stop-loss” amount to the “communication of a threat.” Hall, an Iraq War veteran, recorded the song last summer, expressing his anger over the Army’s Stop-Loss policy, which involuntarily extended his contract for a second Iraq deployment. We believe that Spc. Hall’s right to free speech is being violated with the Army’s actions.  read more »

Army Imprisons Soldier for Singing Against Stop-Loss Policy

By Dahr Jamail, Truthout 1/8/10

http://www.truthout.org/article/army-imprisons-soldier-singing-against-s...

Army Specialist and Iraq war veteran Marc Hall was incarcerated by the US Army on December 11, 2009, in Liberty County Jail, Georgia, for recording a song that expresses his anger over the Army's stop-loss policy.

Stop-loss is a policy that allows the Army to keep soldiers active beyond the end of their signed contracts. According to the Pentagon, more than 120,000 soldiers have been affected by stop-loss since 2001, and currently 13,000 soldiers are serving under stop-loss orders.  read more »

By Marjorie Cohn
December 21, 2009
Huffington Post
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marjorie-cohn/obamas-af-pak-war-should_b_3...

President Obama accepted the Nobel Peace Prize nine days after he announced he would send 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan. His escalation of that war is not what the Nobel committee envisioned when it sought to encourage him to make peace, not war.  read more »