MESSAGES FROM TRUEMAJORITY.COM & CELESTE ZAPALA REGARDING -- As President Bush Leaves Crawford, Gold Star Families Want to Hit the Road Help Fund a Bus Tour to End the War https://secure.truemajority.org/03/bustour

The support of TrueMajority members has been vital for Cindy Sheehan and the other Gold Star Families in Crawford. For this alert Celeste Zappala, a Co-Founder of Gold Star Families for Peace asked if she could write to our members directly. Here is what she sent us:

Dear TrueMajority Friends,

I am deeply grateful to you for helping me to fulfill my vow to my fallen son to tell the truth about this war. With your support I was able to go to Salt Lake City on the day that George Bush spoke to the Veterans of Foreign Wars. I went with trepidation, hoping that at least 200 people would come to listen to my witness about the true costs of the war in Iraq and to ask the President to explain the so called noble cause that has taken the lives of 1,873 of the best of America. I was overwhelmed and astonished that 2000 people came to stand with me and other military families and vets, to add their voices and passion, to the demand - no more lies, bring the troops home now.

With your help we will carry the message of Gold Star and Military families from the Crawford roadside to the whole nation - we will begin a "Bring them Home Now" bus tour from Crawford, landing in Washington, DC for the massive demonstration on September 24. Visiting towns across America we will be challenging citizens to step up and ask the terrible questions that must be answered about the war in Iraq, to take responsibility for stopping the war, and demand accountability from our leaders. We must take the lead to end this war. In the name of the fallen, we can do no less.

Peace be with you,
Celeste Zappala
Proud Mother of Sgt Sherwood Baker, KIA 4/26/04

AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT -- THE NEWS

WHITE PEOPLE'S BURDEN
Robert Jensen, AlterNet
It's time for white Americans to fully acknowledge that in the racial arena, they are the problem.
http://www.alternet.org/rights/24745/

ESTATE'S RITES
Robert Gordon, John S. Irons, The American Prospect
The estate tax represents a very American idea: inherited economic power should not go unchecked from generation to generation. So why are conservatives trying to bury it?
http://www.alternet.org/rights/24818/

ANOTHER EMBARRASSMENT FOR BUSH
Robert Scheer, AlterNet
No amount of crowing over a fig leaf Iraqi constitution by President Bush can hide the fact that the region's autocrats, theocrats and terrorists are stronger than ever.
http://www.alternet.org/waroniraq/24797/

MOTHER'S DAY IN CRAWFORD
Gayle Brandeis, Medea Benjamin, AlterNet
Cindy Sheehan's protest captures the spirit of Mother's Day better than the Hallmark holiday in May.
http://www.alternet.org/story/24654/

WHY THE LEVEE BROKE
Will Bunch, Attytood
Washington knew exactly what needed to be done to protect the citizens of New Orleans from disasters like Katrina. Yet federal funding for Louisiana flood control projects was diverted to pay for the war in Iraq.
http://www.alternet.org/story/24871/

KATRINA'S ECONOMIC IMPACT
Mark Trumbull, Christian Science Monitor
As it ripples through the economy in coming weeks, the storm's effects could be big enough to spur wide-ranging changes to our energy infrastructure.
http://www.alternet.org/story/24868/

A DECLARATION OF WAR
Phyllis Bennis, TomPaine.com
The US has issued an open threat to the other 190 U.N. member states, the social movements and peoples of the entire world, and the United Nations itself.
http://www.alternet.org/waroniraq/24882/

GUARD BELONGS IN NEW ORLEANS, NOT BAGHDAD
Norman Solomon, AlterNet
Bring the National Guard home now, where they're needed.
http://www.alternet.org/columnists/story/24861/

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF PEACE
Bill Re-introduction
September 14th, 2005
A Call to Action!

Phone-a-thon: Enroll friends and family to call Congress on Sept 14th

On September 14th, 2005, legislation to establish a U.S. Department of Peace will be re-introduced in the House of Representatives. We need your help to show our elected officials that there is a broad and growing movement to support the creation of a Dept. of Peace. We must make it clear that we the people want our government to invest in the structures and systems necessary to promote a culture of nonviolence.

We need you to ask as many friends, family, and colleagues as possible to make a quick call on the morning of September 14th urging their Congressional Representatives to support the bill. Tell them you will call them on the morning the bill is re-introduced to remind them to make the call. If someone does not know the name of their Representative, you can help them find out by taking down their address and visiting www.vote-smart.org

The New York Dept. of Peace group has created an online phone-a-thon registration system for their own campaign - including downloadable sign-up forms and other useful materials to help facilitate the process. Visit http://www.nyc-dop.com/specials/phone-a-thon.html to see what they have to offer. It could prove most useful. All material and information was created independently by the New York group.

[We totally rock the house here within NYC DoP!]

Shortly before the bill is re-introduced, we will send out an alert reminding you to call-in and re-iterating the appropriate phone numbers and contact information for Congress (Capitol switchboard is always: (202) 224-3121.) You can give your friends background information on our campaign and the legislation by downloading our Campaign flyer http://www.dopcampaign.org/flyers/mainflyer.pdf, or you can email them through our Tell a Friend http://www.demaction.org/dia/organizations/peacealliance/tellafriend.jsp?tell_a_friend_KEY=410 link on our website (if you use email, remember to make a follow-up phone call with the request for them to call-in on the 14th.)

Department of Peace Legislation resubmitted to Congress on Wednesday, Sept. 14th

Action: Dot Maver will be hosting a National conference call to report directly on the exciting activities of the day including an update on our conference! Collect your friends and neighbors and listen in on the call (make sure you have a speakerphone), then write postcards to your Representatives and Senators in support of the legislation. 9pm east coast, 6pm west coast. Go to:

http://www.demaction.org/dia/organizations/peacealliance/event/index.jsp?event_KEY=4633 to register to participate on this call