Resolutions passed at the 2008 National Convention
Conservation, Veterans For Peace Consistency To
Submitted by Lane Anderson, VFP Chapter 54
Cosponsored by Gordon Sturrock, VFP Chapter 929, Jack Dresser, Chapter 929
Endorsed by VFP Chapters 54, 66, and 92
Whereas Veterans For Peace is committed by previous resolutions and statements to protecting the environment and ending our addiction to oil, and
Whereas Veterans For Peace activities sometimes have a negative environmental impact and increase our addiction to oil.
Therefore be it resolved that Veterans For Peace commit to decreasing the negative environmental impact of its activities, including the greenhouse gas footprint and overall energy usage. This could be accomplished by:
Selecting green facilities, food services and supplies for meetings, including conventions
Encouraging carpooling and green transportation to VFP functions
Investigating remote participation by audio and video over the Internet
Approved at the 2008 VFP national convention
Korean Peace Delegation To Korea
Submitted by Wayne Wittman, VFP Chapter 27
Endorsed by VFP Chapter 27
Whereas the United States was a primary participant in the Korean War being
actively engaged in military actions from June 1950 to July 1953 at which time
an eagerly sought after military truce was finally agreed to and initiated, and
Whereas the truce has successfully ceased military war actions but a formal peace treaty has never been agreed to and Korea has continually been divided with a great deal of hostility, and
Whereas, the United States government has branded the Peoples Democratic Republic of Korea as a terrorist state and listed the country as a member of the “Axis of Evil”, and
Whereas there has recently been actions to encourage the promotion of efforts to develop the normalization of relations between the People’s Democratic Republic of Korea and the United States.
Therefore Be It Resolved that the National Veterans For Peace encourage actions, through the VFP Korean Peace Committee, to authorize a delegation to visit the Peoples Democratic Republic of Korea with the intent to promote solidarity and bilateral efforts to stimulate the development of normalization of relations between the governments of the two countries. It is understood that any cost for such a delegation will be borne by the members of the delegation itself.
Approved at the 2008 VFP national convention
ASVAB Testing & Protection of Student Privacy
Submitted by New Hampshire VFP Chapter 62
Whereas the federal Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) is given to approximately 600,000 students in two-thirds of the high schools across the nation without identification as a military recruitment tool, and
Whereas the ASVAB was created by the Department of Defense (DOD) to evaluate an individual’s eligibility for military enlistment and is designed to provide recruiters with a source of pre-qualified leads, but is promoted for career exploration, and
Whereas may students and parents believe they are already protected from having their private information shared with military recruiters via the Opt Out option defined in Section 9528 of NCLB, and
Whereas the ASVAB allows the military recruiters to circumvent Section 9528, and
Whereas individual schools have the option of withholding private student information from military recruiters by selecting Option 8, an internal designation the military uses, although statistics from the U.S. Military Entrance Processing Command indicate that only 5.7% did so in fiscal year 2007, and
Whereas Option 8 has become the blanket policy in several large school districts including Los Angeles Unified and two districts in Maryland, which allows schools and students to receive and use test results for guidance purposes, and individual students can choose to release their scores to military recruiters, and
Whereas unwanted military recruitment which often includes high pressure tactics should not be consequential to the taking of any assessment provided in public schools.
Therefore Be It Resolved that all Chapters of Veterans for Peace be encouraged to contact school superintendents and high school principals, if pertinent, to urge all ASVAB-testing schools to use Option 8 to protect student privacy and publicize the use of Option 8 in all ASVAB testing scenarios.
Be It Further Resolved that the national office of Veterans for Peace, whenever possible, be encouraged to use its media publications and website to inform members of this resolution.
