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Charlie Richardson and Nancey Lessin, long time anti-war radicals from the 60s are the grave robbers who set out to deliberately trade on the good name and reputation of the Gold Star Mothers.

Early on, they saw that their tired 60s rhetoric did not work and how their usual trashing the military was met with scorn. So along with other radicals like Castro groupie Leslie Cagan (UFPJ) and former Castro state newspaper reporter Medea Benjamin (Code PINK) they too now support the troops.

Here are two quotes from "The New Face of Protest", an article that appeared in THE NATION back in March (http://www.thenation.com/docprint.mhtml?>i=20050328&s=houppert)

"For now, buoyed by news reports of dissent in the ranks, antiwar leaders are convinced that soldiers make valuable allies. "They have a credibility in this conversation that allows them to reach more people and to take on some of the arguments of the conservatives in a more persuasive way," says Charley Richardson, one of the co-founders of Military Families Speak Out..."

"Part of the problem is that no one, from the next-door neighbor to the politicians in Congress, wants to be seen as not supporting the troops," says Lessin. "Our role is to change that construct, to say that real support of the troops right now--when they have been sent off to fight and die in a war based on lies--is to fight against a war that never had to happen. We say, 'We need you to support the troops this way.'" Getting vets and military family members involved is thus critical. "This group of people gives us permission to speak out against the war."

Please forward the press release, the URL for THE NATION article and the two quotes above to the talk radio hosts you listen to ASAP.

Thanks.