Peace-In Marks Week 9

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, March 5, 2007
Contact: Cres Vellucci, Sacramento Coalition to End the War, 916/996-9170

While more die in Iraq, nation's longest Peace-In
marks Week 9; Constituents wait for Rep. Matsui to
make up her mind why she really wants to fund war

SACRAMENTO – A "Peace-In" enters its 9th straight week Monday at Rep. Doris
Matsui's office here – the longest-such anti-war action in the country –
and those participating say that more Americans are being killed and maimed
every day while Rep. Matsui cannot seem to make her mind why she says she's
opposed to the war, but will vote to continue to fund it.

The "Peace-In" began Jan. 8 and members of the Sacramento Coalition to End
the War – a broad based and growing coalition of religious, veteran and
peace groups – have occupied Matsui's office every business day from 8:30
a.m. to 5 p.m.

"In the last week, another 15 U.S. soldiers have died," said Karen Bernal,
Sacramento mother of a seven year old. "Last week we gave Rep. Matsui a
list of questions, including how voting for more funding is going to
protect the troops. We are looking forward to receiving those answers
today. Every day this war continues, is another day that a loved one is
killed, another life that can never be brought back," she added.

One day Matsui says she cannot vote against the funding because she wants
to protect the troops, and the next day she says we can't leave because we
have a responsibility to the Iraqi people, noted another mother, Patricia
Daugherty, whose son is 23.

"When we know that 690,000 Iraqi men, women, and children have died as a
result of the U.S. invasion and occupation and 3.8 million have been
forced from their homes, it horrified me to think of what that
‘responsibility' is -- to kill or make homeless the rest of the Iraqi
people?," Daugherty asked.

Today, there are also actions planned at neighboring Rep. Mike Thompson's
offices (Woodland, Napa, Ft. Bragg and Eureka) aimed at getting Thompson to
also commit to voting against more funding for the war. Thompson's
constituents are expressing dissatisfaction with the bill he has
introduced, HR 787, that Matsui has signed on to.

"HR 787 gives control over ending the occupation to President Bush," said
Davis resident Mikos Fabersunne, father of two teenagers. "Given that Bush
wants to keep troops in Iraq, I don't see how HR 787 would end the
occupation. It also leaves an unspecified number of troops in Iraq
indefinitely."

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