Comments for PINKtank

Comment on Men We Heart Fridays – Saturday edition by admin

admin — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 19:48:48 +0000

Hi PFC Harris,
Thank you for the thoughtful comments. I can only assume that you are referring to a doctored image of us carrying a banner that says “We Support the Murder of American Troops”– please read the info on this page http://www.codepinkalert.org/section.php?id=326 and then think about where you read that info “about” CODEPINK and check out OUR site instead (info straight from the horse’s mouth). You might find you agree with more than you disagree…who knows?

I hear you about having experiences that reinforce your commitment to helping women in Iraq and Afghanistan be free of abuse, oppression, etc. It is important to remember that women in Iraq pre US invasion were not slaves, they were not living under Sharia law, so to lump them in with women in Afghanistan living under the Taliban is just not balanced. Do not take this comment to mean that somehow I, or CODEPINK are Baathists or dictator lovin’ ladies of the left (as we’ve been called before). It is just important to not overgeneralize to rationalize an ongoing occupation. The people you and your husband meet in Iraq or Afghanistan could very well be grateful for an ongoing US presence AND it is necessary (for all of us) to recognize that there are many people that disagree with occupation. In our travels to Iraq (5 times) and Afghanistan (2 times) we have met and worked with countless individuals and groups who want the US to leave. Certainly the case in Iraq. Also, let’s remember how much infrastructure we have destroyed, so of course we will be praised for rebuilding. I can say unequivocally that women in Iraq are worse off. We work with women leaders based in and around Iraq and have since before the invasion. A refugee crisis of 4.5million people, many now single mothers, can never be a victory.

There is a lot to pull out of your comments, but I do hope that some of this above is food for thought, just as your comment was for those reading it. Thanks again and keep on asking questions!

Comment on Men We Heart Fridays – Saturday edition by PFC Harris

PFC Harris — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 08:32:05 +0000

I not only serve in the US Army but I am married to a 3 time vet of the Iraq/Afghan war. I lost 3 friends in the 9/11 attack and I have lost my brother and several friends due to this war BUT I have to agree AND disagree with a lot of what I have seen, heard and read about this group. True there alot of faults with the way this war started and has been run I agree war is wrong in some cases BUT I do know that the people there do appreciate the soldiers and what has been accomplished there. These people have been fighting for their lives and in a “war zone” pretty much their whole lives. The women were and still are in some places surpressed into a sense of slavery to their husbands who in a lot of cases have more than one wife. Women there are considered to be items rather than people and men are superior to them. Women of this group should be appauled by the disgrace Iraqi and Afghan women have to go through daily. I know of a few instances where my husbands unit was thanked, fed and offered several tokens of gratitude for helping them just be able to wear make up and feel like women instead of objects/possessions. Simple little things that we do daily are big deals to them that they are just now being able to do on their own. Children have thanked soldiers for allowing them to be able to play soccer and stick ball in the street without fear of repromand if alquida didnt like one of their family members or didnt approve of the other kids family that he/she was playing with. Young girls were thankful for not having to be raped in the middle of the night from a nite rade on their house. Clean water and sewage areas were installed in some villages by the military to make a better humaine living condition for these people….and then you people hold signs saying you support the murder of american soldiers? Have any of you been there? These guys are doing their job just like you do daily. Please think before you act and try asking vets and vets families before you do rallys and such.

Comment on Kucinich Resolution Redux (the Berman-you’re-a-jerk edition) by Men We Heart Fridays – Saturday edition | PINKtank

Men We Heart Fridays – Saturday edition | PINKtank — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 20:25:57 +0000

[...] to withdraw from Afghanistan resulting in 65 members of Congress voting yay (see the breakdown here) was a bit grueling and well, about 100 other things that keep the days flying by! HOWEVER, Men [...]

Comment on Drones: Made Locally, Killing Globally by admin

admin — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 20:02:11 +0000

Hi Jim,
Your questions and comments are anything but quick and deserving of a thoughtful response. Twice you mention not hating “the people that don’t even care about America” and I am confused as to whom you are referring. Do you mean those lumped into “collateral damage”, the hundreds, thousands of Afghan civilians or those who “blew up the WTC”? Your questions only give me more questions. Why wouldn’t someone be outraged at the thought of innocent civilians dying–those who have nothing to do with the struggle/the warring, who are unfortunately associated by their location. There is obvious outrage for those who died in the WTC, and I’m going to go out on the same limb that you have and assume that those people in those towers didn’t really care about Afghanistan. So why are they more important? Secondly, you saying that it the collateral damage in dead civilians is worth the death of those who are of higher value (assuming you mean Al-qaeda leaders, etc) and that is placing your own value judgment on someone else’s life and deciding that some are worth more than others. It is that kind of thinking Jim that I think gets all of us into this never ending cycle of violence and oppression (hello colonialism). And lastly, I thoroughly believe that the idea of “they shot first, we’re just ending the fight” is an over simplified way of looking at history. Terrorism did not start with the WTC, US involvement in Afghanistan and that part of the world didn’t begin then either. We must dig deeper if we are truly going to change.
Thanks Jim.

