Heidi's Blog

This one came in the email today.
Some of the humorous antiwar slogans that have appeared on buttons and signs at recent antiwar protests:
These colors don't run the world.
One nation under surveillance.
How did our oil get under their sand?
Go Solar, not Ballistic.
Who Would Jesus Bomb?
Start Drafting SUV Drivers Now.
It's NUCLEAR, not NUCULAR, you idiot!
Resistance is Fertile.
(UFW sign) Pick Fruit, not Fights.
(On a five year old) More Candy, Less War.
Say can you see my democracy?
(With pictures of Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld) Asses of Evil.
It's the oil, stupid.
War is expensive, Peace is priceless.
Read between the Pipelines.
No More BuSh.
Smart weapons, Dumb president.
The only thing we have to fear is Bush himself.
How many Lives per Gallon?
Peace Takes Brains.
Anything war can do, peace can do better.
Negotiation Not Annihilation.
Another patriot for peace.
Oh Say can You Cease?
Star Spangled Bummer.
Don't Arm a Son of a Bush.
Don't do it George, Dad will still love you.
Power to the Peaceful.
The last time we listened to a Bush, we wandered in the desert for 40
years.

Peace Things Headquarters

I created PeaceThings to give myself and others a "visual voice" for peace every day. On March 20, 2003 I had to face the facts: All of my letter-writing and speaking up, voting, supporting the UN, donating, signing petitions, meditating and candle-lighting had been in vain. I was disheartened, but I wasn't giving up. I suddenly needed a peace flag to display next to the Stars & Stripes in front of my house. I needed shirts and buttons to wear every day. I had to make ongoing non-political statements for peace in order to shed these feelings of powerlessness and grief. With my daughter in the military, I needed to create a way to support worldwide peace initiatives and donate to educational and humanitarian agencies. In a frenzy, I got flags and tee-shirts printed up and created the PeaceThings website. Then I went into the world of e-commerce, creating the store and Peace stuff to sell. To make a long story short, I designed, bought, and made all of this stuff, and now I have to sell it all in order to pay for it and PeaceThings' operations and charitable contributions.

My daughter was in Afghanistan when we attacked Iraq. Since then she spent a year in Honduras keeping the world safe for cheap fruit, coffee and sweatshop goods... It is amazing what our government does to support this nasty economy of over consumption. Her latest orders send her to Fort Hood, Texas, and then next summer to Iraq for a year. Things can change between now and next summer. Being the parent of a soldier makes practicing the Power of Now a necessity.

I just created The PeaceThings' Cyber Team for UNICEFs Tsunami Relief Fund, and I'm recruiting! :) PLEASE JOIN US to support UNICEF's relief efforts.
You can go to www.peacethings.com and click the link on the homepage, or go straight from here to Our Team Page at UNICEF I'm committed to raising at least $1,000. so any small amount will be deeply appreciated.

UNICEF, the United Nations Children's Fund, needs to raise $145 million in order to provide urgent humanitarian aid for the estimated 1.5 million children affected by the crisis in South Asia, many of whom have been orphaned or separated from their families and are in critical need of basic care and support. UNICEF has estimated that children account for more than one-third of tsunami deaths.

Any gift you make will enable UNICEF to deliver emergency assistance including medicines, oral rehydration salts to prevent diarrheal dehydration, high-protein biscuits to prevent malnutrition, basic shelter materials for displaced families, water purification tablets, clothing and blankets.

Just $5 can provide an emergency health kit for one person for three months, with medical supplies and drugs to cover basic health needs.
$87 can provide a basic family water kit for ten households, with detergent, soap, wash basin, towels, bucket and water purification tablets.
$188 can provide one "School-in-a-Box" kit containing education supplies for 80 children during times of crisis.

UNICEF's dedication and tireless efforts to assure the survival of those affected by this natural disaster are unwaivering. I am proud to support their lifesaving programs at this most crucial time. Please join me and make a donation today.
Donate Now! http://www.unicefusa.org/faf/r.asp?t=4&i=91105&u=91105-66434222
Thanks

Going to War with the Clothing We Have

The following request for clothing and stuff is still in effect.

The Civil Air Patrol at Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany is making a plea for help for wounded US soldiers sent there. The original letter is quoted below in full. Note that getting things all the way to Ramstein requires more postage than the APO address might suggest. I know the first reaction of most people when they read this message will be to be angry at political figures. But first send money, then be mad. By the way, this sort of treatment of US troops is common, even though they are all that stand between us and forces such as al-Qaeda. The grunts who do the heavy lifting aren't actually paid anything. The allowance given them to move from one base to another often doesn't cover their expenses. The Bush administration is even trying to take away Vets' lifetime health benefits. Tens of thousands of badly wounded US veterans are likely to be produced by the current round of wars, and some proportion of them will end up homeless.

