Connie Schultz: Facebooking for peace

Posted by Tom Jackson on 13 Oct 2009

Jackson Street Beat

Cleveland Plain Dealer columnist Connie Schultz, seeking to expand her one-woman media empire beyond her syndicated column and her books, has launched a presence on Facebook and has quickly built up a network of hundreds of people who participate in political discussions.

Schultz has been faithfully posting the official dispatches on American soldiers who have died in Afghanistan. Monday's posting, "The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine. Staff Sgt. Aaron J. Taylor, 27, of Bovey, Minn., died Oct. 9 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to Marine Wing Support Squadron 372, Marine Wing Support Group 37, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif."

Kudos to her for trying to keep the peace issue alive.

In this country, the peace movement consists largely of liberals and libertarians (and, I would argue, anyone else who is willing to listen.) Perhaps the coalition will actually grow large enough someday to effect change in our country's foreign policy.

Here are a couple of resources:

Longtime leftist Tom Hayden has launched an online petition drive against the War in Afghanistan. I didn't agree with all of the partisan rhetoric, but I signed. Signing it will get you on Tom Hayden's e-mail list for Afghanistan news.

Antiwar.com is a leading peace site on the Internet. It's run by libertarians but includes opinion pieces from across the political spectrum.

The best opinion column I've read recently about Afghanistan was written by conservative columnist George Will. You can read "Time to Get Out of Afghanistan" here.

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Veterans For Peace

By BobWilliams (Starting Member) on Sun, 02/28/2010 - 01:41

Before Obama was elected president, Veterans For Peace did good work exposing Uncle Sam's war for British Empire, now U.S.-powered, and CIA drugs in Afghanistan. It is tragic now that VFP have stopped criticising the Chief Executive who continues to do Bush crimes there. It seems most VFPers were simply Party Democrats posing as progressives and tolerating the occasional libertarian among them. Now that the Killer-in-Chief is a Democrat, they've grown silent. Tragic, simply tragic.

Cleveland Plain Dealer

By markwee (Starting Member) on Tue, 01/19/2010 - 01:33

Regards,

global education forum

???

By 1SG G (Starting Member) on Tue, 10/27/2009 - 08:48

Pat on the back? What am I patting myself on the back for, serving my country? Just telling it like it is. No, I was saying that even though war is terrible we must finish what we started. at least to a certain point. I feel stronly about what the media says, especailly the journalists and so called experts who have these misplaced opinions and never have been in country or been near a war zone. Iam for peace but it is not possible with terrorists, until you finish the job. So tell me, what rat do you smell? Nice cut and past job. I can now have an opinion, since I have retiered from the army after 27 years!

Deb

RATS!!

By jimmydecant (Member) on Fri, 10/16/2009 - 19:35

Ever notice that true vets do not need to go online and pat themselves on the back and say things like "Yes, I was involved in traumatic events, where body parts were strew about, death was around me. Like I, some of us were very lucky. I have watched make shift flag covered coffins saluted and loaded on heilos early in the mornings to be flown to Anaconda after a bad day in Diyala Provience, Iraq".

I smell a rat.

How will it ever end when we

By Karl Hungus-Mr.... (Senior Member) on Fri, 10/16/2009 - 18:41

How will it ever end when we drink bottled water, have Presidents bring us full course turkey dinners, and parade our wastes of money infront of these people that live in caves, drink, as you said, little purified water, and would gladly blow themselves up for their cause. They will continue to hate us until we wake up.

We are wasting out time, but sadly the American Soldier has become disposable. The majority of the powers that be see the men and women of the military in the same regards as a child sees the players on his video game.

One must create the ability in his staff to generate clear, forceful arguments for opposing viewpoints as well as for their own. Open discussions and disagreements must be encouraged, so that all sides of an issue are fully explored. -Hyman Rickover

I undestand What you mean Mr. Hungas

By 1SG G (Starting Member) on Fri, 10/16/2009 - 11:20

I am also a veteran, I retired from the Army last year (24yrs) I was in Iraq ect...we were out in the villages 5-7 days a week trying to help the Iraqies rebuild their country (Civil Affairs) not only from war but because nothing had been done in 35 years, not with the electrical grid,very little purified water, not even in med clinics ,medical, nothing for the common Iraqie. Yes, I was involved in traumatic events, where body parts were strew about, death was around me. Like I, some of us were very lucky. I have watched make shift flag covered coffins saluted and loaded on heilos early in the mornings to be flown to Anaconda after a bad day in Diyala Provience, Iraq. This does not change the fact of why we must some how finish what we have started. Not only for the USA and terrorism but for the innocent Iraqies and Afgans. Its only logical. I have worked with Iraq Army soldiers and talked with many, many families who simply want peace in their country, but did not want us to leave them to be slaughtered. I would not have retired, but I have a teeage daughter and no family left alive. If I was killed she would have been an orphan. I too wish the war would end ... . and the world become friends....

God Bless,

Deb

I think that the Afgan Army

By Karl Hungus-Mr.... (Senior Member) on Thu, 10/15/2009 - 20:21

I think that the Afgan Army could give too hoots about fighting any extremists. Either we will be there forever, or we will be there overnight.

As a veteran I wish it would just be over night. It was a morale kicker to just do enough to get a headline or two for the president. If we really wanted any progress in Afghanistan we would have had more that just a handfull in there. It is so pointless and to make it worse young Americans are getting killed over it.

Hummm???

By 1SG G (Starting Member) on Thu, 10/15/2009 - 15:19

If the US pulls out of Afghanistan, I wonder what these people think will happen in that country and the USA?? Is it possible, not only two terrorist groups will occupy this country,and that several sophisticated terrioists training camps will suddenly spring up, along with Pakistan eventually falling into the hands of Islamic Extremist's Militant Groups (terrorists). I wish we could just throw our hands up and walk away. We started something we must at least get to a point where the Afgan Army is large enough to fight off the militant extremist's. If not Afghanistan will be a haven for terrorists who are longing to come to the US and not for a holiday.

Deb

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