Today is the 9 year anniversary of the war in Afghanistan.

This date marks the 9th anniversary of the war in Afghanistan - which now has the dubious title of the longest war in U.S. history.

5,741 U.S. troops have been killed in the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars.

On 10/2/10 more than 175,000 people attended a gathering in Washington D.C. for solidarity in unity for peace, jobs and justice.

Dozens of organizations represented their groups along with unions,

war resisters and the NAACP

Groups that took part in the gathering in D.C. are:

United for Peace and Justice

1199 SEIU

American Friends Service Committee

American Muslim Association of North America, AMANA

Americans for Informed Democracy

Baltimore Phil Berrigan Memorial Chapter Veterans for Peace

Beaver County (PA) Peace Links

Bethlehem Neighbors for Peace

B-PEP, Black Political Empowerment Project

Brooklyn for Peace

Campaign for Peace & Democracy

Central Jersey Coalition Against Endless War

CODEPINK

Coffee House Teachins

Committees of Correspondence for Democracy & Socialism

Community Organizing Center

Defending Dissent Foundation

Delaware Pacem in Terris

Delaware Valley Veterans for America

DelMont Progressive Democrats

Duval Greens Party

Fellowship Of Reconciliation

Friends Committee on National Legislation

Friends of the Third World

Gaza Freedom March

Georgia Peace and Justice Coalition/Atlanta

Give Peace A Chance Coalition

Global Exchange

Greater Lansing Network Against War & Injustice (GLNAWI)

Greater New Haven Peace Council

Green Party of the United States

Hawai'i Institute for Human Rights

Healing Soul of America,Inc.

Historians Against War

Indiana Peace & Justice Network

Institute for Policy Studies/New Internationalism Project

International Socialist Organization

Iraq Veterans Against the War

Iraq Veterans for Justice

Just Foreign Policy

Justice Through Music Project, Inc.

Lafayette Area Peace Coalition

Latin American Solidarity Coalition

Lincoln Park Neighbors United for Peace

Logan Square Neighbors for Justice and Peace

Long Island Alliance for Peaceful Alternatives

Louisville Peace Action Community

Maine Green Independent Party

Majority Agenda Project (Boston)

Military Families Speak Out

Mt Diablo Peace and Justice Center

Muslim Alliance in North America

National Assembly to End U.S. Wars and Occupations

National Campaign for Nonviolent Resistance

National Immigrant Solidarity Network

National Network Opposing the Militarization of Youth (NNOMY)

Neighborhood Legal Services Michigan

Network of Spiritual Progressives in MD

Next Step: People with Disabilities for Social & Economic Justice

North Carolina Peace Action

North Country Peace Group

Northeast Connecticut Coalition for Peace and Justice

Northern Virginians for Peace & Justice (NVPJ)

Northern Virginia Greens

Northwest New Jersey Peace Fellowship

Pax Christi USA

Peace Action

Peace Action Manhattan

Peace Action, Main Line, PA

Peace Action Montgomery

Philadelphia Area Black Radical Congress

Pledge of Resistance

Progressive Democrats of America

REMP-Regional Equity

Rockland Coalition for Peace and Justice

School of the Americas Watch

SOLIDARITY

Southern Anti Racism Network (SARN)

St. Louis Instead of War Coalition

Syracuse Peace Council

United for Justice with Peace (Boston)

United National Anti-War Committee

U.S. Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation

U.S. Labor Against the War

U.S. Peace Council

USW Local 1016, Wheatland, PA

Veterans For Peace

VFP Chapter 21 NJ, MFSO Bergen County

Vietnam Veterans Against the War

Voices for Creative Nonviolence

War Resisters League

War Times/Tiempo de Guerras

Washington Peace Center

WeThePeopleNow.org

Western States Legal Foundation

Win Without War

Witness Against Torture

Women's Action for New Directions

Women's International League for Peace & Freedom

Even though the mass media gave very little or no coverage of this gathering everyone should know that the are many, many people who are against this war .

