(PLEASE CIRCULATE THIS MESSAGE BROADLY)

Emergency Call for Religious Voices in Washington!

Emergency Lobby Day

Wednesday, September 25

To Oppose War With Iraq!

The inter-religious community in Washington, DC is sponsoring “Seven Days of Action” on Iraq. 

September 25 is the

NETWORK/Pax Christi USA

Lobby and Prayer Day

YOUR presence and voice are essential at this critical time! 

HERE’ WHAT YOU CAN DO:

If you live within traveling distance from Washington, DC (NY, NJ, PA, MD, VA, NC, CT, WV and possibly even MA, RI, NH and VT) - Pax Christi USA implores you to make every effort to go to Washington, DC to join NETWORK/PCUSA in being the voice of peace and reason on Capitol Hill.  Plans call for a full day of lobbying at Senate offices, beginning with prayer at 8:30 a.m. and concluding with a prayer service at 6 p.m. (Location to be announced).  If this is a work day for you, we urge you to take personal or vacation time…it is that important!  Join NETWORK, Dave Robinson - Pax Christi USA’s national coordinator, and members of Pax Christi USA’s community on Capitol Hill.  (Call to make an appointment with your Senators’ offices in D.C.)

If you do not live within traveling distance from Washington, DC – Pax Christi USA urges you to organize prayer vigils and/or legal peaceful demonstrations in front of local U.S. Senate (critical) and U.S. House of Representative offices.   Please also arrange for a delegation to visit these congressional representatives with the message “No war against Iraq!”  

We realize this is very short notice but we don’t have to tell you how aggressively President Bush is pushing for authorization to wage war on Iraq.  We had hoped once Iraq indicated it would accept UN inspections, we would have more time to organize but President Bush’s agenda was not slowed for a minute.  We need to rally NOW. The next 10 days are critical before Congress votes on a resolution…this is our chance, perhaps our only chance to influence the Senate vote.

If it is absolutely impossible for you to participate in person, please call your Senators using the Capitol Hill Switchboard number: 202-224-3121.

For more information, resources, message points, and (to send an email message immediately to your Members of Congress), please go to NETWORK’s web page at www.networklobby.org   If you don’t have web access call 202-547-5556 ext. 24 or ext. 29.

Recommended Websites for Resources:

Pax Christi USA - www.paxchristiusa.org    

NETWORK: Catholic Social Justice Lobby - www.networklobby.org  

Education for Peace In Iraq - www.epic-usa.org 

National Priorities Project - www.nationalpriorities.org/iraq.pdf  

Foreign Policy In Focus - www.fpif.org  

Center for Defense Information - www.cdi.org/terrorism/eye-on-iraq.cfm  

Voices In The Wilderness - www.nonviolence.org/vitw   

American Friends Service Committee - www.afsc.org/  

Friends Committee on National Legislation - www.fcnl.org/hottopics_index.htm#usi  

Fellowship of Reconciliation - www.forusa.org/

National Network to End the War Against Iraq - www.endthewar.org/default-new.htm  

United States Catholic Conference of Bishops (USCCB) - www.usccb.org  

Common Cause - www.commoncause.org/iraq/  

DRUMS OF WAR

"Beware the leader who bangs the drums of war in order to whip the
 citizenry into a patriotic fervor, for patriotism is indeed a double- edged
 sword. It both emboldens the blood, just as it narrows the mind...
 And when the drums of war have reached a fever pitch and the blood boils
 with hate and the mind has closed, the leader will have no need in seizing
 the rights of the citizenry.  Rather, the citizenry, infused with fear
 and blinded with patriotism, will offer up all of their rights unto the
 leader, and gladly so.

 How do I know? For this is what I have done.
 And I am Caesar."

                                                   -William Shakespeare

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