2017 Peace Booth Petitions
Protect US Veterans Against Deportation
To Senators Thom Tillis and Richard Burr:
Immigrant veterans have risked their lives in wars wearing the U.S. uniform. Many suffer physical and mental injuries including PTSD. They deserve support, honor and fair treatment for their service.
We, the undersigned urge our U.S. Senators to act now to exempt veterans from deportation. If convicted of crimes, which are often due to combat-related mental health issues, these soldiers should be permitted to remain in the U.S. and not be doubly punished by deportation. We also urge the repatriation of those who have already been deported.
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Adopt Paris Agreement in North Carolina
Governor Cooper and the General Assembly of North Carolina:
Earlier this year President Trump issued an order that the United States would pull out of the Paris Agreement. This puts our state in potential environmentally and economic danger. Therefore, we the citizens of North Carolina believe we have an obligation to acknowledge the Agreement at the state level. We call upon our Governor and State Representatives to recognize the threat of climate change and to join other states and municipalities across the country to limit the effects of climate change and implement our own state policy based on the Paris Agreement.
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Prevent Nuclear War – No First Strike
To President Donald Trump:
We, the undersigned citizens of the United States, urge you to use your influence to reduce the threat of nuclear war by eliminating global stockpiles of nuclear weapons.
In this era of endless war, the risk of deployment of nuclear weapons is growing perilously, as more and more nations seek to acquire their own nuclear stockpiles. We beseech you to pledge the United States to a No First Use nuclear weapons policy. We believe that your commitment to the reduction of nuclear weapons would cement your legacy as a Peacemaker for all time.
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Background material for the petitions
Protect US Veterans Against Deportation
Question: Does the United States Deport Military Veterans?
Answer: Yes
However, the “yes” needs explaining. At this time, nobody, including the Department of Homeland Security (U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services is under their umbrella) knows how many there are. Estimates are hundreds or even thousands. Most end up in Mexico but they can be found in about 20 other countries as well. They represent all branches of our military and from wars since Vietnam.
This petition aims to support the ACLU and several members of Congress who are trying to prevent deportation of military veterans, give them a special status, and return those who have already been deported. Several bills have been previously introduced to make this happen, but so far there has been no success.
Many civilians as well as those who did serve believe that military service means automatic citizenship but this information is false. Like all others, they must apply and go through similar processes to receive citizenship status. Most came here as children and have little or no recollection of the country they were born in.
Deportation can occur after felonies, misdemeanors, and other infractions of the law. Some have been deported for minor drug charges, shop-lifting, traffic tickets, simple bureaucratic mistakes, and other lesser reasons. One was deported for failing to attend a hearing but was hospitalized at the time. Many have been diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Traumatic Brain Injuries, and have drug abuse issues from their military service.
One simple fact to remember is that the majority were lawful permanent residents when they joined the military and were deported. A second fact is that both lawful permanent residents and undocumented ones with falsified papers have been serving for our country since the Revolutionary War and every war since. The deportation separates them from family who can remain here. A third fact is like all military members they take the oath to “support and defend the Constitution of the United States, etc. At any given time, there are over 30,000 noncitizens serving in our military.
Paradoxically, the one benefit that the Department of Veteran Affairs maintains is to give a military burial and so, their deceased body will be brought back to this country.
Sources: www.snopes.com; www.washingtonpost.com; www.cnn.com; www.deportedveteranssupporthouse.org; www.uscis.gov;
Paris Environmental Agreement Fact Sheet
Within the global scientific community, there is a resounding agreement that climate change is a real threat and has been accelerated by human activity.
As for within the United States, 71% of Americans support Paris Accords according to a recent poll by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs.
Acknowledging and following the Paris Agreement supports the continuing trend towards more renewable energy that is already taking place within the United States. Businesses such as DuPont, Gap, General Mills, Hewlett Packard, NIKE, Mars, PG&E, and hundreds of small businesses have urged the administration to revoke the decision to pull out because of how it will hurt businesses.
North Carolina Specific:
The US military has been outspoken in its support of protections against climate change. As the military is a large part of North Carolina’s economy and identity (Fort Bragg and Camp Lejeune), the state government should acknowledge these concerns.
Climate change and rising seas would dramatically affect our coast, its people and its industries. Rising sea levels will damage our coastline and the communities that exist on it, uproot the thousands of people living in the eastern part of our state and dramatically cut into the tourist and fishing industries, as well as farming across the state.
Increasing investment and protections for renewable energy allow for innovation within our state and grow our economy.
The Paris Agreement provides support and stability for those who are vulnerable and the most affected by environmental issues (poverty stricken areas or those highly dependent upon the environment), even within our own state.
Sources: climatestoriesnc.org | bit.ly/epa-climate-nc | bit.ly/bipartisanpolicy-climate-nc
Prevent Nuclear War – No First Strike
No First Use (NFU), or No First Strike, refers to a pledge or a policy by a nuclear power not to use nuclear weapons as a means of warfare unless first attacked by an adversary using nuclear weapons. The concept had also been applied to chemical and biological warfare.
“… Nuclear credibility contains a tragic paradox. Nuclear weapons are not intended for actual use, but to deter adversaries, while at the same time nuclear weapons, in order to deter adversaries credibly, must be ready for instant use … We can acknowledge, as President Reagan inevitably had to, that a nuclear war cannot be won and thus must never be fought. …We can rely upon our experience of containing the Soviet Union for 50 years to contain North Korea, while an international conference implementing mutual, reciprocal, verifiable reduction and final elimination of all nuclear weapons goes forward, prodded and encouraged by those 122 nations who have already decided against deterrence by mutual assured destruction in favor of mutually assured survival… One hundred and twenty-two nations recently signed a U.N. treaty outlawing nuclear weapons, but the nine nuclear nations still haven’t gotten the message.” – Winslow Myers
Source: Wikipedia, bit.ly/myers-no-first-use