Press Releases - 2007

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 1, 2007

Candlelight Vigil in Recognition Of 3,000 U.S. Troop Deaths in Iraq

Contact: The Reverend Jim Lewis
Phone: (304) 345-0427

URL: http://www.wvpatriotsforpeace.org

Charleston, WV - Candlelight Vigil in Recognition Of 3,000 U.S. Troop Deaths in Iraq

The number of troops killed in Iraq has now reached 3,000.

West Virginia Patriots for Peace, a network of over 1,500 people across West Virginia, will be holding a candlelight vigil to honor those men and women. Plans for future action will also be announced.

* When: Wednesday, January 3

* Where: Robert C. Byrd Federal Building & Courthouse - 300 Virginia Street in Charleston

* Time: 5:00 - 6:00 PM

West Virginia Patriots for Peace can be found on the web at:
http://www.wvpatriotsforpeace.org

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 29, 2006

Vigil in Recognition Of 3,000 U.S. Troop Deaths in Iraq

Contact: The Reverend Jim Lewis
Phone: (304) 345-0427

URL: http://www.wvpatriotsforpeace.org

Charleston, WV - Vigil in Recognition Of 3,000 U.S. Troop Deaths in Iraq

* Where: In front of the Byrd Federal Court House on Virginia Street in Charleston

* When: The day after the announcement that 3,000 U.S. troops have been killed in Iraq

* Time: 5:30 pm

Note: More information will be forthcoming in a press advisory distributed on the day when the death figure is registered in the local newspapers

West Virginia Patriots for Peace can be found on the web at:
http://www.wvpatriotsforpeace.org

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 06, 2006

Iraq Study Group Recommendations: Far Too Little, says WV Patriots for Peace West Virginia Patriots for Peace calls for an immediate and responsible withdrawal of US troops from Iraq to end any more loss of innocent life.

Contact: Carrie Swing
Phone: (304) 744-9008
URL: http://www.wvpatriotsforpeace.org

Charleston, WV - The Baker-Hamilton Iraq Study Group (ISG) report released today confirms that its recommendations will be a political compromise out of touch with the reality on the ground in Iraq, according to West Virginia's largest grassroots peace organization.

"The civil war in Iraq is spiraling out of control and it's unclear whether the government of Prime Minister al Maliki can survive, yet the report calls for 'gradual' withdrawal of troops," said Carrie Swing, president of WV Patriots for Peace. "It's no time for gradual anything. We need bold and creative actions to dramatically change the dynamic in Iraq, not tepid recommendations for political consumption at home."

"The first necessary step is to set a timetable for withdrawing troops. That withdrawal plan should begin now. The ISG recommendations would allow for a substantial number of troops to be left in Iraq for an extended period of time. That is unacceptable. Leaving permanent U.S. military bases is also unacceptable, and U.S. control of Iraqi oil is unacceptable," added Swing. Other recommendations that would be necessary to address the rapidly deteriorating situation in Iraq, but missing from the Iraq Study Group report, include:

• Open negotiations with all factions on the ground in Iraq to end the violence.
• Redirection of funds being spent on the occupation toward an orderly withdrawal of troops.
• Prohibition of any new funds from being spent on any new troop deployment.
• Full funding for an Iraqi-led reconstruction of Iraq.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 12, 2006

New Study Claims 655,000 Innocent Iraqis Dead Since War Began

Contact: Ted Boettner
Phone: (304) 346-5891
URL: http://www.wvpatriotsforpeace.org

Charleston, WV - West Virginia Patriots for Peace call for an immediate and responsible withdrawal of US troops from Iraq to end anymore loss of innocent life.

A team of American and Iraqi public health researchers has estimated that 654,965 civilians have died in violence across Iraq since the American invasion. The estimates suggest that official statistics and Western press accounts severely understate Iraq deaths due to the invasion and occupation. The survey was conducted by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomburg School of Public Health and Al Mustansiriva, University of Baghdad. The estimates were derived from a nationwide household survey of 1,849 households throughout Iraq conducted between May and July 2006.

"This study is yet another reminder of why itís time to bring our troops home and stop the escalating violence in Iraq that is killing our men and women in uniform and the Iraqi people," said Carrie Swing, president of WV Patriots for Peace. Last month the group published Bringing Our Troops Home: A Real Iraq Exit Strategy, which is a document located on their website outlining steps for a responsible US withdrawal of all troops by December 2007.

