American Friends Service Committee

I got some interesting mail from the American Friends Service Committee. Inside the envelope was a flyer with the 2013 estimate of how much government money from the United States of America will go to the military next year.

• 60% is earmarked for the Department of Defense, War, Veterans Affairs, and Nuclear Weapons Programs
• 6% for Health and Human Services
• 6% Education
• 5% State (Does this mean 5% is shared with all states? That is not very much.)
• 4.5% Other Programs (What programs?)
• 4% Department of Homeland Security
• 3% Housing and Urban Development
• 2% Agriculture
• 1.5% Justice
• 1.5% NASA
• 1.5% Energy
• 1% Labor
• 1% Treasury
• 1% Interior
• 1% Environmental Protection Agency
• 1% Transportation

It also includes a quote. "Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired, signifies in the final sense a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed."

--Dwight D. Eisenhower (I must add that this is an odd quote by a Republican President. This shows how the Republican Party has changed.)

I have always admired Sweden for remaining neutral in world politics. They stay out of conflict. Maybe we need to start staying out of war activities so that we can solve problems here in the United States!

For more information go to www.OneMinuteForPeace.org

When I was in college at Oregon College of Education, I went on several work camp projects with the American Friends Service Committee that were recommended by my history professor, Dr. Kenneth Holmes. I was exposed to experiences that I would have never had the opportunity to learn about and it was all put into perspective by professors and professionals to answer questions and guide the experiences. I went to the Rocky Butte Jail, State Hospital in Salem, Nooksack Indian Reservation, the hospital in Fort Steilacoom, and the Albina Art Center in Portland with other college students. It was eye opening and changed how I look at the world.