stop the hate, defeat prop 8

This weekend, thousands upon thousands of people of all stripes will gather at designated sites across the nation in order to protest the inevitable passage of California's Proposition 8, a constitutional amendment that will likely repeal the legal marriages of thousands of gay couples in that state.

There are two events of this kind in North Texas, so take your pick and show up to one or the other. The time for silence is over. It's time to stand up and fight for our rights and the rights of our family, friends, and neighbors.

PROP 8 PROTESTS

Dallas
WHEN: Saturday Nov. 15, 2008 @ 12:30 p.m.
WHERE: Dallas City Hall @ 1500 Marilla Dr.
FACEBOOK PAGE

Denton
WHEN: Saturday Nov. 15, 2008 @ 12:30 p.m.
WHERE: Courthouse on the Square @ 110 W. Hickory St.
FACEBOOK PAGE

stop the hate - dallas protest tomorrow

Stop the hate in Dallas!

Here's your chance to speak out against bigotry and hate in our hometown.

Tomorrow morning, a local church called First Baptist Dallas plans to give a hateful sermon preaching about why it's not okay to be gay. If you disagree with this assessment and think that it's okay, in your eyes and God's, to be who you are, please attend tomorrow's protest.

Please be at 1707 San Jacinto in Dallas tomorrow morning at 10 a.m. for the protest.

brimer loses another appeal

State Sen. Kim Brimer, R-Ft. Worth, lost yet another appeal today against his Democratic opponent, former Ft. Worth City Council member Wendy Davis.

The 5th Court of Appeals in Dallas has rejected the lawsuit by state Sen. Kim Brimer, R-Fort Worth, who was appealing a lower court ruling that former Fort Worth City Councilwoman Wendy Davis is eligible to challenge him on the November ballot.

A panel of three justices hinted during oral arguments last week that they were reluctant to overturn the ruling by state District Judge Tom Lowe in Fort Worth, who ruled in July that Davis is an eligible candidate. Brimer appealed Lowe's ruling.

But the appeals court in Dallas today upheld Lowe's ruling, saying in its opinion that "Brimer's only legally recognized interest in pursuing this appeal is to avoid being opposed by an ineligible candidate."

"Even if Davis is ineligible to hold office -- an issue we do not reach in this appeal -- her name will be included on the November 4, 2008 general election ballot in opposition to Brimer. We cannot, at this point, change that outcome and, therefore, this appeal is moot," the justices wrote.

Here's a quick history of the case for those that haven't been following along:

May 2007: Wendy Davis is re-elected to the Ft. Worth City Council.
August 2007: Davis officially declares her candidacy for the Democratic nomination in Texas State Senate District 10, which covers about half of Tarrant County and is represented by Republican Kim Brimer. She also resigns from her post on the city council, though local law required her to officially keep her seat until her successor is sworn in.
November 2007: Election is held to choose Davis' successor on the city council. It goes to a runoff.
December 2007: Joel Burns wins the runoff.
Early January 2008: Three Ft. Worth firefighters ask Tarrant County Democratic Party Chairman Art Brender to disqualify Davis from running for state senate because she is technically still on the council and state law prohibits sitting council members to run for the state legislature. The same day, Burns is sworn in on the council. The Secretary of State's office would not issue a ruling on Davis' eligibility, saying that Brender is the filing authority in the primary election. Brener issued a statement declaring Davis eligible to run.
Mid-January 2008: The Ft. Worth firefighters issued a court challenge that was dismissed by the Texas Supreme Court. The high court recommended the firefighters take their issue up with the regional appellate court.
Late January 2008: The firefighters lose in appeals court. The court rules that only a political opponent, such as Brimer, has the standing to bring such an eligibility suit.
March 2008: Uncontested in the Democratic primary, Davis officially becomes the nominee.
Early July 2008: Brimer himself challenges Davis' eligibility by filing a suit to have her removed from the November ballot.
Late July 2008: State District Court Judge Tom Lowe rules in favor of Davis, determining that she is eligible to remain on the ballot. Brimer appeals.
August 2008: The deadline to remove a candidate from the ballot passes.
September 2008: A Ft. Worth appellate judge asks that the case be moved to Dallas. The Texas Supreme Court moves the case to the 5th Court of Appeals there.
October 2008: The Dallas appeals court rules in favor of Davis, rejecting Brimer's suit.

