"Trouble is that, like god, impeachment does not exist"
David Swanson, progressive author and activist
Recently, I received an email from Veterans for Peace (VFP) Chapter 136 in Central Florida asking me for an endorsement of its resolution to impeach Barack Obama.
First of all, I would like to commend the Central Florida chapter for its integrity and vision for peace that this resolution exhibits. In my own experience, it's not even popular to criticize Obama, let alone call for his removal from office. Kudos!
Secondly, even though Chapter 136 uses the EXACT SAME references and charges that National VFP used for its resolution to impeach Bush and Cheney, I have little hope that National VFP will pass a similar resolution at its national convention. It's unfortunate that standards are rarely applied equally across the board. I "hope" I am wrong.
In 2005, National VFP called for impeaching the Bush criminals even before it was en vogue to be against the regime. I remember being severely and thoroughly attacked by the left, right and in between for riding to Crawford in a bus driven by VFP members that had "IMPEACH BUSH" written across the sides in huge letters. On November 5th, 2004, I was myself in the avant-garde of calling for Bush's impeachment just a day after his "re-election" to a second term.
In 2007, I announced my electoral challenge to Speaker of the House, Nancy "Impeachment off the Table" Pelosi because I felt so strongly in this Constitutional remedy to a criminal executive. Did I believe I would win? Just about as much as I believe that Nancy will impeach someone from her own party if she wouldn't impeach a scoundrel like Bush.
But like VFP's resolution says: "We want to emphasize that our chapter's call for the Impeachment of President Obama for war crimes is not based on whether or not Impeachment is likely to occur, but ratherour call for Impeachmentis based on what we as Veterans For Peace feelis our dutyin the case where war crimes are being committed under the command and authority of any United States President."
This is the text of the resolution:
IMPEACHMENT OF PRESIDENT BARACK H. OBAMA FOR WAR CRIMES
WhereasBarack H. Obama is Commander In Chief of the U.S. Armed Forces and the head of the Executive Branch of the U.S. government; and,
Whereasthe illegal U.S. invasion, bombing and occupation of Iraq initiated by the Bush administration continues under the Obama administration; and,
Whereasthe U.S. government is currently engaged in illegal wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan and Obama has pledged to increase the number of military personnel and the amount of tax dollars spent on the wars in Afghanistan and Pakistan; and,
Whereasthe U.S. military has used and continues to use depleted uranium munitions, cluster bombs and white phosphorous in densely populated areas in violation of U.S. and international laws and treaties prohibiting the indiscriminate killing of civilians; and,
Whereasthe Geneva Conventions specifically prohibit the use of especially injurious weapons and materials that cause unnecessary harm by remaining active and deadly after a battle and over large areas of land; and,
Whereasa large number of babies born in Iraq and Afghanistan suffer from illness and deformity like Down's syndrome, weak hearts, severe disfigurement and brain damage that doctors believe are caused by the U.S. military's massive and widespread use of toxic and radioactive materials; and,
Whereasmillions upon millions of Iraqi, Afghani and Pakistani civilians have been killed, maimed, poisoned and displaced from their homes as a direct result of the U.S.'s ongoing, illegal acts of war; and,
Whereasillegal, immoral and counterproductive detainee torture and brutalization at the hands of the U.S. military's Immediate Reaction Force continue at Guantanamo under the Obama administration; and,
WhereasObama is an accessory after the fact for obstructing justice by not initiating an investigation into numerous and blatant U.S. war crimes committed by the Bush administration for which it is manifestly accountable under the rule of law; and,
WhereasVeterans For Peace supported the impeachment of Bush/Cheney for the same war crimes that are now being committed by Obama in violation of the U.S. Constitution, U.S. federal laws, the United Nations Charter, the Hague Convention, the Geneva Conventions, The United Nations Convention Against Torture and the Nuremberg Tribunal Charter; and,
WhereasVeterans For Peace is committed to its stated mission to restrain our government from intervening, overtly or covertly, in the internal affairs of other nations, to seek justice for veterans and victims of war, to increase public awareness of the costs of war, and to abolish war as an instrument of national policy; and, therefore be it
Resolvedthat Veterans For Peace calls on the U.S. House of Representatives to immediately begin impeachment proceedings against Barack H. Obama for failure to uphold his sworn oath to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States of America from all enemies foreign and domestic, and for his commission of war crimes, crimes against humanity, obstruction of justice and the violation of numerous national and international laws, treaties and conventions.
Note: This resolution to call for the Impeachment of President Barack H. Obama for War Crimes was debated, voted on, and approved by the members of the Central Florida chapter of Veterans For Peace on 7 July 2009.
I endorsed this call, as did my organization, Peace of the Action.
If you would like to individually endorse, or as a group:
Endorsed by:
________________________________________________________________
On this ______ day of ____________________, 2010
Please return mail or fax to:
Central Florida Veterans For Peace
P.O. Box 9012
Daytona Beach, FL 32120-9012
Phone/Fax: (386) 788-2918
15
13
12
