Peace Activists Open Dialogue with Congressional Staffers
WASHINGTON, Sept. 28 – Cape peace activists have opened a dialogue with aides to the Massachusetts congressional delegation to discuss the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq.
Two members of Cape Codders for Peace and Justice joined two members of Peace Action Monday at Rep. William Delahunt’s office, where they met with a senior legislative assistant.
“It was a very positive experience,” said Stephanie Wall, a Cotuit resident and member of Cape Codders for Peace and Justice. “I came back and I felt wonderful.”
Wall, along with fellow Cape Codders for Peace and Justice member Beth Verani of Cotuit and Peace Action members Shelagh Foreman of Falmouth and Angela Kelly of Nantucket spoke with Cliff Stammerman, Delahunt’s aide. They thanked Delahunt for his support of a resolution to withdraw troops from Iraq.
They also urged Delahunt to support the Student Privacy Protection Act. Currently secondary school student information is available to military recruiters unless parents say no to the release of that information. The act seeks to amend the process, making student information unavailable to recruiters unless parents say yes.
Wall said Stammerman agreed to bring it to Delahunt’s attention.
The activists also asked Delahunt to support a proposed cabinet-level Department of Peace, sponsored by Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio), which would be dedicated to peace building options.
The activists had spent the weekend in Washington at a peace rally that began with a march on Saturday and ended with Monday’s lobbying of congressmen.
“Hopefully what it does is to motivate the American public to look more closely at the issue,” Delahunt said last week of the antiwar rally. “I think we have to look at this as a process of education. I think we have to have a rational discourse.”
After the meeting at Delahunt’s office the Cape group joined about 50 other Massachusetts residents to meet with members of Sen. Edward Kennedy’s staff. They then met with aides to Sen. John Kerry.
The Kennedy meeting was very positive,” Wall said. “He has called for getting us out of Iraq. He is one of us. I just wish the rest of the Democrats were.”
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