Davis welcomed the news of the win for her campaign: "I am very pleased with the Court's decision today, and I look forward to continuing my conversation with Tarrant County families about the issues they are facing. What I'm offering voters is a representative who will bring real change to the way Austin does business."

Contribute to the Wendy Davis campaign today. Every little bit counts, and she could certainly use your help in her campaign against yet another Republican up to the same old dirty tricks. Kim Brimer has got to go, and with your help and your vote Davis will replace him.

are you serious? (brimer-davis battle headed to the big d)

We only thought it was over.

As it turns out, it's only changed venue.

Attorneys are set to make oral arguments before the 5th Court of Appeals in Dallas on Oct. 2 at 1 p.m. on whether former Fort Worth Councilwoman Wendy Davis is ineligible to run against Republican state Sen. Kim Brimer.

Oral arguments had been scheduled here in Fort Worth last week until the Supreme Court of Texas moved the case to the Dallas appeals court last week after 2nd Court of Appeals Chief Justice John Cayce asked that it be moved to Dallas.

Since the case was still up in the air after the August deadline, Davis' name will remain on the ballot no matter what happens in the Dallas appeal. But should Brimer emerge victorious in the newest round, Davis would not be able to hold the seat even were she to win the election. Instead, the seat would remain vacant and would be subject to special election.

We're getting pretty tired of Brimer's sad attempts to get rid of his opponent before the election is even held. Brimer: stop the dirty tricks and let the people be heard. If the voters want to keep you, they will. What are you so scared of?

You can help the Wendy Davis campaign stand up to Republican scare tactics by making a generous donation to her campaign today.

Kim Brimer is only offering more of the same. It's obvious that he wants to play as dirty as he can in the election, so why would we trust him afterward? Come November, we're voting for change.

Just When You Thought You Were Safe

Those counters tracking down the last days of the Bush presidency have taken on new meaning for those of us in the DFW area. After months of speculation mayor Tom Leppert seems be confirming the notion that Bush may be coming home to Dallas upon his retirement next year.

The same articles that keep hinting at a Dallas residency also mention that Bush wants to further his legacy by building the Freedom Institute alongside his library at SMU.

According to google, the Freedom Institute is a resource center for families dealing with drug and alcohol dependency.

Whoops, my bad! Wrong one. It's the Center for Democracy, Nationalism and Market Economy Studies. No, wait, that appears to be Indonesia.

Okay, how 'bout the one "dedicated to teaching Individuals, Families, and Small Business owners how to find true freedom?" Hmmm, something tells me Bush isn't going to dedicate his golden years to teaching time management.

Well that leaves an "urban think tank that focuses on public policy issues that affect the quality of life for African Americans in particular and other minorities in general." Yeah, who are we kidding? Okay, I'm back to the first one.

Apparently, the Freedom Institute is a secret society, like Skull and Bones, only instead of Geronimo's skull, they'll use Milton Friedman's. Karen Kwiatkowski has some further insight into this mysterious organization.

Whatever it is, I'm sure the concept is as original as the name. I'm looking forward to deep, insightful policy papers telling us why the middle class needs to shoulder more of the tax burden and finance an endless war, so that Bush's profiteering patrons can fund the shills who want to convince us they have the perfect solution to all the problems Bush's incompetency has laid upon our country.

Do you think they'll add us to their blog roll?

trinity parkway will proceed as planned

Via Capitol Annex, we learn that "with all but a handful of Dallas precincts counted late Tuesday, a ballot measure to kill the high-speed highway inside the Trinity River levees was losing by a 53-47 margin."

We reported earlier that the early voting totals indicated this result, but now it's official.

The much-maligned and oft-discussed Trinity toll road will proceed, per the voters of Dallas.

Update: View a DMN video here of Council Member Angela Hunt of the "Vote Yes" camp conceding defeat and pledging to hold the mayor and his supporters accountable for each of the promises made about the project.

McClelland Targets Dallas Crime

Year in and year out, crime remains a concern for citizens of large cities. Dallas is no exception. In a recent poll, crime topped the list of issues.

As voters prepare to elect a new mayor on May 12, these factors contribute to Dallasites' overwhelming ranking of crime as the single most important issue facing the city, according to a Dallas Morning News poll.

About one in three respondents highlighted crime, and no other single issue rivaled it.

As a candidate for Dallas City Council in District 12, John McClelland knows these issues first-hand.

