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News :: Latin America |
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Call Congress; Critical Vote to Close the School of the Americas Friday or Monday |
Current rating: 0 |
by SOA Watch Team
Email: media (nospam) soaw.org (verified) |
08 Jun 2006
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For the first time in six years, there will be a vote on legislation to close the SOA/WHINSEC, the U.S. Army school whose graduates are implicated in some of the worst human rights abuses in Latin America. As countries throughout the region go through historic changes, people in the U.S. have an opportunity to make historic change THIS WEEK by demanding justice, accountability, and suspension of the SOA/WHINSEC. |
CRITICAL UPDATE ON SOA VOTE
Thursday, June 8 at 7:00 PM
== CONGRESSI0NAL DELAY BUYS WHINSEC’S PUBLIC RELATIONS MORE TIME --> Your calls,
emails and faxes to Congress are vital! Keep them coming tomorrow!
SOA Watch has just been notified that the vote on the McGovern-Lewis Amendment to
cut funding to the School of the Americas/ WHINSEC is postponed until tomorrow,
Friday, June 9 OR Monday, June 12. WE NEED TO KEEP THE PRESSURE ON!
Because the Foreign Ops bill includes so many important issues, the debate on the
bill is lengthy and may need three days in the House. It's vitally important that
pressure on Congress continue through the day of the vote.
Thanks to your incredible groundswell of grassroots action over the past few weeks
-– your calls to Members of Congress, your letters, faxes and emails -– we have
stayed a step ahead of WHINSEC’s PR machine. Without a doubt, this delay has bought
them more time and is a benefit to the Pentagon.
BUT it’s also bought US more time! It is CRITICAL that tonight and tomorrow morning,
Members of Congress continue to hear from people who care about human rights and who
want to see funding to the School of the Americas cut once and for all.
---> Call Congress at 202-224-3121 or toll free at 888-355-3588. See below for a
suggested call script. Find your Rep here: http://house.gov <---
If you’ve already made your calls, please take a few minutes to CALL AGAIN and
re-emphasize the point that your Representative has constituents who want to see her
or him vote the right way on this issue.
SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE WORKED SO HARD TO GET US WHERE WE ARE TODAY. And we are in a
place of incredible opportunity. FOR THE FIRST TIME IN SIX YEARS, there will be a
debate on the School of the Americas in Congress tomorrow! LET’S MAKE THE MOST OF
IT!
If you’ve ever traveled to Georgia in a sweaty bus for hours on end...
If you and your family have been affected by the SOA and places like it...
If you’ve ever ignored your pounding heart and participated in a civil disobedience
action calling for a more just world, a world without the SOA...
If you’ve ever told a stranger about this place called the School of the Americas...
NOW IS THE TIME TO TAKE ACTION AGAIN. Calling Congress only takes 10 minutes – but
it could be the most important thing you do this week, this month or this year!
Here’s a suggested message for you to convey to your Representative:
"I am calling Congressman/woman ________ to urge him/her to vote YES on the McGovern
amendment to the Foreign Operations Appropriations bill. This amendment is a cut in
funding for the School of the Americas/ WHINSEC. New information indicates that
WHINSEC has allowed known human rights abusers to instruct and receive training at
the school. Argentina and Uruguay are two more countries that have made public
announcements that they will no longer send students to the school, citing the
negative image and history of this institution. Voting YES on this amendment sends a
positive human rights message to Latin America and will help to improve the U.S.
image abroad. As an elected official in Washington D.C., I hope you will represent
me and vote YES on any amendment in the House that would cut funding for the
school."
FOR MORE INFORMATION, visit the SOA Watch website at http://www.soaw.org and the
Legislative Action Index at http://www.soaw.org/legislative |
See also:
http://www.soaw.org
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This work is in the public domain |
