<html><head></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><br><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>"Urban Areas Security Initiative" is the Department of "Homeland Security" umbrella under which police departments and other law enforcement agencies hold conferences and training events like "Urban Shield" (formerly "Urban Warrior") featuring the sale and use of militarized police equipment in military-style training exercises that treat the public like potential enemies.</div><div><br></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>This coming Thursday there will be a conference call for opponents of these militarized law enforcement events, who are seeking to cut federal funding for them. Definitely an agenda that Libertarians can and should support!<br><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div class=""><div><div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"></div></div><div>Love & Liberty,</div><div> ((( starchild )))</div><div>At-Large Representative, Libertarian National Committee</div><div> (415) 625-FREE</div><div> @StarchildSF</div><div><br></div><div><br></div></div></div><blockquote type="cite"><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div class=""><div><blockquote type="cite" class=""><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;" class=""><span style="font-family: -webkit-system-font, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif; color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 1.0);" class=""><b class="">From: </b></span><span style="font-family: -webkit-system-font, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif;" class="">Stephen McNeil <<a href="mailto:SMcNeil@afsc.org" class="">SMcNeil@afsc.org</a>><br class=""></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;" class=""><span style="font-family: -webkit-system-font, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif; color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 1.0);" class=""><b class="">Date: </b></span><span style="font-family: -webkit-system-font, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif;" class="">April 17, 2017 at 10:47:15 AM PDT</span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;" class=""><span style="font-family: -webkit-system-font, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif; color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 1.0);" class=""><b class="">Subject: </b></span><span style="font-family: -webkit-system-font, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif;" class=""><b class="">[oaklandprivacyworkinggroup] Please Respond: Conference Call on April 27 3 pm EDT</b><br class=""></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;" class=""><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000" face="-webkit-system-font, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif"><b><br></b></font></div><div class=""><div class="WordSection1" style="page: WordSection1; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class="">Dear All:<o:p class=""></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""> <o:p class=""></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class="">Last year your group participated in an online campaign to support President Obama’s proposed cuts to the Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) funds in the FY 17 Department of Homeland Security budget. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><b class="">Please join us for a conference call to discuss this year’s strategy:<o:p class=""></o:p></b></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><o:p class=""> </o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><b class="">Thursday, April 27 at 3 pm EDT (2 pm CT and noon PST) USAI Defunding Call<o:p class=""></o:p></b></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><b class=""><span style="font-size: 10.5pt;" class="">Call-in number: </span></b><a href="tel:866-740-1260" target="_blank" title="tel:866-740-1260" style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114); text-decoration: underline;" class=""><b class=""><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; color: purple;" class="">866-740-1260</span></b></a><b class=""><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; background-color: white;" class=""> </span></b><b class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class=""><o:p class=""></o:p></span></b></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><b class=""><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; background-color: white;" class="">Access Code: 2419959 # </span><span style="" class=""><o:p class=""></o:p></span></b></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><b class=""> </b></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><b class=""> </b></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class="">In 2016, both Republicans and Democrats voted to keep the funding level the same as the previous year. Now we have another opportunity, this time to support President Trump’s proposed cuts of around 25%. Again we expect both Congress to fight to keep the monies flowing into their Districts. We oppose funding for further militarization of police and sheriff forces. <o:p class=""></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><o:p class=""> </o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class="">We are inviting your input early to generate ways to get the word out through your local media and to raise the concern that militarized equipment and training supported by these federal funds target communities of color. We believe that these training funds increase the number of SWAT team raids in the U.S.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><o:p class=""></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><o:p class=""> </o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class="">We also continue to seek first-hand SWAT team stories that can be used in contacts with local media (see<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="https://www.warresisters.org/swatstories" style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114); text-decoration: underline;" class="">https://www.warresisters.org/swatstories</a>). Critical Resistance has produced a six minute video linking personal SWAT team raid stories with the promo made by the DHS Urban Shield folk:<a href="https://criticalresistance.box.com/s/49nnsv1oqju4ud0ny2za1kea4iim781k" style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114); text-decoration: underline;" class="">https://criticalresistance.box.com/s/49nnsv1oqju4ud0ny2za1kea4iim781k</a><o:p class=""></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><o:p class=""> </o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""> <o:p class=""></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class="">We hope to convoke a national call-in day to Congress in May or June, before Congressional hearings on the Homeland Security budget. And we are looking for whether or not one of your local members of Congress might champion keeping these cuts and raising the issue of police militarization that they foster.<o:p class=""></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><o:p class=""> </o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class="">On the April 27 call, we will use our time together<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><b class="">(no more than one hour)</b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>to come up with concrete actions that small, local groups can do within their communities to get the message out. We invite your group - and others to which you reach out - to sign onto the defunding letter. We want to grow the campaign beyond a simple electronic organizing event.<o:p class=""></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""> <o:p class=""></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class="">Please confirm your interest in this effort, and whether you plan to participate in the April 27 call.<o:p class=""></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><o:p class=""> </o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class="">For peace,<o:p class=""></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><o:p class=""> </o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class="">Ali Issa, Tara Tabassi, Debbie Southern, Stephen McNeil, and John Lindsay-Poland<o:p class=""></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class="">American Friends Service Committee and War Resisters League<o:p class=""></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""> <o:p class=""></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class="">Last year’s letter, fyi:<o:p class=""></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><o:p class=""> </o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><o:p class=""> </o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt;" class="">Stephen McNeil, S.F. Wage Peace Director<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt;" class="">American Friends Service Committee<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt;" class="">65 9<sup class="">th</sup><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Street, San Francisco, CA 94103<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt;" class="">(415) 565-0201 x 12 <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><a href="mailto:smcneil@afsc.org" style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114); text-decoration: underline;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt;" class="">smcneil@afsc.org</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt;" class=""><o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt;" class="">Facebook: AFSC Wage Peace Campaign</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Palatino, serif;" class=""><o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><a href="http://afsc.org/sfwagepeace" style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114); text-decoration: underline;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Franklin Gothic Book', sans-serif; color: rgb(224, 0, 16);" class="">afsc.org/sfwagepeace</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Palatino, serif;" class=""><o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Palatino, serif;" class=""> </span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt;" class="">"You can't stay in your corner of the Forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes."</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Palatino, serif;" class=""><o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt;" class="">Winnie the Pooh</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Palatino, serif;" class=""><o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><o:p class=""> </o:p></div></div></div></blockquote></div></div></div></blockquote></div></body></html>