The “best new thing in the world” is that our local Veterans for Peace have made Maddow for their “eat in” at Babylon in Lowell, MA.

Occupy Hospitality. Occupy <3

LOWELL — Dozens of area veterans plan on filling “every chair” at the Babylon restaurant tonight for an “eat-in” to show their support after an unidentified man vandalized the Iraqi-owned business.

A witness reported seeing a male suspect exiting the passenger side of a vehicle last Wednesday at 3 a.m., and hurling a large building stone, about 20 pounds, through the restaurant window. The witness was able to give the vehicle’s New Hampshire license-plate number to police.

Lowell Police Superintendent Kenneth Lavallee said yesterday officers are investigating the incident.

“At this time, there is nothing to indicate this is, indeed, a hate crime,” Lavallee said. “We will continue to pursue this matter and hopefully resolve it soon.”

Patrick Scanlon, coordinator of Veterans for Peace, said that until police can prove otherwise, evidence suggests the restaurant was targeted based on who the owners are.

“I find it hard to believe that somebody is going to pull up at 3 a.m., with a 20-pound stone and randomly pick the Middle Eastern store out of all the other businesses on the street,” Scanlon said. “In my opinion, this was a hate crime.”

Tonight [Jan. 10], from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., local veterans plan to fill the restaurant, on Merrimack Street near Bridge Street in downtown Lowell, and give it their business. They’ll also stand outside with a flag to show support for Babylon’s owner, Leyla Al-Zubaydi, and her father, Ahmed Al-Zubaidi.

Several of the veterans joining the movement have served in Iraq, Scanlon said.

Most of the Iraqi refugees who live locally have worked with the coalition forces in some way, putting themselves and their families’ lives in danger.

Following the 9/11 attacks on the U.S., Uzbekistan won favor in Washington by allowing a military base there, affording ready access across the Afghan border.

In 2003, Ahmed Al-Zubaidi, a respected journalist, broadcast a special report detailing Saddam Hussein’s torturing of Iraqis.

Soon after the broadcast, Al-Zubaidi said he received threatening phone calls. Then one night, on his way home from eating dinner with friends, he said he was attacked in the street and severely beaten by six men. Left for dead, he said he spent two months recovering in a hospital. After his release, he no longer focused his reporting on charged political issues, instead working on feature stories and managing two restaurants.

His family immigrated to the U.S. in January 2011.

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Pat Scanlon is a friend of mine, fellow member of Merrimack Valley People for Peace, and coordinator of the Smedley Butler Brigade of Veterans for Peace. I see so many familiar faces in this video. We’re still here trying to sing louder than the guns. War has become such a fixture in our society it is becoming normalized. What is the toll on our souls?

@NewsBostonWCVB BostonChannelBanned Groups Plan Second Southie Parade: It’s the pride of South Boston: The St. Patrick’s Day Parade. But this…http://bit.ly/e6OKYb5 minutes ago via twitterfeedBanned Groups Plan Second Southie Parade - Boston News Story - WCVB Boston

Boston — It’s the pride of South Boston: The St. Patrick’s Day Parade. But this year, there will be another parade behind it. Veterans for Peace and other groups who were not allowed to march in the traditional parade have organized their own. Wednesday, March 16, 2011.

That’s why social media is so democratic.

Civil Resistance to Wars at the White House on 12-16-10 - ellen.rachel.davidson - Picasa Web Albums

Great photo of my friend Pat Scanlon, Vietnam veteran, yoga teacher, and peace and environmental activist extraordinaire, with Daniel Ellsberg, who released the Pentagon Papers, on the occasion of the latter’s 80th arrest in advance of his 80th birthday. 

There are more photos of the Veterans for Peace civil disobedience at the White House on Ellen Rachel Davidson’s Picassa site. As the parallels between Vietnam and Afghanistan mount, so do the calls of the Veterans for Peace for withdrawal from this monstrous, pointless, and costly war. (Tip ‘o’ the hat to a friend from Merrimack Valley People for Peace for circulating the link to the photo on the listserv.)

Jobless bennies getting thin? Teacher layoffs? Bridges looking crumbly? Healthcare reform needing funding? Any domestic agenda is doomed to fail as long as we continue to pour money into the hole in Central Asia we call our war effort.

Last week, the Senate Appropriations committee voted 30-0 for a $59 billion war appropriation; it will probably come up in the full Senate, and maybe also the House, this week.  

The bill attempts to wrap $33 billion to escalate troop levels in Afghanistan in a sugar-coating of funds for Vietnam-era veterans’ Agent Orange health care, Haiti earthquake aid, cleanup of the Gulf oil spill and flood relief.   
Congress must separate those needed programs from the Afghanistan war escalation and vote NO on the supplemental military appropriation!    

The $33 billion supplemental request will pay for the 30,000 additional troops President Obama ordered to Afghanistan in December and who are now starting to arrive for the Kandahar offensive. Congress must take a stand, refuse to fund the war, stop the assault on Kandahar, save lives and support a negotiated end to the conflict.

Veterans call on Kerry to end Afghanistan war -Brown Bag Vigil, Boston, Feb 18, 2010

Passage of the bill is NOT a done deal.  Sen. Tom Harkin plans to add $23 billion to prevent teacher layoffs to the measure.    If antiwar legislators stand firm they will have leverage.  Call your Congressperson, 202-224-3121 today and ask him or her to vote NO on funding for the Afghanistan war!

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