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Rolla Peace News July 17, 2018 |
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Dear Friends: http://tomsager.org/Peaceletters/peaceletter071718.html In this newsletter is: 1. NOON VIGIL FOR PEACE: THURSDAY, JULY 19, 2018 2. THE KINDERGUARDIANS 3. THE MISFIT MATHEMATICIAN (Tom's column, http://tomsager.org) a) Trump And Putin Refuse To Answer Question About Nuclear Weapons Ban b) Climate Change And The Mainstream Media c) World's Most Expensive Medical Care 1. NOON VIGIL FOR PEACE: THURSDAY, JULY 19, 2018 We vigil for peace in front of the Rolla Post Office THIS THURSDAY, JULY 19, FROM NOON TO 1:00 PM (and most subsequent Thursdays until peace is established). 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. THE KINDERGUARDIANS Guns in the hands of pre-schoolers? A couple of our congressmen seem to think that's a good idea. In this article is a video clip of the last 10 minutes or so of Sacha Baron Cohen's new show, Who Is America? Baron Cohen plays an Israeli anti-terrorist who says he wants to help America deal with the school shooting problem. This segment was filmed in such a way that the people he interviewed actually believed he was for real. When you see who they were (several sitting and former elected politicians, a gun lobbyist and a gun rights activist), you won't be surprised. This was supposed to be dark comedy, but it's uncomfortably close to reality, if these people were actually going for it and not just acting. Surely no one in his right mind would say some of that stuff on the air if he didn't believe it? It's not that we didn't already know there were people like that, but seeing and hearing it on national TV is pretty creepy. The article is a good one, and puts the video in context. It's also long — but at least watch the video. You won't know whether to laugh or cry. 3. THE MISFIT MATHEMATICIAN (Tom's column, http://tomsager.org) a) Trump And Putin Refuse To Answer Question About Nuclear Weapons Ban b) Climate Change And The Mainstream Media c) World's Most Expensive Medical Care TRUMP AND PUTIN REFUSE TO ANSWER QUESTION ABOUT NUCLEAR WEAPONS BAN While 59 nations have signed the Treaty to Prohibit Nuclear Weapons, the presidents of the United States and Russia which together own some 90% of the world's nuclear weapons refused to answer a question about a nuclear weapons ban. Journalist Sam Husseini was ejected from their press conference for trying to ask. And that may be the most important event of the Trump-Putin summit in Helsinki. I am far more interested in what, if anything, the US and Russia will do to rid the world of nuclear weapons and slow or reverse global warming than I am in alleged Russian meddling in US elections. That's what big powers do. They meddle in elections — all over the world. The U.S. has meddled in 81 foreign elections since 1945. This doesn't include a multitude of coups and military interventions. Oh, incidentally, have you ever contributed to a candidate in some other state or district? for example, Tammy Duckworth, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez or Elizabeth Warren. If so, you have meddled in an election. The voters in Massachusetts are supposed to choose their senator — not residents of Missouri. Politicians are brazen about it. I get mail all the time asking me to meddle in an election on behalf of some politician who may be as far away as California. It's all perfectly legal. The Supreme Court in Citizens United has enshrined the Constitutional Right to meddle in elections. And if you're looking for foreign meddling in our elections, take a good look at Israel. Pro-Israel entities donated a whopping $17 million to influence our 2016 elections. CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA Well, it's finally getting into the mainstream media, what most of us have known for years. Climate Change is not something that might happen in the future if we continue to burn fossil fuels. Climate Change is happening now, and people all over the world are feeling it. All the extreme weather events we have been experiencing are a result of or aggravated by climate change. Extreme weather events have always been with us. What is different now is that they are happening everywhere, all at the same time, and lingering for long periods of time. Floods in Japan; heat records from California to Algeria to Taiwan. Wildfires in England, and much much more. And its only going to get worse. Temperatures and atmospheric CO2 continue to rise. Monthly average atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations topped 411 ppm for the first time in May. Friends: Sometimes I think I'm living in a sick joke (see Helen's article above) . Our world is burning all around us, largely of our own making, and the best we can do is talk about election meddling. WORLD'S MOST EXPENSIVE MEDICAL CARE Here's a story of a woman who sustained a serious injury when her leg got caught between a subway and the platform. She begged bystanders not to call an ambulance, because she couldn't afford it. I'm wondering: Is there any other profession besides health care where once they get you in their clutches they can do pretty much whatever they want to you and then bill you whatever they like? Let me know if you think of one. And if you can't pay, you'll be hounded for the rest of your life by bill collectors, if you're lucky. If not, you could be thrown out on the street in freezing weather in your hospital gown. Is there a solution? Yes! single payer health insurance for all. 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: near 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, Helen helenm (at) fidnet.com |