released from jail
Philadelphia Grannies Coming Out Of Jail - June 28, 2006

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Mission Statement

We are here because whenever we encounter war grandmothers must work to insure peace for all children and grandchildren.


We are here to fight against the loss of civil liberties and human rights and the wars that result when democratic principles are broken.


We are here now because we are outraged by the deaths of American troops and Iraqi citizens in a senseless war


We are Granny Peace Brigade Philadelphia.

Join Us
We welcome all ages, women and men, grandparents or not.
                                The Granny Peace Brigade Philadelphia is:
 
a group of activists, including grandmothers and others, who are dedicated to ending war.  On June 28, 2006, 11 of us went to the Military Recruitment Center in Philadelphia to "enlist" in the United States military,  so that our grandchildren would not kill or be killed in Iraq.  When we refused to leave without enlisting, we were arrested and charged with "Defiant Trespass". On December 1, 2006, Judge Deborah Griffin dismissed the charges against us,  affirming the legality of our non-violent protest. We continue to meet together and resist war-making in Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere.


                            The Granny Peace Brigade Philadelphia meets:

WHEN:                                Once a Month on Thursdays from 10:00 AM to 12:00 Noon

NEXT MEETINGS:           
Thursdays, June  24th, July 15th, August 12th

                                Meetings are at Friends Center, 1515 Cherry Street



                                              
ALL ARE WELCOME

Between meetings, we will be participating in summertime events.
Thursday, June 24, 2010:  Granny Meeting, Friends Center (15th and Cherry St.), 10:00 a.m. to Noon, followed by lunch, followed by leafleting at Clark Park, 43rd and Baltimore Ave. (take the 34 trolley), starting at 3 p.m.  Coming:  Nina, Helen, Jean, Paula, Ann.  Our sign will read:  "Food For Thought.  Please Sign our Petition."

Friday June 26, 4 to 5 PM on your calendar, for Celeste Zappala's "Honk for Peace." Bring signs if you have any, and stand catty-corner from Arch Street UM church, Broad and Arch.  Even on a hot day it's shady there and usually breezy by 5 PM.

Please note:  All Grannies are strongly encouraged to come join us at any of our leafleting/petitioning events listed below.  You are welcome, even if you never came to one of our events before.  If you plan to come to any of these events, please tell Nina Huizinga by emailing her at huizinga.nina@yahoo.com or by calling her at (215) 528-6130 (leave a message on her machine).   If you can't make it this time - keep checking the list for all the future events!

Thursday, July 1, 2010:  Reading Terminal Market, meeting at the corner of 12th and Arch St., 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.  Already coming:  Jean, Helen, Ruth, Nina - please join us.  We will hand out leaflets and seek signatures on our petition.
 
Saturday, July 3, 2010:  Piazza in Northern Liberties, 969 N. 2nd St., starting at 2 p.m.  Already coming:  Ann, Nina, Jean please feel free to join us.

AEC Closing celebration was the 19th - if the militarization of our youth is one of your interests, check out this youtube video - Video: If Army Ads Had Health Warnings
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVGNqI_QPWA


Upcoming conference you may want to attend:

National Conference to Bring the Troops Home NOW!, July 23-25
in Albany, NY, go to www.nationalpeaceconference.org for more information


 **********************************************************************

Demand an Afghanistan Exit Strategy:

the time is now to make a call  1-866-338-1015  (toll free to the capitol)

**********************************************************************

  Please call your Senator and Congressperson and ask her/him to support:

 The Senate and House bills--S. 3197 and HR 5015,  respectively.

 They would require President Obama to provide a plan and a timetable for withdrawal of all US forces

 and military contractors, and identify any contingencies that might require changes to that timetable.

 

 It would demand an exit strategy--long overdue--from a war that has already cost us too much

 in treasure and lives, and isn't in the interest of US national security.

 

 "Basically, what the bill is is a rejection of an open-ended military commitment in Afghanistan," said

 Rep. McGovern, on a conference call with NGOs, activists, and media organized by Peace Action last

 week.

