Group tired of spending money on war
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NorthJersey.com
06/03/2010
Drivers slowed down by the "bottleneck" on Route 4 near Belle Avenue, because a 40-foot banner hanging from the Garrison Avenue Bridge caught their eyes on Sunday.
A banner was displayed on an overpass on Route 4 in Teaneck for motorists to see over the weekend.
PHOTO COURTESY OF PAULA ROGOVIN
A banner was displayed on an overpass on Route 4 in Teaneck for motorists to see over the weekend.
The banner, "$1 Trillion for War – No More!" marked the day U.S. taxpayers had spent $1 trillion since 2001 on the wars on Iraq and Afghanistan. Drivers blasted their horns in support, passengers nodded and made peace signs as they slowly made their way through traffic past 20 protesters carrying signs and banners saying, "Money for healthcare, not for war!," "Out of Afghanistan and Iraq NOW!"
According to data on their flyer, the National Priorities Project (www.costofwar.com) reported that New Jersey taxpayers have spent $47.8 billion. Instead they could have provided health care for 4,388,983 people for 1 year, 679,768 teachers for 1 year, or 189,996 affordable housing units.
The flyer also stated, "More than 5,000 U.S. troops and over 1 million Iraqi and Afghan civilians have died, and even more have been wounded. Each American, Iraqi, and Afghan loss or injury is felt by a father, mother, sister, brother, son or daughter."
Event sponsors, Military Families Speak Out, Bergen County, Veterans for Peace, Chapter 21 NJ, The Teaneck Vigil, Bergen County Green Party, Teaneck Peace and Justice Coalition, and NJ Peace Action, sponsored their fourth annual Memorial Week Bring the Troops Home NOW vigil Wednesday, June 2, at the National Guard Armory in Teaneck.
People are encouraged to bring food and baby supplies for the Family Assistance Center at the Armory, as well as flowers and peace cranes to place on the tanks. Children from the WITS (World Improvement by Tenafly Students) an afterschool club at the Stillman Elementary School, will sing and address their opposition to the wars, along with veterans, military families, members of the clergy, and other area activists.