Approved at the 2008 VFP national convention
Veteran's Day
Submitted by Bob Heberle, VFP Chapter 27
Endorsed by VFP Chapter 27
Whereas bells worldwide were rung on November 11, 1918 to celebrate and recognize the ending of WWI, "The war to end all wars" and
Whereas to commemorate that peaceful pledge, bells were rung November 11 for over 35 years, and
Whereas, legislation making November 11 a holiday passed in 1938, " Shall be a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be hereafter celebrated and known as "Armistice Day." and
Whereas the 83rd Congress, at the urging of the veterans service organizations, amended the Act of 1938 by striking out the word "Armistice" and inserting in its place the word "Veterans." With the approval of this legislation (Public Law 380) on June 1, 1954, November 11th became a day to honor American veterans of all wars, and
Whereas the substitution of the word "Armistice" to "Veterans" changes the focus from peace to war by celebrating and honoring warriors and war, and
Whereas that November date symbolized the nation's desire to hold to a peaceful future and away from war, and
Whereas, too often rhetoric and patriotic symbols are used instead of genuine compensation for the extraordinary sacrifices and services of military personnel, and
Whereas 90% of victims of wars are now civilians and by honoring only veterans, the public is distracted from the awful price paid by those other than military members, and
Whereas Chapter #27 has for over 17 years promoted the ringing of a bell eleven times at its ceremonies on November 11 and at other solemn occasions such as funerals to remind the public of that Armistice Day peace pledge, and
Whereas the ringing of bells is so much more fitting and peaceful than the often practiced gun salutes and fighter plane flyovers.
Therefore Be It Resolved that Veterans For Peace, Inc. urges its memberships to adopt the procedure of honoring peace by focusing on bell ringing on Armistice Day, November 11 and other solemn occasions.
Approved at the 2008 VFP national convention
Incarcerated Member Chapter Formation And Operation
Submitted by Michael Thomas
Whereas, there is a voiceless population of U.S. military veterans incarcerated within this nation’s State and Federal penological facilities. These veterans constitute between 10% and 30% of any State’s prison system, and up to 25%-30% of Federal prisoners. These veterans, therefore, number approximately 150,000-200,000 individuals at any given time, out of 2,000,000 citizens incarcerated nationwide – the highest of any nation, and
Whereas, these incarcerated men and women were veterans first, before serving time. Most have family and loved ones still depending on them, while those with no one mush shift for themselves, and
Whereas, these veterans incarcerated remain eligible for benefits and services from State and Federal Veteran Administration(s) and organization(s) with only minimal restrictions. These men and women remain isolated, unwilling or unable to seek veterans assistance themselves through penological bureaucracy, and have practically no organized institutional veterans group representation, and
Whereas, these veterans incarcerated have documented higher rates of untreated PTSD, psychological disorders, and/or substance abuse addictions, as well as untreated physical ailments, most of which are service-connected or aggravated by military service. And that these veterans, when released, constitute an utterly unacceptable high proportion of the nation’s homeless and disadvantaged, and
Whereas, veterans incarcerated earn no funds while in custody, wand when institutional jobs become available, such work pays mere pennies-an-hour, rendering these men and women unable to afford organizational membership fees unless they are the few that have some form of outside support or asset(s), and
Whereas, veterans incarcerated exemplify “…the true social, and spiritual costs of war”, and embody the Veterans For Peace Statement of Purpose of “Increasing public awareness of the full costs of war” and “…to seek justice for veterans and victims of war”.
Therefore Be It Resolved that Veterans For Peace encourage and facilitate the formation of Veterans For Peace incarcerated Chapters nationwide, with appropriate modified By-Laws peculiar to institutional settings and with identical purposes and goals as the non-incarcerated Chapters.
Be It Further Resolved that Veterans For Peace incarcerated members shall have their membership dues waived during that member’s physical incarceration, and shall remain so waived for a period not less than six (6) months, nor longer than one (1) year, upon that members parole or discharge from physical custody with that person then transferring their incarcerated membership to a dues-paying membership of a non-institutional Chapter in their area of residence.
Be It Further Resolved that Veterans For Peace, by recognizing and organizing veterans incarcerated, shall mobilize and assist the segment of the nation’s military veterans still paying the social, economic, and spiritual costs of war, adding their significant voice to the struggle of world peace.