"This war has come with a horrific price tag: deaths in the hundreds of thousands, more terrorism in Iraq, the loss of American prestige, and the wasted resources needed for US domestic programs," said Swing. According to the National Priorities Project, the Iraq war has cost West Virginia taxpayers $1 billion!

"For the same amount of money, we could have been provided over 300,000 people with health care or 21, 002 elementary school teachers," said Swing citing number from the National Priorities Project.

For information about the study see: http://www.jhsph.edu/publichealthnews/press_releases/2006/burnham_iraq_2006.html

For information about the local costs of war: http://nationalpriorities.org/

For a copy of Bringing Our Troops Home: A Real Iraq Exit Strategy: http://www.wvpatriotsforpeace.org/

West Virginia Patriots for Peace can be found on the web at:
http://www.wvpatriotsforpeace.org

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 21, 2006

West Virginia Patriots for Peace asks WV Congressional Members and Candidates to endorse Exit Strategy for Bringing Troops Home.

Contact: Ted Boettner
Phone: (304) 346-5891
URL: http://www.wvpatriotsforpeace.org

Charleston, WV - Exit strategy outlines concrete steps to improve the situation in Iraq and set the stage for all U.S. troops to come home safely and with honor by December 31, 2007.

Today West Virginia Patriots for Peace held a press conference announcing a plan for an immediate measured withdraw of all troops, military contractors, and U.S. corporations backing the U.S. occupation. The group wants West Virginiaís congressional delegation, along with the candidates running for these offices, to endorse an exit strategy that sets the stage for all U.S. troops to come home safely and with honor by December 31, 2007. While bringing the troops home will not cure all of Iraqís problems, WVPFP believes that this is the first step toward securing a better future for Iraqis and the American people.

So far, this war and occupation has cost 17 West Virginians their lives and has deprived our state of over $893 million. With more than 2,500 U.S. casualties and over 18,000 wounded, ten of thousands of Iraqis dead, and more than $315 billion spent and the remaining members of the international coalition packing their bags, the only question that remains is not when but how to bring home U.S. troops.

This press conference comes at a time when polls reveal that a majority of Americans, Iraqis, and US Troops serving in Iraq, believe it is time to bring our troops home and end the U.S. occupation of Iraq.

On display was the Wall of Remembrance with the names of the more than 2500 U.S. military personnel who have died in the war in Iraq. WV PFP holds weekly vigils in Charleston on Court Street every Friday from 12-1 p.m. to bring attention to the ongoing U.S. occupation of Iraq.

West Virginia Patriots for Peace can be found on the web at:
http://www.wvpatriotsforpeace.org

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 16, 2006

West Virginia Patriots for Peace Commemorate the Third Anniversary of the Iraq War.

Contact: Carrie Swing
Phone: (304) 744-9008

URL: http://www.wvpatriotsforpeace.org

Charleston, WV - West Virginia Patriots for Peace will commemorate the Third Anniversary of the Iraq War by displaying the Wall of Remembrance at three events in West Virginia this weekend.

The Wall of Remembrance, belonging to the West Virginia Patriots for Peace, will be featured at a number of events in West Virginia this weekend, marking the third anniversary of the invasion of Iraq. The Wall is now 28 panels long, representing each U.S. service person killed in Iraq with their name, home town, rank, branch of service, age and date of death. Presently it takes 30 people to hold all the panels. The wall is a powerful reminder of the ongoing human tragedy of this war.

Friday March 17th, 5:15-6:30 p.m. - Charleston: The West Virginia Patriots for Peace will sponsor an Evening Vigil under the Kanawha Boulevard flags on the Charleston riverfront, at Haddad Park on Kanawha Boulevard (across the street from the Charleston House Holiday Inn). The vigil lasts from 5:15-6:30 p.m. The Wall of Remembrance will be set up under the flags along the Boulevard. Participants are asked to bring flowers. At the end of the vigil, flowers will be taken to the river and laid on the water in memory of those who have died in this war -- the over 2,300 American soldiers and the unnumbered Iraqis.

