11/9 in SF: A Mandate for Peace!

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ACTION ALERT * UNITED FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE
http://www.unitedforpeace.org | 212-868-5545
To subscribe, visit http://www.unitedforpeace.org/email
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Please forward widely!

Dear friends,

By all accounts, yesterday's elections were a referendum on the war, and the results
were crystal clear: The voters overwhelmingly want peace.

For the antiwar movement, yesterday was a huge victory. By voting out pro-war
candidates and making Iraq the central issue in the elections, we have translated
antiwar sentiment into political power and made ourselves a force to be reckoned
with. Congratulations to all of you who have contributed so much to bring us to this
point.

But this is only the first step. Now comes the more crucial one: We must make sure
that our new Representatives implement the will of the people and get our troops out
of Iraq. We must keep the pressure on.

NO HONEYMOON FOR CONGRESS
We need to be in touch with our Representatives right away -- especially those who
ran on an antiwar platform -- to let them know that the peace movement expects them
to take immediate action to bring the troops home. Our friends at the new Mandate
for Peace campaign will be gathering outside Rep. Pelosi's office in San Francisco
tomorrow, Nov. 9, to demand that she speak up for the antiwar majority.
(http://www.unitedforpeace.org/calendar.php?calid=18622) Let's keep the momentum
going.

1. Find your Representative's contact information:

* If the incumbent was reelected in your district, you can find his or
her contact information through http://www.congress.org

* If you have a newly elected representative, you'll need to act extra
quickly to contact them. Use Google, GoodSearch
(http://www.goodsearch.com/?charityid=812450) or another internet search
engine today to find the campaign website and/or campaign office for your
Representative-elect -- most will be shut down in a matter of days.

2. Call or write your Representative right away to congratulate them on their
victory and tell them that you're counting on the newly elected Congress, in its
earliest days in office, to pass legislation requiring the prompt removal of all
U.S. troops from Iraq and to discontinue funding for military purposes in Iraq
except the safe withdrawal of all U.S. forces.

Ideally, you should also request a face-to-face meeting with your new member of
Congress, which is one of the strongest ways to communicate this message. If you
do, be sure to bring participants from various constituencies in your community
who share your opposition to the war. Do an online search beforehand for any
polls that show the strength of antiwar sentiment in your community, and bring
detailed information from the National Priorities Project
(http://www.nationalpriorities.org/) about the staggering financial cost of the
war to your area. If you do meet with your Representative, please send a
reportback to congress [at] unitedforpeace.org

3. Send a personal email to friends, neighbors, and coworkers in your
Congressional district and urge them to contact your Representative with a
similar message. Include the contact information you've found through your
online research.

4. Forward this action alert widely, to people all around the country, and post
it on websites and blogs.

There can be no honeymoon for this new Congress. People are dying in Iraq every day,
the chaos worsens, the costs continue to escalate. Join United for Peace and Justice
and our friends and allies in the Mandate for Peace Campaign
(http://www.mandateforpeace.org/) in making sure that the clamor for peace at the
polls turns into real action for change.

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Help us continue to do this critical work: Make a donation to UFPJ today --
http://www.unitedforpeace.org/donate

ACTION ALERT * UNITED FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE
http://www.unitedforpeace.org | 212-868-5545
To subscribe, visit http://www.unitedforpeace.org/email