[Occupymendocino] Syria: Congress Can Slow Rush to War

[Richard Karch]

Subject: Syria: Congress Can Slow Rush to War

 	

Dear BC Macdonald,

Over the past few days, the U.S. government has been rushing toward an attack on Syria. But now, some members of Congress are asking hard questions or even stating opposition to military action.

Please encourage your representative and senators to oppose U.S. military action in Syria and support sustained diplomacy. Call the local offices of your representative and senators today. Find their phone numbers here.

Here are some points to make in your call:

I oppose U.S. military action in Syria.
The U.S. does need to act. I encourage the [senator/representative] to support increased diplomacy, the convening of an international summit of heads of state, and increased humanitarian assistance to help stop the killing.
Can you tell me about the [senator/representative]’s stance on stopping the violence in Syria?
The world community needs to act forcefully to bring those responsible for using chemical weapons—and anyone who commits war crime—to justice. But U.S. military action will hurt more than help, increasing violence and the risk of more chemical weapons attacks.

Instead, as FCNL urged Congress and the administration in letters last week, President Obama should engage diplomatically with all parties in the region and convene an emergency summit of heads of state, press the U.N. Security Council to ask the International Criminal Court to investigate all war crimes in Syria, and increase and better allocate humanitarian funds to address refugee flows.

Members of Congress are paying attention. Already, Senator Chris Murphy (CT) and more than 80 members of the House have spoken out against the rush to U.S. military action in Syria. But we have also heard from members who are reluctant to question the president’s preparations for war and are concerned about what their constituents might think if they oppose military action. Your phone calls to your representative’s and senators’ local offices right now could help encourage them to speak out. Please call today.

After you call, please consider taking one more step. With many members of Congress still out of town for the August recess, social media is an effective way to get a message to their offices quickly.

If you use Twitter, please look up the Twitter handles for your representative and senators and send them this message:

. @[Your representative's handle]: Don't bomb #Syria. Instead nonviolence, emergency summit, ICC referral, humanit aid & dipl.bit.ly/16Rj6eV

Sincerely,







"Looks fade, but funny is forever."                                                                             
                      Heard on  NPR's Fresh Air

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