Fellowship of Reconciliation: for a World of Peace, Justice and Nonviolence
Mid-Missouri Fellowship of Reconciliation
The Fellowship of Reconciliation (FOR) is a group composed of people from many faiths, and no particular faith --
all coming together to support nonviolence and justice.
Offering people of conscience an action response to a morally-impaired U.S. foreign policy.

Newsletter | Capital Punishment | War & Peace | Links | Who We Are


A Report on the Injustice in the Application of the Death Penalty in Missouri (1978-1996)(Microsoft Word document)
Researchers from Missouri and New York found that about one of every 100 homicides in Missouri resulted in a death sentence during that 18-year period. Race of the victim and race plus socio-economic status of the defendant were found to be great indicators of who ultimately received a death sentence.


News

Common Dreams
Al-Jazeera
Electronic Iraq
Indy Media
AlterNet
BuzzFlash
www.WhatReallyHappened.com
Yahoo! News


Background

Background on Syria

Iraq Crisis Issue Guide by Phyllis Bennis of the Institute for Policy Studies

U.S. History with Iraq, 1980 - 2 August 1990
An American Soldier on the March 21 episode of This American Life challenged those against the war to "learn the history".


Commentary
Common Dreams News Center

April 12, 2003
God is on our side?
Non Sequiter comic

April 8, 2003
The U.S. Betrays Its Core Values
by Gunter Grass

March 30, 2003
Bush and Blair do not know what they are doing or why they are doing it

March 29, 2003
A cartoon

March 25, 2003
What is the Geneva Convention?
A primer on the treaty dealing with treatment of POWs and Who’s violating the Geneva Convention?

March 24, 2003
It's Patriotic to Protest
op-ed by Jill Nelson

U.S. steps up secret surveillance
FBI, Justice Dept. increase use of wiretaps, records searches

March 23, 2003
Why are we in Iraq -- and Who's Next?
an Op-Ed piece by Richard Reeves.

March 22, 2003
Whose interests at heart?
The invasion and occupation of Iraq cannot give the Iraqi people their freedom

March 20, 2003
Senator Byrd Deplores Iraq War: "Today I weep for my country"

Familiar, Haunting Words

Bush's Lies and the War on Iraq (a gift to the extremist theocrats)

Demonstrations Flare Worldwide

It's Not About Terrorism, WMD or Liberation: Myths and facts about the war

    Local News and Announcements...

    Don't miss anything...please scroll down

    St. Louis police viciously crackdown on activists during World Agricultural Forum!
    On Friday, May 16, the St. Louis Police Department supported by federal agents raided and arrested activists (including Columbia resident Sarah Bantz) planning a demonstration against biotechnology in our food supply and for Safe Food and Family Farms

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    MISSOURI PEACE COALITION
    There will be a statewide peace activists meeting taking place here in Columbia this Saturday and Sunday. If you are interested in attending, please let us know and we can send you the details.

    There will be a solidarity peace vigil which will include those from out of town, regular weekly attendees and any of you who can join us this Saturday morning, 10-11 a.m. in front of the Columbia Post Office. We invite you to turn out for this one.

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    MEMORIAL DAY PEACE EVENTS
    Memorial Day historically has been a reflective time, a time to honor the memories of all those lost in the horror of war and to renew a commitment to abolish war and create a future free of this senseless violence and domination. Instead, a local group, Salute to Veterans, has for the past 14 years, used this weekend as an opportunity to glorify the instruments of killing and entice young people to enlist. They will once again be holding a highly weaponized air show at Columbia Regional Airport on both Saturday and Sunday, May 24 & 25, from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. (See salute.org for details)

    As in the past, we will have a peace presence outside the entrance to the show. We'll have signs, banners and leaflets. It is most important for those attending the show to be exposed to an alternative perspective on militarism and war.

    We invite you to join us for all or part of either or both days. A carpool will leave the Peace Nook both mornings at 9 a.m. Please let us know if you can attend so we will know how many to plan for.

