Howdy,

Today at the No Kings protest someone asked me about #9 on our platform - Department of Peace.

I put this on the agenda from listening to Ralph Nader over the years. Ralph has said for years, I'll paraphrase, that we have a Department of Defense but not a Department of Peace!

But it also comes from a group I've admired over the years - Veterans For Peace.

Statement of Purpose

Veterans For Peace

This from VFP's May 23, 2025 Memorial Day Message:

War No More - A Memorial Day Message

This Memorial Day weekend, Veterans For Peace calls on our members and friends to reflect on the gravity of the day, whose official purpose is to “honor all those who died in service to the U.S. during peacetime and war.” Veterans For Peace chooses to honor ALL who have died in wars, both civilians and combatants. Our hope is that a sober accounting of the casualties of war will mitigate against the tendency to turn Memorial Day – like Veterans Day – into a patriotic celebration of U.S. militarism.

A Memorial Day Message

"Wars will not end until there is a sea-change in the thinking of the U.S. people and our political leaders. We must abandon the military doctrine of seeking “full spectrum dominance” in every corner of the globe. We must help build a peaceful world based on mutual respect for the human rights of all, as well as the rights of nature. As the Vietnam-era poster reads, “War is not good for children or other living things.”

"This Memorial Day, let us honor the memory of the dead by pledging to protect our precious planet, its people, and its environment. Rather than exalting war, we must come together to abolish war once and for all". 

tty next time,