"National Stand Down
Day"
End The Iraq War - Demonstrations and Nonviolent Resistance at

Recruiting Stations Across the Country

November 18, 2005

Young
Americans sign on to go into harm's way to defend their
country if
necessary, but instead they are being turned into harm's
ministers in a war
that has claimed more then 100,000 Iraqi lives
and nearly 2,000 
Americans. The President and Congress have
breached a sacred trust with our
soldiers and abused their oath to
defend the Constitution by leading young
Americans to kill and die
in a war based on lies.

As the Bush
Administration refuses to make plans to bring our troops
home, join us for
"National Stand Down Day," as we halt the
machinery that takes young
Americans off to this illegal and endless
war in Iraq.

We welcome,
and will provide coordination and support as possible,
for all manner of
protests and demonstrations at recruiting centers.
We want to especially
encourage and assist nonviolent resistance
actions, such as civil resistance
or civil disobedience. As we
recognize and support soldiers who take great
risks to refuse
fighting in this unjust war, so it is our moral
responsibility to
share that risk to the extent that we can, by preventing
even more
young Americans from being placed in such jeopardy ñ particularly
in
light of the lies and abusive practices being used in the recruiting

process.

Our violation of these unjust practices is undertaken in a
spirit of
nonviolence and love, with compassion and respect for all we

encounter. But our nonviolence will not be mistaken for lack of
resolve:
we cannot stand by while our schools and communities are
militarized by the
"No Child Left Behind Act," or as potential
recruits are deceived by clauses
that allow the armed forces to
disregard the terms of their
contract.

This call is also made in support of the "National `Not Your

Soldier' Youth and Student Day
of Action" call for a youth and student
led counter-recruitment day
of action on Thursday, November 17. We encourage
everyone who will
participate in National Stand Down Day on November 18 to
support the
efforts of local students as well - you can find out more by
going to
http://www.nyspc.net/home.php

Please join us as we say NO the war in Iraq, and NO to
the
recruitment of our fellow Americans into this war.

If you are
interested in joining this nationally coordinated day of
nonviolent action
to end the war, please contact us at www.iraqpledge.org


National
Stand Down Day is a project of the Iraq Pledge of
Resistance's National
Campaign for Nonviolent Resistance.

Endorsers (list in
formation):

Code Pink Women for Peace
National Call for Nonviolent
Resistance
Progressive Democrats of America
Iraq Pledge of
Resistance