Topic: Nashville Peace Coalition

Lugo thanks supporters, cites support on social justice issues in Tennessee

By Christine Anne Piesyk | November 8, 2008 |

In the aftermath of the 2008 election, Senate candidate Chris Lugo voiced his appreciation for the support given him during his campaign, and also present an issue-based letter to President-Elect Barack Obama.

“Thanks so much for your support this campaign season. Thanks to your efforts I was able to gather 9,067 votes for peace in the US Senate race. When I began in October of 2007 I did not realize how many friends I would make on the trail and how many people in Tennessee are in support of peace and real human priorities for Tennessee.” ~~ Chris Lugo

Lugo began his campaign last year in Jonesborough, Tennessee, “where hundreds of us gathered to call for an end to the production of depleted uranium weapons at the Aerojet facility in Irwin.” Lugo learned about the role that Aerojet plays in the production of depleted uranium and “how it has caused long- term health problems for our soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan.” «Read the rest of this article»

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Presidential debate: All the action was outside the town hall meeting…

By Christine Anne Piesyk | October 9, 2008 |

SDS: "Youth are not Cannon fodder"

As a global audience tuned in on the second presidential debate, held at Belmont University in Nashville, all the action was happening on the streets surrounding the campus. Political commentators and pundits agreed that the town hall debate format simply didn’t work, that the hoped for verbal battles failed to detonate any real excitement. Outside, it was another story.

I opted out of specific local debate coverage, and with CO writer Debbie Boen instead headed to Nashville to make our own voices heard. Debbie, founder of the FreeThinkers for Peace and Civil Liberties, and I (a devout member) headed for 21st and Blakemore, two blocks from the Debate Hall, center of the Nashville Peace Coalition et al rally and press conference. The Coalition the night before sponsored “an alternative debate” featuring the other candidates in the running for the US presidency. The ones without the political machine and the super-sized budgets.

Nearing Nashville on I-24 we were greeted with traffic signs directing debate trackers to the proper exits, so naturally, we made a wrong turn, got slightly misdirected and ended up exactly where we needed to be. Serendipity can be wonderful. «Read the rest of this article»

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Peace Coalition anti-war demonstration targets potential US action in Iran

July 31, 2008 |

Nashville activists gather for nationwide “day of action”

The Nashville Peace Coalition has issued the call for a demonstration in Nashville on Saturday, August 2nd to call for international diplomacy and peaceful dialogue instead of blockades and threats of bombing Iran. The demonstration is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. and to last one and a half hours. It will take place at the intersection of 5th & Broadway in downtown Nashville.

The Peace Coalition is taking part in a national day of action to stop the potential war on Iran, which includes a massive demonstration in New York City and dozens of similar actions across the country on that day.

Statement from the Nashville Peace Coalition on why we are demonstrating:

It is with grave concern that we observe the growing threat of a new U.S. war–this time against the people of Iran. The media is filled with reports of an alleged nuclear threat posed by Iran and the assumed need for the U.S. to take military action. These reports recall the “Weapons of Mass Destruction” stories issued in the months leading up to the war on Iraq. «Read the rest of this article»

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Peace Coalition to mark 5th anniversary of war

By Chris Lugo | March 15, 2008 |

Editor’s Note: American casulities in Iraq have reached 3987; 84 of those were from Tennessee, 4 from Clarksville. We are rapidly coming up on the fifth anniversity of the invasion and occupation of Iraq.

On March 15, 2008, the sacrifices of those affected by the conflict in Iraq during the past five years will be honored. Support and sympathy will be expressed for the members of the U.S. armed forces, their families and the people of Iraq.

Citizens will gather at noon Saturday, March 15 at the Amphitheater at the Bicentennial Mall at 600 James Robertson Parkway in downtown Nashville. There will be speakers - most of them veterans and their families, and music - all expressing hope for peace in the future. The program will end on an upbeat note, with a performance by the men’s choral group “Nashville in Harmony”.

At 3PM, veterans, military family members and others will carry a large canvas, bearing the names of Tennesseans killed in Iraq, up the hill to the War Memorial Plaza. The 93 names will be symbolically added to the names of those Tennesseans who have died in previous conflicts. This event, titled “Steps to Peace”, will express the hope that there will be no further casualties to memorialize.

«Read the rest of this article»

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Jonesborough prepares regional protest

By Chris Lugo | October 24, 2007 |

On October 27th, First Tennessee Progressives is hosting one of ten regional peace rallies around the United States being supported by the nation’s largest national peace coalition, United for Peace and Justice. UFPJ is sponsoring Oct. 27 events in southeastern United States and is fully committed to supporting the Jonesborough, TN, anti-depleted uranium munitions action, according to Georgette Friday, UFPJ national staff person helping coordinate the southern strategies.

The UFPJ support helps put an additional national spotlight on what many consider the Agent Orange of this generation of wars, with depleted uranium munitions used in Iraq and the Gulf region, in the Balkans during the Clinton administration, likely in Afghanistan, and possibly in Lebanon. The munitions have been widely tested throughout the U.S. mainland, in Hawaii, and in the Puerto Rican island of Vieques as well, leaving radioactive and toxic contamination in all testing and manufacturing regions, with little cleanup effort underway except in a couple of areas identified as Superfund sites.

Linda Modica, lead Tennessee coordinator, Angela Helwig of Georgia Peace & Justice and Chris Lugo of the Nashville Peace Coalition outlined what plans have been put in place thus far, including a rally in downtown Jonesborough, a march to and musical presence at Aerojet Ordnance - remaining U.S.producer of DU weapons cores, music and speakers in Jonesborough itself, and efforts to mobilize support. «Read the rest of this article»

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