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Rolla Peace News June 16, 2020 |
Dear Friends:Editor's note: Please send in your work. I think readers would love to see more variety in this newsletter.In this newsletter is: 1. NOON VIGIL FOR PEACE: THURSDAY, JUNE 18, 2020 2. THE MISFIT MATHEMATICIAN (Tom's column, http://tomsager.org) a) From Our Readers: Rolla March for Justice b) Corona Virus Appears to be Mutating c) Come Mighty Storms d) No Three-Way START Treaty 1. NOON VIGIL FOR PEACE: THURSDAY, JUNE 18, 2020 We vigil for peace in front of the Rolla Post Office, THIS THURSDAY, JUNE 18, FROM NOON TO 1:00 PM (and most subsequent Thursdays until Peace is established). Please join us again this Thursday in saying NO WAR AGAINST IRAN or any other country. The temperature is predicted to be in the 80s. If you do not feel comfortable standing with us in front of the Post Office, please consider driving by and showing your support for our message by honking your horn and flashing a peace sign. Note: Since there are so few of us, generally 2 or 3, no need to cancel; but let's maintain social distancing. 2. THE MISFIT MATHEMATICIAN (Tom's column, http://tomsager.org) a) From Our Readers: Rolla March for Justice b) Corona Virus Appears to be Mutating c) Come Mighty Storms d) No Three-Way START Treaty From Our Readers: Rolla March for Justice One reader writes in: “It certainly was the best organized march I have been in!” My response: I second that! I hope to see many more. Another reader writes: “One person might be arrested. That person was not part of the peaceful protest. He was the angry anti-protester screaming ‘all lives matter,’ waving a trump 2020 banner, carrying an automatic weapon and handgun.... police are asking for information about an incident where he was in the middle of the street instigating things.” My response: I saw him too. He was certainly trying to incite confrontation, and probably violence as well. I think the police handled the incident well. I don't know whether he was arrested. “All lives matter.” I agree. What about Palestinian lives? What about Afghan lives? Your life and mine also matter. It isn't “Black Lives Matter” v. “All Lives Matter.” Its“Black Lives Matter” AND “All Lives Matter.” To quote Rodney King: “Can we all get along?” I'd like to answer “Yes;” however, at this time, the answer appears to be “No.” Maybe after a few more events like last week's march. Corona Virus Appears to be Mutating The COVID-19 virus appears to be mutating and may be becoming more contagious and more virulent. It is moving into war-torn countries on the heels of invading soldiers and foreign bureaucrats. In Afghanistan, confirmed cases increased almost four-fold from 6,664 to 26,310 over the past 30 days. In Yemen, confirmed cases increased almost seven-fold from 128 to 885 in 30 days. These numbers are likely grossly under-reported. Here, in the United States, we remain by far the country with the most COVID-19 cases and our numbers continue to increase at an alarming rate. While daily new cases have been falling over the past two months; with the reopening of business and social life, new cases have leveled off and appear to be set to rise again. Come Mighty Storms With the May numbers out, the Earth has now experienced 12 consecutive months, each either the warmest or second warmest with that name. May 2020 tied with May 2016 for the warmest May on record. The Atlantic hurricane season is off to a strong start boasting three named storms so far, with the season just beginning. Tropical Storm Cristobal after flooding parts of Mexico and Louisiana, traveled north all the way to Wisconsin, where most tropical storms dare not venture. This year the hurricane season is predicted to be more active than usual. On the up-side, people all over the world are planting mini-forests which help cool planet Earth. Why not here in the United States? Why not here in Rolla, Missouri? No Three-Way START Treaty Bernie Sanders and Barbara Lee are calling for a 10% cut in the military budget and investment in people and infrastructure. Having abrogated the Anti Ballistic Missile Treaty and the Intermediate Nuclear Forces Treaty, (not to mention the JCPOA agreement with Iran), United States negotiators wonder why China is not interested in negotiating a new START treaty with the United States and Russia. Maybe if we could show the world we are serious about avoiding nuclear war... How about a declaration of No First Use of nuclear weapons? Why would anyone want to be the first to use nuclear weapons anyway? It has been a while since I have reported on the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. The Treaty now has 38 State Parties. In 2020, Paraguay, Namibia, Lesotho and Belize have ratified The Treaty. 12 more and The Treaty goes into force. Sadly, no nuclear weapon state has signed the treaty or even, to my knowledge, stated that if all the others nuclear weapon states agree to sign, then they would too. Rolla Peace News is distributed by email once a week on Tuesday evenings (except on rare occasions) and is posted on the web at http://tomsager.org (click on Grassroots Rolla: at the top of rightmost column). If you don't wish to get notices of peace events in the Rolla area, let me know and I'll take you off this list. If you want to be added to this list, let me know. Wage peace, Tom yushasager (at) yahoo.com |