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  Comty. Preserv. Act
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  Iraq pullout
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Iraq Pullout

A non-binding question asks the United States to stop the war and bring the troops home in:

Hingham, Hull, Cohasset, Scituate precinct 3, Bridgewater, Easton precinct 6 and Raynham

Voters want end to Iraq war

By KRISTEN WALSH
The Patriot Ledger / Nov. 8, 2006

The residents of several communities on the South Shore say it’s time to bring the troops home from Iraq.

By a margin of 54 percent to 46 percent, voters in the 3rd and 8th Plymouth districts passed a question that asked whether the state’s congressional delegation should be instructed to vote for a resolution calling upon the president and Congress to end the war in Iraq immediately and bring all military forces home.

The two districts consist of Hingham, Hull, Cohasset, Precinct 3 in Scituate, Bridgewater, Raynham and Precinct 6 in Easton.

“I think the troops should be out of Iraq by now,” Hingham resident Joseph Troccoli said. “I think enough people have been killed over there.”

Military Families Speak Out, the American Friends Service Committee, United for Justice with Peace and Veterans for Peace organized petitions to get the non-binding, “sense-of-the-voters question on the ballot in 36 legislative districts in Massachusetts.

Voters both for and against the war in Iraq wondered whether it was a realistic question to ask. One woman who wanted the war to end did not agree with the part of the question that called for troops to be brought home immediately, saying while she wanted the troops home, she wanted it to happen in a manner that would make the most sense.

Hingham resident John Tuell voted yes on the question, as he has been against the war for some time.

“This question is letting people know we’re not happy with the situation. It’s a little way to get our point across,” Tuell said.

Denise Aucoin voted yes on the question because she wants her cousin Richard St. Laurent to come home. St. Laurent, a Hingham police officer, is serving overseas.

“I wish this question were more binding,” Aucoin said. “There are too many people dying over there.”

Paul Shannon of the peace and economic security program of the American Friends Service Committee, was happy with the local results, which seemed consistent with the voting in Wisconsin and Illinois, the other two states where the question was on the ballot.

“Things are going very well,” Shannon said. “The vast majority of towns seem to be voting yes. This indicates to us that there is something going on in the grass roots and in people’s hearts and souls that this war is a disaster and things need to change fundamentally.

“This referendum is strongly worded and shows people want the troops home now and to put an end to this horrendous war. As far as we’re concerned, people are starting to see through this war and the lies the government has told them.”

Kristen Walsh may be reached at kwalsh@ledger.com.
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Communities to ask voters if U.S. should leave Iraq

By Maria Papadopoulos and Kristin Walsh
SouthofBoston.com / Oct. 12, 2006

Activists who want the United States to stop the war and bring the troops home gathered enough signatures to get a non-binding, ‘‘sense-of-the-voters’’ question on the ballot in the 3rd and the 8th Plymouth Districts: Hingham, Hull, Cohasset, Precinct 3 in Scituate, Bridgewater, Precinct 6 in Easton and Raynham.

The groups that organized the petitions are Military Families Speak Out, American Friends Service Committee, United for Justice with Peace, Veterans for Peace and Bridgewater-based Citizens for an Informed Community.

Paul Shannon, of the peace and economic security program of the American Friends Service Committee, said volunteers began collecting signatures in April and had until July 5 to bring signatures into town halls.

Enough signatures were gathered to get the question on the ballot in 36 legislative districts.

Shannon said while the volunteers have been focused on educating the towns, they will now approach state representatives to see if they will endorse the resolution.

‘‘It’s non-binding, so it’s really one more attempt to get out the word that people want us to bring the troops home now,’’ Shannon said. ‘‘Until very recently, the war has been pushed under the rug. Citizens of the country need to take responsibility for what their government does otherwise they are complicit in what the government is doing.’’

Raymond Ajemian, 64, of Bridgewater, a member of Citizens for an Informed Community, said the war “is a disaster turned to death and maimed, injured soldiers.”

“This is one way for people to voice their opinion, and, hopefully, they'll think about it,” Ajemian said.

Manny Rocha of Raynham, a World War II veteran, said he would not support the referendum.

“I don't think it's a good thing to just bail out” of Iraq, said Rocha, 79. “It's the worst thing you could do.”

Rep. Garrett Bradley of Hingham said he would be interested in the outcome of the question.

‘‘It gives people the ability to express their views on the current situation in Iraq,’’ Bradley said. ‘‘Foreign policy is a little beyond my scope as a state representative, but I would take the results in my district under advisement.’’