Genesee Valley Citizens for Peace

PO Box 363 Geneseo NY 14454 <www.gvcp.org>

585-346-2530 or 585-624-3673

“Human Race Not Arms Race”

December 26, 2004

Dear GVCP Member:

NEXT GVCP MEETING: Saturday, January 22^nd, 2:00 PM, 40 Oak St. Geneseo.

NEXT GVCP EVENT: Sunday, February 13^th, 2:00 PM, at the Interfaith Center, 11 Franklin Street, Geneseo. A presentation by Barbara de Leeuw, of the American Civil Liberties Union, Rochester, “The ‘Patriot Act’ and its Implications for the Invasion of Privacy.” Clearly, any peace activist in the current era has to wonder about how the "Patriot Act" might affect our rights of freedom of speech, assembly, and religion. THIS PRESENTATION IS FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.

Take the bus to DC on January 20th to demonstrate at the Inauguration! (See enclosed flier.) For more information call Hank Stone 585-624-3673.

THIS MONTH’S LETTER: WAR IS NOT THE ANSWER IN IRAQ!

Escalating violence, killing of civilians, and violations of international law have reached new levels in Iraq. Fallujah, a city the size of Rochester, is virtually destroyed.

Even as more lives are lost to senseless killing, the U.S. remains determined to “liberate” Iraq through war. This approach will surely fail. The violence in Fallujah—and more broadly throughout Iraq—just brings further violence. Each violation of international law, each bomb dropped, each Iraqi civilian caught in the crossfire only emboldens those fighting against the U.S. presence in Iraq. Current policies will not succeed in restoring stability and bringing democracy to Iraq; they will only result in the deaths of more U.S. troops, more Iraqis, and more international workers.

There is no military solution to the crisis unfolding in Iraq. War is not the answer.

Write to your members of Congress and ask them to initiate or cosponsor a congressional joint resolution against the war in Iraq. Such a resolution would affirm the sense of Congress that it is in the interest of national and international security that all U.S. military forces be completely withdrawn from Iraq. [Excerpted from FCNL website.]

Your Representative: Senators Schumer and Clinton

U.S. House of Representatives U.S. Senate

Washington, DC 20515 Washington, DC 20510

Please pay your GVCP dues! People say, “No one donates to any charity right after Christmas and Chanukah.” I don’t think this rule operates in GVCP’s case because (1) this isn’t charity, it’s dues and (2) GVCP members are fantastic about paying their dues every year. We usually approach or achieve 100% renewal. Please pay your dues--$25.00 (more if possible, less if necessary). (Student affiliate members are not required to pay dues. We don’t request dues from any of our sister groups with whom we share newsletters.) Send check in enclosed SASE to: A.H. Matlin, 2290 Anderson Rd., Linwood, NY 14486.