2009 Convention Resolutions
Support of Agent Orange Eligibility for "Blue Water Navy" Vietnam Veterans
Support of Agent Orange Eligibility for Vietnam Veterans with Parkinson's Disease
Columbian VFP Elections Delegation (2010)
Stop U.S. $30 Billion Military Aid To Israel
Support a Valid Investigation into the National Security Failures of the 9/11/2001 Attacks inside the United States
Pinon Canyon Land Preservation
Veterans Outreach (Veterans Representative)
Youth Promise Act
Support of Agent Orange Eligibility for "Blue Water Navy" Vietnam Veterans
Whereas numerous herbicides and pesticides were sprayed from 1961 to 1971 over large areas of South Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia during the war against Vietnam, and
Whereas the herbicides, collectively known by the most commonly used one, Agent Orange, contained poisons, including 2,3,7,8 TCDD (dioxin) and others, that cause harm to people and animals, and
Whereas since 1991, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has recognized that a long list of diseases suffered by Vietnam veterans and children of Vietnam veterans are caused by their exposure to Agent Orange/dioxin, and
Whereas the VA has refused to recognize that Vietnam veterans who served on stations off shore of Vietnam (known as Blue Water Navy) were also exposed, even though the blue water duties often included opportunities for exposure to dioxin, and even though many of these veterans have the same diseases that have been linked to exposure to dioxin, and
Whereas House Resolution H. R. 2254, the Agent Orange Equity Act, introduced by House Veterans Affairs Chair Representative Bob Filner, instructs the VA to provide benefits to all Vietnam Veterans suffering the ravages of Agent Orange exposure, including the Blue Water Navy veterans, and
Whereas Veterans for Peace's Statement of Purpose affirms its responsibility to seek justice for veterans and victims of war.
Therefore Be It Resolved that Veterans for Peace urges all members of Congress and the Senate to support and vote for quick passage of H.R. 2254, and its Senate counterpart, and for President Obama to sign the bill into law.
Approved at the 2009 VFP national convention
Agent Orange Eligibility for Vietnam Veterans with Parkinson's Disease, Support of
Whereas Parkinson's disease is a chronic, progressive neurological disorder that causes devastating physical and mental symptoms such as tremors, debilitating slow movements, postural instability, significant sleep disturbances, and a variety of cognitive impairments that ultimately results in complete disability, and
Whereas many veterans who were exposed to herbicides such as Agent Orange and other toxins during their service in Vietnam are suffering from Parkinson's disease, and
Whereas there is sufficient scientific evidence of an association between exposure to Agent Orange and other toxins in Vietnam and the contracting of Parkinson's disease, and
Whereas the Veterans Administration has refused to recognize the association of Parkinson's disease to Vietnam service, and
Whereas House Resolution H. R. 1428, Wartime Disability Compensation to Certain Veterans with Parkinson's Disease, introduced by House Veterans Affairs Chair Representative Bob Filner, instructs the VA to provide presumptive service-connection benefits to all Vietnam Veterans suffering the ravages of Parkinson's disease, and
Whereas Veterans for Peace's Statement of Purpose affirms its responsibility to seek justice for veterans and victims of war.
Therefore Be It Resolved that Veterans for Peace urges all members of Congress and the Senate to support and vote for quick passage of H.R. 1428, and its Senate counterpart, and for President Obama to sign the bill into law.
Approved at the 2009 VFP national convention
Columbian VFP Elections Delegation (2010)
Whereas the concept of democracy is contained in our Veterans For Peace Statement of Purpose, and
Whereas Veterans For Peace has championed democratic governmental changes in authorizing election observation delegations to foreign countries and have witnessed democratic expressions of change there and in our own country, and
Whereas the non-violent action to precipitate peace and justice is the participation in political elections, and
Whereas Columbia is a country that has been involved in a brutal civil war for over 35 years and is in need of a recognized duly elected government, and
Whereas an election monitored by international election observers would give assurance to the truth of the election processes and outcomes and provide a foundation for peace, security and prosperity to the people of Columbia.
Therefore Be it Resolved that Veterans For Peace authorize a delegation, made up of volunteers, and at no cost to the national office of Veterans For Peace, to monitor the Columbian elections in May 2010 and report their observations to the membership of Veterans For Peace.
Approved at the 2009 VFP national convention
Israel, Stop U.S. $30 Billion Military Aid TO
Whereas Veterans For Peace is an organization which strives for Peace, Justice, and self-determination throughout the world, including the Middle East, and
Whereas the longstanding Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a major flashpoint in international affairs, and
Whereas Veterans For Peace has previously:
- Called for immediate removal of the wall from all Palestinian lands
- Called for dismantlement of all Israeli settlements on the West Bank and Gaza
- Called for the end of the Israeli military occupation of the West Bank and Gaza
- Called for the return of Israel to its 1967 borders as mandated by UN resolution 242
- Called for internationally supervised negotiations for the creation of an independent Palestinian state and for resolution of all related issues of security and for the refugees "right to return," and
Whereas the people of the region continue to suffer because of the prolonged militarization of the conflict, and
Whereas the United States is the largest single source of political, financial, and military assistance to Israel, and
Whereas the United States and Israel signed a Memorandum of Understanding in August 2007 committing the U.S. to give Israel $30 billion more in military aid over the next decade, and
Whereas the military and financial support of one party over another, in hostilities of this long duration does not serve the interests of peace,
Therefore Be It Resolved that Veterans For Peace calls for the U.S. government to cancel the dangerous August 2007 Memorandum of Understanding and stop the additional $30 billion in military aid to Israel.
