Action Alert

NO WAR ON IRAN--SIGN THE ONLINE PETITION
In just two short weeks, Peace Action has already collected thousands of signatures on its petition to President Obama prevent war with Iran. Now, Peace Action chapters just like ours across the country are stepping it up and gathering signatures in their communities.
And we're not alone! Our petition has even spread to other organizations. Trita Parsi, the President of the National Iranian American Council, praised the campaign. Phone calls and emails continue to pour in asking us to keep up the great work.
Given all of this momentum, we've decided to extend the campaign for two more weeks. We will now deliver our first wave of signatures to the White House on February 14.
ACTION: click the link above and sign the petition to President Obama, telling him war on Iran would be a disastrous mistake. As the war drums get louder, the time to make our voice heard is now. And keep contacting Reps. Jackie Speir or Anna Eshoo, as well as Sens. Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein, to tell them we cannot afford yet another baseless war.

MAKE THE CONSTITUTION MAKE ELECTIONS FAIR
Last year’s Supreme Court decision in Citizens United v. FEC granted corporations the same free speech rights as people to spend money in support of or against candidates for office – thus facilitating a tidal wave of anonymous corporate and special interest money to drown the voice of the voter and of common sense in elections. The consensus among those concerned with this new reality in campaign finance is that a Constitutional amendment on such spending is the quickest way to reverse the law, and restore the ability for voters to get the facts about candidates running in elections meant to map out our country’s future.
Toward restoring the ability of Congress and the states to regulate corporate influence in elections, bills for just such an amendment were introduced this fall in both the House and the Senate. Under two of these measures – H.J. Res. 78 in the House and S.J. Res. 29 in the Senate – Congress would again have the authority to regulate corporate spending on political activity, most notably electoral campaigns.
This is a chance for the Constitutional amendment process to perform as planned: to fix a “bug” in our system and help bring justice to our government’s system. It is worth noting that no less than seven similar amendments have been introduced this year. The above bills have gotten the most attention so far, and our own elected officials would do well to add their names to them.
ACTION: Contact Rep. Speier or Eshoo, or whomever represents you, to ask for their co-sponsorship of H.J. Res 78, an amendment that would overturn the Citizens United decision and lead to better regulation of our campaign finance system. Also contact both Sens. Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein about likewise adding their names to S.J. Res. 29, which would do the same on the Senate side. Suggest that voters need to get the truth during election season, but the financing of campaign ads with endless and anonymous corporate money threatens the chance for that.

STOP THE GUNS THAT FUEL VIOLENCE IN MEXICO
Much of the information and text for this alert comes from the Washington Office on Latin America
In too many communities across Mexico, violence has become a frightening reality of daily life. Over the past five years, more than 40,000 people have been killed in that country’s drug war. And many of the guns that fuel this violence are smuggled over the U.S. border. A recent congressional report noted that 70% of the weapons seized in Mexico in 2009 and 2010 and submitted for tracing came from the United States.
Families all over Mexico are standing up in their own communities as part of a growing movement to end this violence, and Americans can be a part of the solution for a more safe and peaceful Mexico. A bi-national campaign is calling on the U.S. government to stem the flow of illegal weapons going across the border.
President Obama has the power to help stop gun smugglers fueling violence in Mexico. He can:
-Enforce the existing ban on the importation of military-style assault weapons (many of which are later illegally smuggled into Mexico);
-Require gun dealers to report to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) the sale of multiple assault rifles to the same person over a period of five days; and
-Strengthen legal enforcement in regions of the U.S. that supply the bulk of the contraband weapons smuggled into Mexico.
Such weaponry is often referred to as “small arms’ because they are not cruise missiles or nuclear devices. But the effect their proliferation has had on Mexican families who have lost loved ones is by no means small. With some of those family members now taking action, it seems appropriate for people on this side of the border to do their part as well.
ACTION: Contact the White House to call for a ban on the importation of all assault weapons to the United States, a requirement for gun dealers to report to ATF the sale of multiple assault rifles, and an increase in the presence of ATF in areas here from where weapons are smuggled into Mexico. Remind the President that the human rights situation in Mexico is dire, and a more safe and stable Mexico could ultimately make areas north of the border safer as well.

DIRECTORY
Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121

Senator Dianne Feinstein
One Post St., Ste 2450 San Francisco, CA 94104
(202) 224-3841 FAX: (202) 228-3954
(415) 393-0707 FAX: (415)393-0710

Senator Barbara Boxer
1700 Montgomery St., Ste 240 San Francisco, CA 94111
(202) 224-3553
(415)403-0100 FAX: (415) 956-6701

Representative Jackie Speier
400 S. El Camino Real, Ste 410 San Mateo, CA 94402
(202) 225-3531 FAX: (202) 226-4183
(650) 342-0300 FAX: (650) 375-8270

Representative Anna Eshoo
698 Emerson Street Palo Alto, CA 94301
(202) 225-8104 FAX: (202) 225-8890
(650) 323-2984 FAX: (650) 323-3498

President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20500
(202)456-1111: FAX: (202)456-2461
www.whitehouse.gov/contact/

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, U.S. Department of State:
(202)647-6607 FAX: (202)647-2283

Find out who your Representative is here.
If you are not in California, identify your senators here.