Approved at the 2008 VFP national convention
El Salvador Election Monitors
Submitted by Lane Anderson, Chapter 54
Cosponsored by Father Roy Bourgeois, Gordon Sturrock, VFP Chapter 929, Jack Dresser, Chapter 929
Whereas Veterans For Peace has passed resolutions in the past calling for solidarity with the people of El Salvador and calling for free and fair elections as granted in the peace accords, and
Whereas the United States and the party of the assassins, ARENA, continue to use undemocratic methods to prevent the people of El Salvador from exercising their electoral rights.
Therefore Be It Resolved that Veterans For Peace endorse and promote teams of election monitors for the coming elections in El Salvador. It is understood that any cost for such a delegation will be borne by the members of the delegation itself, or their Chapters.
Approved at the 2008 VFP national convention
National Guard, Defederalizing The
Submitted by Jan Barry, Ken Dalton, and Frank Dunn, VFP Chapter 21; Carl Foster, Al Jaccoma, John Mac Dougall, and Dennis O’Neill, VFP Chapter 34; Camillo “Mac” Bica and Thomas Brinson, VFP Chapter 138
Whereas President Bush was authorized to federalize the
National Guard of the United States in October 2002 under the Authorization for
the Use of Military Force ("AUMF") because of the assertion that Iraq
had Weapons of Mass Destruction, and to enforce relevant United Nations
Security Council resolutions, and
Whereas it has long been undisputed that there were no weapons of mass
destruction in Iraq, and there are no relevant UN Security Council Resolutions
remaining to be enforced within the meaning of the AUMF, and this war has
resulted in horrific death, destruction, grievous loss and harm against the
people of both the United States and Iraq, including the 260,000 National Guard
soldiers who were federalized, and imposed economic and innumerable forms of
hardship on those states in the United States from whence they came, and
Whereas in 2008-2009 half the soldiers scheduled to be deployed to Iraq by the
Department of Defense and President will belong to National Guard units, at a
time of widespread floods, fires, and other emergencies for which the National
Guard was created to assist their native states, but for which they and most of
their equipment will not be available, having been deployed to the war in Iraq.
Therefore Be It Resolved that Veterans For Peace endorses and supports the
national campaign initiated by the Liberty Tree Foundation to defederalize the
National Guard units, to petition the Governors of all the States of the United
States to withhold permission to deploy their state National Guard troops and
units to Iraq, and to urge the President and Department of Defense to recall
National Guard troops and units now deployed to their stateside duties, unless
and until the Congress of the United States issues a valid declaration of war
against Iraq.
Approved at the 2008 VFP national convention
Medical Discharges
Submitted by Lane Anderson, VFP Chapter 54
Cosponsored by Gordon Sturrock, VFP Chapter 929, Jack Dresser, Chapter 929, Bill Perry, VFP Chapter 96, Richard L. Long, VFP Chapter 54, Ron Dexter, VFP Chapter 54
Whereas the mission statement of Veterans For Peace states that "we will work, with others to seek justice for veterans and victims of war", and
Whereas congressionally chartered organizations like the Disabled American Veterans, Veterans of Foreign Wars and American Legion also are committed to seeking justice for veterans, and
Whereas thousands of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom disabled veterans are being discharged without access to the best medical and psychiatric care because they are offered and accept non medical discharges, thus limiting care to the Veterans Administration.
Therefore Be It Resolved that Veterans For Peace urges its members, and Chapters, to work with the Disabled American Veterans, Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion, and others, to improve medical and psychiatric care for returning disabled vets by advocating for medical discharges for all disabled Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom veterans, through Congressional representatives and our newsletters and email listserves.
Approved at the 2008 VFP national convention
Veterans For Peace Engagement Campaign
Submitted by the VFP Engagement Campaign Steering Committee - Cherie Eichholz, Nate Goldshlag, John Grant, Sandy Kelson and Hal Muskat.
