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As 3,000th U.S. troop death approaches, some ways to bear witness
December 22, 2006

Leslie Cagan
National Coordinator
United For Peace & Justice

As of today, 2,964 U.S. troops have died in Iraq. (See http://icasualties.org/oif/)  At the current rate, the 3,000th U.S. troop death will likely be reported in early January, if not sooner. Many of your groups are already making plans for how to mark this horrendous news. If you have not yet decided what to do, here are some suggestions:

• Make a public statement on the 3,000th U.S. death with a vigil or other event in your community. Under the slogan, "Not One More Death, Not One More Dollar," the American Friends Service Committee, which sits on UFPJ's National Steering Committee, is coordinating events all around the country the day after the 3,000th death occurs. Learn more at http://www.afsc.org/3000. More than 100 events have already been listed and they welcome more listings. Resources and event ideas can be found at http://afsc.org/3000/resources.htm

• Ask people to wear black armbands or pin-on ribbons. The black (for mourning) background with the number 3,000 in white, could be a powerful statement of sorrow and of protest in the days after that grim milestone is reached. A sample of how what this can look like is in the attachment. The idea is to not only have activists wearing ribbons and/or armbands but to distribute these in large quantities to everyday folks--in shopping districts, on campuses, in front of government buildings, at busy mass transit stops, wherever there are people in motion. Many will be moved to have an armband or ribbon pinned on them. As they go about their daily routines, they will bear witness to the anger more and more people feel. This kind of easy-to-do activity can help bring people who agree with us but who have taken no action to stop the war into motion. Often, that small first step -- voting in a local referendum around the war, signing a postcard to a member of Congress, or wearing a black ribbon -- will help people think about what they can do to help end the occupation.

• Flood your local radio talk shows with calls and write letters to the editor. The mainstream might give major coverage to the 3,000 U.S. death and our voices should be heard. Be sure to always talk about the hundreds of thousands of Iraqis killed in this outrageous war.

• And, when possible, be sure to let folks know about the Jan. 27th march on Washington, DC.
  
  

We hope you will have some time during this holiday period to relax, be with friends and family, and re-charge your batteries for the work ahead.
 
peace,

Leslie Cagan
National Coordinator
UFPJ