Letter from John Conyers

I’m on every progressive email list in the world now, it seems, and I don’t even know how it happened. I try to read everything, but sometimes it just gets away from me and I miss a few. But there’s one name that always means I open it right away, because it means something good is happening—Congressman John Conyers. And this morning’s missive didn’t disappoint. John Conyers rocks.

Cindy Sheehan’s vigil outside in Crawford, Texas has clearly struck a nerve in this country, and her willingness to speak truth to power resonates as a model of courage and dedication to us all.

I am proposing that we take three steps to support Cindy in the face of a ferocious assault by the right wing.

First, I am organizing an effort to write our local papers to support Cindy and her efforts to meet with the president. I have set up a form on my web site as part of a Crawford Action Center (which includes news reports, pictures, video, audio, and talking points) to allow you to submit a letter in your own words simultaneously to all papers in your region. I will be able to keep track of the number of letters submitted, and have set an initial goal of generating at least 1,000 letters to support Cindy. This is a follow-up to the letter that I, along with 40 Members of Congress, sent to the president urging him to meet with Cindy.

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Second, I have made a $500 donation to the Gold Star Families for Peace. If you are able to, you can go to the following site to make a donation to the Gold Star Families or the Crawford Peace Center to support Cindy’s efforts.

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Third, arm yourselves with the facts about Cindy so that you are prepared to respond to the smear attacks coordinated by the right wing. Correct these misconceptions in your communications with the media, on the internet, and in your day-to-day conversations. I have added a talking points section to my website that provide simple, direct refutations to the lies that are being spread besmirching Cindy's character. Grassroots word-of-mouth is the first line of defense in responding to these attacks.

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Let’s help Cindy in her pursuit for truth and justice in the face of a right wing smear campaign.

Sincerely,
John Conyers