Texas Labor Against the War

November 2011

Under the Hood Café and Button Field Press present:

Combat Paper Project Workshop: from uniform to pulp….battlefield to workshop….warrior to artist
Saturday, November 5, 12 noon-6 p.m.
The workshop will include paper making from unserviceable
uniforms for servicemembers and veterans to facilitate communication that transcends the barriers of verbal communication.  Visit our website for more details.

Under the Hood Café & Operation Recovery present:

Warrior Writers – Fort Hood Community Arts Forum

Thanks to everyone who joined us for Hoodstock III.  It was a great success!
In fact, it may have been our best Hoodstock so far.  Throughout the night, we estimate that
more than 100 people showed up to hear great performers, including Barbara K & Richard Bowden, The Possum
Posse and the amazing Austin Lounge Lizards.  Attendees also had the opportunity to participate in
a silent auction.  We sold beautiful items by great local artists including work by  Alan Pogue, Jim McCullough Studio, Carlos Lowry, Just Seeds Art Collective, JoAnn Mulert, and Malachi Muncy.   Those in attendance also had the opportunity to hear from a number of soldiers who currently benefit from the support Under the Hood
provides.  It was a great evening of fun, music, friendship, and serious conversation.

So maybe you didn’t get to attend Hoodstock III, but you still want to show your support of Under the Hood. Well, it’s never too late! You can still show your support by making a contribution today. Whether you are making a one-time donation or want to sign up as a sustainer, it’s easy to contribute through PayPal.

Check out the  ResiStore! Now you can purchase great items
and support Under the Hood at the same time. Check it out here.

UPDATE FROM SEPTEMBER:

The
Fort Hood Support Network (FHSN) operates Under the Hood Café and Outreach
Center.  FHSN is a Texas non-profit corporation with 501(c)(3) tax
exempt status.  Donations may be treated as
tax-deductible.

July 19, 2011

This evening the Austin AFL-CIO Council [Central Labor Council] was privileged to have members of the Fort Hood Operation Recovery team as guests and presenters.  Visitors to the CLC meeting were Aaron Hughes, Scott Kimball, and Sergio Kochergin of Iraq Veterans Against the War; Lori Hurlebaus of the Civilian Soldier Alliance; Alice Embree of the Fort Hood Support Network (who is also a member of the Texas State Employees Union).

Aaron spoke of the need for solidarity among soldiers, veterans, and workers.  Soldiers are workers–they are public employees; and our unions have many veterans as members.  Many soldiers come from union families and go back to unions when discharged.  But the unemployment rate among Iraq and Afghanistan veterans is 21% (12% more than the national average).  The rate is even higher among African-American and female veterans–about 30%.

Many soldiers suffer from war trauma and nonetheless are redeployed.  Suicide rates among active-duty troops are twice as high as that of the civilian population, and veterans with PTSD are 6 times more likely to attempt suicide.  20% to 50% of all service members deployed to Iraq and/or Afghanistan suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).  One in 3 women in the military are sexually assaulted.  1 in 3 soldiers serving in Afghanistan and Iraq say they can’t see a mental health professional when they need to, and nearly 20% of service members are taking some kind of psychiatric drug.

Aaron pointed out the huge expense of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.  This money is needed at home–and we owe veterans the benefits and health treatment they need.

Most of the CLC delegates signed the pledge of support for Operation Recovery that our visitors passed around.  It states:  “I pledge to support the Operation Recovery campaign to the best of my ability.  In a war where soldiers are being injured faster than the military can treat them, I will work alongside veterans and service members to end the cycles of trauma and abuse.”  The pledge sheet further explains:  “Join Iraq Veterans Against the War and Civilian Soldier Alliance in our effort to stop the deployment of troops suffering from Military Sexual Trauma, Traumatic Brain Injury, and PTSD.  By signing our pledge, you agree to do what you can to help defend the rights of soldiers to heal and to hold accountable those who are responsible for deploying traumatized troops.  As the Operation Recovery campaign unfolds, we will be calling on you to help in a variety of ways.”

There was discussion from the CLC delegates, several of whom are veterans.  A Teamster rep described their program to get members back into jobs when they get home from the military.  A member of AFSCME indicated she has personal experience with veterans’ mental health problems and wants to get a group she works with in touch with Operation Recovery.  There was also interest among the delegates in U.S. Labor Against the War–USLAW brochures were available as well as Operation Recovery literature.

For more TxLAW stories on Fort Hood Operation Recovery, see http://txlaboragainstwar.org/2011/07/08/killeen-ivaw-its-audacious-and-a-little-crazy-what-were-doing-at-ft-hood/, http://txlaboragainstwar.org/2011/05/27/killeen-ivaw-operation-recovery-action-at-ft-hood/, and http://txlaboragainstwar.org/2011/07/17/killeen-under-the-hood-update-july-2011/

For LOTS of information about Operation Recovery, to sign the pledge, and to donate, see http://www.ivaw.org/operation-recovery

Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/operationrecovery
For more on the Civilian-Soldier Alliance, go to http://www.civsol.org/

–Leslie Cunningham, July 21, 2011

“We are sitting on the porch at 11PM and a thunderstorm has just broken through the desert’s heat. ‘It’s a little crazy what we are doing here,’ Sergio reflects and then breaks into his loud boisterous laugh that is drowned out by the sounds of the first beating raindrops in over a month…” [Read more of this blog post.]

