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Rolla Peace News July 7, 2015 |
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================================= Dear Friends:In this newsletter is: 1. NOON VIGIL FOR PEACE: THIS WEEK, THURSDAY, JULY 9, 2015 2. BERNIE SPEAKS 3. THE MISFIT MATHEMATICIAN (Tom's column, http://tomsager.org) a) Divestment (Israel) b) Divestment (Fossil-fuels) c) War and the Climate d) Now is the Time for Courage ================================ 1. NOON VIGIL FOR PEACE: THURSDAY, JULY 9, 2015We vigil for peace in front of the Rolla Post Office THIS THURSDAY, JULY 9, 2015, (and all subsequent Thursdays until peace is established) from Noon to 1:00 PM. Please try to join us. 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. 2. BERNIE SPEAKS We are supporting Bernie Sanders for President. His domestic platform, if it becomes reality, would totally change the lives of most Americans for the better. This may be our last chance to save our democracy. Read this interview from “The Nation” to see what Bernie has to say about his campaign. I'm not so enamored of his foreign policy positions, especially as regards Israel, but I'm unable to identify another candidate that is any better. He has made some good calls, and some bad ones. Here's a short article by Juan Cole on his Middle East stance. 3. THE MISFIT MATHEMATICIAN (Tom's column, http://tomsager.org) a) Divestment (Israel) b) Divestment (Fossil-fuels) c) War and the Climate d) Now is the Time for Courage DIVESTMENT (ISRAEL) The divestment movement is picking up steam and is taking its toll on Israel and its supporters. In fact, some seem to consider it a greater threat to Israel than the non-existent Iranian nuclear bomb. Hillary Clinton seeks help from rich Jewish donors in countering this threat. Meanwhile, we wait for a statement on justice for Palestine from Bernie Sanders, who has been very outspoken on climate justice and justice for this country's poor and middle class, but has in the past failed for the most part to be supportive of justice for the Palestinian people. DIVESTMENT (FOSSIL-FUELS) Divestment from coal, oil and gas companies is also picking up steam and taking its toll. Most recently, the Lutheran World Federation voted to divest from fossil-fuels and Pope Francis in his encyclical, Laudato Si, talks about the “urgent need to develop policies so that, in the next few years, the emission of carbon dioxide and other highly polluting gases can be drastically reduced, for example, substituting for fossil fuels and developing sources of renewable energy.” 2016 US presidential candidates were asked to sign a pledge to neither solicit nor accept contributions from fossil-fuel companies. Only Bernie Sanders, Martin O'Malley and Jill Stein signed. Hillary Clinton and the 14 republican candidates did not reply. WAR AND THE CLIMATE War is intimately related to climate degradation — perhaps the primary driving force. Pope Francis also notes in Laudato Si, “War always does grave harm to the environment and to the cultural riches of peoples, risks which are magnified when one considers nuclear arms and biological weapons.” NOW IS THE TIME FOR TRUE COURAGE If you haven't already done so, read the full statement of Bree Newsome, the courageous young African-American woman who scaled the flag pole at the South Carolina Capitol and took down the confederate flag. VERY INSPIRING! ================== 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: 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, Helen helenm (at) fidnet.com ### |