I recently received the following email announcement from CAWI regarding the Oct. 27th Mobilization and the expected speakers:

"*We have a terrific lineup of speakers and performers*. To the list posted
last week, we're adding Rosemarie Slavanas, Gold Star Families Speak Out;
Rep John Conyers, (D-MI); and Rep Jan Schakowsky (D-IL)."

Rep. Jan Schakowsky has voted to fund the War in Iraq, supports leaving all options on the table including the "military option" in regards to a possible U.S. attack on Iran and she has strongly supported the militarization of schools in Chicago, including the Senn Naval Academy and recently, the new Marine Academy. Finding it really difficult to find enough soldiers for its wars, the military has massively targeted the multi-national Chicago public schools for indoctrination and recruitment. Chicago has the most militarized public schools in the country where students from the sixth grade up drill in uniform in “Junior ROTC” and “Cadet” programs. I believe that schools should be for education, not military indoctrination. It doesn't seem at all appropriate that someone with Rep. Schekowsky's views would be chosen as a speaker at a peace rally.

Rep. John Conyers will also be speaking at he rally. Rep. Conyers is from Michigan. Rep. Dennis Kucinich from Ohio was informed that he could not speak at the rally because only "Illinois politicians" were being invited to speak, yet Rep. John Conyers from Michigan will be speaking. It seems quite obvious that the Oct. 27th Mobilization organizers wanted to keep Kucinich away from the rally because of their own political agenda.

The way this rally has been organized has definitely hurt the integrity of the peace movement. It's shameful.