2004 VFP COVENTION RESOLUTIONS RESOLUTIONS

Whereas: Veterans for Peace has a long history of solidarity with the people of El Salvador stemming from their struggle for freedom and human dignity.: and

Whereas: Veterans for Peace has manifested our interest in the welfare of the people in El Salvador by continuing to send delegations to El Salvador to experience the life of the people, monitor their elections and support their efforts to develop their country as they determine. And

Whereas: One of the pillars in their struggle was Archbishop Oscar Romero who called for the El Salvador army to quit killing their own people and was assassinated the day after he made that call by assassins trained at the United States Army School of the Americas. And

Whereas: The people of El Salvador are making efforts to immortalize the legacy of Archbishop Romero as we immortalize the actions of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by calling for a memorial commemoration noting the 25^th anniversary of the assassination of Archbishop Romero on March 24,2005. And

Whereas: A delegation of members of Veterans for Peace would be viewed by the people of El Salvador as a positive interest in their welfare and an expression of solidarity with them as have all the delegations in the past.

Therefore Be It Resolved: that Veterans for Peace send a delegation to El Salvador to officially participate in the commemorations of the contributions of Archbishop Romero with the people of El Salvador on March 24, 2005.

Whereas Veterans for Peace is a veterans organization committed to finding peaceful solutions to conflicts and;

Whereas Veterans for Peace believes that the unique perspectives of veterans are important ingredients in public discourse and decision making and;

Whereas Veterans for Peace does not want the diverse views of veterans to be monolithically misrepresented in public discourse and;

Whereas Veterans for Peace does not wish the service and sacrifice of veterans to be trivialized and;

Whereas Veterans for Peace wishes to extend and preserve the freedoms for which its members served and fought in the U.S. Armed Services and;

Whereas there have been few documented cased of desecration of the U.S. flag and;

Whereas amending the U.S. Constitution to outlaw flag desecration encroaches on First Amendment guaranteed freedom of speech and;

Whereas such an amendment to “protect” the flag suppresses speech and muffles the voices of dissent and;

Whereas promoting such an amendment as an “honor” to veterans does not honor our service and;

Whereas Veterans for Peace wishes to articulate its position on the proposed flag desecration amendment to the U.S. Constitution;

Therefore, be it resolved that Veterans for Peace opposes the proposed amendment to the U.S. Constitution to “protect” the flag and calls on veterans, citizens and other organizations to oppose it.

CARRIED

3- AWARD

Be it resolved that military police specialist Joseph Darby, of the 372 Division stationed in Cresaptown, MD, be recommended for an award for meritorious service for exposing the abuses at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.

CARRIED

Whereas the Geneva Convention details the treatment of prisoners of war and other detainees; and

Whereas as a co-author of said convention on August 12, 1949 the United States of America expects it¹s soldiers and other personnel to be treated in accordance with the provisions of the convention; and

Whereas the Defense Department in cooperation with the Justice Department of the United States of on March 6, 2003 determined per “Working Group Report” that the United States is not required to abide by said convention with regard to Al Qaida, Taliban or other “detainees” currently in custody throughout the world

Therefore be it resolved that Veterans for Peace requests the immediate dismissals or resignations of Attorney General John Ashcroft and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfield

Be it further resolved that all parties who bear responsibility for the torture of “detainees” be prosecuted to the fullest extent under the laws of the United States of America and International Laws including War Crime Statutes.

CARRIED

Whereas for a half century the United States has maintained an economic and political embargo against the island of Cuba; and

Whereas, although the Cuban people have, in the last decade, made great strides in creating a viable, self-sustaining economy, the embargo deprives them of supplies needed for adequate health care and comfortable living; and

Whereas normalized relationships between Cuba and the United States would benefit the people and businesses of both countries;

Be it resolved, therefore, that Veterans For Peace urges the government of the United States to take immediate steps aimed at establishing normal relationships with the Cuban government and people.

Whereas, as veterans, many of us have firsthand experience with the consequences

country is estimated to have one of the world's largest domestic markets for small arms, an estimated 34% of the nation's 280 million citizens owning

Whereas private gun ownership is generally not subject to either licensing or registration; and

Therefore be it resolved that Veterans for Peace supports renewal of the Federal Assault Weapons Law, prohibiting the manufacture, sale and importation of certain military-style, semi-automatic assault weapons and ammunition magazines that hold more than ten rounds, which was passed in 1994 and, unless renewed, will expire in September 2004; and

Be it further resolved that VFP members are urged to work for renewal of this legislation.