 1-866-338-1015  (toll free to the capitol)

 

                                              RECENT ACTION

TAX DAY DEMO: JOBS,  NOT WAR,  WHERE ARE YOUR TAX $$ GOING?

Thursday, April 15 at Post Office at Broad and Sansom 11:30 to 1:30 PM








                    
                  MILITARY RECRUITMENT IN THE HIGH SCHOOLS

                                              

Project "Opt Out"
:  High schools are required to release Jr. and Sr.  student private contact information
to military recruiters--unless students or parents sign an OPT OUT form.  High School juniors and seniors
should sign the OPT OUT form in September, and return the signed form to the school office.  By doing this, it will
prevent military recruiters from having students' personal contact information.  Students, of course, can always contact
military recruiters if they wish.  School District of Philadelphia students and parents can access the OPT OUT form at
www.phila.k12.pa.us

Grannies are working on ways to alert high school students, staff and parents about OPT OUT.   Every fall, we organize
an OPT OUT team to distribute forms, meet with the SRC and contact H.S. principals  to encourage them to distribute
these forms.  Please join our OPT OUT team--our kids need us, not just the military, in their high schools. 
Contact Granny Paula at pauladance@aol.com.

Project "Thinking About Enlisting?":

We are currently developing packets of updated materials for high school students considering the military as a
post high school option.  The packets include issues students should be aware of as they make what could be a
life and death decision, as well as local job training and community service opportunities.  Packets will be distributed
to high school counselors and librarians.  If you would like to work on this project contact Granny Paula at
pauladance@aol.com.


                    

Every Wednesday, a vigil for peace, 7:00 to 8:00 PM (in any and all weather) at intersection of Germantown
                         Avenue and Bethlehem Pike in Chestnut Hill.  Contact
nwgreens@yahoo.com and 215-843-4256.



Click here to Contact Us or Make a Contribution.

Contribution in honor of Sybil S. Cohen



Call your Senator and Representative in Congress.  Use the FREE phone number:


                                            1-866-338-1015


Tell your Senator and Representative to support funding for education and building--not drones, bombs and troops--in Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________                      
 
Send a Holiday Greeting to Jailed Resisters:

 

From Courage to Resist:

http://www.couragetoresist.org/x/content/view/748/119/

 

Write war resisters directly

Image
Cliff Cornell
Bldg 1041
PSC Box #20140
Camp Lejeune NC 28542
  • Cliff Cornell in currently jailed at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.
  • Expected release: March 2010
Cliff traveled to Canada in 2005 to resist Iraq deployment. “I don’t want to be killing innocent people,” he explained at the time. He was deported from Canada in February 2009 and was convicted of desertion at Ft. Steward, Georgia in May. More information about Cliff.
 
Image
David Travis Bishop
Box 339536
Fort Lewis, WA 98433
  • Travis is currently jailed at Fort Lewis WA.
  • Note that Travis is still in need of donations to cover his defense costs. Please see info below.
  • Expected release: July 2010
  • Note that the Army will reject your first letter, and maybe your second also. Please keep trying to send Travis mail as he really wants to hear from you. When your letter is rejected, sometimes Travis gets to see the envelope. If so, he is then able to add your name to his approved correspondence list.
  • The Army command at Fort Lewis is not allowing Travis to receive books.
Travis, with the Army's 57th Expeditionary Signal Battalion, was sentenced to 12 months in the stockade for resisting deployment to Afghanistan. Travis explained that he had serious doubts about his views on war for a long time, but was unaware of his right to file for a conscience objector discharge until just before he was scheduled to deploy. Amnesty International has declared him to be a “prisoner of conscience”. More information about Travis. Also: freetravisbishop.wordpress.com
 
