"I opposed the illegal, immoral, unprovoked invasion of Iraq before the fact, and
continue to do so today. Bring the troops home NOW. It's long past time." Jean Hay Bright
October 18, 2006 - Military Tribunal bill signed (with Snowe's support)
This week President Bush signed the military tribunal bill that was approved by Congress on Sept. 28, the one in which Congress voted to debase the Constitution, to deny habeas corpus rights to "enemy combatants," people designated as such on the President's word alone; to allow the President to set the rules for what kinds of torture is acceptable for agents of the United States Government to inflict on our prisoners; to allow hearsay and/or coerced evidence at military tribunals, to deny defendants the right to see what evidence is being used against them, and to deny defendants the right to face their accusers.
Olympia Snowe did not vote that infamous Thursday, because she was here in Maine attending her aunt's funeral. She could have taken a pass. Instead, she issued a statement that, had she been in Washington, she would have voted in favor of all those bills.
This is the America Olympia Snowe wants us to live in. Is it the America you want to live in?
At the Portland Press Herald Endorsement interview on Oct. 4, Olympia Snowe insisted that, when she voted for the Iraq War Resolution in 2002, she was voting to save America from terrorists. She insisted that all of us who were now opposed to the war were operating on 20/20 hindsight.
Saturday's Bangor anti-war rally and march was a great success, drawing twice the number of concerned citizens as the Kennebunkport rally and march on Aug. 26. I am delighted that people -- of all ages -- are taking to the streets in protest of our government's policies.
...We can't send our good military men and women into illegal and immoral wars, and then cut their pay, their schooling and survivor benefits, not adequately fund their health care, or the growing need for prosthetics for amputated limbs, or mental health services for PTSD. We can't continue to redeploy people time after time after time. We can't keep recalling discharged members to come serve again. ...
It is amazing to me that, here in the United States of America, Congress is discussing the fine points of torture -- what is legal, how far can we go in mistreating prisoners we are holding, without our agents being prosecuted under national and international law and treaties.
How far we have fallen, that this is even an issue. I grew up being taught that torture is what other "bad" countries did to their enemies, and that here in America we were better than that, above that...
For those of us who came out of the Vietnam era, these are troubling times in two ways. The invasion of Iraq, and all its ramifications of deaths overseas and while domestic policy fails is one thing. But it's also troubling to many that so few people are willing to express their outrage over the war.
Perhaps it's because there is no draft, and the troops who are dying are "volunteers" - although serving in Iraq is likely not the college education or one-weekend-a-month, two-weeks-a-year they had in mind when they signed up.
See our new campaign television ad, which makes it very clear that Jean is the candidate who wants to get us out of Iraq. The ad features a statement by WWII vet Dick Bernard of South Portland, and a clip from Jean's powerful convention speech. It was filmed by Martha Spiess and produced by Kane-Lewis Productions.
May 29, 2006 - Veterans for Peace welcomed in Bangor Memorial Day Parade
Jean Hay Bright joined members and supporters of the Bangor chapter of Veterans for Peace as the unit marched in the Memorial Day Parade Monday morning in Bangor. The group was greeted with warm and enthusiastic applause along the entire route, encountering only one heckler. "People are getting it," Hay Bright said of the warm response from the crowd. "We need to get our military and all the American corporations out of Iraq. Bring the troops home NOW."
Portions of a speech to the Kennebec County Democratic Committee - Read the entire speech here
We need to put Iraq on the "don't go there" list for all American corporations, forbidding any American company from owning any assets in Iraq, or operating a business within that country.
May 9, 2006 - Our hearts go out to the families of the Maine Guardsmen killed and injured last weekend in Iraq
According to the Bangor Daily News, Staff Sgt. Dale James Kelly Jr., 48, of Richmond and Staff Sgt. David Michael Veverka, 25, a University of Maine student from Jamestown, Pa., were killed. The soldiers were members of B Company, 3rd Battalion of the 172nd Infantry regiment based in Brewer. The third soldier, Pvt. Christopher Fraser, 19, of Windsor, was seriously injured in the attack and was transferred to medical facilities in Landstuhl, Germany.
Jean was a keynote speaker at the rally, attended by about 200 people who stood in the bitter cold for two hours to hear all the speakers and the live music.
2005 Columns
Iraq War Forum - Bangor Theological Seminary
Campaign position paper updated.
Iraq War Resolution approved Nov. 20, 2005
Nov. 11, 2005 - Veterans for Peace welcomed in Bangor Parade
Jean Hay Bright joined the Bangor chapter of Veterans for Peace, marching in the Bangor/Brewer Veterans' Day Parade Friday morning with about two dozen VFP members and supporters.
Oct. 26, 2005 - Bring them home!
I am deeply saddened that the milestone number of 2,000 military men and women killed in Iraq has been reached. I join in the call for an immediate end to the Iraq War. Support our remaining troops - bring them home - NOW!
Over the course of one weekend, Sept. 10 and 11, 2005, Jean joined two peace rallies.
Iraq War forum, hosted by Congressman Tom Allen, Portland
Columns by Jean Hay Bright written BEFORE the Iraq War began
February 2003 - It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
Bush's madness, Colin Powell's pre-war presentation at the UN.
Irrationality is not a good personality trait for a defense secretary.
We're snatching people and holding them indefinitely.
Other Things to Read
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