CARRIED

Whereas, we are observing this year the 51^st anniversary of the Korean War-Armistice Agreement that halted the horrific fighting in Korea on July 27, 1953;

Whereas, the U.S. owes a heavy responsibility for the gross suffering of the Korean people by its arbitrary division of Korea in 1945, maintenance of the two Koreas by its military occupation of South Korea(ROK) and continuing nuclear blackmails against North Korea(DPRK) since 1950;

Whereas, the government and people of South and North Korea have been trying to achieve a peaceful reunification of their divided country through mutual exchanges and cooperation since the historic summit meeting of the two Korean leaders in June 2000;

Whereas, the continued presence of some 40,000 U.S. troops in South Korea has been a major source of military tension and arms race in the Far East, crimes against Koreans, wasted military spending in billions of our tax dollars, and obstacles to the self-determination of the Korean people; and

Whereas, North Korea has expressed its willingness to end the Korean War, give up its nuclear weapons program and normalize its relations with the United States;

NOW, THEREFORE, it is hereby resolved that the Veterans for Peace (VFP), meeting at its national convention in Boston, Massachusetts, July 24, 2004,

1) Extends its warm support and solidarity to the Korean people in their just struggle to realize an independent and peaceful reunification of Korea on their own initiatives without foreign interferences;

2) Calls upon the Bush administration to stop all military buildups in and around South Korea and all threats of preemptive military strikes, including the first use of “mini-Nukes,” against North Korea;

3) Calls upon the U.S. government to take immediate steps to end the lingering Korean War, by replacing the shaky Armistice Agreement with a permanent peace settlement through direct negotiations with North Korea, and bring our troops home from Korea finally;

4) Calls upon the U.S. Congress to establish an Independent Commission on the Korean War to investigate the U.S. war crimes committed during the War and to make recommendations for a just redress for the Korean victims of the war crimes; and

5) Calls upon the VFP members and local chapters as well as other American people to join in and support the Korea Peace Campaign for a permanent peace, reconciliation and friendship between the people of Korea and the United States.

CARRIED

(1) the U.S. Senate to unconditionally ratify all international humanitarian and human rights treaties and optional protocols which have been signed by the current and past Presidents, and

(2) the U.S. Senate to withdraw past reservations, declarations, and objections to all ratified treaties, and

(3) the U.S. Congress to immediately implement the provisions of all ratified treaties.

CARRIED

"...calls on the United States Government to undertake a full, fair, and expeditious investigation into the death of Rachel Corrie..." and

CARRIED

Whereas there is compelling evidence that an unusually large number of United States Military personnel who, in the course of their military service, were exposed to chemical, nuclear or biological warfare materials have parented children with birth defects

Therefore be it resolved that anyone who in the course of military service has been exposed to chemical, nuclear or biological agents, upon determination that he or she has conceived a child, should be entitled, at government expense, to “state of the art” tests for the purpose of ascertaining any defects present in the fetus.

CARRIED

Whereas it has been the long standing position of Veterans For Peace that a just and lasting peace between Palestine and Israel must be based upon the Palestinian peoples national right to an independent state and Israel’s right to a secure existence, and

Whereas the construction of the barrier wall on Palestinian land by the Sharon government is counter-productive to the above stated goal, and

Whereas the International Court of Justice has ruled that the wall being built on Palestinian land is a “de facto annexation” and is illegal;

3-the end to the military occupation of the West Bank and Gaza by the Israeli Defense Force

5-Internationally supervised negotiations for the creation of an independent Palestinian state and all related issues of security and the refugees “right to return”

Additionally Veterans For Peace expresses our solidarity with those Israeli military personnel who have taken a stand of conscience and refuse to participate in the occupation of Palestine.

