Scott Fontaine;
Tacoma News-Tribune
April 2, 2010

Pvt. Travis Bishop left his jail cell at Joint Base Lewis-McChord last week with no job, a criminal conviction and just one regret.

“I wish I had known about applying for a conscientious objector status a lot sooner,” said Bishop, a 26-year-old Louisville, Ky., native.

The former sergeant made headlines when he went absent without leave and refused to deploy to Afghanistan with his Fort Hood unit last year. Bishop cited his Christian beliefs in making the decision – a move that ultimately cost him 71/2 months of freedom and led international human-rights group Amnesty International to label him a prisoner of conscience.  read more »

Join Travis Bishop to honor his courage. This event will be at Coffee Strong, and starts at 3 pm Sunday, March 28. Refreshments will be provided by Coffee Strong staff.

He was tried by the military for his stand against an occupation he believes is illegal. He insists that it would be unethical to have deployed to support an occupation he opposes on moral and illegal grounds. He filed for conscientious objection (CO) status.

Between 2000 and 2006, more than 40,000 troops from all branches of the military deserted. Army desertion rates jumped by 42 percent from 2006 to 2007.

See the list of supporters who made his early release possible. This community of support is growing!

Jeff Paterson, Sarah Lazare and everyone else at Courage to Resist  read more »

Ann Wright, ret. Colonel and diplomat who served in Somalia, Uzbekistan, and Mongolia; tireless advocate for Palestinians in Gaza, and for military sexual trauma survivors, and Citizen of the Year in Atlanta, 2009...will join us for an afternoon in Tacoma!

Her talk will focus on the costs of wars, and relationships among wars in the Middle East.
We’ll discuss what these costs are, in ways that everyone shares concerns: Dwindling jobs, health care and education, globally. And of course, what people are doing and planning in response to economic changes. Community building seems to be on the agenda.

KING’S BOOKS
218 St Helen’s Ave
Tacoma, WA 98402
(253-272-8801)  read more »

By Jon R. Anderson - Staff writer, Army Times
Posted : Sunday Mar 7, 2010 12:55:44 EST

LAKEWOOD, Wash. — Seth Manzel is not your typical peacenik.
An Iraq veteran with an ash-black crucifix tattoo on his forearm, he wears his hair short, as if he were still an infantry squad leader. At home, he has a safe full of guns. At work, he’s the strong-arm night guard for a rough-and-tumble motel.
But by day, he helps run a coffee shop just outside Fort Lewis, where war fighters mingle with anti-war activists over hot brew and heated discussion.  read more »

Coffee Strong seeks the following Volunteer positions,or Internships! Positions are available now, with a goal to fill them by the end of March.

Media Assistant: Drafts press releases, maintains the Media database, searches for media opportunities to promote Coffee Strong. Attends weekly staff meetings.

Website Assistant: maintains contact with primary web manager, adds content under direction, updates Resources page; may be asked to serve as a moderator.

Outreach: develop and keep an inventory of "tabling in a box" (t-shirts, donation forms, brochures, sign-up sheets, etc.) Coordinates tabling events, identifies events for reaching specific groups.  read more »

WAR RESISTER TRAVIS BISHOP GETS THREE MONTH REDUCTION IN SENTENCE
Hundreds of letters from supporters credited with large part in victory

February 10, 2010
http://freetravisbishop.wordpress.com/

FORT HOOD, Texas – Sergeant Travis Bishop received word this week that he was given a 3-month suspension, of the 12 month sentence he received last year for refusing to deploy to Afghanistan based on his Christian religious beliefs against war.

Lt. General Robert Cone, commanding general of Fort Hood approved the sentence reduction on February 4th after considering Sgt. Bishop’s clemency application.  read more »

Two very powerful speakers will discuss dynamics they've identified over the last decade working with military sexual trauma (Stinson) and sexual assault among wives or partners of police officers (Brannan). Both women have extraordinary backgrounds, and both have received honors for their work in Sonoma County, CA.

Elizabeth Stinson is a military trauma therapist, as well as a mediator who worked for many years with several tribes, as a UN certified forensics expert. Her diplomatic skills saved sacred sites and properties. Come meet her, and appreciate the clarity of her communication, very respectful yet clear approach to resolving issues that threaten the power and rights of women and soldiers.  read more »

It's Time to Change the Rules!

There is no charge to participate; donations to Coffee Strong gladly accepted.

The Supreme Court ruling in Citizens United is just the latest--and most blatant--example that corporations have hijacked our government. The ruling leaves ordinary citizens little oportunity to participate in making the fundamental decisions that affect our lives. Corporations are using our legal system against us.

It's Time For a People's Movement, to draw many in the community together. Meet others who are very concerned. Speakers will give an excellent overview.

We must amend the US Constitution to affirm that only people, NOT corporations, are entitled to constitutional protections specific to elections, and other violations of democratic rights.  read more »

This young woman, Spc. Hutchinson, whose mother initially agreed to provide care for her baby, discovered her mother was also caring for three disabled or ill relatives. The mother became clear within a week that she couldn't care for the infant in addition to her other commitments.

The military PLACED the baby in protective custody, took the baby from the mother, Alexis, and has now awarded her four court martials.

Read about Alexis, and write a letter to the military commanders. Sign the petition. See http://www.couragetoresist.org/x/content/view/811/1/

Please, take a minute to write Marc a letter of support! These letters should be delivered without any problem.

Army Spc. Marc Hall sits in jail over “Stop-loss” song

After over a month of confinement, Army Specialist Marc Hall still sits incarcerated in the Liberty County Jail near Fort Stewart, GA. The U.S. Army jailed Hall on December 11, claiming that the lyrics of his hip-hop song, “Stop-loss” amount to the “communication of a threat.” Hall, an Iraq War veteran, recorded the song last summer, expressing his anger over the Army’s Stop-Loss policy, which involuntarily extended his contract for a second Iraq deployment. We believe that Spc. Hall’s right to free speech is being violated with the Army’s actions.  read more »