Welcome to BASE21

Sept. 16
Friends,
Following is a sample letter that can be used or revised as a letter
to the White House and members of Congress. It also includes e-mail
addresses and web sites to facilitate sending such messages.
In Washington, silence will be interpreted as consent. While there
is unity that the September 11 attacks were a terrible crime, for which the
perpretrators must be brought to justice, many want NO MORE VICTIMS -
ANYWHERE, and there are growing fears of where preciptous military actions
will lead.
Please write to Washington and to your local and national newspapers
and magazines now. Please also pass this along to friends, encouraging them
to join you.
For Peace and Justice,
Joseph Gerson

This is a letter that I made out of your vigil statement. I sent it to the
officials listed below. I have sent this on to my friends and colleagues
so they have easy access to some of these addresses. I suggested that they
were free to re-write the letter as they see fit.

Please pass this on to others if you think it is worthwhile in our attempt
to get as many people as possible sending messages to our leadership.

Thanks for your great work.

Sincerely, Michael Sheridan

president@whitehouse.gov
vice.president@whitehouse.gov
first.lady@whitehouse.gov
mrs.cheney@whitehouse.gov
http://www.house.gov/writerep/ (to find your US Rep)
http://www.senate.gov/senators/senator_by_state.cfm (to contact your
Senator)
Secretary@state.gov (Secretary of State Powell)
http://www.defenselink.mil/cgi-bin/mailform.cgi (defense department)
AskDOJ@usdoj.gov (Attorney General, John Ashcroft, department of justice)

Dear President Bush:

I join you and all humanity in grieving the incomprehensible loss and
suffering caused by the attacks on Tuesday. My hopes and concerns are with
all those who have lost or continue to wait for news of the fates of loved
ones and friends. I hope all necessary public and private resources will be
provided now and in the future to support the victims and their families.

I fully condemn yesterday's criminal and indiscriminate attacks which
cannot be justified in any way. Violence is not the answer. Attacks on
civilians, threats against life and murder are crimes against humanity.

I absolutely reject the logic that further violence and destruction, that
retaliation and revenge are the ways to create a safer world. An eye for an
eye leads to blindness for all. As our nation begins to respond, I believe
more deeply than ever that peace and democratic process is the way
forward. Military retaliation will only add to the carnage, will only
continue to fuel the cycle of violence which struck our shores this week
and will further endanger the lives of all Americans.

Please use your leadership position to encourage our government to use,
law, diplomacy, and the exploration of the root causes of yesterday's
attacks to build a path to true security for all people. Further
militarization of our society, scapegoating of others and additional
restrictions on human rights and civil liberties in the U.S. will defeat
our purpose and weaken our nation's great ideals.

I hope you will serve me, by finding ways to heal and end the cycles of
violence and retribution.

Sincerely,
Michael L. Sheridan

Michael Sheridan,
Sheridan Pictures
Filmmaking and Photography
56 Parkton Road #2, Jamaica Plain, Boston MA 02130, USA
Tel: 617-782-0908 Fax: 617-782-0146, Pager: 617-339-1278
e-mail: msheridan@igc.org