Gold Star Families for Peace

Gold Star Families for Peace (GSFP) is a United States based organization founded in January 2005 by individuals who lost family members in the 2003 invasion of Iraq, and are thus entitled to display a Gold Star. It is considered an offshoot of Military Families Speak Out. Gold Star Families for Peace now includes more than 65 families of soldiers killed in Iraq.

Joining with organizations including Veterans for Peace, United for Peace and Justice, Code Pink, Military Families Speak Out, the Crawford Peace House and others, GSFP is actively protesting American military action in Iraq. They have used speaking engagements, congressional testimony and protests throughout the United States.

GFSP regards the administration's reasons for those operations as falsehoods and grounds for impeachment of the president.

Protest in Crawford, Texas

On August 7, 2005, the group arrived in Crawford, Texas in a bus provided by Veterans for Peace, painted red, white and blue with the words "Impeachment Tour" on it and demanded to yell at President Bush. Prior to arriving at Crawford, the group had been in Dallas attending a Veterans for Peace convention.

GSFP founding members

* Cindy and Patrick Sheehan - parents of Army Spc. Casey Sheehan, KIA in Sadr City, Baghdad on April 4 2004)
* Jane and Jim Bright - mother and stepfather of Army Sgt. Evan Ashcraft, KIA in Mosul, Iraq on July 24, 2003
* Bill Mitchell - father of Army Sgt. Michael Mitchell, KIA in Sadr City Baghdad on April 4, 2004
* Celeste Zappala - mother of Army Sgt. Sherwood Baker, KIA in Baghdad on April 26, 2004 [http://gbgm-umc.org/global_news/full_article.cfm?articleid=3411] [http://www.ncccusa.org/news/050816CrawfordPrayerService.html]
* Lila Lipscomb - mother of son Army Sgt. Michael Pederson, KIA on April 2, 2003 in Karbala, Iraq. (Lipscomb had been a featured subject in the 2004 documentary "Fahrenheit 9/11", both before and after her son was killed.)
* Sue Niederer - mother of Lt.Seth J. Dvorin was KIA on 02/03/04)
* Dede Miller - aunt of Army Spc. Casey Sheehan (above)

As of 2005 Gold Star Families for Peace, now includes 65 family members of soldiers killed in Iraq. [http://rawstory.com/news/2005/Anatomy_of_antipeace_movement_Military_families_1004.html]

GSFP mission statement and purpose

*The group's mission statement reads as follows:

*GSFP Purpose statement:
**To bring an end to the occupation of Iraq.
**To be a support group for Gold Star Families.

Membership:

*Anyone who has had a relative killed as a result of war.
*Primarily, but not limited to the invasion/occupation of Iraq.

GSFP web site [http://www.gsfp.org/]

ee also

* Downing Street memo
* 2003 invasion of Iraq
* United for Peace and Justice
* Movement to impeach George W. Bush
* Yellowcake forgeries
* Gold Star Mothers Club
* Gold Star Wives
* ""

External links

upporting organizations

* [http://www.veteransforpeace.org/ Veterans for Peace]
* [http://www.crawfordpeacehouse.org/ Crawford Peace House]
* [http://www.codepink4peace.org/ Code Pink for Peace]
* [http://www.mfso.org Military Families Speak Out]

Other

* [http://www.gsfp.org/ Gold Star Families for Peace's main web site]
* [http://www.commondreams.org/news2005/0614-27.htm Military Families Call for Truth Regarding Downing St. Memo]
* [http://www.buzzflash.com/contributors/05/01/con05025.html Buzzflash editoral by Cindy Sheehan]
* [http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2005/08/07/soldiers_mother_protests_near_bush_ranch/ Soldier's mother protests near Bush ranch, by Deb Riechmann, Associated Press, August 7, 2005]
* [http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2005/8/9/01024/39519 Day 3 of the Peace Occupation of Crawford, by Cindy Sheehan]
* http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6849029001567018956&q=veterans+iraq
* http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8721492645366916845&q=Iraq+veteran

News reports and editorials

* [http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2005/08/09/mr_bush_lets_talk/ Boston Globe editorial "Mr. Bush, let's talk"]
* [http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/special_packages/iraq/12329632.htm Bereaved mom becomes one focus of war debate]
* [http://news.google.com/news?q=gold%20star%20families%20for%20peace&hl=en&lr=&c2coff=1&safe=off&rls=GGLD,GGLD:2004-15,GGLD:en&sa=N&tab=wn Google news search on GSFP]
* [http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/07/politics/07protest.html? Mother Takes Protest to Bush's Ranch, NYTimes]
* [http://movies.crooksandliars.com/Hardball_Cindy_Sheehan.wmv Cindy Sheehan on Hardball (MSNBC), Windows Media]
* [http://newclips.crooksandliars.com/DSM1-Sheehan1.wmv Cindy Sheehan at the Downing Street Memo hearings (CSPAN), Windows Media]
*Cindy Sheehan interviewed on 'The Tony Trupiano Show' (progressive radio) [http://movies.crooksandliars.com/sheehan1080805.mp3 MP3]
*Cindy Sheehan interviewed in Crawford, TX (CNN) [http://movies.crooksandliars.com/cnn_am_sheehan_vigil_at_bush_vacation_050808a.wmv Windows Media]
*Cindy Sheehan speaks with Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) [http://johnconyers.com/vertical/Sites/%7BEF00C507-612C-4BA3-84C0-446C97F7E413%7D/uploads/%7BF868F974-9851-4F48-9B0D-7B4C336C6109%7D.MP3 MP3]