CARRIED

16- RESOLUTION ON VIETNAM

WHEREAS the United States government failed to fulfill commitments made in the Paris Peace Agreement to provide economic aid for post-war reconstruction and to heal the wounds of the Vietnam conflict, and

WHEREAS the US government pursued a hostile post-war policy aimed at isolating Vietnam that includes a punitive trade embargo which lasted until 1994, and

WHEREAS the US government has been reluctant to admit responsibility and has failed to provide humanitarian assistance for the serious health, economic and environmental devastation caused by the chemical defoliant Agent Orange/dioxin that continues through the present day, and

WHEREAS many of our members are Vietnam veterans who strongly feel it is our duty is to aid the Vietnamese people in their efforts to rebuild and to provide humanitarian assistance, and

WHEREAS it is imperative to nurture a relationship built on mutual trust and respect of national sovereignty, and to create fair trade practices that enhance the economic well-being of both countries,

BE IT RESOLVED that Veterans For Peace calls on the US Congress to reject the so-called “Vietnam Human Rights Act of 2004” (HR-1587) or any other legislation that is contrary to friendly and normal relations between our two countries,

AND BE IT RESOLVED that we endorse the creation of a Vietnam Agent Orange Relief and Responsibility fund that advocates for and assists the Vietnamese victims of these toxic chemicals,

AND BE IT RESOLVED that we confirm our desire to develop a formal relationship with the Veterans Association of Viet Nam, in the belief that it is in our best interest to pursue a policy of peace, reconciliation and friendship and for the U.S. government to fulfill its responsibility to the Vietnamese people.

Suel Jones, Becky Luening, Michael Cull, David Cline, Jaime Vazquez, William Kelly

CARRIED

Whereas the people of Vieques, Puerto Rico were subjected to over 60 years of bombing and shelling when over half of their island was used as a US Navy training site, and

Whereas the resulting buildup of military toxins have resulted in major health problems for the residents of Vieques including elevated levels of cancer, and

Whereas the US Navy left Vieques on May 1, 2003 after a massive campaign of civil disobedience by the people of Puerto Rico, supported by people throughout the United States and the world, and

Whereas the Navy has failed to clean up the former military zone, leaving the land unusable for community development and still dangerous to the peoples health and welfare, and

Whereas the former military zone remains under the control of the US Department of Fish and Wildlife,

Be it resolved that Veterans For Peace calls on the US government to fully fund the cleanup of the contaminated areas and designate Vieques as an Environmental Protection Agency Superfund site,

And be it further resolved that we call on the US government to return the lands formerly occupied by the Navy to the people of Vieques,

And be it further resolved that we call for the US government to compensate those residents of Vieques whose health has been damaged by the Navy’s environmental contamination

William Nemcik PR-081, David Cline NJ-021,Jaime Vazquez NJ-021 Gene Glazer NJ-021,

CARRIED

Whereas one of the five goals in Veterans For Peace’s (VFP) “Statement Of Purpose” is -- “To abolish war as an instrument of national policy.”

Whereas the world’s most significant legal expression of this goal exists as Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution, “… the Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as means of settling international disputes.” Article 9 abolishes war for Japan.

Whereas the Japanese and the United States governments have been overtly and covertly, in Orwellian ways, working for the past half century to destroy Article 9 and make it easier for the USA to harness Japan’s so-called “Self-Defense-Force” (SDF) to be America’s surrogate military force in “situational” (not geographical) areas surrounding Japan.

Whereas millions of Japanese people who love Article 9 and wish to keep it alive – are growing tired and discouraged by these massive efforts to rid the world of this treasure. These dear people are losing hope and desperately need our encouragement.

Therefore, be it resolved that Veterans For Peace proclaim to Japanese people – “We as a body share your love for the wisdom and ideal that is Article 9. We encourage you in your non-violent efforts to keep your and the US government from killing it. We join you in seeing Article 9 as having arisen like a Phoenix out of the ashes and holocausts of World War II, Hiroshima, and Nagasaki – and as humanity’s cry for an end to the obscene brutality that is war. We share with you, dear Japanese friends, your vision that Article 9 is Earth’s living model for ‘rules-of-law’ to replace ‘rules-of-war.’ ”

Submitted by -- Chuck Overby, WW-II and Korean War veteran (combat pilot in orea), long-time VFP member, founder of the Article 9 Society, Internationalist, Humanist, Ecological-Engineer, and Emeritus Professor, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio 45701

CARRIED

Overby, a frequent country-wide lecturer in Japan, will seek to disseminate this resolution widely to Article 9 Society groups across Japan, to many other Japanese peace and justice groups, and to Japanese media -- so as to encourage them in their fight to restore Article 9’s integrity and health.

"Aspiring sincerely to an international peace based on justice and order, the Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as means of settling international disputes.

In order to accomplish the aim of the preceding paragraph, land, sea, and air forces, as well as other war potential, will never be maintained. The right of belligerency of the state will not be recognized."

