Saturday April 15th, 2017 10:00 am, Walpole Common
Over 30 people gathered on the Walpole Common on Saturday, April 15, 2017, at a peace vigil standing in solidarity with the Global Campaign on Military Spending and the Tax Day 2017 Mobilization, calling for a reduction in military spending and a redirection of those funds to human services. Sponsored by the Walpole Peace and Justice Group, a 40 foot banner was held showing where the Federal discretionary budget is spent today based on the 2017 budget. The banner consisted of colored panels, each representing a budget category like military spending and education, with a length proportional to the size of each budget. The U.S. military spending is more than 50% of the Federal discretionary budget. It equals the combined military spending of the next eight countries, including China, Saudi Arabia, Russia, the United Kingdom, and India. The vigil was also calling for President Trump to release his tax returns and was opposing his proposed 2018 budget cuts to human services like housing, senior programs, the National Endowment of the Arts, and the EPA.
The Walpole Peace and Justice Group hold a Rally on April 15, joining with the Global Campaign on Military Spending and the Tax Day 2017 Mobilization in calling for our federal government to redirect military spending to fund human needs and to stop military interventions. We call for:
– President Trump to release his tax returns
– Stopping the new “big, big” tax cuts for corporations and the 1%
– Opposing President Trump’s “Death Budget” released on March 16
– Re-directing money from the Pentagon to families and climate protection
– Supporting the Peoples Budget in Congress
The Pentagon’s budget equals the combined total of the next eight largest military spenders, including China, Saudi Arabia, Russia, the United Kingdom, and India! We will have a 40 foot budget banner that shows where the Federal discretionary budget is spent today. We will also have a couple of brief speeches and will pass out an informational leaflet urging people to call our U.S. Senators and Representatives. We may also have some drummers!