Don't forget to attend the Town Hall Meeting today in Daytona Beach at the Schnebly Recreation Center, 5 blocks north of Seabreeze Blvd, at the corner of Driftwood Avenue and North Atlantic Avenue (A1A on the beachside). The event will start at 7:00 P.M. and is scheduled to run until 9:00 P.M.
We are expecting people from as far as Gainesville, Jacksonville, Ocala, Orlando and Melbourne and all points in between. We will have both TV and Newspaper media coverage. Please do all you can to alert as many people as you can to attend the event, as we may be getting a contingent of pro-war folks. We are really looking forward to hearing our featured speaker, Vietnam Veteran who flew over 100 combat missions as a fighter pilot, Dr. Robert M. Bowman, Lt. Colonel, USAF, Retired. We are hopeful that our representative in congress, Rep. John Mica, will also be represented by someone from his office as he has other plans. Either way, we are expecting good media coverage and are anticipating demonstrators as well. Please help us turn out as many people for the event as we can on Saturday night ! Thanks
For more event pictures, Click Here, and then click on the Jan. 14th Town Hall link.
Download the article in the News-Journal reporting the event here:
On behalf of the Central Florida chapter of Veterans for Peace and the CodePink chapter of Volusia/Flagler counties, I would like to thank you all for your attendance and support of the Daytona Beach Town Hall Public Forum on the Iraq War this past Saturday night, January 14th, at the Schnebly Recreation Center in Daytona Beach. The Town Hall was a great success ! Our featured speaker, Dr. Robert M. Bowman, a fighter pilot of over 100 combat missions in Vietnam, http://www.rmbowman.com/Bowman2006/ gave a most powerful and informative talk regarding the Bush Administration and its buildup to and current War on Iraq, what it means to "Support our Troops", Veterans' Issues, Patriotism in the form of Civic Activism, similarities between Iraq and Vietnam, unanswered questions concerning 9/11/01, current threats from the Bush Administration to our own democracy and rights here at home, among other things. Please note that Dr. Bowman is running for Congress in 2006 against incumbent Republican Dave Weldon to represent Florida's 15th district in Brevard County. More information is available at Dr. Bowman's website through the link above.
Although our representative in Congress, John Mica of the 7th district did not participate in the Town Hall Public Forum due to a prior commitment, he failed to send a representative to take his place to address the concerns of 90 or so of his constituents regarding our country's War on Iraq and Congressman Mica's continued strong support of the Bush/Cheney "Stay the Course" policy. There were few, if any, supporters of the Bush Administration's and Congressman Mica's "Stay the Course" policy in the audience. However, there was a good representation of veterans including veterans from WW II, Korea, Vietnam and the Gulf War in attendance. The Questions and Comments part of the program ran 20 minutes over the allotted time, and it could have gone on much longer had our time not been restricted. Many veterans participated in the discussion and offered a perspective on the War on Iraq that Bush, Cheney, Mica and so many other "Stay the Course" policymakers in Washington can never do ... that is the perspective from having actually served our country in the military, let alone having served in combat as did our featured speaker Dr. Bowman and many veterans in the audience.
Outside the Town Hall meeting at the Schnebly Recreation Center there were members of CodePink Women for Peace and other local patriots demonstrating along A1A continuing our very important work of bringing the War on Iraq up to "eye level" to the so many around us who simply don't want to know about it. Members of the local Patriots for Impeachment group, along with members of ProActivists of Volusia and the Volusia Peace Coalition were there to help in many different ways so as to assure that the Town Hall meeting went on without a hitch.
Please connect to the following links to view the January 20th article by Calvin Godfrey in the Daytona Beach News-Journal which reported on the Town Hall Public Forum on Iraq. There is also a link to a number of very good photos taken by our own Jan Morell, webmaster and Co-Chair of the Central Florida chapter of Veterans for Peace, of both the January 14th Town Hall and the December 14th "Bring Our Troops Home, Out in '06" petition delivery to Congressman Mica's office.
While you are there we encourage you to explore our website which is chock full of informative articles and links to other resources on the Internet, such as the very popular and award-winning www.AfterDowningStreet.org
I've been informed by Brandon Green of BKG Productions in Daytona Beach, , that the production of the DVD recording of the January 14th Town Hall Public Forum will soon be completed. Please keep checking for updated news on the DVD.
Most importantly, please don't forget to attend our weekly demonstrations and please try to encourage others to come out and join us in our call for an end to our country's War on Iraq and for Bringing Our Troops Home Now.
Tuesdays, 4:30 - 6:00 pm, U.S. 1 and Dunlawton Ave., Port Orange
Thursdays, 6:00 - 7:30 pm, Intl Speedway Blvd and Nova Road, Daytona Beach
Also, please tune in on Monday's at 12:00 noon to the new progressive talk call-in radio show on WPUL 1590 AM called "The ProActivist Hour" with Port Orange's own Phil Farruggio beginning on Monday, January 30th. Speaking of radio, please click on the link below to access the new and very moving music video by the Robert Cray Band entitled "Twenty". The music video is being presented with the help of American Friends Service Committee and is about our country's War on Iraq and how our Troops are affected. It truly is a very well-done and moving music video.
Again, on behalf of the Central Florida chapter of Veterans for Peace and CodePink of Volusia/Flagler, I would like to extend a very big and sincere thank you to you all for your help and support. Thank you ! We look forward to seeing you again soon in our continued efforts locally at calling for an end to our country's War on Iraq and for Bringing Our Troops Home Now.
Sincerely,
Philip C. Restino Co-Chair, Founding Member Central Florida Veterans for Peace www.cflveteransforpeace.org 1250 Woodcrest Drive, Suite 1102 Daytona Beach, Florida 32114 ph: (386) 255-7441 fax: (386) 255-7442 email:
"I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. I will not let that which I cannot do interfere with what I can do !" - Edward Everett Hale
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." - Margaret Mead
