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November 1, 2012
Dear CODEPINK Activists,
Ten years
ago, I joined CODEPINK in front of the White House in a moving act of
civil disobedience to try to stop our government from bombing Iraq. We
couldn't sit idly by as our government threatened to bomb innocent Iraqi
people, using money we needed in the United States to build hospitals,
housing and schools.
We were a group of women in pink scarves, pink
hats, and pink snow pants who set up tents in a wet, cold park across
from the White House. It was November, 2002, the launch of a 5-month
vigil to stop the US invasion of Iraq. At night, park police arrived to
knock the tents down and scatter us in the rain. But instead of
leaving, more women came to camp out with us!
This was the beginning of a bold, courageous
stand by women who were saying NO to war using our bodies, our mouths,
our minds, and our hearts.
We invite you to join us in celebrating these past ten years of creative resistance to war and violence.
What's your favorite CODEPINK photo? What
CODEPINK action moved you? When were you inspired to take action?
Share your stories, thoughts, pictures and videos on our 10 Year Anniversary Tumblr.
Make us laugh, make us cry, give us goosebumps!
We'll promote highlights from the Tumblr on our website, Twitter, and Facebook.
And what better way to celebrate 10 years of
bold action than getting out in the streets! We are excited to be
returning to our roots and staging a vigil
outside the White House and in the halls of Congress one week after the
election, on Wednesday, November 14. We'll bang pots and pans to call
on the President and Congress to stop waging war, cut the bloated
Pentagon budget and invest in rebuilding America. Won't you join us?
We're also celebrating our anniversary with actions in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Have a party or create an action in your city!
Even more reasons to celebrate: CODEPINK cofounder Medea Benjamin just won the 2012 Peace Award from the US Peace Memorial Foundation, and next week she will receive the Thomas Merton Center Award in Pittsburgh.
We are so grateful for all you have done over
the last ten years to build a more peaceful planet, and we look forward
to many more years of creating peace together.
 Can't wait to read your stories! You can also make a donation today to keep us in action for the critical years ahead.
Now I've got to head out the door and get over
to our local Tarsands pipeline blockade action here in the belly of the
beast – Texas!
Onward,
Diane Wilson
PS: From shores of Seadrift, Texas, my heart
goes out to everyone experiencing chaos and loss on the East Coast in
the wake of Hurricane Sandy this week. Let's hope these politicians
wise up and start talking about climate change, and one of the biggest
polluters of all, the military!
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