Saturday March 18th, 11:00 a.m. to noon - Spencer: The Roane Calhoun Peace Coalition will sponsor a Vigil to help end the war in Iraq, at the Roane County Courthouse. The Wall of Remembrance will be set up along the main street of Spencer. There will be a potluck dinner and meeting afterwards at Holy Redeemer Catholic Church Activity Room - 602 Parkersburg Road. For more info contact Bob Wilson, 304-927-5833 or

Sunday March 19th, 1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. - Parkersburg: The Parkersburg Wood County Democrats and Young Democrat groups are hosting an assembly and march starting at "Peace Park," located on lower Market Street in downtown Parkersburg. The event will feature speakers and a march to the Parkersburg-Belpre Bridge where the Wall of Remembrance will be displayed. For more info contact: David Daniels, 304-615-7028 or

West Virginia Patriots for Peace can be found on the web at:
http://www.wvpatriotsforpeace.org

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 22, 2006

West Virginia Patriots for Peace gather in protest as Karl Rove visits town.

Contact: Carrie Swing
Phone: (304) 545-2346

URL: http://www.wvpatriotsforpeace.org

Charleston, WV - West Virginia Patriots for Peace has put out the call for the public to gather in protest when White House Chief of Staff, Karl Rove, comes to town on Thursday.

Where: Charleston Civic Center: Quarrier Street side of the Civic Center

When: Thursday, February 23, 5:15-6:30 p.m.

On display will be the Wall of Remembrance with the names of the more than 2270 U.S. military personnel who have died in the war in Iraq.

"Karl Rove has been called "Bush's Brain" and the "architect" of the Bush administration," said Patriots president, Carrie Swing. "In fact, he is the architect of a disaster in Iraq and a war on the poor and the elderly at home."

Mr. Rove will be in town for the Republican Party Lincoln Day dinner. It was Lincoln who said: "You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you cannot fool all the people all of the time."

West Virginia Patriots for Peace, will be on Quarrier Street to say, "We will not be fooled, Mr. Rove," said Swing.

"Bush's Brain," a documentary about Karl Rove, will be shown at Taylor Books on Capitol Street beginning at 7:00 p.m. The public is invited.

West Virginia Patriots for Peace can be found on the web at:
http://www.wvpatriotsforpeace.org

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 26, 2005

Local Peace Activists WHY 2K?: Observance Vigil For 2000 US Military Fatalities in Iraq

Contact: Carrie Swing
Phone: (304) 988-1717

URL: http://www.wvpatriotsforpeace.org

Charleston, WV - In recognition of yesterday's announcement of the 2000th fatality of American forces in Iraq, the West Virginia Patriots For Peace is sponsoring an Observance Vigil to honor our fallen soldiers and to ask "WHY 2K? 2000 fatalities - how many more?"

A spokesperson for the West Virginia Patriots For Peace says that the group is sponsoring an Observance Vigil to honor our fallen soldiers in Iraq. The Vigil will take place on Thursday, October 27th, noon until 1pm, outside of Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito's office in Kanawha City. She has been a strong supporter of this quagmire of a war and activists are calling for Capito to reconsider her stance and help bring the troops home.

The Vigil includes the Wall of Remembrance, which lists the name of every U.S. soldier who has died in the war...a total which reached 2000 on October 25, 2005. "WHY 2K? 2000 fatalities - how many more?" And as Sen. Byrd has said, "For what?" West Virginia peace activists will also be demonstrating at Capito's office in Martinsburg.

West Virginia Patriots for Peace can be found on the web at:
http://www.wvpatriotsforpeace.org

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 23, 2005

Thousands Expected For DC Peace Rally

Contact: Richard Martin
Phone: (304) 988-1717

URL: http://www.wvpatriotsforpeace.org

Charleston, WV - A coordinator with West Virginia's Patriots for Peace group says this weekend could bring the largest march against the War in Iraq to date. WVPatriots for Peace will be among the expected thousands of people marching on Washington, D.C. starting Saturday.

"We're absolutely seeing an increase in interest in our organization and the end of the War in general," says Richard Martin who is with West Virginia Patriots for Peace, one of the groups that will march on Washington this weekend. "A lot of people are saying this is going to be the big one on the Iraq War. We're expecting, certainly, a few hundred thousand people. Some people are talking about as much as half a million."

Martin says at least a hundred people will make the trip to Washington from Morgantown with hundreds of others coming from throughout the state, everywhere from Clarksburg to Lewisburg to Beckley and Parkersburg.

"As the reasons for going to war turned out, repeatedly, to have been based on false premises, we've seen an increase in the number of people who are opposed to continuing to stay over there," says Martin.

