About 400 people attended the Coalition for Peace Action (CFPA)'s Pre-Mother's Day Gathering, March and Rally for Gun Violence Prevention on Saturday, May 11 in Trenton, NJ and Morrisville, PA! The rally was co-sponsored by over 20 organizations and featured Gov. Ed Rendell as one of the speakers.

Click Here to watch a video of key parts of the rally (thanks to Leigha Cohen for this recording!)

Thanks to John Lien for the following photos!



CFPA Chair Irene Goldman and CFPA Executive Director the Rev. Robert Moore carry the Coalition for Peace Action banner on the march from Trenton to Morrisville.


Hundreds brave the rain to show their support for universal background checks!


Counter-protestors, some of whom openly carried guns, came to the rally to voice their opposition and attempt to shout down the speakers. However, they were greatly outnumbered by rally supporters, and the event remained peaceful.

Governor Ed Rendell speaks rally participants in PA on the importance of continuing to fight for better gun violence prevention laws and making our voices heard in the next elections.

             
Special thanks to Anna Savoia for the photos.

COALITION FOR PEACE ACTION RELEASES RESULTS OF TAX DAY “PENNY POLL” ON FEDERAL BUDGET PRIORITIES

The Princeton-based Coalition for Peace Action (CFPA) today announced the results of its “Penny Poll” in front of the Palmer Square Post Office from 12:00-1:30 PM on April 15, the filing deadline for income taxes, would like to see their tax dollars spent. 

As people came to the post office, they were invited to express their opinion on how they would like their federal tax dollar to be spent. Each of the 89 participants were given ten pennies and asked to distribute them between five tubes representing categories of federal spending: education, environment, health care, housing, and military. The results are below. 

Participants were then handed a fact sheet showing that 52% of the “Discretionary Budget” for FY2012 was for military spending. Discretionary spending is what Congress can allocate for what it chooses each year, as distinct from entitlements. Discretionary Budget Funding for Education was just 6%, Health Care 5%; Environment 3%, and Housing 3%.

“This year’s results remain consistent with Penny Poll results from previous years. Taxpayers want more of their hard-earned tax dollars going to education, environment, and health care, and far less to military purposes. Total military spending for FY 2012 was $703 billion (an average of $5,538 per household), the highest level since World War II. We encourage taxpayers to contact their US Representative and Senators to urge them to support more peaceful federal budget priorities,” said the Rev. Robert Moore, Executive Director of CFPA.   

Former CFPA Associate Director Ward Wilson doing a power point presentation on his new book, Five Myths About Nuclear Weapons, to an overflow crowd at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Princeton on Sunday afternoon, April 7. World renowned physicist Freeman Dyson, Professor Emeritus at the Institute for Advanced Study and CFPA Sponsor, also spoke.

Thanks to Mary Wallace-Cullen for the above photo!

The Coalition for Peace Action (CFPA) co-sponsored the Bucks Against Gun Violence Rally in Doylestown, PA on Saturday, April 30th. The rally was attended by 200 people supporting stronger gun violence prevention laws, and CFPA Executive Director the Rev. Bob Moore was one of the featured speakers.

Click Here to watch a video of featured moments from the rally.

Dr. Helen Caldicott spoke for the Coalition for Peace Action (CFPA)'s Membership Renewal Gathering on Thursday, March 14 at the Princeton United Methodist Church. She spoke on Fukushima, abolishing nuclear weapons, and Australia's successful gun violence prevention laws. Her talk was attended by 90 - 100 people. On Friday, March 15, Dr. Caldicott spoke for CFPA's Pennsylvania Peace Project in Philadelphia to a crowd of 120. Thanks to Anna Savoia for photo.

Click Here to watch a video of Dr. Caldicott's Princeton talk (thanks to Leigha Cohen for this video!)

Peace demonstrators urge cuts to military spending

From Delaware County Daily Times 3/6/13

MEDIA COURTHOUSE — Representatives from local peace groups conducted a demonstration outside the Media Courthouse on Tuesday to urge cuts in military spending in light of the so-called federal sequester.

Top legislators and President Barack Obama failed to strike a deal before the sequester deadline of March 1.  As a result, agencies across the country are preparing for about $85 billion in sweeping budget cuts.

The group held a large banner that showed, in red, 60 percent of the federal budget goes toward the Department of Defense, Veterans Affairs and nuclear weapons programs. The rest of the banner included smaller spending allocations of the budget in pastel colors including health and human services, education and so forth.

“I think people want to help change the national conversation from cutting domestic spending to cutting Pentagon spending instead,” said Radnor resident Jane Dugdale, who identified herself as a member of the Main Line Peace Action group.[more]