Pull the Pork!

February 27^th, a day of action to “Pull the Pork from the Pentagon”, emphasized a need for the Defense Department to realign its budget priorities. Across the nation supporters participated in this campaign by signing petitions, attending events, and creating posters to demonstrate their dissatisfaction with the so - called “pork” of the Pentagon, its excessive spending on outdated and wasteful programs. The campaign focused on concentrating this spending on the everyday American and his or her needs, including education, Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security.

WAND members participated in this national campaign by presenting their own preferences, holding up signs in solidarity with protestors across the country. Some of these demands included investing in early childhood education, or healthcare spending, college tuition, job training for teens, medical research, and many others. It was a day to reflect on the escalating size of the Pentagon’s budget and refocus war expenses on programs that really matter. As an example, the Pentagon plans to invest almost $2.6 billion in constructing excess submarines. Instead, this money could be dedicated to domestic AIDS relief or global health and development funding. It could be used to improve American infrastructure or invigorate clean technology. The “Pull the Pork from the Pentagon” campaign was just one important step to reduce the swelling Defense spending and redirect it into human needs.

Click here for more pictures of the "Pull the Pork" campaign!