Letter to Obama: ‘We Demand Our Bonus–Peace’

December 3, 2010

Dear President Obama,

A week ago, I wrote you on this same subject but since I’ve not yet received a reply either personal or automated, I felt I should try again.

As president of Veterans For Peace (VFP), a national organization of military veterans, I want to convey to you our serious opposition to your administration’s policy of ongoing wars, proxy wars, occupations and drone strikes in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Palestine and Yemen.

Your policies are taking innocent lives, causing untold, lifelong suffering, rapidly destroying our economy, our environment and ultimately making all of us considerably less safe.

Since there are no logical reasons rooted in human or planetary betterment for these policies, we are left to conclude what is logical and obvious: that their purpose is to maintain and advance what has sadly become the global U.S. Empire.

VFP has voiced our opposition to these wars at every national demonstration and with countless local actions, letters, faxes, emails and phone calls.

We requested a meeting with you shortly after your inauguration, to no avail.  We are now requesting another meeting.  And since we have tried all the above many times over, this is what we now propose.

If, within 10 days from now, we do not hear a positive response to our request for a meeting, we are prepared to bring a large delegation of our members to Washington before the end of this month.  We will come in person to the White House to meet with you or until we are dragged away in full view of our nation and the world–military veterans, carrying their nation’s flag, seeking a meeting with their president in the season of Peace.

Like the bonus marchers of the 1930’s, we demand our bonus be paid.  The bonus for our service and the many sacrifices of our comrades is peace.

In this season of Peace I remain,
Most sincerely yours,

Mike Ferner, National President
Veterans For Peace
USN Hospital Corps 1969-73

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