Good morning Venice, there’s something to report.

Following last June’s National Assembly to End the Iraq War and Occupation in Cleveland, Ohio, a meeting of over 400 national organizers, a plan for steps forward has been approved for national protests. These will be organized through the fall and winter of this year, as a springboard for massive bi-coastal demonstrations in the spring of 2009. For the full report see: http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/node/34608

This good news comes on the heels of the third presentation by Congressman Dennis Kucinich, also of Cleveland, of articles of impeachment. This latter, of one article against President Bush, for misleading Congress into war, forced Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi to finally put impeachment back on the table. At the writing of this report a preliminary hearing is scheduled for July 25 before the Judiciary Committee, where a public case for impeachment will be presented.

Ladies and gentlemen, we as a nation have turned a page and it is only fitting that we take a moment to recognize it.

The days of this war and this president are numbered. We are on the road to peace – now it is inevitable. We as a nation owe a debt of gratitude to this humble man from Ohio, for his dedication and perseverance in upholding the constitution of these United States, in the face of extreme opposition from all the powers that be. Thank you Dennis. For the full article by David Swanson, see: http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/node/34689

To do its part, I now call upon the Venice Town Council and the Venice Neighborhood Council to declare Venice a “war free zone,” following the example of Berkeley and hundreds of other communities around the country; to pass a resolution not to allow any business or operation within the borders of the city that contributes to the cost of war and to further disallow any tactic devised and implemented in the time of war to be applied within our boundaries. it is time for Venice to walk the talk.

I further call upon the councils to form anti-war/ peace committees to search for ways Venice and Los Angeles as a whole can contribute to aiding the anti-war/impeachment movement. A quite reasonable request, considering that the city council has already passed a resolution opposing the war.

To get involved with local organizing, please contact me at: escalatepeace@yahoo.com.

Mark Lipman