New York’s Iraq Veterans Against the War could use a little help. They’ve been given some office space in Manhattan, but according to my friend and Vietnam Vet activist, Jim Murphy:
Their problem is the same problem that we faced in 1971 (Vietnam Veteran Against the War) … no $$ for operating costs. At that time, the ACLU, the local FOR, the Unitarians and the ‘Merton People’ at the Potter’s House in DC et al., sent out a letter to selected members to help us raise funds for our high school outreach and office / basic operations…. that is what I’m requesting from you at this time. I think that the IVAW operation in NY needs approx. $400 per week to be effective… phones, xeroxing, stipends for the young vets to work the office etc. Thus far, Jose, Fernando, Mike and Demond are working out of their G.I. Bill college money and survival jobs to keep their anti-war mission going.
That mission:
The NY group works closely with film makers documenting the Iraq War, they lead and participate in anti-war demonstrations around the East Coast, work with legislators that care about making the world more peaceful AND most importantly, they reach out to other veterans lost in the apathetic haze of VA and governmental neglect.
They’re also speaking at various high schools to give draft-age kids a heads-up on what war is really like. As Jim says about these young vets,
They are limited by their own ‘survival schedules… working and attending college classes AND dealing with their own personal issues of having just
returned from war.
If you’re so inclined, will you send a few (tax-deductible) bucks made out to: Veterans For Peace – NY IVAW and mail to:
IVAW C/O United For Peace and Justice
PO Box 607
Times Square Station
NY, NY 10108
Oh, and pass this on to folks you know who might be able to help?
DANIEL WOLFF is a poet and author of the excellent biography of the great Sam Cooke, You Send Me, as well as the recent collection of Ernest Withers’ photographs The Memphis Blues Again. Wolff’s Grammy-nominated essay on Sam Cooke and the Soul Stirrers is one of the highlights of CounterPunch’s collection on art, music and sex: Serpents in the Garden. Most recently, Wolff wrote the text for the collection of Ernest Wither’s photographs in Negro League Baseball. His latest book is 4th of July/Asbury Park: A History of the Promised Land (Bloomsbury USA) He can be reached at: ziwolff@optonline.net