    We also plan to leaflet as the crowd gathers for the Monday morning Memorial Day Parade on Broadway downtown. We need 10 people committed to help us from 9 until 10 a.m. When the parade starts, we are done. Please let us know if you can help in this important educational effort.

    Finally, a far more appropriate Memorial Day observance, "Peace Honors Veterans," the annual Vets for Peace program will be held at 4 p.m. at the MLK Jr. Memorial Garden a the Stadium Blvd. access to the MKT Trail. This gathering will feature music, a talk by Rev. Larry Brown, chair of the Interfaith Peace Alliance, reports on the projects of the Rock Bridge Vietnam class, and a special recognition of Herb Sauer and the late Doris Sauer for their contribution to Rainbow Village in Nicaragua.

    We encourage you to participate in as many of these Memorial Day activities as you can.

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    Missouri Legislative Session a Wash, re: Death Penalty Legislation


    May 9, 2003

    May 2003 FORNews


    May 7, 2003

    Tom Sager's Peace Porridge

    We will be posting more essays by Tom in the future. You will find them under the "Essays" heading above.


    April 28, 2003

    So you think you joined the military, but now don't want to go?  Some facts about DEP

    More essays to follow from Kelly Maynard. Check out the "War & Peace" heading above.


    April 22, 2003

    Teach-in targets U.S. in Iraq

    Speakers draw parallels to Arab-Israeli strife.


    April 19, 2003

    Keep Peace Prominent

    While the pitched battles may be dieing down in Iraq, there is still a profound need for us to demonstrate our opposition to war, including calling for an end to the U.S. occupation of Iraq, calling for no U.S. bases to be established there, calling for no attack on Syria or Iran, etc.
    Please join us in any or all of the following:


    • Wednesdays anytime between 4:15 and 5:45 p.m. for the highly visible Rush Hour Peace Demonstration.

    • We also encourage you to participate in the weekly Saturday Peace Vigil from 10-11 a.m. at the Columbia Post Office

    • Women in Black - Tuesdays from noon to 1 p.m. at MU's Speakers Circle.


    We also encourage everyone to continue to display peace messages on buttons, stickers, yard signs, with black arm bands, etc. Keep letters critical of the war and occupation coming in to the newspapers. Make you voice heard. Also, help us line up speaking engagements with your class, house of worship or organization.


    April 18, 2003

    Questions which remain unanswered about the War on Iraq

    There remain questions to which we all need answers. But what are the questions? Do we need to know if we are being lied to or trivia about the invasion? Taken together these articles are a good example of why we cannot rely on the US mainstream, corporate, media for news.



    • Eight questions about the war: What we still don’t know about Operation Iraqi Freedom

      Only three of the eight deal with larger issues: why this war, civilian deaths, and looting. The rest may as well be a "Monday morning quarterbacking" sports article, asking only irrelevant questions about the tactics of the US armed forces. Why these are important and not distractions from the larger issues, the writer doesn't say.



    • Iraq war: Unanswered questions.
      There are 10 here and they all deal with different lies told by the US and UK before and during the fighting. Questions deserving honest answers.


    April 17, 2003

    Background on Syria

    While it's a bit unclear how seriously those in the White House are setting their sights on Syria, in terms of military intervention in the near term, it can't hurt to be proactive and get up to speed on the country, the issues, etc. This is a report by Stephen Zunes on the Foreign Policy in Focus website.



    April 10, 2003

    Conscientiously opposed to war?
    Or are you considering enlisting in the military?


    The Mid-MO FOR offers free military and draft counseling. Especially worthwhile for men approaching their18th b-day. For appt. call: John Galliher (882-3441), Lana Jacobs (443-0096), John Schuder 445-7569) or Jeff Stack (449-4585).