The West Virginia delegation will meet Saturday morning at ten on the eastern end of the Vietnam Memorial Wall before joining that afternoon's march. The delegation will stay in the Nation's Capitol until Monday when they'll lobby West Virginia's Congressional delegation.

United for Peace and Justice is the national group coordinating this weekend's activities over a total of three days, all devoted to showing opposition to the War.

West Virginia Patriots for Peace can be found on the web at:
http://www.wvpatriotsforpeace.org

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 1, 2005

Local Organizations Sponsor Discussions About Military Recruiting

Contact: Paul Sheridan
Phone: (304) 543-6557

URL: http://www.wvpatriotsforpeace.org

Charleston, WV - In the wake of the nationwide controversy surrounding Army recruiting practices, West Virginia Patriots for Peace and other local organizations sponsor public discussions and training programs on the "rights and risks" of military service.

On Friday, June 3rd at 7 pm, Bill Galvin, Counseling Coordinator for the DC-based Center for Conscience and War, gives a presentation on military recruiting, the Delayed Enlistment Program and the possibility of a re-instituted Draft. The program takes place at St. Johns Episcopal Church, on Quarrier St. and Leon Sullivan Way, in Charleston. The public is welcome.

The next day, Galvin provides in-depth training on military law and recruiting practices, for area youth workers, counselors, social workers and lawyers. Local attorney Lew Tyree, a retired Army Reserve Colonel, assists in the presentation, which also takes place at St. Johnís Episcopal Church.

"In order to make good decisions about military service, young people need to have good information," says Robin Godfrey, President of Patriots for Peace, and the father of an Army soldier who recently returned from Iraq. "The people whom teenagers turn to for information should know the facts."

Numerous reports of military recruiter abuses have surfaced recently. In one report, a Texas-based recruiter allegedly threatened a reluctant prospect with arrest, and then later defended his conduct as a "sales tactic." In another report, Colorado recruiters offered to help recruits fake credentials and circumvent drug tests.

Two weeks ago, in response to the controversy generated by reports of unethical recruiting tactics, the Army declared a one-day suspension of all its recruiting activity. Most of the Armyís 7500 recruiters were ordered to "stand down" and undergo retraining by their commanders.

Co-sponsors of this weekendís events include the America Friends Service Committee, Military Families Speak Out, National Lawyers Guild, the Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition, Pax Christi, Veterans for Peace, West Virginia Citizen Action Group, and WV Interfaith Council for Public Policy.

The Center on Conscience and War can be found on the web at: www.nisbco.org

West Virginia Patriots for Peace can be found on the web at:
http://www.wvpatriotsforpeace.org

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 9, 2005

Local peace activists protest pro-war stance of Congresswoman Capito

Contact: Lida Shepherd
Phone: (304) 988-1717

URL: http://www.wvpatriotsforpeace.org

Charleston, WV - Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito is greeted by protests outside the Embassy Suites, where activists call on Capito to make an exit strategy out of Iraq.

Members of West Virginia Patriots for Peace, a local peace group, protest outside of the Embassy Suites in Charleston on Monday, May 9, 2005 at 5:00 pm. Representative Shelley Moore-Capito (R-WVa) is speaking to the Department of Education. Protesters greet her with messages, "Books, not Bombs," and "No Child Left Un-Recruited."

The protest includes the Wall of Remembrance, which lists the name of every U.S. soldier who has died in the war, a death toll that has steadily risen since the Iraqi elections last January. Peace activists urge Congresswoman Capito to demand an immediate withdrawal of all foreign troops and to start putting money back into programs here at home.

"While Congresswoman Capito and the President say they're fiscally responsible," explains Patriots for Peace President, Robin Godfrey, "they are spending money like drunken sailors, with a deficit larger than any in our history. Itís time to end this war and finance our children's future."

West Virginia Patriots for Peace can be found on the web at:
http://www.wvpatriotsforpeace.org

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 5, 2005

West Virginia Women Call for Peace in Honor of Motherís Day

Contact: Lida Shepherd
Phone: (304) 988-1717

URL: http://www.wvpatriotsforpeace.org

Charleston, WV - Local mothers, daughters, and wives join with women in over 20 cities nationwide to commemorate Motherís Day by asking for our troops to come home.

On May 6th, the Friday before Mother's Day, women reclaim the original sentiment of the holiday by demanding, "Bring Our Troops Home Now," on Brawley Walkway across from the Town Center Mall from noon until 1 o'clock pm.