Sergio is part of the five member Operation Recovery Team who has been deployed for the past five weeks at Fort Hood, reaching out to service members and veterans about their right to heal.

What we are doing is not easy.

Killeen, Texas, home to Fort Hood is a lonely, desolate, and dry place, dominated by the military base.

We are a team of just five, former soldiers talking to current soldiers about war trauma — a taboo subject — on the largest U.S. military installation, home to approximately 50,000 troops and their families.

We could use your help.  A donation today will support the Operation Recovery Team to continue outreach efforts at Fort Hood throughout the rest of the hot Texas summer.  Right now, we don’t have the funds to continue past this month.  Your financial support will pay for our modest stipends, outreach materials, and our living expenses as we continue the daunting and arduous work of organizing active duty troops at Fort Hood.

Will you support us with a donation today? Any amount will help.  Click here to give

Join us on Memorial Day as we celebrate Kyle Wesolowski’s release from the army as a Conscientious Objector!
Meet the organizers of Operation Recovery.

Kyle Wesolowski

Monday, May 30th, starting at 2:00 p.m.
Under the Hood Cafe & Outreach Center,
17 College Street, Killeen Texas

A $10 suggested donation is requested to cover the cost of food, however, no one will be turned away for lack of funds. GIs are welcome to join us free of charge.

All are invited to Under the Hood to catch up with old friends and meet new ones. Also, visit with IVAW field organizers who have arrived for several months of work doing outreach to Fort Hood soldiers as part of Operation Recovery.

http://www.underthehoodcafe.org/ and https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=110527332368984&ref=ts

Operation Recovery Team

For more on Operation Recovery action at Fort Hood, see http://txlaboragainstwar.org/2011/05/27/killeen-ivaw-operation-recovery-action-at-ft-hood/

 January, 2011

Staff and volunteers with Under the Hood are starting off the year with renewed energy!

As the wars drag on in Afghanistan and Iraq, the new year reminds us that we must renew our commitment to peace, so we are starting off the year with a busy schedule.  In coordination with Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW), here are a few things that we have on our calendar for January and February:

 IVAW/Veterans for Peace Joint Meeting, January 22nd 1p.m. at Under the Hood Cafe: Bringing together the pro-soldier anti-war veteran community in Central Texas.  Opportunities to get to know one another, discuss upcoming events and dates, and to discuss active duty outreach. Consider getting involved at the start to help make history at Fort Hood this year.

Those interested in this training should RSVP Kyle at [email protected].

 

Outreach Action – From the 24th of January through the middle of February IVAW Fort Hood and Under the Hood Cafe are going to be heavily focused on outreach to the 1st Cavalry Division that will be deploying 3,500 soldiers to Afghanistan and Iraq. This mobilization is part of a deployment of 23,000 soldiers from across the country to Afghanistan to replace the 101st Airborne that are set to return in February.

This outreach will conclude with a highly visible action that will include “harass the brass” tactics and messages that include:

We know that the command of the 1st Cav. is deploying wounded soldiers.

We know that this is a violation of these soldiers’ right to heal.

We want you to know that you are not alone.

You have a right to heal and you do not have to deploy with PTSD. 

 

In addition to these upcoming activities, here are a couple of things that have already happened so far this month:

 Cindy Thomas, Manager with Under the Hood, talks about the suicide rates at Fort Hood and the lack of support that soldiers receive when suffering with PTSD.  Check out her interview with Channel 10 News (KWTX) in Waco here.

 

Under the Hood recently hosted a slam poetry night.  It was a success, and now staff and volunteers are considering some writing workshops!

Your continued support of Under the Hood allows us to continue our important work in Killeen. Whether you are making a one-time donation or want to sign up as a sustainer, it’s easy to contribute through PayPal. 

The Fort Hood Support Network (FHSN) operates Under the Hood Café and Outreach Center. FHSN is a Texas non-profit corporation with 501(c)(3) tax exempt status. Donations may be treated as tax-deductible.

Fort Hood Support Network is proud to inform its supporters that Under the Hood recently received a $300 grant from RESIST Inc. In addition, Under the Hood is working with the War Resisters League who recently received funding to provide support to GI coffeehouses across the U.S. If you know of other grant opportunities, please feel free to contact us. We are always looking for opportunities to increase our base of support.

Interested in sharing some of your time and talents with Under the Hood?  We are always happy for support in any form.  Along with monetary support to keep our doors open, we can always use other forms of assistance.  If you believe that you can provide support in some way, please feel free to contact us.  We’d be happy to put you to work!

