President Obama has (if he chooses to use it) executive authority to close the SOA once and for all. But in order for him to feel the political pressure to do so, he needs to hear from all of us, via our members of Congress.
Until July 28, members of Congress are being urged to sign a letter to President Obama, urging him to close the SOA. Your congresswoman/congressman needs to hear from YOU and others in your district that this is a priority.
Contact your member of Congress via http://www.house.gov/ (or better by phone 202.224.3121). Ask him/her to add his/her name to the letter being circulated by Rep. McGovern, urging President Obama to issue an Executive Order to close the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation, better known as the SOA.
Here is a sample phone script:
"As a constituent living in _________, I am calling to ask Congressman/woman ________ to add his/her name to the Congressional sign-on letter directed at President Obama, urging him to use his executive authority to close the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (WHINSEC); many know it as the former School of the Americas.
WHINSEC students continue to commit human rights abuses in places like Honduras and Colombia. Despite demands by Congress for greater transparency and accountability, the Pentagon arbitrarily reversed nearly 60 years of precedent and is now denying all requests to provide information to human rights organizations and the public about students and graduates of the school.
WHINSEC students continue to commit human rights abuses in places like Honduras and Colombia. Despite demands by Congress for greater transparency and accountability, the Pentagon arbitrarily reversed nearly 60 years of precedent and is now denying all requests to provide information to human rights organizations and the public about students and graduates of the school.
You know that Ohioans have cared deeply about this issue ever since it was discovered that the Salvadoran military men who murdered Cleveland’s church women had been trained by the US at the SOA. Each year we send hundreds of people to Georgia for the Vigil to Close the SOA. Some have gone to federal prison for their nonviolent protest.
I urge you to contact Cindy Buhl in Representative McGovern's office and ask that your boss be a signer to the Congressional sign-on letter to President Obama. I hope you will represent my views and support this letter."
I urge you to contact Cindy Buhl in Representative McGovern's office and ask that your boss be a signer to the Congressional sign-on letter to President Obama. I hope you will represent my views and support this letter."
If you feel you don’t know quite enough about the SOA (now called WHINSEC) to make this call, read more about the infamous “School of Assassins” at http://soaw.org/about-us/faq .
(Courtesy of our friends at IRTF in Cleveland.)
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