Battlefield toxics have been a well-documented source of injury to civilian and military populations at least since World War II, (atomic weapons use and testing and radiation poisoning) and the war in Vietnam, Agent Orange (dioxin). Most recently, exposure to munitions and armor plate using Depleted Uranium, chemical cocktails from exploded chemical weapons dumps, un-tested vaccines given in un-tested combinations, all have contributed to large numbers of disabled veterans and untold numbers of disabled civilians.

Some of these toxics have proven to have effects that transcend generations, resulting in deformed fetuses and, in those that survive, deformed children.

Veterans For Peace calls upon the U. S. Government to fully examine the existing data pertaining to these toxics and make it public.

We further call upon the government to do systematic testing, using the latest, most sensitive, fully accredited methods, of all surviving veterans of all wars since WWII and establish to the public’s satisfaction the full degree to which these veterans have been exposed and damaged by their exposure, and that compensation to these veterans and their families, commensurate with the destruction of life quality be made.

20. - PTSD

There is a well-established body of knowledge and treatment methodologies associated with the psychologically damaging effects of violence and killing (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) upon individuals, especially those exposed to intense combat.

Despite US military claims that they learned an important lesson about PTSD from Vietnam, they have been deliberately overlooking and downplaying symptoms of PTSD. Even when they have diagnosed soldiers with PTSD, many have been re-deployed into combat by superiors who are saying that doing so is good for their mental health because it will allow them to “face their fear”. This is contrary to every non-military professional opinion ever given on the proper treatment of PTSD.

The US military is also discharging men and women obviously suffering from PTSD without diagnosis, proper treatment and proper follow-up. Also, since it is well known that symptoms often don’t appear for sometimes months and years after discharge, there is little or no provision for monitoring, evaluation and care subsequent to discharge.

Even when evaluations are given and treatment indicated, people are being made to wait six months or longer to obtain help.

There is current testimony that Marines, suffering from and seeking treatment for PTSD, have been manipulated, intimidated, threatened with discipline, rather than offered treatment. Some are even beaten to force them into actions that would permit the Corps to give them something other than honorable discharges and relieve the Corps of any responsibility for their subsequent mental condition. There is evidence that this practice extends to other services as well.

We call for a congressionally-appointed watchdog commission with broad powers to investigate and report on the treatment of military personnel suffering from PTSD and other psychological disorders or conditions.

Further, we call on congress to establish and fully fund military physical and mental healthcare that will be available to both active duty military, reserves, National Guard and veterans. We insist that is not be controlled by the military itself and funded separately from the military budget.

We demand that any system set up to these criteria be accountable to the people the system is designed to serve; all military men and women past and present and future

CARRIED

21. REAFFIRMING OPPOSITION TO IRAQ WAR

In the sixteen months since March 2003, when the United States invaded Iraq, the reasons given to justify a preemptive military attack have all proven to be distortions or lies.

The cost in terms of blood and treasure (over 900 US military dead, many thousands wounded, over 150 billion dollars and counting) while unknown tens of thousands of Iraqis have been killed, many more wounded, and their country devastated by the war, the occupation and the resulting violence.

Veterans For Peace, at our 2004 convention, reaffirms our opposition to the continued occupation of Iraq as expressed in previous resolutions, and calls, once again:

2. for the restoration of real sovereignty and the end of the plunder of Iraq by foreign corporations.

3. for the US government to pay for the rebuilding of Iraq through the international community.

Whereas most Americans can better relate to the multi-billion dollar cost figures for the present administration's imperialist wars if those figures are expressed as directly responsible for the under funding of specific government programs in their local communities,

therefore it be resolved that the national Veterans For Peace leadership work with our local chapters to establish that portion of their state, county and local community taxes spent on military weapons and imperialist expansion programs, and therefore largely responsible for depriving adequate funding for specific items in their state, county and local community budgets for public education, public health, low cost housing and family assistance, public transportation, police and fire protection and maintenance of essential public utilities and public infrastructure.

Following the 11 June 2004 suggestion of Chalmers Johnson that “the United
States should have ratified the treaty establishing the International Criminal Court,” be it,

• that Congress, via joint resolution of House and Senate, accede to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (UN Doc. A/CONF. 183/9*)¹;

• that this Resolution be promptly communicated to all members of Congress; and,

• that Veterans for Peace enjoins its members, officers and directors to contact their respective

Senators and Representatives in support of this resolution, as well as any other members of

CARRIED

Whereas the Geneva Conventions outlaw poisonous weapons with lasting toxic effects that affect civilian or military personnel. and whereas such description applies to radioactive depleted uranium warheads on armor piercing cannon rounds;

Be it resolved that Veterans For Peace will work on public education and government lobbying efforts to ban all such warheads from U.S. military use immediately.