Whereas in past resolutions, Veterans For Peace has supported the notion of veteran outreach to, and engagement with, active duty, reserve and National Guard soldiers, and
Whereas the time is right, now, for encouraging more such outreach and engagement by veterans to soldiers at the bases and armories where they live and work all over the nation. Veterans For Peace is an experienced veterans group with thousands of veteran members in chapters or as at-large members all across the nation, and
Whereas outreach and engagement by veterans to soldiers requires knowledge of the resources available, information on techniques for outreach and an awareness of the many pitfalls presented by such an enterprise. It also requires a place to obtain handout materials with realistic, up-to-date, usable information, and
Whereas, where possible, Veterans For Peace members can work with members of allied organizations like Iraq Veterans Against The War, Vietnam Veterans Against The War, Military Families Speak Out and others. When this is not possible, VFP members should have the capacity to work on their own.
Therefore Be It Resolved by a majority of members of Veterans For Peace at the 2008 National Convention that Veterans For Peace and the Veterans For Peace Board Of Directors shall endorse and support the VFP Engagement Campaign in its efforts to:
1) Provide Veterans For Peace members across the nation with a Veterans For Peace resource for guidance and relevant materials to facilitate outreach to active duty soldiers in their areas, and
2) Seek funding sources to facilitate temporary and/or permanent bases of operation near military installations wherever this is deemed feasible.
Approved at the 2008 VFP national convention
Truth and Reconciliation Commission
Submitted by Chuck Hyde, VFP Chapter 67
Endorsed by VFP Chapter 67
Whereas there have been many calls for retribution and legal accountability for actions taken in connection with the Iraq war and events before, during and after, and
Whereas the VFP Statement of Purpose states in part that we will work "(d) to seek justice for veterans and victims of war", and
Whereas the Czech Republic and Union of South Africa have successfully conducted Truth and Reconciliation commissions, and
Whereas it is essential for the psychological and emotional healing of a veteran to be able to get off his chest whatever is eating him and to do so without fear of retribution, legal accountability etc., and
Whereas Congressman Dennis Kucinich has proposed a truth and reconciliation commission for our country which have valid benefits that are too numerous and lengthy to be included here, and
Whereas it is essential for the health of our nation that the true facts of the Iraq War including events leading to it and from it become a matter of record so that they cannot be denied in the future like the Holocaust deniers have tried to do as to the Holocaust, and
Whereas the long Beach Chapter of the Veterans For Peace Chapter 67 has unanimously passed a resolution calling for the national organization to call for a Truth and Reconciliation Commission that will afford veterans an opportunity for full amnesty for any acts they reveal in the process of participating in such a process.
Therefore Be It Resolved that Veterans For Peace urges it's Chapters, and individual members, to call upon the Congress of the United States to pass enabling legislation such that a Truth and Reconciliation process can begin which includes but is not limited to granting full amnesty to veterans and others who participate in that process without fear of retribution, legal accountability or any other such like impediment to full and open disclosure.
Approved at the 2008 VFP national convention
Depleted Uranium Adjudication
Submitted by Lane Anderson, VFP Chapter 54, Albert Holtz VFP Chapter 112
Cosponsored by Gordon Sturrock, VFP Chapter 929, Jack Dresser, Chapter 929
Whereas Veterans For Peace has passed resolutions urging the ban of depleted uranium since 2004, and
Whereas veterans afflicted with illnesses caused by depleted uranium will not be considered service connected or receive benefits until illnesses are adjudicated in the VA as caused by depleted uranium exposure.
Therefore Be It Resolved that Veterans For Peace support the adjudication of illnesses caused by depleted uranium exposure by assisting Dr. Holtz in finding a veteran with such an illness, allowing him to use the newsletter, website and listserves and enabling him to assist the veteran in adjudication within the VA system.
Approved at the 2008 VFP national convention
Iraq Moratorium
Submitted by Bill Christofferson, VFP Chapter 102
Endorsed by VFP Chapter 102
Whereas the Iraq Moratorium is a national grassroots movement uniting people and groups who interrupt their daily routines to act on the Third Friday of every month to end the Iraq war and occupation, and
Whereas Veterans for Peace was one of the first national organizations to endorse the Moratorium when it began in September 2007, and
Whereas a number of Veterans for Peace chapters, and individual VFP members across the country, sponsor or participate in monthly Iraq Moratorium actions, and
Whereas the Iraq Moratorium already has sparked more than 1,200 locally-based actions in 41 states and 240 communities and helps build the national antiwar movement by encouraging and challenging members of the silent majority who say they oppose the war to do something to end it.
