CPTnet
3 March 2007
CHICAGO: "Choose life. Stop paying for death."

by Sara Reschly

About twenty CPTers and supporters prayed, sang and marched outside of
Congressman Rahm Emanuel's office in Chicago on Wednesday, 28 February, as
part of the "Occupation Project," a national campaign of sustained civil
disobedience to stop funding for the war in Iraq.

President Bush is seeking an additional $93 billion in funding for the Iraq
and Afghanistan wars in addition to the $70 billion Congress has already
approved for this year. This additional funding will not manifest into
actual equipment and supplies available to US soldiers until 2010. President
Bush is also requesting $142 billion for the Iraq and Afghanistan wars for
fiscal year 2008. (Total for the next two years: $306 billion.)

CPTer Mark Frey said, "We get so used to throwing these numbers around we
forget how large they are and what could be done with that money. $306
billion is like a pile of 306,000 one million dollar bills."

According to the New York Times, the cost of this war would have paid for
universal healthcare in the US, pre-school education for all three and
four-year-olds in the US, immunizations for children all around the world,
and still leave about half of the money left over.

Six members of the CPT affinity group entered Mr. Emanuel's office to
encourage the congressional representative to choose life and sign a pledge
against the $93 billion supplemental bill scheduled to go before the house
during the week of 12 March 2007.

The group prayed, sang and read out the names of Iraqi civilians and U.S.
soldiers who have been killed in the war. They posted three banners on the
walls in Mr. Emanuel's office. The center banner read: "I have set before
you Life and Death...Now CHOOSE LIFE" (Deuteronomy 30:19.) On the left side
of the scripture was a banner with images of LIFE - Education, Health Care,
Housing, Humanitarian Aid, etc. On the right side was a banner with images
of death from the Iraq war.

After occupying the office for four hours, the CPT affinity group promised
to return within a week to either celebrate the Congressman's decision to
vote against the supplemental bill or respond to his decision to choose the
funding of continued death.

Please join the CPT Affinity Group on 9 March, as we return to Congressman
Emmanuel's office. 9 March marks the one-year anniversary of the murder of
our beloved colleague, Tom Fox, in Iraq. We commit to hold his living spirit
before our elected officials as they make choices whether to fund life or
more death and destruction. To participate, call CPT office at 773-277-0253.

Voices for Creative Nonviolence is organizing the Occupation Project. Since
5 February, peace activists in twenty states have occupied the offices of
their congressional representatives and senators. Over 122 people have
been arrested. Now is the time to stop this war. Organize a public witness
in your area. For more info, see www.vcnv.org.