The City of Dallas remains at the top of the crime food chain in Texas, and even the nation. 8,624 crimes per 100,000 people. That is the nation's worst crime rate. Dallas has held the top spot for 9 of the last 10 years. Is this something Dallas should be proud of? I don't think so.

One would tend to think that the crime problem only affects the areas of blight in Dallas or lower income areas. That is one of the biggest misconceptions. In District 12, which is Far North Dallas (majority caucasion, majority conservative, with a decent median income), there were 3900 crimes in 2006. That is over 10 per day. Dallas SWAT has been in my parking lot in the last couple months. I even had checks stolen off my dining room table by my apartment complex's own maintenance people this past week.

In McClelland's view, the continuing crime wave highlights a need for more officers and better pay.

We need more police. We need to pay more to the ones we have. Dallas needs to have at least 3 1/2 officers per 1000 people. We currently stand at under 2 1/2. That means we need to hire at least 800 more officers in the city, if you go by mayoral candidate Darryl Jordan's numbers.

Of course, more police protection comes with a price tag, and McClelland thinks financing a solution is a matter of smarter policies, not higher taxes.

“It is a simple matter of common sense and fiscal responsibility. We have projects that were intended to create parks and marinas, and instead we end up with toll roads that approach $1 billion in price,” McClelland pointed out. “If we reign in the wasteful spending the current Council has seen fit to let happen, then we would have the money to give our hard working police a deserved raise in pay, as well as offer more incentive to attract new officers. We may not have to hit taxpayers in the pocketbook to achieve our goals.”

To learn more about McClelland's positions, or to donate to his campaign, visit his website.

[Disclaimer: I volunteer for the McClelland campaign. Join me.]

War Protest Scheduled Today

As the debate over troop escalation in Iraq continues to dominate Congress and the media, tens of thousands will gather today on the National Mall to protest the continuation of the war.

Groups including United for Peace and Justice, Win Without War, the National rganization for Women and the RainbowPUSH Coalition, have organized a rally and march around the Capitol building Saturday, and arranged a "citizen lobby" day on Capitol Hill Monday, urging protesters to target House members, senators and congressional staff in an effort to force them to do more to stop the war.

"The president is a lost cause and everybody knows it," said Andrews, a former Democratic representative from Maine.

"So we are going to push the Democrats in Congress to not just talk but act and use their power — and that power is the power of the purse," said Andrews. "It's time to stop the rubber stamp of Congress and start the accountability and stand up to the president." Andrews said congressional Democrats are in danger of spending all their time debating "toothless words." He was referring to the nonbinding resolution against President Bush's plan to send 21,5000 additional troops to Iraq, which the Senate Foreign Relations Committee passed this week.

Locally, activities are scheduled in Denton and Dallas.

john edwards in dallas tomorrow

John Edwards, former senator from North Carolina and the Democratic vice presidential candidate in the 2004 election (and possible presidential contender in 2008), will be visiting Dallas tomorrow evening for a signing in promotion of his new picture book, Home: The Blueprints of Our Lives.

When: Friday, December 1 at 7 p.m.
Where: Borders, 10720 Preston Rd., Dallas

Dallas Begins Stage 1 Water Restrictions

Even as overnight storms bring blessed rain to the Metroplex, Dallas begins implementation of Stage 1 drought restrictions. Why now? The lakes that supply Dallas city water are still suffering from the effects of this summer's record-breaking heat wave and drought. The U.S. Drought Monitor shows a swath of Texas is still listed as D4 intensity, meaning exceptional drought conditions prevail. Current precipitation in the metroplex ranges from 47-67% of normal.

"Under Stage 1, the city is asking residents to use water as wisely as possible, by voluntarily watering their lawn with hose-end sprinklers or automatic irrigation systems twice a week with addresses ending in even numbers watering on Sundays and Thursdays, and those ending in odd numbers watering on Saturdays and Wednesdays. Hand-held hoses, faucet-filled bucket or drip irrigation systems
are permitted any time."

There are additional measures for commercial enterprises.

As Dallas Assistant City manager Ramon Miguez points out,

"Should the existing weather conditions persist, more restrictive measures may be warranted."

And what are the chances of that? The outlook through the end of the year indicates some improvement in the Metroplex, with drought conditions ameliorating except in the upper northeast section of the state. Sounds good, right, until you read the fine print.

