On Monday, May 28th
0930 Gather at the Belltower
1030 Step off: Deliver 2018 Letters to The Wall
1145 Regroup at the Belltower
1200 Step off for short slow processional to the Korean War Memorial
1210 Peace Ceremony at Korean War Memorial
1300 Regroup at the Belltower
1400 Group Lunch at Busboys & Poets (location TBA)
Letters to the Wall
Over the past few years we have laid 371 letters at the foot of The Wall in Washington, DC (the Vietnam Veterans Memorial) on consecutive Memorial Days.
Peace Ceremony at Korean War Veterans Memorial
In observance of the 65th anniversary of the temporary Armistice Agreement of the Korean War this year, as well as to raise our voices for an official end to the lingering Korean War with a peace treaty, there will be a special Memorial Day ceremony at the Korean War Veterans Memorial site in D.C. on May 28, 12:00 pm.
This special event is organized by Veterans For Peace-Korea Peace Campaign, with the support of VFP-D.C. chapter and VFP members who are involved in the Full Disclosure project at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial site. It is open to all VFP members and others interested in the event.
The program will include reading poems of Chuck Overby, a veteran of the Korean War who passed away last year, the Panmunjom Declaration, and the People's Peace Treaty. Flowers will be presented to all victims of the Korean War at the site. A veteran of the Korean War may also speak.
For further info, contact John Kim (917-533-9467), Becky Luening (503-616-2532), or Mike Marceau (301-542-9867).
Swords to Plowshares Belltower
The Swords to Plowshares Belltower will be set up, with VFP volunteers keeping watch 24/7 from Saturday morning through Monday night! The Belltower will be 4 Daniel French Dr SW, Washington, DC 20245 (map). Volunteers to keep watch are still needed!
This touring Belltower, dedicated by Veterans For Peace on Memorial Day 2014 in Raleigh NC, is covered with windblown plaques with personal inscriptions in many languages about the effects of war. Everywhere it travels people share their stories of the costs of war on all sides and their visions of 'beating swords into plowshares' so the world might have lasting peace and prosperity.
D.C. VFP Members still need your help for the Belltower! They can even provide free overnight accommodations at the Belltower night-watch tent (if you can stay up for a night shift) or at the historic William Penn House, a Quaker boarding house at the other end of the mall on Capitol Hill. We are also in urgent need of people to help with the noble labor of unloading the Belltower trailer on Friday night at 9 pm, setting up on Saturday morning (beginning at 7 am), night watch at the Belltower security tent through Monday night, and breakdown on Monday night and Tuesday morning. If you are planning to come, or even considering it, please contact Machai St. Rain at (919) 537-9089, Roger Ehrlich at (919) 696-5995, or Becky Luening at (503) 616-2532
To support the project or get more information go to stpbelltower.com or follow stpbelltower on FB, Instagram or Twitter.
On Tuesday, May 29th
The War Economy: Militarism and the Proliferation of Gun Violence
Poor People's Campaign Action in Albany, New York
The United States has engaged in the longest wars in its history while many in this country go without healthcare, adequate water, schools and jobs. Government spending goes to militarization of local police and border patrols, the automation of weaponry, and illegal monitoring of U.S. citizens.
Over 370,000 people have died due to direct war violence and at least 800,000 more indirectly due to the endless wars of the United States since 9/11. The US federal price tag for the post 9/11 wars is about $5.6 trillion dollars, with the U.S. conducting counterterror activities in 76 countries. Because much of that money is borrowed, that amount will continue to balloon alongside increased spending. These wars have displaced 10.1 million people, and have been accompanied by violations of human rights and civil liberties in the US and abroad.
The solution to these issues are found in the vision of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who called for a complete moral revolution of values in American society. This dream includes the redistribution of military expenditures for programs of social uplift, the demilitarization of American society, and monetary amends made for damage done across the world.
There will be actions across the country that VFP members and chapters will be participating in, the Washington D.C. actions are as follows:
10am – Nonviolent Direct Action Training, St Marks Episcopal Church, 301 A St SE
2pm – Rally, US Capitol Lawn
7:30pm – Teach-In Tuesdays, The Festival Center, 1640 Columbia Rd NW
If you are planning on being in D.C. to participate in the Poor People's Campaign, please email shawna@ivaw.org and/or fill out this form