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Dear
CODEPINKer,
Five
years ago we gathered outside the White House to protest the invasion
of Iraq before it began.
As our daily pink vigil turned to weeks, months, and now 5 years,
we reflect on the devastating impact the US occupation has had on
the people of Iraq, our soldiers, the world... During
the past 4 days we have born witness to the testimonies of Iraq
and Afghanistan Veterans at a gathering in Washington DC called
Winter
Soldier, fashioned after a similar gathering during the
Vietnam war. The raw words of these veterans have broken our hearts
open, curdled our stomachs, rendered us speechless...
We
now move forward to mark the 5th anniversary of the war with a sense
of responsibility and renewed determination to bring our troops
home. Together, we declare, "5 Years Too Many! End the Occupation!"
Will you join us?
We
invite you to join a local action near you -- whether it is a candlelight
vigil, a congressional office visit, writing a letter to the editor,
a rally, a banner drop, or any creative action. Bring the message
to your community that we want the troops home now!
Click
here to find a CODEPINK action
near you. You can also find over 600 actions listed at www.5yearstoomany.org.
 Wear
pink, bring our impeachment
sign-up sheet, and consider adding an iconic CODEPINK
image to your action by painting your hands red,
like we have done in hearings with Condoleezza Rice, to symbolize
that the blood of the Iraqi people and the coalition soldiers and
contractors is on the hands of the administration, Congress, war
profiteers, and the complicit American public.
In
DC we will be marking the anniversary with a creative action on
March 18 to restore the constitution and an action on March 19 to
Wake Up America.
People
often ask us how we keep from burning out, how we keeping organizing
vigils and rallies and teach-ins, how we keep going on our daily
rounds through the halls of Congress when Congress fails to respond.
Our “secret” is that we are always thinking about the
Iraqi women—how much they are suffering, how much we owe them,
how much we love them.
Wherever
you stand up for peace this week, know that you do so in solidarity
with our sisters in Iraq and around this country who yearn for an
end to the violence.
With all our hearts,
Dana, Desiree, Farida, Gael, Gayle, Jodie, Liz,
Medea, Nancy, Rae, Tighe and Vin
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