About directly corresponding with and supporting jailed military objectors
  • Know that your correspondence will be read and reviewed by the military; however, general political content is not usually a basis for censorship.
  • Do not send stamps, photos, magazines, newspapers, food items, toiletries, or anything of value. Photocopied articles and photocopied photos, when accompanied by a personal letter, are usually OK.
  • Your name (not an organization) and return address should be printed in the outside of the envelope.
  • Avoid using obscenity or plans for criminal activity.
  • You may send a money order (payable to the jailed resister). This money will be deposited into their “safe keeping” fund administered by the stockade. From this fund, they may purchase postage stamps (to write you back) and phone cards (to call family and friends).
  • You may send a book; however, you must order books from amazon.com (or bn.com) and have them shipped directly to the resister. Consider asking the jailed resister if they have any specific title requests, or general categories of interest (mystery, political history, sci-fi, etc.) prior to ordering.

 

 

 



To see some of us at Anti-Gun Violence Rally at Philadelphia City Hall, click here

Click here for information about Philadelphia City Council.


Cluster Bomb Ban: Obama Will Review U.S. Decision Not to Sign Treaty
    FCNL and the U.S. Campaign to Ban Landmines and Cluster Bombs
have been urging Obama to make such a statement. Add your voice.
http://action.fcnl.org/r/23762/71436/

Keep Taking Action: The rest of the government needs to start supporting
the cluster
bomb treaty. Sign a petition to Secretary of Defense Robert Gates urging
the United States to renounce cluster bombs
http://action.fcnl.org/r/23763/71436/

 



RECENT AND CURRENT ACTIVITIES


Knit to Thank a Vet
 Contact Lois Durso at:  ldurso@mtholyoke.edu or call her at (215) 546-7467.

The Granny Peace Brigade Philadelphia is joining the Grannies of New York and Denver, Colorado (and others) in knitting "Stump Socks" for our Iraq war veterans.   Three yarn shops in Granny areas have been contacted and have agreed to support the project:  Rosie's Yarn Cellar at 2017 Locust Street here in Center City, The Tangled Web at 7900 Germantown Ave. in Chestnut Hill, and The Ewe and I at 221 Haverford Ave. in Narbeth.    All three have received a copy of the patterns and the information below and are looking forward to helping you when you come in.   (Thanks to Granny Gloria Hoffman for speaking with The Tangled Web.)

After hearing about the New York Grannies working on this project, samples were made and sent to the Head of the Prosthetics Division at the Philadelphia Veterans Medical Center to get their input on whether these would be useful and, if so, which sizes and colors would be most appreciated. 

The samples were given to amputees at the Center who were asked to use them and then share their comments with staff.   We knew from both the New York and the Denver Grannies that the socks had to be able to be machine washed and dried; after a careful check of available yarns, the samples were made in knitting worsted weight (Plymouth) Encore and (Berroco) Comfort yarns.  

Response from people at the Prosthetics Department at the Veterans Medical Center indicated that these yarns were very comfortable and that the preferred colors would be brown, khaki, black, medium or dark blue, dark red, medium or dark green: basic sock colors.    It was suggested that it would be best if knitters avoided using flamboyant colors.  Subtle stripes are fine - if you feel up to it!

We are asking those of you who knit - and/or have friends who knit - to visit the yarn shops mentioned.  You can bring the pattern and information below with you however the shops have received copies of the patterns. 

Make your stump sock(s) and get them to me - I will collect them and get them to our contact at the Medical Center.  They can be brought to a Granny Peace Brigade Philadelphia meeting or sent to Lois Durso, 1326 Spruce Street #1803, Philadelphia, PA 19107.
Patterns below are for three sizes - small, medium and large.

A.  Small Size*
Yarn:   Plymouth "Encore" and Berroco "Comfort" knitting worsted weight
Needles:  16" round needles in sizes 6 and 8 and you will need size 8 double pointed needles for the decrease rows.

