WE NEED YOU TO STAND UP WITH YOUR NAME!

Poetry is a verb. We must interrupt Moi's regular "positive energy" programming to ask you to sign the "Comfort Women House Resolution" put together by my Screaming Monkeys co-editor (and fictionist whose novel won the AWP fiction award 2 years back) M. Evelina Galang.

This resolution has to do with receiving an apology and war crimes reparations for the approximately 200, 000 young women who were taken hostage by Japanese soldiers to serve as military sex slaves from all of South East Asia. See info below.

Can you believe that just a few days ago -- and this is 2007, y'all! -- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe insisted, “There is no evidence to prove there was coercion, nothing to support it (the coercion of WWII military sex slaves).”

This petition isn't just for those involved in the South East Asian arena. Do you, for example, believe the Holocaust existed? Or, simply, are you for justice? Then please consider signing the petition! Here's info from Evelina:

Please See http://www.justiceforcomfortwomen.org/?pg=home or visit labanforthelolas.blogspot.com.

Petition:
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi
H 232 Capitol
Washington DC 20515-6501

Dear Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi,

We the undersigned request you to support House Resolution 121-1H. We urge you to bring the House Floor to a full vote.

Historians and researchers in South Korea and Japan discovered several official war documents in the late 1980’s that established the existence and systematic abuse of WWII Comfort Women. They estimated 200, 000 young women were taken hostage by Japanese soldiers to serve as military sex slaves from all of South East Asia.

After fifty years of silence, surviving Comfort Women have broken the culture of shame to document their experiences of systematic rape and sexual slavery by the Japanese Imperial Army. Their demands are simple -- they would like a formal apology and reparations for the war crimes they suffered, crimes that continue to affect their aging bodies in physically, mentally and sexually abusive ways. The women make their demands in order to reclaim their dignity, and ensure the safety of their own daughters, granddaughters and now, great granddaughters.

The surviving Comfort Women are mostly in their 80’s now. Many are dying. We urge Congress to act swiftly so that some may see justice before they pass away.

Sincerely,

(Go to http://www.gopetition.com/online/11466.html to sign)