UFPPC recommends adoption of these platform planks at the Feb. 7 Washington State Democratic Party caucuses.

A CALL TO ALL PIERCE COUNTY VOTERS

     
WHEREAS, United for Peace of Pierce County repudiates the Bush administration's cynical, deceitful politics, which are incompatible with this nation's fundamental values, and, in this presidential election year, calls upon every American citizen to hold the Bush administration accountable, in order to keep the blessings of our nation's liberties;

     
WHEREAS, to that end, United for Peace of Pierce County urges all county voters to participate in the Democratic Party precinct caucuses, at locations near voting precincts, Saturday, February 7, at 10 a.m.; and

     
WHEREAS, each precinct caucus will note Democratic Party presidential candidates and elect county Democratic Party convention delegates based upon the support of voters attending the caucus, and political issues will be discussed and policy resolutions will be passed;

     
THEREFORE, United for Peace of Pierce County recommends passage of the following ten-part resolution, which it considers to be crucial to this country's well-being in 2004:

1. Turn the current Iraqi occupation into a rebuilding process under the auspices of a strengthened United Nations. A portion of the United Nations personnel must be from Islamic countries.

2. The United States of America must pay all monies owed toward supporting the United Nations and United Nations agencies.

3. The United States of America must respect the sovereign integrity of all nations.

4. The United States of America must support the official recognition of Palestine as a viable, sovereign nation.

5. The United States is to create a Department of Peace, with Cabinet status.

6. The United States must sign and ratify the international treaty banning land mines.

7. The United States Congress must reassert its constitutional authority to declare war, and not abrogate that power to declare war to the executive branch. Such authority includes covert, as well as overt, operations.

8. The United States must regard current Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba, detainees as prisoners of war under the dictates of the Geneva conventions, the same courtesy that is currently being extended to deposed Iraqi ruler Saddam Hussein.

9. The United States is to honor active military and military veterans by restoring all of their benefits that were taken away by the Bush administration.

10. The United States is to rescind aspects of the Patriot Act that restrict civil liberties.

UNITED FOR PEACE OF PIERCE COUNTY

"We nonviolently oppose the reliance on unilateral military actions rather than cooperative diplomacy."

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