    Two Wrongs don't make a Right

    Although the recent observations of Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY) are right about poor and minority kids making up a disproportionate part of the enlisted ranks of the armed forces, drafting the rest of our kids is not the way to correct the evil of violence and war. Evil does not become good by making it more universal.


    If it is wrong to send our economically deprived kids to kill and die in the sands of Iraq—which it is—it is equally insane to provide the administration with millions of additional kids for the same purpose in Iraq and other countries that the administration dislikes.


    Rather than reviving a military draft, we should repeal the whole selective service system, stop the flow of our troops to the Gulf region and return home our military personnel stationed abroad.


    Then, perhaps, we could afford to both fund the pressing needs of many of our own and other peoples of the world for housing, food, medical care and education while at the same time, serving as a beacon for a more peaceful world. As we used to say in the Vietnam War days, "Whatever the question, the draft is not the answer."


    --John Schuder


    April 5, 2003

    New Weekly Memorial Prayer Service in Jefferson City

    Every Sunday Evening  Beginning, April 6, 7 p.m. Wesley Foundation, 805 Atchison Court, on Lincoln University campus

    Ecumenical, memorial prayer service for all of the victims of the war in Iraq and to share time with others who are deeply
    concerned. Following 20 to 30 minutes of prayer, participants will have the opportunity to share their feelings of anger and grief as well as their statements and visions of hope.


    Ongoing:

    Wednesday noon hour vigil from noon to 1 pm in front of the High Street post office, across from the State Capitol.


    Thursday rush hour vigil from 5 to 6 pm on the southwest corner of Missouri and Stadium boulevards, Jefferson City. 


    People for Peace weekly business meeting every Tuesday night, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Center for Rural Ministry, Jefferson City.  (Take Highway 54 West to the first median crossover after the Eldon-Camdenton mileage sign.  Go up the hill.  The Center is on the left.)


    March 25, 2003

    Peace Cities Petition submitted to the City Council


    March 8, 2003

    Weekly Vigils for Peace

    Jefferson City:

    Nightly, 8-8:30 p.m., Prayer vigil on the south steps of the state capitol at least
    through the end of March.

    Wednesdays, 12 Noon-1:00 p.m., Post Office

    Thursdays, 5-6 p.m., intersection of Missouri and Stadium boulevards


    Columbia:

    Wednesdays, 4:15-5:45 p.m., corner of Broadway and Providence

    Tuesdays, Noon-1:00 p.m., MU's Speakers Circle

    Saturdays, 10-11 a.m., Post Office



    February 16, 2003

    More than 600 Mid-Missourians demonstrated their opposition to Bush's intended War on the Iraqi people!

    They braved cold, wind and rain to join with Millions from around the world



    February 13, 2003

    Interfaith Peace Statement

    At a news conference that the Columbia Peace Coalition held February 11, Rev. Larry Brown, chair of the Interfaith Peace Alliance of Mid-Missouri offered this statement
    February 1, 2003

    PRE-EMPTIVE PEACE, NOT PRE-EMPTIVE WAR: RESPONSE TO STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS



    February 1, 2003

    Iraq Issue Guide:

    Phyllis Bennis of the Institute for Policy Studies has put together a really excellent primer on the Iraq crisis.


    Bennis is a frequent guest on Pacifica radio's "Democracy Now!" with Amy Goodman, another excellent source of current info on the Iraq situation. DN! can be heard locally from 8-9 a.m. Mon.-Fri. on 89.5 KOPN, or at the Democracy Now! website.



    January 21, 2003

    Columbians Demonstrate Their Opposition to a War against Iraq

    Five hundred Columbians march downtown article from the Columbia Daily Tribune

    Local demonstration is first for many
    article from the Columbia Missourian


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Mid-Missouri
Fellowship of
Reconciliation
P.O. Box 268
Columbia, Missouri
65205

Questions about the Fellowship of Reconciliation? -- contact Jeff Stack at 573-449-4585 or jstack@no2death.org

An appeal to conscience and purse-strings

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