Whereas, on July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress unanimously declared the Independence of the 13 Colonies – and (the achievement of) peace was recognized as one of the highest duties of the new organization of free and independent states; and,

Whereas, during the course of the 20^th century alone, more than 100,000,000 (100 million) people perished in wars, and now at the dawn of the 21^st century violence seems to be an overarching cavalier theme in the world; and

Whereas, America is one of the most fortunate and privileged nations on earth and we have a birthright to tap the infinite capabilities of humanity to transform consciousness and conditions which impel (or compel) violence at a personal, group, or national level - toward developing a new understanding of, and a commitment to - compassion and love, in order to create a ‘shining city on a hill’, the light of which is the light of nations; and,

Whereas, society must conceive of peace as not simply being the absence of violence (and destruction), but more-so the active presence of the capacity for a higher evolution of the human awareness for respect, trust and integrity; and,

Whereas, on April 8^th, 2003 a Bill (HR1673) to create a U.S. (cabinet level) Department of Peace was submitted in the (100^th Congress) U.S. House of Representatives - and ultimately referred to the Committee on Government Reform; and,

Therefore Be It Resolved, that the Veterans For Peace Convention members in Boston, July 2004 assembled, respectfully and officially request a joint session of the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives convene to endorse and establish a cabinet level U.S. Department of Peace whose primary goal will be dedicated to peacemaking and the continued study of conditions (and resolutions) that are conducive to both domestic and international peace; and,

Be It Further Resolved, the Mission of the Department of Peace shall be to (1) hold peace as an organizing principle (which will function as an aid) coordinating services to every level of American society; (2) endeavor to promote justice and democratic principles to expand human rights; (3) strengthen nonmilitary means of peacemaking; (4) promote the development of human potential; (5) work to create peace, prevent violence, divert from armed conflict, use field-tested programs and develop new structure in nonviolent dispute resolution; (6) take a proactive, strategic approach in the development of policies that promote national and international conflict prevention, nonviolent intervention, mediation, peaceful resolution, and structured mediation of conflict; (7) address matters both domestic and international in scope; and (8) encourage the development of initiatives from local communities, religious groups, and nongovernmental organizations/agencies; and,

Be It Further Resolved, the U.S. Department of Peace will be headed by a Secretary of Peace, with Subcommittees comprised of intergovernmental U.S. department and agency support staff, as well as a national intergovernmental and community Advisory Council Board made up of world-peace advocates; and,

Be It Further Resolved, the U.S. Department of Peace shall establish a National Day of Peace to observe and celebrate the blessings of Peace; and,

Be It Finally Resolved, (that) future generations of the world’s children can forever recognize there exists a welcomed place, the U.S. Department of Peace, where they can go to accentuate their human right to demand and perpetuate World Peace and social justice – for all.

WHEREAS H.R. 3729, currently pending in Congress, would correct an injustice that has been inflicted upon a group of WW II Veterans of the U.S. Merchant Marine; and

WHEREAS the average age of Merchant Marine veterans is now 81, many of whom have outlived their savings; and

WHEREAS unfortunately this group of brave ones were denied their rights under the G.I. Bill of Rights enacted by Congress in 1945; and

WHEREAS during World War II Merchant Mariners suffered a higher casualty rate than any other branch of service while they delivered troops, tanks, food, airplane fuel and other supplies to every theater of war; and

WHEREAS General Douglas MacArthur recognized the value and often valiant services of American Merchant Marine and said, “I hold no branch in higher esteem than the Merchant Marine,” and Franklin D Roosevelt when he signed the GI Bill of Rights stated, “I trust the Congress will soon provide similar opportunity to the Merchant Marine who have risked their lives time and time again for the welfare of their country”, and when President Roosevelt died Congress failed to pass such a bill for mariners;

That Veterans For Peace, do hereby adopt the resolution in support of H.R. 3729 Belated Thanks to the Merchant Marine of World War II Act of 2004, which would correct an injustice that has been inflicted upon a group of WW II veterans, the World War II U.S. Merchant Marine, offer compensation for years of lost benefits, and pay each eligible veteran or surviving spouse a monthly benefit of $1000.

Winston Elstob, President VFP Chapter 46 John Steinbeck 1V (831)372 1143,412 11th street, Pacific grove California 93950