Today, March 8, 2003, an estimated two thousand people marched and rallied at the federal building in Westwood. They were protesting the anticipated war with Iraq on International Women's Day. Featured speakers included Ed Asner, Danny Glover, Ron Kovic, Wendy Malick of 'Just Shoot Me' and David Clennon who has recently withstood attempts to have him fired for his outspoken views on George Bush.

The march rallied in front of the corporate offices of Occidental Petrolium shouting such slogans as "NO BLOOD FOR OIL". The group then proceeded to the local starbucks and condemned their business practices.

Speaker, Ed Asner inspired the crowd when he stated that, "President Bush is their CEO(war bucks corporate interests), not our president!" The rally also applauded when he said "This crusade against Iraq will make us more vulnerable to violence, not less so." He admonished to the present admintistration to "Destroy the weapons of mass destruction right here in the United States!"

In keeping with the theme of the rally, there was a general outcry from speakers and protesters alike that we need to invest in caring and not killing. Check out these facts regarding the inhuman waste that war creates here at home aside from the killing abroad:

• $100 buys either 11 hand genades for killing, or 11 blankets for caring
• $40,000 buys 1 hellfire missile for killing, or 2 home health aides for caring of the elderly and disabled.
• $145,000 buys 1 bunker buster bomb for killing, or Associate degrees for fifteen nurses for caring.
• $586,000 buys 1000 M-16 rifles for killing, or rent subsidies to care for 1000 families.
• $46,000,000 is the estimated cost of 1hour of war on Iraq, while that sum can also completely renovate 20 schools
• $494,000,000 is the annual military aid to the extremely repressive regime of Columbia, while that same amount can provide 7000 units of affordable housing
• One single stealth bomer with a devastating cost of $2.1 billion can provide the annual salary and benefits for 38,000 teachers.

Women and children make up the majority of the casualties of war as well as 80% of the refugees from armed conflict. As the march ended and gave way to the second portion of the rally, it was devulged to the audience that 75,000 body bags were recently sent to Persian Gulf region. I have no figures to estimate that cost.

March 8, 2003
Westwood Federal Building Los Angeles.

Statement by Oraganizers:
"US Military spending is $400 Billion. $80 Billion would get rid of the world's worst poverty. Women and children are the majority of those killed and 80% of refugees worldwide."

Federal Building Los Angeles
March 8, 2003

We oppose the war because it's women who pick up the pieces when people are physically injured, go mad, become violent to families, or are disabled by drugs, genocidal tests or pollutants.

What does a "Global Woman" look like?

Caring not KILLING? These are probably the same women who demand the right to choose to "KILL" their unborn children. Yeah let's listen to them they make a lot of sense. Let's care about the people in Iraq that are being killed by Saddam's street thugs or the next batch of Americans that get blown up on their way to work. It's all about themselves and the fantasy world they live in. There can never be global peace in this world as long as there are different cultures, religions, and political agendas. You are a fool if you think that there can be. We have to make the world a better place it is true and sometimes that comes with a price...war. If we would have sat around and imposed sanctions on the Japanese after Pearl Harbor do you think they would have just stopped and left us alone? No and neither will power hungry monsters like Saddam. It's a simple choice. Take it to him and eliminate a real and present danger or wait until he decides to help someone else harm us or do it himself.