Again - that number is 5,741 U.S. troops are dead, thousands are injured and millions of civilians from Iraq and Afghanistan are dead.

If this makes you unhappy please speak out against the war that is now going into it's 10th year.

Greetings From A Really Intelligent Woman

I have been on bed rest over the past few days and this picture captures how I feel right about now - the message always makes me smile so I thought I would share it with you.

peacesojourner

'One Nation Working Together' gathering in D.C.

Here is the "One Nation Working Together" gathering of many thousands of activists showing support for Democrats at

Washington D.C. Rally.

More than 400 organizations - labor organizations, anti-war groups, the NAACP, faith based, environmental and gay rights groups were present. People of every race, culture and ethnic background presented a solid united front.

The crowd led cheers of "Ever Forward, Never Backwards."

Yes, they were there - did your local newspaper give the event much publicity? The Buffalo News had a small article on page 8.

The main article on the front page was about a locally grown

1,070 lb pumpkin.

The main thing the marchers would like to have you remember is "please go to the polls in November and let the politicians know what you want."

A big thank-you to all who took the time and the effort to go to the Nation's Capital to express your opinions and to stand up for those of us who were not able to make the journey.

peacesojourner

photo by Associated Press

10-2-10 - One Nation Working Together

Last night dozens of buses filled with people left Buffalo, New York for the destination of Washington D.C. The trains are full, the charter buses are full and people are also travelling by air, cars and vans to join the ‘One Nation Working Together’ – this is a historic March on Washington scheduled for today 10.2.10.

Many groups have joined together - the NAACP will lead a broad coalition to bring America together and put America back to work. They are being joined by the Anti-War Groups ‘United for Peace and Justice’ and many of the Unions. Organizations - both national and local groups - are signing on. New organizing committees in cities big and small are coming together.

10.2.10 is just the beginning. The next step comes in November.

Are you registered to vote yet? Are your friends and family?

This will be one of the largest coalitions of progressive organizations in our lifetime and they will come together to demand a people's agenda from Washington DC.

It is a gathering of those deeply affected by our struggling economy: Youth (College and Non College), Women, the Faith Community, Working Class Citizens, Unionized Workers, and the Immigrant Population.

Organized labor and civil rights groups are looking to energize supporters at the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, where a month ago tea party activists gathered to hear conservative commentator Glenn Beck.

More than 400 organizations, ranging from labor unions to faith, environmental and gay rights groups, it is expected that tens of thousands of people will participate in the "One Nation Working Together" rally.

Here are some of the demands:

• Jobs, Peace, Justice!

• Bring Our Troops and War Dollars Home!

• Funds Jobs, Not War!

• End War, Rebuild America!

• End the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan Now! - Bring Our War Money Home!

The work as a movement goes beyond turning out large numbers of people for an historic event. This is an opportunity to help millions of people understand how the struggle to end the wars and occupation in Afghanistan and Iraq is directly tied to the urgent need to re-direct this nation's economic and social priorities. We can bring our clear call for cuts in military spending into the efforts to fund the needs of all of our communities, including creating millions of new, green jobs.

Since its inception, the NAACP has been committed to bringing the fundamental right to vote to every member of the black community. And despite huge strides in voter turnout during the Presidential election, only 69% of African Americans are currently registered to vote, compared to 75% of non-Hispanic whites.

The goal is to register every last voter, to verify every last voter, to mobilize every last voter, and to protect the rights of every last voter because in close elections, every vote counts.

We must stay strong and focused. In the last speech Dr. King gave he said, "Nothing would be more tragic than for us to turn back now." We have come too far to turn back. Join us in Washington, DC on 10.2.10 and, most importantly, register to vote.

*****

I am not able to attend because I currently have acute bronchitis and have to stay home but I am with the marchers in spirit.

I urge all of you to consider the reasons for the gathering and try to make some changes in your own community.

This march is not about liberals or conservatives, white or black. It is about everyone in pursuit of a better country for all.

ONE NATION WORKING TOGETHER -

REMEMBER TO VOTE