Therefore Be It Resolved that the 2008 national convention of Veterans for Peace renews its enthusiastic endorsement of the Iraq Moratorium and encourages its members and local chapters to sponsor, organize, and participate in Iraq Moratorium activities on the Third Friday of every month until the war and occupation end.
Approved at the 2008 VFP national convention
Conscientious Objectors Change To UCMJ
Submitted by Jon Monday, VFP Chapter 91
Endorsed by the Board of the Central Committee for Conscientious Objectors (CCCO)
Whereas the current military legal codes only allow for Conscientious Objection to be based on religious grounds and must also be against all wars, of any kind, we believe that there is a urgent need to change those codes to allow for conscientious objections against particular wars and for reasons of Religious, Moral, or Legal grounds.
Therefore Be It Resolved that Veterans For Peace supports changing the Uniform Code of Military Justice and other appropriate regulations so that active duty military personnel can declare themselves to be Conscientious Objectors to specific wars based on a religious, moral, or legal basis.
Approved at the 2008 VFP national convention
Agent Orange Victims, Justice for Vietnam’s
Submitted by Paul Cox, Chapter 69 - Veterans Speakers Alliance
Whereas the U.S. government, in violation of international law, waged massive chemical warfare in Vietnam, including the use of Agent Orange and other herbicides containing dioxin, the most toxic chemical known in science, and
Whereas chemical companies, including Dow Chemical and Monsanto, knowingly produced Agent Orange with the toxic by-product dioxin, which could have been eliminated, but would have necessitated an additional manufacturing process. Maximizing profits came before human lives, and
Whereas more than three million people have been sickened, disabled or died from the effects of Agent Orange/dioxin in Vietnam from various forms of cancers, reproductive illnesses, immune deficiency, endocrine deficiencies, nervous system damage, physical and developmental disabilities and emotional problems, and
Whereas Agent Orange continues to poison the people and environment of Vietnam through residues of dioxin that remain in the land, water and food in several “hot spots” located around the areas of former US military bases, and
Whereas several generations of Vietnamese children are now suffering from disabilities due to their parents’ exposure to Agent Orange from living near “hot spots”, and
Whereas the U.S. government has refused to recognize its responsibility and its commitment made in the Paris Peace Accords to heal the wounds of war and has failed to provide assistance for the serious health, economic and environmental devastation caused by Agent Orange that continues through to the present day, and
Whereas Dow Chemical and Monsanto and the other chemical manufacturers have refused to recognize that Agent Orange is deleterious to human health and have refused to recognize their responsibility to compensate their victims in Vietnam, and
Whereas many Veterans for Peace members suffer from affects of Agent Orange from their exposure in Vietnam, and other Veterans for Peace members suffer from effects of U.S. chemical warfare in the Gulf or in other wars, our members feel a strong commitment to assure that Vietnamese Agent Orange victims receive justice and compensation, and
Whereas the Vietnam Agent Orange Relief & Responsibility Campaign, a project of Veterans For Peace, is leading a national campaign to hold the U.S. government and chemical companies accountable to the victims of Agent Orange in Vietnam as well as to their U.S. veteran and Vietnamese American victims.
Therefore Be It Resolved that Veterans For Peace calls on the U.S. Congress to appropriate and deliver to Vietnam sufficient funds to provide health care, education, vocational education, chronic care, home care and medical equipment, including support for family members who are caregivers for Agent Orange victims; to clean up the “hot spots” where dioxin remains in the environment; and to provide other services that may be needed.
