No more war

We are two mothers together, writing today from hearts swollen with sadness but also with hope for the future. We are angry and horrified as we watch the bloodshed in Iraq continue to take our children’s lives, bloodshed that is the result of a war based on deception and lies being fed to the American people as our president continues to take advantage of post-9/11 terrorism fears.

That is why we have decided to take a stand right here in Reno against this war, joining people all over the country on Sept. 24 in a national day of unity with one clear message: Bring our troops home. Now.

We want to give members of our community a place to express their outrage and ask our elected leaders to start leading us down a road of peace. Coming together allows those of us opposed to this war to support one another, ending the isolation and sense of helplessness.

Another reason an event in Reno is so important is that Nevadans have an especially important role to play in sending a peace message to our elected leaders: We have one of the most powerful senators in Congress, Harry Reid, representing Nevadans. It is imperative that he hear one unified voice: Bring our troops home. Now.

Calling for an end to the war in Iraq is our first priority. More than 1,900 Americans have died in Iraq; more than 18,000 have been wounded (some estimates put that figure much higher); as many as 28,000 Iraqi civilians have been killed (according to www.iraqibodycount.com; studies done by John Hopkins and Columbia University put the death toll over 100,000); and tens of thousands of Iraqis have been injured. The bloodshed has to stop.

According to the National Priorities Project, the war in Iraq has cost the United States $204.6 billion. Nevadans have spent $1.7 billion on the war; by that statistic, here in Reno, the war has cost taxpayers $141.2 million. Nevadans, being on the bottom when it comes to education and social services, want to know if there is a better way to spend their tax dollars.

We are also expressing our concerns about military recruitment in our schools. Our children are our most precious resource, and their future should not be squandered on this incursion into the Middle East.

Please stand with us here in Reno on Saturday, Sept. 24, from noon to 1 p.m. at the Thompson Federal Building on S. Virginia and Liberty streets as we raise our voices together: “Bring our troops home, now.”