With a 16" size 6 round (or double pointed needles), cast on 66 stitches and work in K2 P2
ribbing for 3 or 4".    Switch to size 8 needle(s) and knit one row adding 6 stitches - 1 every 11 stitches.  You will have 72 stitches.  Then work in stockinette until piece measures 9" long,
including ribbing.
Decreases: 1.  K6, K2 tog, K6, K2 tog around the row.  2.  Knit one round.   3.  K5, K2 tog, K5, K 2 tog across row.  4.  K one round.  Continue to decrease in like manner until 9 stitches remain.  Weave stitches together.  Weave in ends.

B.  Medium Size
Same as for small but use size 8 needle(s) for the ribbing and size 10 needle (s) for the stockinette rows and decreases.

C.  Large Size
Same as "Medium" above but start by casting on 72 stitches.  In the first row on the larger needles, add 8 stitches evenly spaced across the row.  Then continue to work with 80 stitches to decreases.   Note:  You will end up with 10 stitches to be woven together.

N.B.  Please note that the important thing is to work in multiples of 8 stitches.   You can make an XS size by starting with 58 stitches and following the instructions for the A small size above (using size 6  and 8 needles).  Add 6 stitches evenly spaced across the first stockinette row.  You will end up with  8 stitches to weave together.  

Similarly, you can make an extra large by starting with 80 stitches and increasing 8 stitches evenly spaced in the first stockinette row.  You will end up with 11 stitches to weave together.  I was told that they would need twice as many in Medium, Large, and Extra large sizes than in the small size.

If you can, please do wash and dry the sock(s) before mailing.  

*****It would be wonderful if you would enclose a note with each sock saying something like - "In thanks for the service you have given our country" or "Made with Love (or Made with Thanks) by Granny (your name) of the Granny Peace Brigade Philadelphia" or something brief so the recipient will understand that you appreciate the sacrifice he or she made.




Knitting  Grannies
Knitting Grannies
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Ongoing: Grannies work to ensure OPT OUT information reaches all parents of juniors and seniors in our public high schools : keep our students safe from military recruiters, Click here for more information.





Saturday, October 25, 2008:  Grannies at Posters for the People Gala Expo
                          (marking the 75th Anniversary of Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal)





Selling cookies "like your Granny used to make" above and singing in the "cabaret" below.





















Saturday, March 29, 2008:  New Jerusalem and Granny Peace Brigade Anti-War Rally and BBQ
   New Jerusalem 2 

NJ 2



  AMERICAN GRANNIES EXPRESS OUTRAGE AFTER 5 YEARS OF WAR;
Grandmothers in 20 Cities Protest Occupation; Some Get Arrested
 
    With knitting needles, with dirty linen clotheslines, many with songs, and some with acts of civil disobedience, grandmother groups across the United States in at least 20 cities expressed their frustration, their deep rage at the continued occupation of Iraq.  This was the granny way of commemorating the end of five years since the bombing of Iraq on March 19, 2003.
 
    The coordinated granny actions, initiated by the Granny Peace Brigade in New York City, were the latest ones demonstrating once again that the grandmothers of America have been in the forefront of the peace movement since Day One of the U.S. catastrophic invasion of a sovereign nation.
 
    Perhaps the most noteworthy of the protests was that carried out in Atlanta, Georgia, on March 17, where 10 members of the Atlanta Grandmothers for Peace were arrested and jailed for 10 hours when they attempted to enlist in the military at a recruiting center. 
Said Doris Benit, 80, one of the arrestees:  "We believe our young people were sent to Iraq on a web of lies and deceit.  We believe they are being used as cannon fodder in an illegal and unjustified war against a nation which posed no threat to us."
 
