"There can be no mistake that the School of the Americas
has trained some of the most despised and corrupt military
officers in Latin America." Rep. Dan Hamburg, D-CA, debate to
close the US Army School of the Americas, US House of
Representatives, May 20,1994
LA Times editorial, April 3,1995: "In fact, it is hard to
think of a coup or human rights outrage that has occurred in
[Latin America] in the past 40 years in which alumni of the
School of Americas were not involved."
Atlanta Constitution editorial,June 3, 1995: "The school is
a relic and ought to be closed...It has strung together such
a perverse "honor roll" of cold-blooded murderers that
America's meanest prison might be pressed to match it."
Cleveland Plain Dealer, editorial, July 20, 1995: "The SOA's
best known products have shared distressing tendency to show
up as dictators or as leaders of death squads. They have
been the agents of oppression..."
Bangor Daily News, editorial,October 3, 1995: The school
costs U.S. Taxpayers $18.5 million a year in direct funding
and untold millions of dollars in foreign aid. The cost for
civilians in Latin America, of course, is much higher."
Purpose: To lobby for the Kennedy Bill HR 2652
to close the School of the Americas and to observe the March
24, 1980 assassination of Archbishop Oscar Romero by
soldiers trained at the School of Americas.
Actions to take to help:
--write members of congress and a letter to the editor of
your local paper supporting HR 2652
--make a contribution to support the fast and lobbying
action
--go to Washington as support person or faster
--organize a local vigil and/or fast in your area to be in
solidarity with those in DC
For more information or to make a contribution, contact
S.O.A. Watch
P.O. Box 3330
Columbus, GA 31903 (706) 682-5369
Jean Matthew
Vermont
jmatthew@plainfield.bypass.com