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Dear John,
I am so pleased to announce our second honoree for our upcoming NIAC Virtual Gala. On July 30, we will proudly present NIAC's Courage Award to a personal hero who has been the voice of principle, morality, and restraint on issues of war and peace for over two decades: Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA).
Barbara Lee is an anti-war icon. When Congresswoman Lee voted against granting the President an open-ended authorization for the use of military force in the aftermath of September 11, she stood completely alone. Speaking on the House floor just three days after the horrific attacks, in the face of unanimous support for the war resolution among her colleagues in both the House and Senate, she counseled a nation in mourning that we must consider the implications in how we respond. "As we act, we must not become the evil which we deplore."
She was attacked as naive, alarmist and "un-American" and her act of courage was considered a major gaffe and act of political suicide. But twenty years later, as we continue to struggle with the consequences and reverberations of our leaders' decisions in those fateful days, most now admit that history has proven Barbara Lee right and her words from that day continue to ring out as a prescient warning.
Since then, Congresswoman Lee has been the champion of countless efforts to prevent war and advance diplomatic solutions to global challenges -- from leading Congressional efforts to establish greater connections between the American and the Iranian people to advancing legislation just this week to block war with Iran and repeal the framework for "forever war" in the Middle East.
That is why we are so proud to honor Congresswoman Lee at our Gala on Thursday, July 30, and to hear her message to our community. If you haven't already, reserve your ticket today so you can be there as we celebrate our community and its allies, and talk about the important work ahead.
In solidarity,
Jamal Abdi
President, NIAC
RSVP HERE
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