On Feb. 17, members of Strength through Peace and the Progressive Democrats of America, Northern Colorado held a "Brown Bag Lunch Vigil" at the office of Rep. Betsy Markey at the Opera Galleria in downtown Fort Collins. Unfortunately, the Coloradoan did not cover this gathering of concerned local citizens. The purpose of the vigil was to call on members of Congress to support House Resolution 2404, calling for an exit strategy from Afghanistan; HR 3699, prohibiting any increase in the number of U.S. forces in Afghanistan; and HR 676, establishing improved and expanded Medicare for all. We also called for substantial reductions in military spending to meet social and environmental needs to reduce the deficit.
This vigil is part of a national effort sponsored by Progressive Democrats of America to highlight the human and financial costs of wars and militarism. As Martin Luther King Jr. observed 40 years ago, "A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death." If creating a better future for all Americans and people of the world is important to you, please support us in this effort; visit www.cjpe.org/stp/ to find more about the next vigil March 17.
Zach Heath,
Fort Collins