NEXT GVCP MEETING: SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 11th, at Delena Sloan's house, 2:00 PM, 5077 South Livonia Rd (Route 15), South Livonia. [5077 is about 3 miles south of Route 20A. Coe Rd runs east off Route 15. 5077 is just south of Coe Rd, and just north of the church. It is a big white house with pillars around the porch. Call 716-346-2612 for more info.]

SAVE THE DATES: Saturday, October 27th, SUNY Geneseo, "Coloring Outside the Lines: Daring to Understand." A conference day sponsored by the Office of Multicultural Affairs. GVCP will present a workshop on "Alternatives to War" at 2:00 - 2:50 PM. GVCP members Jim Allen, Mike Connelly, Margaret Matlin, and Hank Stone will represent us.
December 4, 5, or 6: "Aftermath of September 11th: A Progressive Viewpoint." GVCP would like to co-sponsor a talk by a major peace and justice activist on the SUNY Geneseo campus in early December. Manning Marable is unavailable, and I have been unable to find an address for Howard Zinn. Can anyone think of a knowledgeable speaker who could and would make this presentation? We decided to offer an honorarium of $250.00 plus airfare. If you have any thoughts or suggestions, please let me know ASAP <ahmatlingvcp@igc.org>
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WHITHER THE PEACE MOVEMENT?: The events of September 11th have changed the nature of the debates about military spending, the U.S. role in the affairs of other countries, and the priorities of our society. My own thoughts are that we are headed for another brutal Vietnam-style war - a land war in a small, poor country that is halfway around the world. American troops will fight against determined opponents, on terrain that makes outright victory extremely difficult. The major difference between the Vietnam war and the Afghanistan war, as I see it, is that in Vietnam the U.S. had to manufacture a pretext for the war, whereas in Afghanistan the opportunity to wage a popular war was created by the September 11th attacks. With American flags flying everywhere, and with memories of the World Trade Center destruction still fresh, President Bush has basically been given carte blanche to wage war as he sees fit. I feel as if we in the peace and justice movement are trying to stop a juggernaut.

Still, I believe we must continue to present alternatives to continued bombing and continued killing. Now more than ever a moral and peaceful voice is needed in this country. We in the peace movement must supply that voice - obviously our government will not.

I have included the position paper "War is Not the Answer" from the Friends Committee on National Legislation. [Written before October 6th, but predicting events perfectly.] We must continue to call for restraint and a halt to bombing. If the war continues, we face the possibility of another era in which planes bring fresh troops to the fighting and bring full body-bags back home; where we have a return of the draft; and where the U.S. is again divided between pro- and anti-war factions who can only communicate with each other by shouting.

WRITE: To President Bush [White House, Washington DC 20500], to your Senators [Washington DC 20510] and Representative [Washington DC 20515] calling for a stop to the bombing and an attempt to use the methods outlined in the "Ten Points."

GREAT WEBSITE: <www.alternet.org>