'Mothers of the world - fight for peace!'
Posted on 05/07/2005 3:37:17 PM PDT by MisterRepublican
BRADENTON -- Propped on crutches near the steps of the Manatee County Administration Complex on Friday, Will Ruliffson held a large, cut-out pie chart. On it, a slim slice marked the 2 percent that he wants the government to allocate to a U.S. Department of Peace.
"It's not asking for much," said Ruliffson, 73, a Bradenton resident and member of the social action committee of the Manatee Unitarian Universalist Fellowship.
Next to Ruliffson, three women held a sign that read, "On behalf of mothers everywhere: Peace wants a piece of the pie."
Ruliffson was one of about 20 people who dropped off pies, symbolizing the fiscal pie, at U.S. Rep. Katherine Harris' office on the ninth floor of the county building. They want the Longboat Key congresswoman to be the first Republican to co-sponsor legislation creating the department, which would strengthen non-military means of settling disputes.
Fifty-four Democrats have co-sponsored the bill introduced by U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio. The bill is expected to be re-introduced to Congress this September.
In addition to creating the department, the bill would give it a budget equal to 2 percent of the Department of Defense's budget.
Activists from various local organizations brought Harris eight miniature, four-ounce pies -- lemon, apple, pecan and blueberry -- and one regular-sized coconut cream pie.
"Remember us when you eat them," a supporter said, with a laugh, to Harris staffer Laura Griffin.
The group also dropped off a petition with 85 signatures in support of the department.
Harris wasn't there to accept the pies or the petition, but afterward she acknowledged the group's efforts.
"I thought it was a very clever idea, and they were very thoughtful," she said.
(Excerpt) Read more at newscoast.com ...
They were probably inspired by the "Ministry of Peace" in Orwell's 1984...
The Department of Defense IS the "Department of Peace."
Bingo.
If we can put the DOD back to their original name of Department of War then I'll sign off on a Department of Peace.
'Mothers of the world - fight for peace!'
Yep. It allows overdosed dippie peace-niks like her to whine without fear of being arrested, tortured, disspearing and so on, like what happens in China.
Of course, Dept of Defense is also a bit of a politically correct name... Used to be Dept of War.
I liked it better though. Straight from the shoulder.
Department of covering for UN failures around the world.
"What makes a man turn neutral? Lust for gold? Power? Or were you just born with a heart full of neutrality?"
Zapp Brannigan.
Damn!
That Floriduh sun is really frying the brains down there...
Semper Fi
That would work. But I always liked the ring of plain old "The War Department."
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