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District 4 Co$t of War Town Hall Congressman Peter DeFazio
Constituents Pack Town Hall to Talk About War and Local Funding Crisis: People Pass Own Iraq Resolution
Constituents from every corner of District 4
shared testimony on how the war in Iraq is impacting their small town
communities. The public testimonial was opened up by Mary Geddry of
Coquille, OR whose son,
Mary Geddry (left) of Coquille shares the impact of her son's 2 tours in Iraq.
A small town professor from Benton County shared the enormous costs for students to attend college and the high level of student dropout due to increased costs. A woman from Linn County discussed the huge funding gap the state faces for domestic violence programs, where currently only $6 million is available for a needed $16 million budget. A housing advocate from Douglas County shared that the cost of war alone to Oregon’s 4th Congressional District could pay for houses for 3,000 families. He stated that the homeless and the families in need are the people we say ‘no’ to when we say ‘yes’ to the cost of war. Wilbur Patterson of Florence, OR shared his view on the moral cost of war, “I believe some of the real costs of this war cannot be measured in numbers. How do you measure loss of trust in our national leaders? How do you measure the value not only of lives lost but also of lives made infinitely more troubled by warfare? How do you measure the immense cost in human hope by our creation of thousands of refugees forced to flee their homes?” While Congress debated non-binding resolutions in DC, the people of Oregon’s 4th Congressional District came together for a 4th District Town Hall on Iraq and passed their own People’s Resolution that calls for troop withdrawal, no further money for the war, no expansion of war into in Iran, and coordination around the state to ensure that their Congressional Delegation act in accordance. The United States is at a critical deciding point
in the future of the war in Iraq. A supplemental appropriations vote
for funding in Iraq is expected in Congress later this month; a vote
that will test the impact of the recent 2006 elections on decisions
relating to the war. Congress will also decide this session whether to
reauthorize the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination
Act, legislation that relies on timber receipts and federal lands
compensations to fund approximately 4,400 school districts in 615
counties in 39 states. With her face turned towards the aides representing Congressman DeFazio’s office, and the video camera taping the event, Geddry pleaded, “Today I ask that John’s representative [Peter DeFazio] take a risk, I ask that he take a metaphoric bullet for my son and vote against further funding for this war. The consequences of this metaphoric bullet upon our Congress in no way compares to the consequences of the bullet my child may take.” Congressman DeFazio was not in attendance though he has been asked to set a date for such a Town Hall for several months. His office was represented by three aides who agreed to deliver the message of the Town Hall to Congressman DeFazio. Similar Cost of War Town Halls have taken place this week in the other congressional districts in the state where standing room only crowds have passed People’s Resolutions. Senators Smith and Wyden have bypassed invitations to join these People’s Town Halls and opted for screened audiences and a televised format versus public dialogue. The Cost of War Town Halls have been organized by
the Rural Organizing Project (ROP) and their 62 human dignity groups
members throughout the state. To read the Resolution for Congressman DeFazio from District 4, Click below: Resolution as Word Document Resolution as PDF Document To return to the Co$t of War page, CLICK HERE
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150
people packed the Douglas County Library on Saturday, February 24th
for a chance to testify about the local cost of war in Oregon’s 4th
Congressional District. From Josephine County Commissioner, Dave Toler,
to military families and veterans the call was clear to Oregon’s
Congressional Delegation to vote no on any further appropriations for
the war in Iraq. 
John
served two tours in Iraq with the Marines, “He saw his battle buddies
lose limbs and die next to him and having been thrust into war, John, my
child, repeatedly engaged an enemy, sighted down the barrel of his
weapon, and ended lives. Today, the multitude of nightmares, night
sweats and demons are tamed with medication which we were finally able
to get the VA to pay for and he wants little more than to hold onto his
job, pay his bills, and eventually become a fireman. John is expected to
be recalled to Iraq this May.”