Be It Further Resolved that the U.S. Congress simultaneously provide for health care and related services for the children and grandchildren of American veterans exposed to Agent Orange in Vietnam and provide assistance to Vietnamese Americans affected by Agent Orange;
And Be It Further Resolved that Veterans For Peace calls upon Dow Chemical and Monsanto to assume their responsibility by allocating funds to make a significant contribution to meet the needs of victims of Agent Orange in Vietnam;
And Be It Further Resolved that we urge all VFP chapters and members to continue to support the Vietnam Agent Orange Relief & Responsibility Campaign and to work to gain U.S. government and corporate assistance for the victims of Agent Orange and to build solidarity with the Vietnam Association for Victims of Agent Orange/dioxin.
Approved at the 2008 VFP national convention
Afghanistan
Submitted by Elliott Adams, President, Veterans For Peace
Whereas when the United States invaded the sovereign nation
of Afghanistan, the only threats to our nation existing there were non-indigenous groups whom we ourselves had fostered and fed, and
Whereas history elsewhere, and almost seven years of struggles in Afghanistan and Iraq, have shown us that military force is not an effective solution to terrorist threats, and
Whereas our invasion has thrown Afghanistan and the region into political turmoil, diminishing the existing governments’ capability to deal with these threats with effective political and police methods, and
Whereas our wanton use of force and violence against the people of Afghanistan has inflamed world opinion against the United States and has diminished our nation’s ability to work toward world peace and our own security by non-violent means.
Therefore Be It Resolved Veterans For Peace calls on the government of the United States to immediately withdraw all military and intelligence forces from Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Be It Further Resolved that Veterans For Peace calls on the government of the United States to provide humanitarian aid directly to the people of Afghanistan, in non-coercive forms, to help the Afghan people rebuild their own nation and their lives in cooperation with other nations in the region; and to allow the people of Afghanistan to freely determine their own government without interference by the US.
Be It Further Resolved that Veterans For Peace renounces the claim that the war in Afghanistan is somehow the “right” war and reaffirm our position that war must be abolished.
Approved at the 2008 VFP national convention
Resolution On Prosecuting George W. Bush, Dick Cheney And Other Bush Administration Officials For War Crimes, Crimes Against Peace and Crimes Against Humanity
Submitted by Mike Ferner, VFP Board member
Co-sponsored by Bill Collins, VFP Board Member; Tarak Kauff, VFP Chapter 58; Wayne Wittman, VFP Chapter 27; Bob Heberle; Anthony Teolis, VFP Chapter 16
Whereas the March 2003 invasion of Iraq was not only immoral but illegal, violating numerous U.S. and international laws, including but not limited to USC 2441 (War Crimes Act of 1996), the Geneva Conventions, the Nuremberg Tribunal Charter, the U.N. Charter, the Laws and Customs of War on Land, and
Whereas, the Veterans For Peace “Case for Impeachment” details six pages of violations of the above laws and is still but a partial listing, and
Whereas, the spineless dereliction of duty of the U.S. Congress may well allow Bush, Cheney and other administration officials to avoid impeachment before they leave office in January of 2009, and
Whereas, U.S. Supreme Court Justice, Robert Jackson, appointed by President Truman to be the Chief Prosecutor at the Nuremberg Tribunals following World War II, stated so prophetically, “…let me make clear that while this law is first applied against German aggressors, the law includes, and if it is to serve a useful purpose it must condemn aggression by any other nations, including those which sit here now in judgment.” and
Whereas, the anguished cry of a village sheik in Iraq must be answered when he implored, “You say you live in a democracy. How can this be happening to us?” and
Whereas, as citizens of the United States we are complicit in the crimes of the Bush administration in Iraq because we cannot claim ignorance of these crimes, and
Whereas, for the sake of humanity, for the sake of history, and to absolve even a small measure of the complicity we each share as U.S. citizens, we must do everything in our power to hold our leaders accountable and bring them to justice.
Therefore Be It Resolved that Veterans For Peace will take every appropriate measure on our own and in coalition with others to insure that George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, and responsible members of their administration are prosecuted for war crimes, crimes against peace and crimes against humanity before any court claiming jurisdiction in this country or abroad, for as long as they shall live.
Approved at the 2008 VFP national convention