Under the Hood Update is on Facebook.  Become a fan!  You can find archived issues and connect with other fans of Under the Hood.  Visit our Facebook page by clicking here.

http://theragblog.blogspot.com/2010/11/medea-benjamin-death-marchers-haunt-new.html

Demonstrators from March of the Dead protest in front of Dallas SWAT officers during groundbreaking at new George W. Bush Presidential Center at SMU, Nov. 16, 2010. Photo by G.J. McCarthy / AP.
Breaking new ground:
Protests at the future site
of the George W. Bush Library

By Medea Benjamin / November 19, 2010

DALLAS — Several thousand people lined up to see George Bush, Dick Cheney, and Condoleezza Rice shovel dirt into a hole at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, the site slated to become the George Bush Presidential Center housing a museum, library, and archives.

Over 100 peace activists showed up to protest, including New York City artist Laurie Arbiter, who helped organize a March of the Dead and carried a sign asking “Does America Have a Conscience?” “Rather than build a library, we should leave the broken ground and just fill it with a big pile of rubble,” said Arbiter. “That would truly represent the catastrophic results of the Bush Administration.”

As part of the March of the Dead, protesters dressed in black, wore white death masks and had signs around their necks representing dead Iraqis, Afghans, and U.S. soldiers. The dramatic march stopped traffic and provoked strong emotions in passers-by, participants and even the police.

Renee Schultz, who drove from Indianapolis to join the protest, wore the death mask and a sign representing a 23-year-old female U.S. soldier killed in Iraq. “When I first put on the mask, I just stood there and cried. I kept thinking, ‘I am 23 years old and had my whole life ahead of me. Why did I die?’” Schultz looked over at the riot police and noticed that one of them also had tears streaming down his eyes.

When the marchers attempted to reach the public viewing area, the police forced them back to the designated “protest pen” far from the ceremony. One of the protesters, a wheelchair-bound veteran of the Korean War and World War II, angrily told the police that he did not fight in two wars to be told that his freedom of speech would be confined to a “protest zone.”

The gathering was part of a three-day People’s Response, filled with rallies, marches, teach-ins, and exhibits of crosses and soldiers’ boots to represent the war dead. Organized by Texans for Peace, The Dallas Peace Center, CODEPINK, and Veterans for Peace, among others, the speakers included former FBI agent Colleen Rowley, former CIA agent Ray McGovern, retired Colonel Ann Wright, professor Robert Jensen, and Texas State Representative Lon Burnam.

Also among the protesters was Cindy Sheehan, the Gold Star mother who led a prolonged protest outside Bush’s ranch in Crawford, Texas in 2005. “Bush should not be allowed to profit from war crimes, crimes that he has even admitted to,” said Sheehan. “It’s not right that he will make millions from his book and speaking engagements, while millions have been killed, displaced, tortured and had their lives ruined because of him.”

The whole dang crew: Digging in at groundbreaking ceremony for George W. Bush Presidential Center in Dallas, Nov. 16, 2010. Photo by L.M. Otero / AP.
The protesters focused on the lies Bush told the American public to justify invading Iraq, his authorization of torture and the need for accountability. “Accountability is the sign of a true democracy,” said former CIA agent Ray McGovern. “No one should be above the law and the truth must not be buried or rewritten.”

Protesters were also concerned about the policies the new Bush Center will promote. President Bush said the Center would include an “action-oriented institute” to advance the principles his administration stood for, including the “benefits of limiting the role of government in people’s lives.”

According to local organizer Leslie Harris of CodePink, “this really means promoting the same kinds of disastrous policies that brought us preemptive war, economic crisis, environmental disaster, unprecedented presidential power, and diminished civil and human rights. We can’t let one of America’s worst presidents shape our future policies.”

The peace activists who came to protest Bush also discussed their disappointment with the Obama administration and the difficulties they anticipate in pushing the new, more conservative Congress to stop funding the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Among the actions they encouraged were:

• supporting the January 15 FBI protest in Washington DC;
• promoting local campaigns, including citywide resolutions, to bring our war dollars home;
• reaching out to allies, particularly groups victimized by the economic crisis, but also reaching out to members of the Tea Party who want to see cuts in Pentagon spending;
• pressuring the State Department to stop using private security contractors;
• supporting the December 16 veteran-led civilian disobedience in Washington DC;
• organizing a delegation to Iraq to take testimony from Iraqis about George Bush and the legacy of the US invasion;
• stopping John Yoo, author of the “torture memos,” from teaching law at the UC Berkeley law school.

For some light entertainment after long days of protest, a group stopped by local Barnes and Noble to reshelve — and photograph — Bush’s Decision Points in a more appropriate place in the store. These included placing the book next to The Murder Business in the True Crimes section, Wing Nuts in the Fantasy Section, When Law Fails: Making Sense of Miscarriages of Justice in the Legal Section, and our favorite in the Children’s Section, Dr. Seuss’ Will You Please Go Now?” With the renewed media attention on George Bush, including his sanctioning of torture, Bush might do well to take Dr. Seuss’ advice.

[Medea Benjamin was a founder of CodePink. Follow her on Twitter: www.twitter.com/medeabenjamin.]

Source / Huffington Post

Where Bush’s book belongs. Images from Waging Nonviolence.