Approved at the 2009 VFP national convention
9/11/2001 Attacks inside the United States, Support a Valid Investigation into the National Security Failures of the
Whereas the pretext for two illegal wars of occupation, torture and war crimes was justified by the catastrophic events of 9/11/2001, and
Whereas Congress was blocked by the White House from their intended investigation in connection with the massive national security failures of 9/11/2001- (1), and
Whereas not one person has since been held accountable for the national security failures that allowed the 9/11/2001 attacks to succeed, and
Whereas Lee Hamilton, Co-chair of the 9/11 Commission confessed that his Commission was, in his words, "Set up to fail" - (2), and
Whereas significant un-answered questions remain that challenge the official story of the events of 9/11/2001 - (3a,b-4), and
Therefore Be It Resolved that Veterans For Peace supports a legitimate and non-partisan investigation into the catastrophic national security failures of 9/11/2001.
Approved at the 2009 VFP national convention
Pinon Canyon Land Preservation
Whereas on June 2nd 2009 Chapter 129 as part of Veterans For Peace Mission ... to seek justice for all ... victims of war ... and to point out the ... cost of war ... in support of the Pinon Canyon Expansion Opposition Coalition (PCEOC) Chapter 129 arranged for members of PCEOC to put on public presentation in Pueblo, Colorado; and, members of VFP 129 decided to support PCEOC's opposition to Army's expansion and decided to submit a resolution to VFP's 24th National VFP Convention in Washington D.C; ranching in Southeastern Colorado, and
Whereas, the Army in 1984 obtained for a maneuver site some 240,000 acres in Southeastern Colorado and now the Army's proposes to expand the maneuver site by some 450 million acres which would destroy ranch land grazing for 400,000 cattle and ranching, and
Whereas PCEOC is a coalition of ranchers, archaeologists, paleontologists, environmentalist, artists, business people and owners who oppose the Army's taking of said Pinon Canyon land; have obtained help of Colorado Governor Bill Ritter, Senator Sal Pace, and US Congressman John Salazar in stalling appropriations needed and have limited the Army to the 245,000 acres it has, and
Whereas, the Army's proposed take over will eliminate tax revenues from land and property including improvements to land, thereby the economies of local communities, towns, and cities will be seriously affected in not eliminated; and, the Army's taking of additional ranch land will require substantial taxpayer dollars to pay for condemnation and eminent domain, and
Whereas the Pinon Canyon lands have great historic value; they contain: early pioneer wagon tracks and dinosaur tracks; thousands of Native American sites; early Hispanic Placitas; Santa Fe Train encampments, pioneer ranching operations, remains of dinosaurs (Allosaurus & Brontosaurus); habitat for thousands of plant and animal species, including the only mammal to survive Cretaceous Extinction, the pronghorn.
Therefore Be It Resolved the national organization of Veterans for Peace supports PCEOC and agrees to limit the Army to 245, 000 acres it has obtained and opposes and objects to using any further federal funds to expand the PCMS in Southeastern Colorado.
Approved at the 2009 VFP national convention
VETERANS OUT-REACH (VETERANS REPRESENTATIVE)
Whereas Veterans for Peace campaigns have stated: Support the troops, Bring Them Home Now and Take Care of Them When They Get Here, and
Whereas nearly 1.6 million troops have served in Afghanistan and Iraq since 9/11, and
Whereas over 33,000 troops have major combat wounds, and
Whereas 1 in 5 veterans have post- traumatic stress disorder, and
Whereas nearly 300,000 have traumatic brain injuries, and
Whereas Iraq Veterans Against The War co-founder Tim Goodrich said," The largest failure of the anti-war movement at this point is the lack of out-reach to the troops."
Therefore, Be It Resolved, Veterans for Peace supports, and urges that each Chapter create a veterans out-reach counselor (vet-rep), who would be willing to help veterans access all benefits to which they are entitled, and help those injured to file for compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Approved at the 2009 VFP national convention
YOUTH PROMISE ACT
Whereas Veterans for Peace affirms its responsibility to serve the cause of world peace in its "Statement of Purpose", and
Whereas a bill known as "The Youth Promise Act " has been introduced in the legislature as House of Representatives Bill 1064 and Senate Bill 435 that proposes to reduce violence among our youth in targeted neighborhoods and areas. Violence will be reduced through prevention in positive ways such as after school programs, sports and community activities, by implementing the best policy recommendations from crime policy makers, researchers, practitioners, analysts, and law enforcement officials from across the political spectrum concerning evidence- and research-based strategies to reduce gang violence and crime, and
Whereas many of the neighborhoods where violence is rampant are the same neighborhoods that have Junior R.O.T.C. programs in the schools and are heavily targeted by recruiters, and
Whereas many at-risk youth turn to military service because they have limited options for productive citizenship, and
Whereas the Youth Promise Act seeks to provide at-risk youth with alternative life skills,
Therefore Be It Resolved that Veterans for Peace hereby endorses the Youth Promise Act and strongly encourages chapters and individual members to lobby Congress to request co-sponsor the Youth Promise act (currently H.R.1064 and S.435 in the 111th Congress)
Approved at the 2009 VFP national convention