Note: the green improvement areas imply at least 1-category improvement in the Drought Monitor intensity levels, but do not necessarily imply drought elimination.

In other words, a return to normal precipitation will not alleviate the water deficit accumulated this summer. In the DFW area, that's 9-12 inches. We're not out of the woods yet.

Garrison Keillor Comes to the Big D

Garrison Keillor, the biographer of fictional Lake Wobegone, "where all the children are above average," came to the Big D to deliver a dose of his wry midwestern humor, and left with more than the taste of Texas red clay in his mouth. As Jacquielynn Floyd notes,

Garrison Keillor must have come to Dallas itching for a fight.

He must have come here expecting – even intending – to have his worst expectations confirmed.

There's no other explanation for the deeply insulting remarks he directs in a syndicated opinion column at the fans who went to Highland Park United Methodist Church last week to hear him speak. An adoring crowd could not have been rewarded with more contempt if they had gone to see the Sex Pistols.

The metaphorical beer-spewing that Ms. Floyd alludes to was this column, written by Keillor after a visit to President Bush's former church during a book promotion for his latest book, Homegrown Democrat.

I got some insight last week into who supports torture when I went down to Dallas to speak at Highland Park Methodist Church. It was spooky. I walked in, was met by two burly security men with walkie-talkies, and within 10 minutes was told by three people that this was the Bushes' church and that it would be better if I didn't talk about politics. I was there on a book tour for "Homegrown Democrat," but they thought it better if I didn't mention it. So I tried to make light of it: I told the audience, "I don't need to talk politics. I have no need even to be interested in politics - I'm a citizen, I have plenty of money and my grandsons are at least 12 years away from being eligible for military service." And the audience applauded! Those were their sentiments exactly. We've got ours, and who cares?

Methodists of Dallas can be fairly sure that none of them will be snatched off the streets, flown to Guantanamo Bay, stripped naked, forced to stand for 48 hours in a freezing room with deafening noise. So why should they worry? It's only the Jews who are in danger, and the homosexuals and gypsies. The Christians are doing fine. If you can't trust a Methodist with absolute power to arrest people and not have to say why, then whom can you trust?

Ms. Floyd contacted Mr. Keillor in regard to several of his comments in the column, including how Mr. Keillor would have gotten the notion that a political discourse might not be welcomed.

I also asked Mr. Keillor about the "three people" who warned him off of talking politics at the Bushes' home church.

"One was a woman from the church, the other two were friendly old men who told me that people would walk out if I did," he told me in his e-mail.

Again, Mr. Rasmussen [the minister who organizes the lecture series] says he's bewildered. Mr. Keillor arrived at the church, declined an introduction and took the stage without an opportunity to mingle with the audience, he said. So he doesn't know when these warnings might have been dispensed.

Now where would Mr. Keillor get such a notion? Well, apparently somewhere he found time to talk to a few people. And apparently so did fellow journalist David Flick. This is from the "GuideLive" section of the Dallas Morning News covering the event.

[Keillor] may have been right to avoid criticizing Mr. Bush in a neighborhood where the president remains popular.

Bill Holland, 81, a church member, said before the speech that he had never read Homegrown Democrat, but that he was a fan of Mr. Keillor's radio show, which he praised as "so homespun, so common sense. I like the way he depicts small-town life as it used to be."

But when shown passages of Mr. Keillor's book, Mr. Holland, a Bush supporter, appeared angered.

"I'm frankly surprised," he said. "If the things in this book were more widely exposed, half of these people wouldn't be here. They'd get up and leave."

Yeah, small-town life as it used to be- bucolic and serene, as long as you didn't challenge the provincial mind-set.

Torture Protests Planned for DFW Metroplex

Our previous posts highlight the hypocrisy of the Bush administration in its treatment of detainees in the war on terror. It's time for all good progressives to take a stand on this issue. Demonstrations are planned across the metroplex on October 5th to protest the Iraq war and the passage of the detainee bill that gave amnesty to torturers and made a mockery of due process.

In Denton:
Where: Corner of Hickory & Fry
When: 11:30 a.m.

In Lewisville:
Where: The offices of Congressman Michael C. Burgess
1660 South Stemmons Freeway, Lewisville, TX 75067
When: 2:00 p.m.

In Dallas:
Where: Dealey Plaza
When: 7:00 p.m.

