Walking the Walk and Compassion for Campers Update for April 10 2026

 

Look for new opportunities for action, education, community, and solidarity in and around McHenry County here every week.  

Walking the Walk  

War with Iran.  It's been a head snapping week.  First, we seemed to be waltzing up to Armageddon or maybe a mutiny by segments of the Armed Forces with Donald Trump's vow to "obliterate a civilization" with destruction of Iran's entire electrical power supplies and grid as well as bridges and other critical civilian infrastructure.  Ousted Top Brass and even previously loyal MAGA politicos reminded active-duty military of their duty to refuse to obey illegal orders.  Feverish calls to invoke the 25th Amendment to the Constitution and remove the Resident for being incapable of "discharging he power and duties of his office" spread like wildfire online.  Protests were held across the country including at the Great Lakes Naval Station and Downtown Chicago at the Federal Plaza.  More actions were planned.

Then at the last-minute Trump flipped the table.  He announced that he accepted a Ten Point ceasefire proposal that Iran offered two days earlier.  He declared he would honor a two week cease fire if Iran opened the Straits of Hormz.  They responded that the straights would be open to commercial passage under the protection of the Iranian Navy.  It looked like a virtual capitulation to get him out of the deeply unpopular war before it derailed his Presidency.  It is also unclear if Isreal was even given notice of the ceasefire or would abide by it.  They bombed populated Hezbola targets in Lebanon hours after it went into effect. 

Will Isreal literally blow up the deal?  Will Trump reverse course once again?  Who knows.  Stay alert and nimble to respond to any eventuality.

 Contact your Senators and House Representatives:

Urgent Congressional Action Memorandum
Template for email attachment to U.S. Senators and Members of the House of Representatives

Date:
April 7, 2026
To:
[Senator / Representative Name]
From:
[Your Name / Organization / City, State]
Subject:
Request for Immediate Congressional Intervention if Credible Evidence Confirms Unauthorized Attacks on Civilians or Civilian Infrastructure
Purpose:
To urge immediate use of Congress's constitutional powers to stop any unlawful escalation, protect American citizens from unauthorized war, and uphold basic principles of humanity and the rule of law.

I write to urge immediate Congressional action if credible evidence shows that the President has ordered or expanded large-scale attacks on Iranian civilian populations or civilian infrastructure without lawful congressional authorization. If such facts are confirmed, Congress should treat the matter not as routine foreign policy, but as an emergency involving unauthorized war, grave humanitarian harm, and a direct assault on the constitutional balance of powers.
Core concern: Congress must not allow any President to carry out or continue a campaign that deliberately or recklessly endangers civilians, bypasses Congress's war powers, and exposes the American people to wider conflict without lawful approval.

The quickest lawful path for Congress to intervene
1. Emergency hearings within hours. Convene immediate classified and public hearings and compel testimony from Defense, State, intelligence, and Justice Department officials. Demand the legal basis, targeting rationale, civilian harm assessments, War Powers reporting, and any internal memoranda relied upon for the operation.
2. Immediate funding restrictions. Pass emergency appropriations language or a stand-alone funding prohibition barring any further offensive operations, strategic bombing, or infrastructure attacks absent specific congressional authorization. Congress's control of funding is the strongest near-term institutional brake.
3. War powers legislation to terminate unauthorized hostilities. Pass a joint resolution or bill directing termination of unauthorized hostilities and requiring withdrawal from any offensive campaign not expressly authorized by Congress. This establishes a clear constitutional line and creates a direct record of congressional opposition.
4. Impeachment proceedings if defiance continues. If the President persists after congressional notice, or if credible evidence demonstrates deliberate attacks on civilians or other grave abuses, the House should open impeachment proceedings immediately and the Senate should prepare to act on an emergency timetable.
Why immediate action is necessary
• Delay increases the risk of broader regional war, retaliation against U.S. personnel, and lasting damage to American credibility.
• If civilian infrastructure is being targeted on a sustained, nationwide basis, the humanitarian consequences could be severe and irreversible.
• Congress cannot preserve its constitutional role by issuing statements alone. It must use hearings, legislation, funding control, and—if necessary—impeachment.
Requested commitment
I respectfully ask that you publicly commit to the following: support emergency hearings, support an immediate cutoff of funds for any unauthorized offensive campaign, support war powers legislation to end unlawful hostilities, and support impeachment proceedings if the President continues in defiance of Congress or if credible evidence confirms grave abuses against civilians.
Closing
American citizens should not be dragged into unauthorized war, and basic principles of humanity must not depend on delay or political caution. If the facts support these concerns, Congress should act now with the full weight of its constitutional authority.
Respectfully,

[Your Name]
[Organization, if any]
[City, State]
[Email]
[Phone]

Compassion for Campers

Compassion for Campers is at Community Resource Days at Willow Crystal Lake, 100 South Main Street on the first and third Friday of every month from 10 am to 2 pm. C4C is one of over 25 agencies at Willow.  C4C’s next distribution will be  Friday, April 17 and then on Friday, May 1.. Please come and see what we are doing.  

Yo-yo conditions and mud are the reality for those camping or sleeping in vehicles and catch-as-catch can spaces  Demand is very high for basic camping supplies and despite our best efforts cannot meet everyone’s needs.  Individual and community donations are critical to purchase our gear.   

We can always use donations of supplies like clean and serviceable tents and sleeping bags in original bags for easy transport, clean blankets, tabletop grills, wrapped toilet paper and paper towels, and non-perishable food.  Money donations are always welcome.      https://tinyurl.com/3bz96axe

We need people to share leadership tasks including shopping, transportation, acknowledging donations, coordinating with other agencies, and religious groups. These tasks can take a few hours a week.  People with flexible schedules with some day-time availability are ideal candidates.  A good way to start is to volunteer for our distribution a time or two to see if we are a good fit and stir your passion for justice and service.  Interested?  Email compassionforcampers@treeoflifeuu.org