For Immediate Release: February 14th, 2007
CONTACT:
Troy Horton — 888-435-8173 | www.defundthewar.com
Kerry Bassett — 503-327-8250
SENATOR GORDON SMITH LOCKS THE PUBLIC OUT OF HIS OFFICE.
WHAT: Senator Gordon Smith locked his office door to his constituents on Tuesday afternoon. Ginger Gouveia, retired realtor and grandmother of five from Waldport, and Marci Dennison from Rainier, the Executive Director of the Pacific Northwest Rainforest Guardians, went to Senator Smith’s office to talk with his staff about the Iraq war and were not allowed to enter his office. On the prior day Monday afternoon, the Senator’s staff had two people arrested and jailed who wanted to get assurance from the Senator that he would agree to defund the war.
WHEN: Tuesday afternoon Feb 13th.
WHY: People will have to ask the Senator why he refused to meet with his constituents and why he may have violated the Constitution of Oregon. Under the Constitution of Oregon in Article 1, the Bill of Rights it states the following:
Section 26. Assemblages of people; instruction of representatives; application to legislature. No law shall be passed restraining any of the inhabitants of the State from assembling together in a peaceable manner to consult for their common good; nor from instructing their Representatives; nor from applying to the Legislature for redress of greviances [sic]. —
WHERE: Senator Gordon Smith’s office at One World Trade Center Building, 121 S.W. Salmon St., Suite 1250
WHO: The Defund the War campaign in conjunction with Voices for Creative Nonviolence is asking that Senator Smith agree he will not fund the appropriations bill that would contain additional monies to continue the Iraq war.
Whereas Senator Smith said, “I, for one, am at the end of my rope when it comes to supporting a policy that has our soldiers patrolling the same streets in the same way, being blown up by the same bombs day after day. That is absurd. It may even be criminal. I cannot support that anymore.”, we are asking Senator Gordon Smith to agree to defund the Iraq war. We are asking him to walk his talk.
FURTHER INFORMATION: May be found at www.defundthewar.com and the Occupation Project section on the websites of Voices for Creative Nonviolence www.vcnv.org.