(See previous posts Bush's Torture Flip Flop and Guantanamo Lawyer Calls Out Senator Cornyn.)

congress repeals wright amendment

An effort spearheaded by Texas Senators Kay Bailey Hutchison and John Cornyn, both Republicans, has finally come to fruition: both houses of Congress have passed legislation that would phase out flight restrictions at Dallas Love Field. President Bush will presumably sign the bill into law next week.

"It's a great relief to have a final solution," said Rep. Kenny Marchant, R-Coppell, whose district includes Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. "The fact that none of the parties are completely happy and all of the parties are relieved to have it over should be a sign that it's a good agreement."

The congressional legislation comes after an intensely-negotiated agreement between the mayors of Dallas and Fort Worth concerning the repeal back in June. This plan will be implemented under the new legislation by 2014.

The Dallas Morning News notes that this issue split legislators unusually: they were not divided by party lines or by geography.

Rep. John Conyers of Michigan, the top Democrat on the judiciary committee, argued against a frequent ally, Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, D-Dallas, whose district includes Love Field.

Mr. Sensenbrenner [R-Wisconsin], recalling the "Don't Mess with Texas" bumper stickers in the House garage, said, "Tonight is one of the nights where we ought to mess with Texas.

"This is the most anti-consumer, anti-free-enterprise legislation that has come before this House in a long time," he said.

Rep. Kay Granger, R-Fort Worth, was distributing red "Vote Yes" fliers to members on the floor; Ms. Johnson had her own yellow fliers supporting the bill.

The final tally, which came just past 10 p.m. Dallas time, was 386-22.

Again, reactions to the passage is mixed. The chief operating officer of Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, Kevin Cox, predicts a "calming effect" at D/FW and a possible dip in fares as American tries to match Southwest's low rates. Some travel analysts disagree.

[Terry] Trippler said consumers shouldn't expect ticket prices to go down at D/FW because Fort Worth-based American will still be able to charge a premium for nonstop flights, compared with the connecting and one-stop service that Southwest Airlines will offer from Love. American operates more than 80 percent of the passenger flights at D/FW.

The Fort Worth Star-Telegram has a good piece on the "winners" in the new legislation. The list includes passengers, Southwest Airlines, American Airlines, and both airports in contention. Many look at the situation as a win-win. "Everyone gave up something for the common good," said Rep. Kay Granger, R-Fort Worth.

Another local lawmaker summed up the debate: "This bill is important to North Texas, the air-service community at large and my constituents at Love Field, which is in the heart of my district," said Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, D-Dallas. "I am not anti-competitive. I'm not anti-lower fares. I'd be stupid to be that. But I am pro-principle."

mayors miller and moncrief set love field free

"Well, we did it," said Dallas Mayor Laura Miller. "We found a way to set Love free, but we stopped and thought about it a lot."

"In my 30 years of public service, I have never been involved in more intense ... negotiations," said Fort Worth Mayor Mike Moncrief. "All parties have what I like to say is some 'skin' in this game. I believe this agreement is one that works."

That's right... Mayor Laura Miller of Dallas and Mayor Mike Moncrief of Fort Worth have signed an agreement that will hopefully put a final end to the Wright Amendment debate in the DFW Metroplex. For those unaware of the Wright Amendment and its effects, The Dallas Morning News sums it up nicely:

The 26-year-old Wright amendment limits flights from Dallas Love Field to Texas' adjoining states for planes with more than 56 seats.

The law reflects a compromise for the cities of Dallas and Fort Worth and Southwest Airlines Co., which has its headquarters at Love Field and didn't want to move to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport when it opened in 1974.

The law limits what Southwest Airlines Co. can do from its headquarters airport because it only uses Boeing 737s, all of which are above that seat limit.

A counterpart, the 1997 Shelby amendment, allows flights to Mississippi, Alabama and Kansas. Southwest doesn't offer nonstop service from Love to any of those states.

Last year, Congress added Missouri to the permitted cities, and both Southwest and American Airlines Inc. now fly to St. Louis and Kansas City from Love Field.

Lately, Southwest Airlines has been putting pressure on Congress and local government to repeal the amendment. North Texas legislators have asked the cities of Dallas and Fort Worth to come to some sort of agreement and the result was revealed today by the mayors of said cities.