From: Lori Noyes
Sent: Monday, November 22, 2004 12:28 AM
Subject: Request for Help for our wounded troops at LRMC

Dear CAP Friends:
I am writing is to tell you about a project the Ramstein Cadet Squadron at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, is starting. The Landstuhl Regional Medical Center (LRMC) here in Germany got an influx of about 500 wounded troops from Iraq last week and more arrive almost daily. They arrive straight from the battlefield, with only the torn, dirty, bloody clothes on their back. They have no clothes, underwear, or toiletry items. The hospital provides them with only a cotton gown or pajamas, robe, and disposable slippers. Some stay only a few days before being sent to hospitals stateside, while others are here up to several weeks. The military gives them a $250 voucher to buy clothing and toiletries at the BX, but many are not ambulatory, and those who are have to wait for a bus to get down to the BX on Ramstein 7 miles away. The BX runs out of the clothing and it takes weeks for more to come in. Those who can go to the BX still need something to wear to get there!

The cadets are collecting new clothing and toiletries to that they can take to the wounded at LRMC. Below is a list of items the wounded need. It is cold here in Germany and warm items are needed. Items need not be name brands . . .

For males - all sizes, but mostly medium and large
briefs
boxer shorts
undershirts or T-shirts
white crew sox
cotton turtleneck shirts
flannel shirts
sweatshirts (crew or zip-up hooded)
sweat pants
inexpensive athletic shoes
knit caps
knit gloves

For females - all sizes, but mostly medium and large
cotton briefs
cotton T-shirts
cotton turtleneck shirts
flannel shirts
bras - mostly sizes 34, 36, 38 with cup sizes B and C
white crew sox
sweatshirts (crew or zip-up hooded)
sweat pants
inexpensive athletic shoes
knit caps
knit gloves

Toiletry articles -disposable razors, shaving cream - regular and/or travel size, deodorant - regular and/or travel size, tooth brushes, tooth paste - regular and/or travel size, nail clippers, combs, hair brushes.
The hospital could also use new or used video tapes or DVDs of movies for the patients to watch. Comedies or light drama are best. Please avoid movies about war or those with excessive violence.If your squadron would like to help, we would greatly appreciate it, no matter what the quantity. Every little bit helps.If you wish to send money, make your check out to the Ramstein Cadet Squadron and put "Help for LRMC" on the memo line. We will use the money to purchase toiletry items and movies. But American-sized clothing listed above is what is mostly needed, which the BX is currently out of. Send your donations to:

Lt Col Lori Noyes
PSC 2 Box 6037
APO AE 09012

or

Ramstein Cadet Squadron NHQ-OS-119
Unit 3395
APO AE 09094

Thanks!

If you haven't been there, there's a wonderful site called www.sorryeverybody.com where people from all over the world have been commiserating post US election. We were especially disappointed after the election, depressed, infact, and found much solace at sorryeverybody. We posted there. You can find us on page http://www.sorryeverybody.com/gallery/284/ . They're publishing a book, too.

Finding peace is something we try to do every day. In fact, it seems to be the occupation of most people who are even the least bit enlightened. I'm testing here if I can paste a pic into html on this thing. The name of the painting is Finding Peace.

Painted on September 13, 2001, this piece speaks about how we go about our business to find our way past grief. Rowing, like creating art, is a present and peaceful act. We rowed in silence that day, all stunned by the events of the day before. Like breathing, we rowed, carrying on with our lives.

Prints come in 2 sizes. You can buy it here: http://store.peacethings.com/art1.html

Win peace stuff from Peace Things!
Submit your best Peace Poem.
First round winners get a pair of Peace tees, unisex t-shirts emblazoned with the big peace sign - check them out here

The following poem written in 1814 by eleven-year-old Esther Talbot inspired me to open up peacethings for poetry submissions.

Come Gentle Peace

Come gentle peace, with smiling ray,
Beam on our land a cloudless day;
Beneath thy influence serene,
The olive wears immortal green.
Come, gentle Peace, resume they reign,
With all thy virtues in thy train;
And then Columbia's soil shall grow
As verdant Paradise below.

Esther Talbot, April 4, 1814

So, start writing, blog them here or email info@peacethings.com and you could win some cool peace things. First round deadline is March 1, 2005.

It's amazing how disaster makes such great news. Fear is the one main thing that stands between many and peace. Wasn't it fear that led us to attack Iraq? Or, if it wasn't fear, fear was used to drive public opinion into accepting such measures. Will fear of tsunami lead us to attack the sea?

The Washington post has a site where you can actually see the faces of our fallen soldiers. Faces of the Fallen - U.S. Casualties in Iraq:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/world/iraq/casualties/facesofthefallen.htm
When I see this, I am knowing that the people of Iraq have lost so many more.
Can we look at war like a tsunami by choice?
I'd prefer to leave the cleansing to nature.

After much finagling, Peace Things presents the Peace Talk Blog.
I had hoped to create this at www.peacethings.com, but can't seem to get it to post there successfully. If you are interested in becoming a contributor, send an email to blog@peacethings.com and I'll set you up.