Bring the Oregon National Guard Home Campaign
Keep the Oregon Guard in Oregon!
The federal government intends to send 3500 members of the Oregon National Guard to Iraq in Summer 2009. Many will not return or will return with physical or psychic trauma. Moreover, taking the guard and all their equipment out of Oregon causes serious hardship at home and leaves the state unprepared for disasters. The Oregon legislature has the power to prevent or delay the Federal Government from sending our guard abroad.
Current federalization of the Oregon National Guard is based on authorizations for the use of military force against Afghanistan (2001) and Iraq (2002) that are either too broad, too open ended, or are no longer valid. The Iraq authorization, for example, is based on Iraq possessing weapons of mass destruction and a sponsor of international terrorism. Conditions which were not and are not true. The US and Oregon Constitutions do not support unending and unlimited federalization.
The Oregon Legislature has the power to declare that the Oregon National Guard may be deployed only if Congress passes a current and valid authorization for the use of military force.
PDX Peace has joined with other organizations around the state in a campaign coordinated by Peace and Justice Works to get such legislation passed. Similar campaigns are now active in at least 10 other states. Join us!
For more information about the campaign go to the Peace and Justice Works website.
Gather signatures for a petition to the Oregon legislature (pdf).
Read frequently asked questions about the campaign (pdf).
See a draft of possible legislation (pdf).
View the original authorizations of the use of military force (pdf).
Current Co-Sponsors include:
Representatives Jules Bailey, Michael Dembrow, Chris Edwards, Mitch Greenlick, Nick Kahl, Jim Thompson, Carolyn Tomei and Chip Shields. Senators Laurie Monnes-Anderson, Rod Monroe, Bill Morrisette, Diane Rosenbaum, Vicki Walker and Martha Schrader.