Under the accords, Southwest Airlines could begin immediate through-ticketing (meaning they could have a passenger purchase a ticket to any destination with a layover in a Wright state). Also, several gates at Love Field would be demolished or condemned, leaving only sixteen gates for Southwest Airlines, two for American Airlines, and two for Continental Airlines. Some officials guess that American would probably make a graceful exit from Love under the accords, continuing all of their Dallas area flights from DFW International Airport. All flight restrictions at Love Field would be lifted by the year 2014. Love Field would receive $200 million in upgrades and would benefit from restrictions at all airports within an eighty-mile radius, including Fort Worth Alliance Airport.

Dallas would also impose a noise curfew on Love Field, disallowing flights between 11pm and 6am. If Congress were to pass legislation inconsistent with the accords and Southwest wanted to continue with non-stop service to or from Love Field, Southwest would be forced to give up eight more gates at the airport. Also, if Southwest chose to operate out of other local airports before 2025, it would be forced to give up gates at Love Field.

Reactions from Metroplex residents are mixed. Some are grateful to Miller and Moncrief for finally moving forward on this heated issue, while others feel that one or both parties were shafted in the agreement. Most do feel that we are actually making progress on the Wright Amendment, though. Even though Southwest must endure eight more years of restrictions, we now know that Love will eventually be set free for good.

Dallas Marches for Immigration Rights

An estimated 350,000-500,000 people marched in downtown Dallas on Sunday to protest proposed immigration reform legislation. The Dallas Morning News reports that the march "rewrote history" as the largest of its kind in North Texas. The protest was peaceful, with only one arrest.

"It rewrote history," said Roberto Calderon, a history professor at the University of North Texas who participated in the march. "There's no turning back. It makes concrete the larger demographic and cultural changes that are taking place for the community here in North Texas and Dallas."

Texans at War

As we mark the three-year anniversary of the Iraq war, protests are scheduled across the nation this weekend, including today's rally - Stop the War Now and Bring Our Troops Home- in downtown Dallas.

Before it's gone, grab a copy of the March 2006 issue of Texas Monthly, devoted entirely to Texans who have served their country at this time of war. Among the articles is one on Rick Noriega, a Democrat representing District 145 in the Texas Legislature, when he found himself called up to serve in Afghanistan. Rick designated his wife, Melissa, to serve in his stead until his return last August. Another story covers a soldier who blogs from Iraq. And "Fallen Heroes" is a somber roll call of the 203 soldiers with ties to Texas who have given their lives in the Iraq war.

As Matt Cook, the soldier blogger from the "War.Com" article, describes his role:

I've been here almost five months - a rough five months at that - and the patrols seem to blend together. We've done a lot of good things here, but tragedies often make it difficult to see the forest for the trees. I think I speak for many when I say that my biggest fear is leaving this place in no better condition than we found it. But whether we say it or not, in between our b****ing and bellyaching lies a purpose and a promise to each other. When we leave, this place will be better than we found it.

The brave men and women showcased in these stories, and the countless others whose names and faces we will never know, deserve leadership at home equal to their sacrifice abroad. What Bush needs now is someone who can put aside the slogans and produce what this administration has failed to produce so far - an actual plan to end the war. The MBA president needs a project manager, who can produce a plan with quantitative deliverables to measure our progress, and report back to congress and the American people. He needs a plan with timelines and a decisive end point, that tells us by what measure we'll be able to declare victory and bring our troops home. Real victory, the kind Matt Cook yearns for, is beyond our reach. But the only thing worse than acknowledging that now, is marking a second three-year anniversary with more grim statistics and the same result.

dallas anti-war rally

Please join us on Sunday, March 19, 2006, in downtown Dallas for a rally to Stop the War Now and Bring Our Troops Home.

At 10:45am, people of all faiths are encouraged to attend morning services at St. Paul United Methodist Church at 1816 Routh St., Dallas, TX 75201. Rev. L. Charles Stovall will lead a service centering on the tragic consequences of the invasion and occupation of Iraq.

Protestors will begin gathering at around 1:30pm at the church. The antiwar rally will begin promptly at 2pm and the corresponding march will end at the federal building downtown. After the event, those attending the rally will be invited back to the church for complimentary refreshments provided by the Food Not Bombs group.

Please come out and support the antiwar movement in Dallas. Your presence is extremely important and vital to the mission: we need to bring the troops home safely and as soon as possible. With 72% of the troops thinking we should end the war this year, there's no better way to support the troops. Bring them home!