    Very whimsical Knit-Ins for Peace were held in New York City, Washington DC, Pittsburgh PA, and other cities.  They were outdoor  events which involved grandmothers knitting stump socks for amputee veterans.  The New York Granny Peace Brigade valiantly knit in
 the rain for about two hours outside the Times Square recruiting center where they had been arrested and carted off to jail in 2005 for attempting to enlist, while calling out the numbers of dead and wounded from each state.  The oldest granny, and perhaps the most vociferously protesting one there, was 93-year-old Marie Runyon.  Part of the New York group, along with some members of the Granny Peace Brigade
Philadelphia and Maryland women, went to Washington, where they knit in rocking chairs outside the Veterans Administration, and when they had completed knitting a number of the stump covers, had a Veteran for Peace color guard hand them over to a VA official.  Fifteen Pittsburgh grannies, the oldest of whom is 84, participated in their Knit-In at a recruiting station, as pictured below.
 grannies knitting
(Pittsburgh grandmothers knitting at a local recruiting center March 19, 2008 (photo by Bonnie Fortune)
 
    Another creative demonstration was that in Philadelphia, where the grannies hung a laundry line at City Hall and hung the dirty linen of the Bush administration on it -- each item of clothing inscribed with a plea to correct the many wrongs of the Government.    The Philly grannies, like most of the other granny groups, sang anti-war songs during their protests.


 Some of the dirty linen hung at City Hall in Philadelphia PA March 19, 2008.
(photo by Cathy Clemens)
 
    In Orange County, NY, a group of grandmas met with State University students on campus in Middletown, and urged them to participate in the anti-war movement.  In spite of pouring rain, there was a good turnout and the students were surprisingly receptive.  The older women had a sense that young people are beginning to take more action in the struggle to end the war.
 
    150 people stood on four corners in Sarasota, Florida.  Eight stalwart grandmothers in Boston held a vigil on Boston Common in a drenching downpour. Other groups that participated were in Spokane; Minneapolis; Detroit; Albany NY; Monkato MN; San Francisco; Montpelier VT; San Jose CA; Bloomington IND; Portland, Maine; St. Augustine FL, and Denver.
 

(Raging Grannies in Tucson AZ hold Knit-In for Peace on March 19, 2008)
 
Amazingly, a lot of the granny protests got wide media coverage in their areas.  This represents a kind of breakthrough, as it has been difficult to get publicity for the many grandmother anti-war activities conducted over the last five years since the war was launched..
 
    At least two grandmothers got arrested when a group of protesters prevented entrance to the IRS in Washington DC 
-- Beverly Rice of the New York Granny Peace Brigade and Sue Gracey of the Boston Raging Grannies.
 
    When grandmothers are willing to risk arrest and jail, as so many of us old ladies do on a regular basis these days, you know this war is despised and must be ended.  We grannies are not getting any younger and our energy is not what it was in our earlier days -- but we keep on keeping on knowing we will not be here forever and earnestly hoping that we are inspiring other and younger people to carry on our urgent quest when we no longer can.
 

January 1 2008 Grannies Take Part in  Philadelphia Mummers Parade


________________________________________________________________________________


Grannies Participate in October 27 National Mobilization to End the War in Iraq



____________________________________________________________________________
The New York Granny Chicks, singing "Grannies, Let's Unite".
Click:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXVAsHtitW0

LOVE, GRANDMA: ACTIVISTS WRITE
Grandmothers Against the War announce the publication of LOVE GRANDMA: ACTIVISTS WRITE, a collection of letters and poetry for grandchildren of all ages by women and men committed to a better, peaceful world.

                                                                                              By david swanson
NY Granny, Joan Wile has published a book called "Grandmothers Against the War: Getting Off Our Fannies and Standing Up for Peace." It is very much an account of ordinary people doing extraordinary things. ...
Democrats.com blogs - http://www.democrats.com/blog
In Phila, call for info:
Marlena Santoyo
515 Glen Echo Road
Philadelphia, PA 19119
Tel. (215)-247-4385
marlsan@cavtel.net

_________________________________________________________________________________
 
Veterans Break Silence on US War Crimes: http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/02/29/7368/

Price Tag for Iraq, Afghan Wars: Three Trillion Dollars: http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/02/28/7342/

Making sense of $700 billion, By James Carroll

OLD FAT NAKED WOMEN FOR PEACE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OINStsPwgQ4