Every once in a while you get a chance to meet someone who is really making a difference in the world. It doesn't happen very often, but tonight at MCC was one of those times.
Kathy Kelly, 57, co-founder of Voices for Creative Nonviolence, addressed about 65 people in the MCC Conference Center on the topic of drones in warfare, those unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) capable of surveillance and missile and bomb delivery in precision strikes in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Kathy explained the growth of the U.S. drone program over the past nine years. In 2001, when the U.S. invaded Afghanistan, the military had about 100 drones. By January 2009, when President Obama took office, there were about 7,000. Today there are 12,000.
How are drones in Afghanistan and Pakistan controlled? By military personnel in Nevada and New York, thousands of miles away. One operator watches the view from the drone's camera on his monitor, while another operator controls the flight with a joystick. The chain-of-command is involved in decisions to launch weapons.
According to the brochure for tonight's program, "The military itself acknowledges that for every one "bad guy" the DRONES assassinate, FIFTY civilians are murdered." See http://nodrones.com/factsheet.htm
Look at it this way: let's say a drone was circling over Woodstock, trying to spot a member of Al Qaeda. The spotter thinks he has got him; the controller causes the drone to circle while permission is sought to fire. Missile firing is authorized, and the command to fire is given. The missile may or may not get the target, and 50 people die. You lose family members, other relatives, neighbors and friends. Many children die.
How long would it take you to join the resistance?
What Kathy found on her visits to Afghanistan and Pakistan is that the people of the country do not want the U.S. there. Kathy puts herself on the line, with her voice, with her body and with her life. She spoke with passion tonight.
It's too bad there were only 65 people in the auditorium that would hold 300-400. Mostly adults, some students. Where was the effective promotion of her presentation?
For more information about Voices for Creative Nonviolence, visit www.vcnv.org
8 comments:
NO..too bad there were 65 people to listen to this ultra left wing propaganda. People believing this malarkey (I had another phrase in mind) are the people that would never have the internal fortitude to defend this country, yet sit back and snipe at it from the safety and comfort of a taxpayer funded school auditorium. She’s an anti-military zealot. Most of her ilk has heavy socialist and communist leanings.
Before you jump up and say BUT, BUT, BUT she is exercising her constitutional rights trying to change a wrong...look at the way you phrased it. When the US” INVADED” Afghanistan. For every one "bad guy" the DRONES assassinate, FIFTY civilians are MURDERED." Talk about bias. Next I expected you recite back the Rev Jeremiah Wright, saying he how he condemns the USA and shouting his well known pronouncement “the stuff we have done overseas is now brought back into our own front yards. America's chickens are coming home to roost."
How about 3000 murdered in NYC. I bet she is promoting the Mosque just down the street from the Twin Towers, a Mosque to commemorate symbolic towering tribute to Islamic conquest. Are we as a nation to just sit back and be terrorized? Are we to be as lambs to the slaughter and not fight? I’m sure Kathy Kelly would be very content raising a white flag.
If these drones save the life of one US serviceman they are worth it. I say make 10,000 more and use them everyday. They are an effective tool in our defense. As the father of a brave courageous son, serving his second tour in Afghanistan assigned to Navy Special Operations, I strongly condemn the college giving a forum for her to spread her anti government propaganda. They should devote time celebrating the men and women in our armed services that defend, not tear down, this country.
I pray each night that God bring my son and all the others home safely. People like Kathy Kelly should worry about OUR military, not promote some left wing anti government rhetoric.
“He which hath no stomach to this fight let him depart.
But we in it shall be remembered.
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers!
For he today, that sheds his blood with me, shall always be my brother”.
Rest in peace my Brothers, you have not been forgotten”
~ W. Shakespeare~
Drones. Horrible. I say we should switch to something more precise like suicide bombers.
Keep in mind that the death total on 9/11 eclipses Pearl Harbor.
Worse, the majority of these dead were "non-coms".
WE invaded? LOL!
Bush stated it clearly - those who harbor terrorists are against us.
Kill ratio? Somewhere in between 0 and 50, and probably even less. All these *ssholes would locate their HQ's in the midst of grade schools, were there enough available to suit their needs.
And WHO are the cowards?
Kelly is a ultra left with a history of arrests for obstructing military operations. Shame on MCC for hosting this.
Gus,
I have always known you to be a lighting rod for attention but now the support for this kook? I'd be interested where Kathy Kelly stands on the Firearms Concealed Carry law and the right the bear arms that you so often advocate. She has been arrested more than sixty times at home and abroad and was sentenced to a year in Federal prison for trespassing onto Ft Benning. She has been arrested numerous times disrupting military operations.
She is closely associated with Code Pink, a well know subversive group. In fact, the link YOU provided about her brochure goes to the CODE PINK website. Kelly is a frequent speaker at these Code Pink rallies as is confidant Cindy Sheehan…remember her??? Birds of a feather…..
Kathy Kelly is tightly woven into CODE PINK and other liberal groups. Open the article below and this shows the mindset of Code Pink and the KATHY KELLY types. Code Pink believes that our service members deserve to die http://bigpeace.com/dlee/2010/08/21/code-pink-tells-gold-star-mom-your-son-deserved-to-die/
NICE, real NICE! ALA Westboro Baptist Church mentality.
What is next? Maybe MCC should invite the Westboro Baptist Church to speak at MCC? Seems they want to follow the Berkley mindset.
When is the last time you guys stood up for something you believe in? Ever? Ever risk your job? Ever put your life, health or freedom on the line?
I'm not talking about writing a letter or a comment and not signing your full name to it.
Ever stand up to your boss and tell him that you are NOT going to follow an unlawful order?
I refrain from posting to bogs as it only encourages the blogger to continue, however I would like to add this thought.
Kathy Kelley is a full time activist and rather than go speak out against the Islamic extremist that kill people in random terrorist attacks, targeting civilians, she subverts our own military making wild accusation and distorting facts. She very well knows that should she speak out against the Islamic terrorist, she would in short order be silenced in a horrific manner. Do some research and find out where Code Pink gets their funding. It comes mostly from ultra left wing and communist political bases. She has been quoted in another article about the Israeli Army murdering the 'Palestinian Freedom Fighters. Once again distorting facts. A terrorist to one, is a freedom fighter to the left.
She would prefer the US lay down its arms and acquiesce to the demands of terrorists rather than fight against them. Her motives are less than altruistic. Making the USA weaker defensively, serves their ultimate leftist goal of a socialist country.
Is this what the Green Party Advocates? Her ideals and thoughts of our Republic are far outside the mainstream beliefs of most Americans.
Skipper, too bad you weren't in the audience Wednesday night to hear exactly what Kathy Kelly said and to ask your own questions.
I did not hear your allegations in her message.
Maybe we'd have Redcoats on our corners, if your position was the prevalent one in this country. Thanks to the insurgents in 1776, we are the U.S.A.
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