Bryan Casler is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran of both the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars. He is the Northeast Regional Coordinator for the Iraq Veterans Against the War. Speaking at a “Winter Soldier” rally in Baltimore City, on Oct. 18, 2008, he said: We were trained, intensely, to “kill without thought”...and then to “think about it later.” The military’s objective is to make its soldiers “into a killing machine.” In basic training and in boot camp, they “broke people down. You weren’t a person anymore. You were a killing machine.” Mr. Casler added this may be why so many veterans are coming back home “so messed up.” His comments came during the Q&A period of the proceedings. To view the comments of all seven speakers at the event, please go to Google, at: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3474511407340891416 The prime sponsor for the rally was the Fort Meade Chapter of the Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW), see: http://ivaw.org/; supported by the “Military Families Speak Out,” go to: http://www.mfso.org; and “Veterans for Peace,” at . The affair was held at Red Emma’s “2640 Space,” on St. Paul St. Red Emma’s was also one of the twelve co-sponsors of the affair. It was entitled: “Winter Soldier: Iraq and Afghanistan.” Please check out for background: http://ivaw.org/wintersoldier. The speakers were: Bryan Casler, Trey Kindlinger, Madeleine Mysko, Alicia Lucksted, Emiko Ortega, Geoff Millar and Michael Schwartz.

MUST SEE! On Sept. 23, 2008, five military veterans occupied a 35-foot-high ledge in front of the National Archives Building in Washington, D.C. At the site, they unfolded a 22X8 foot banner. It read: “Defend our Constitution: Arrest Bush and Cheney: War Criminals.” The demonstration was sponsored by the Veterans for Peace, a national organization. One of its members, Tarak Kauff, discussed the reasons for the protest action with this presenter. Also talking about the event was Peace Activist, Max Obuszewski. He had traveled over from Baltimore to give his moral support to the protest. For background, and for the latest updates on the National Archives’ demonstration, please go to: http://www.veteransforpeace.org.