Inspired by Julia Ward Howe's Mother's Day Proclamation, written in 1870, calling for women to rise up and oppose war in all its forms and work together for peace and disarmament, West Virginia Patriots for Peace holds a vigil to commemorate the true meaning of Mother's Day. Local women show support to the mothers who will be spending Mother's Day mourning the loss of their children to the war as well opposition to future conflicts and a military draft.

"Mother's Day is not a Hallmark Holiday," says local organizer Lida Shepherd, "but rather a tradition started during the Civil War by a mother mourning the tragedies of war, and calling on all women to rise up against them. Today we are reclaiming the true meaning of this holiday and demanding our loved ones be brought home."

At the event, women will hold the Wall of Remembrance, listing the name of every soldier killed in Iraq. They will be dressed in pink as will the thousands of other women nationwide mobilized by the Women for Peace organization, CODEPINK.

http://www.codepinkalert.org

West Virginia Patriots for Peace can be found on the web at:
http://www.wvpatriotsforpeace.org

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 16, 2005

West Virginians join national day of protest on War's Second Anniversary

Contact: Lida Shepherd
Phone: (304) 988-1717

URL: http://www.wvpatriotsforpeace.org

Charleston, WV - The Second Anniversary of the war in Iraq is marked by protests and vigils across the state, country, and around the world.

On March 19th, to mark the Second Anniversary of the War in Iraq, people in over 574 cities and towns in all 50 states gather to oppose the continued U.S. military presence in Iraq. From vigils, to marches, to rallies, Americans unite to say: "End the War, Bring Our Troops Home, Rebuild Our Communities."

In Charleston, starting at noon on Saturday, March 19th, West Virginia Patriots for Peace hosts a rally in Davis Park. Speakers include former gubernatorial candidate and noted author, Denise Giardina, and military mother, Reverend Eileen Dumire. Also, there are performances by local musicians and an art project for children, "Peace is in Our Hands."

Local organizer, Lida Shepherd, explains, "These gatherings give voice to the fifty-six percent of Americans who, according to recent polls, oppose this war. Anyone sitting at home thinking, 'Gosh, am I the only one who thinks this war has gone on too long, that the costs are too great,' can know that they are clearly not alone and are indeed part of a large and growing movement against this war."

Reverend Dumire says, "As a military mother of twin National Guardsmen, I have learned to walk the thin line of opposing the war, but supporting the troops."

Statewide events throughout the day on Saturday include candlelight vigils in Parkersburg and Clarksburg, a march in Wheeling, and a rally in Martinsburg.

National events include one in Fayetteville, NC, with Military Families Speak Out, Iraqi Veterans Against the War, and United for Peace and Justice sponsoring.

West Virginia Patriots for Peace can be found on the web at:
http://www.wvpatriotsforpeace.org

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 20, 2005

Local citizen groups rally on Inauguration Day to address concerns, pledge vigilance

Contact: Lida Shepherd
Phone: (304) 988-1717

URL: http://www.wvpatriotsforpeace.org

Charleston, WV - West Virginia Patriots for Peace hosts an Inauguration Day rally to mobilize opposition against Bush's domestic and foreign policy agenda and pledge vigilance in bringing our troops home.

Citizens and representatives from local organizations will rally on the steps of the Robert C. Byrd United States Courthouse on Thursday, January 20th, from noon-1pm, to voice concerns about the next four years of a George W. Bush Administration and to pledge vigilance in the cause of ending the war in Iraq and defending American values of peace and equality.

Included in the program are addresses from Reverend Jim Lewis, founder of West Virginia Patriots for Peace and Joe Wyatt, a professor at Marshall University whose son recently returned from a second tour in Iraq. Also the West Virginia Patriots for Peace "Wall of Remembrance" will be displayed on the steps. People are invited to read the names of 238 soldiers who have died in Iraq since November 2nd. Local musician Ron Sowell will be performing.

Lida Shepherd of West Virginia Patriots for Peace says, "On Inauguration Day, the people demand from the President how he will lead us out of a war that has proven far too costly, both morally and economically for our country. The $40 million being spent on the Inauguration excesses could buy over 200 armored Humvees for our troops in Iraq. This gross illustration of a lack of priorities is more than troublesome and it would be irresponsible of the public to be silent."

West Virginia Patriots for Peace can be found on the web at:
http://www.wvpatriotsforpeace.org

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