Tell Senator Specter to Help End the War

I get a lot of pesky emails from folks like MoveOn, but I put up with them because their goals usually seem worthwhile. Sometimes I even do what they ask or go to the events they're promoting. Today I got one asking me to go to a town hall meeting being held by a group called Pennsylvanians Against Escalation in Iraq where they plan to attract local media to focus public attention on the fact that Senator Specter did the Bush-Cheney junta's bidding by voting against a spending bill that sets a deadline for safely extricating our troops from the sectarian hell that has been unleashed in Iraq by our corrupt and delusional president. [Although they don't say, I'm guessing our newly elected Senator Casey voted to bring our troops home ASAP. Anybody know? Boy, did he drop off the radar. He's probably secretly plotting to extend affordable health care to all Americans or something subversive like that.]

This Thursday—April 5—at 7:00pm in Philadelphia, Pennsylvanians Against Escalation in Iraq are holding a town hall meeting where local veterans and concerned area residents will discuss the overwhelming support for ending the Iraq war. Media will be in attendance and a strong message will be sent to Specter to stop voting against the will of his constituents.

Here are the details—can you join other MoveOn members at Thursday's town hall meeting on Iraq?

Pennsylvanian's Against Escalation in Iraq—Town Hall Meeting
Where: Friends Center, Martin Luther King Room (3rd floor), N 15th St & Cherry Street Philadelphia, PA 19102.
When: Thursday, April 5, 2007—7:00pm

Typical of MoveOn, I receive this email the day before the event. It may be, however, possible for me to attend. As advertised, the location doesn't look like much. However, if the Quakers had anything resembling a central authority, Friends Center could be it. There is a third of a square block right in the heart of Center City that is the Quaker equivalent of the Vatican: a beautifully austere, Midnineteenth Century meeting house (big red roof on map), Friends Select School (taking up another big chunk of land at 17th Street and the Parkway), Philadelphia Yearly Meeting offices, and other offices for organizations like the American Friends Service Committee. I have to give the Quakers credit. They've been peacefully recomending to the rest of us to renounce our barbaric ways for over 300 years, yet they continue to host events like this without completely losing it [which is truly Christian]. They emphasize on their website that all are welcome [which is also strangely consistent with the behavior of Jesus in the Bible book], so maybe I'll see you there tomorrow.