Comment on A British MP Makes a Case Against AHAVA by NancyK

NancyK — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 16:38:13 +0000

Thanks, Dan. I made the correction.

Comment on Drones: Made Locally, Killing Globally by Jim

Jim — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 08:20:02 +0000

Quick question, what is your definition of innocent and why do you feel the need to repeat it over and over? It’s an attempt to draw outrage. People like you trump out the number’s of innocents that died and it is sad, I don’t hate the people that don’t even care about America. But when you think of other numbers involved, like the total number of insurgents involved or the high value of some targets, is the collateral damage worth it? I say, yes. Like i said, i don’t hate them, but if someone had not decided that America was the evil West and blown up the WTC, things would be different. They shot first, we’re just ending the fight.

Comment on On War, Disappointment and Anger–Alice Walker by Jim

Jim — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 08:11:08 +0000

So, while I congratulate you on your humanity and service to others, I do have some questions. Why do you care about Obama’s family so much? Granted the Bush twins weren’t exactly angels, but who’s perfect? Who is the “enemy”? You leave that so open to interpretation that one might wonder if you imply that American politicians/soldiers/etc are the “enemy”. Let us not forget the one line that stuck to me as… less than intelligent, to use a gentler language. “When the disastrous earthquake hit Haiti, even Israel sent a shipment of aid. But why not send such a shipment to Gaza, where Israel has done the damage?” I’m not going to pretend that Israel has been innocent, but did you stop to think that while resources being sent to an island no where near there land and of no real consequence to israel is one thing. Sending a truckload of supplies to the village up the road that probably has people in it that wish ill will on Israel is just feeding a determined enemy, and yes, I realize not all of them are as anti semitic as common wisdom dictates.

Comment on A British MP Makes a Case Against AHAVA by Dan Judelson

Dan Judelson — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 13:28:13 +0000

Just for the record, it’s Jews for Justice for Palestinians (not ‘Palestine’). Thanks for the link.

Comment on Men We ♥ Fridays: Take 2 by Janet Weil

Janet Weil — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 01:16:26 +0000

I nominate Robert Hass, a UC Berkeley professor, a famous poet who recently won the Pulitzer Prize for Literature, and the founder of an eco-poetical organization, “River of Words” which connects young people to their watersheds through poetry.[http://www.riverofwords.org/

Bob, as friends call him, went with his wife, CODEPINK activist and poet Brenda Hillman, poet Katharine Foster and myself to vigil at Creech Air Force Base in late January. We did two vigils including reading of poetry (including our own) at the gate of this AFB where young airmen are trained to use drones. Bob’s sign said sarcastically (or ironically): “ALL VIOLENCE IS WRONG (EXCEPT OURS.)” We met with Nevada activists with Nevada Desert Experience and Pace E Bene, and visited Candace at the Goddess Temple. Bob was especially fascinated by the small, dark emerald green spring welling up in the desert landscape that Candace showed us.

He acted as our driver and was supportive of all we wished to do on this brief trip. His devotion to Brenda was moving.

Robert Hass’ latest collection, “Time and Materials”, includes a long poem about the effects, subtle and obvious, of global climate change and many other profound meditations on politics, cruelty, beauty and wonder.

Comment on 10 Good Things About 2009! by admin

admin — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 02:34:04 +0000

Hi Tracy,
I’m guessing that your confusion and appall (plus your comment on “how can you say you want American Soldiers dead?”) comes from having viewed this picture here http://www.codepinkalert.org/section.php?id=326

Please read this page that explains that we IN NO WAY SHAPE OR FORM want anyone to die. That banner was photoshopped by some folks who have some website (it is on the side of the image you saw) and they spread it around and took all reference to it being a fake off of their website. They purposely spread a lie. But we don’t let stuff like that get us down so I hope you can see beyond their prank and look at the work we really do.

Thanks for checking in and for your thoughtful comment!