CATHOLIC SOCIAL JUSTICE THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK
November 20-22 will be the annual vigil at the gates of Fort Benning, Georgia and the School of the Americas (SOA). The Pentagon's SOA has trained over 64,000 Latin American soldiers in civilian-targeted warfare tactics including torture, murder and other human rights atrocities. SOA graduates are responsible for the assassination of Archbishop Oscar Romero and the murders of Cleveland's Jean Donovan and Ursuline Sister Dorothy Kazel in El Salvadore and many more deaths throughout Latin America. The purpose of the School of the Americas is, and always has been, to control the economic and political systems of Latin America by aiding and influencing their militaries. Countries with the worst human rights records have consistently sent the most soldiers to be trained at the SOA. The campaign to close the SOA is in a crucial phase right now. Despite promising comments from President Obama during his election campaign, the SOA is still in operation and the Pentagon is moving forward with plans for new U.S. military bases in Colombia. It is tremendously important for us to keep up the pressure. You can join others from the Cleveland Diocese as they travel to Fort Benning to participate in the largest and longest standing annual peace and justice gathering in the U.S. You can contact the InterReligious Task Force (IRTF) at 216-961-0003 to make a reservation to join their bus caravan to Fort Benning or go to their website for full details www.IRTFcleveland.org. The SOA is an intrinsic evil and we all need to pray for its closure.
November 20-22 will be the annual vigil at the gates of Fort Benning, Georgia and the School of the Americas (SOA). The Pentagon's SOA has trained over 64,000 Latin American soldiers in civilian-targeted warfare tactics including torture, murder and other human rights atrocities. SOA graduates are responsible for the assassination of Archbishop Oscar Romero and the murders of Cleveland's Jean Donovan and Ursuline Sister Dorothy Kazel in El Salvadore and many more deaths throughout Latin America. The purpose of the School of the Americas is, and always has been, to control the economic and political systems of Latin America by aiding and influencing their militaries. Countries with the worst human rights records have consistently sent the most soldiers to be trained at the SOA. The campaign to close the SOA is in a crucial phase right now. Despite promising comments from President Obama during his election campaign, the SOA is still in operation and the Pentagon is moving forward with plans for new U.S. military bases in Colombia. It is tremendously important for us to keep up the pressure. You can join others from the Cleveland Diocese as they travel to Fort Benning to participate in the largest and longest standing annual peace and justice gathering in the U.S. You can contact the InterReligious Task Force (IRTF) at 216-961-0003 to make a reservation to join their bus caravan to Fort Benning or go to their website for full details www.IRTFcleveland.org. The SOA is an intrinsic evil and we all need to pray for its closure.
[Source: St. Paul Social Justice Ministry]
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