Spurned in their repeated efforts to arrange a face-to-face meeting with U.S. Rep. Melissa Hart to discuss her support of the School of the Americas, members of the Western Pennsylvania Coalition to Close the SOA (a coalition of labor, student, peace and religious activists) picketed and leafleted two of Hart’s area offices last month.

The "flying truth squads" picketed and leafleted Hart’s Beaver and Cranberry offices, passing out leaflets to passersby and nearby offices and businesses. The leaflets pointed out Hart’s refusal to co-sponsor H.R.1810, a bill that would close the infamous "School of Assassins," whose graduates have been linked to the death, disappearance and torture of hundreds of thousands of victims throughout Latin America.

Buoyed by the positive response to the leafleting (at the Beaver office dozens of middle school students, who were having a car wash nearby, joined in the leafleting and chanted, "Dump Melissa Hart!"), coalition members plan to continue with the truth squads, targeting Hart’s other area offices and campaign appearances.

Following the leafleting of Hart’s offices, Steve Drobac, the Democratic candidate Hart’s seat, placed an ad in the Sunday edition of the Beaver County Times asking, "Is My Opponent Supporting Terrorism?" The text of the ad was taken from the coalition’s leaflet. Drobac has stated that he would co-sponsor H.R.1810 and would work to close the SOA.

The W.Pa. Coalition is planning to participate in the annual demonstrations at the School of the Americas at Fort Benning in Columbus, Georgia, November 17-19.

For more information, or to join either the Hart truth squads or the Fort Benning trip, contact the Merton Center at 412-361-3022.

– John Thompson