Dear Friends,

Bin Laden is dead. The US military killed him. Some people rejoiced in the streets. Others felt relief because the manhunt was finally over. And, still others felt a sense of foreboding. We all wonder, "What will happen next?"

Bin Laden was an angry, violent man who reaped what he sowed. Now that we have our pound of flesh, we, too, will reap what we’ve sown in the War on Terror unless we tether the dogs of war now and exit Afghanistan, as soon as humanly possible.

This long-awaited event will, as Martin Luther King said, "bend the arc of history." But in which direction? Let’s do everything in our power to bend the arc away from vengeance and towards peace and environmental, economic, and social justice.

We no longer have a mission in Afghanistan. We can expect the war hounds to bark out new excuses to stay in Afghanistan and even escalate. We must keep reminding Congress that the mission has ended: It’s time to bring our troops and war dollars home. Click here to send a message to your member of Congress.

Please, mark your calendars for the Brown Bag Lunch Vigil (BBLV) on Wednesday, May 18. We are challenging Congress to bring our troops home now and asking them to support:
HR 780: Rep. Barbara Lee’s Responsible End to the War in Afghanistan Act
HR 676: Rep. John Conyers’ Expanded and Improved Medicare For All Act
HR 870: Rep. John Conyers’ Humphrey-Hawkins 21st Century Full Employment and Training Act

Pro-war voices in Washington are many and well represented. We must be persistent in our demand to get out of Afghanistan. Email your member of Congress, go to a May 18 BBLV, and stay tuned for the next action!

For Healthcare NOT Warfare,

Tim Carpenter
PDA National Director