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Rolla Peace News August 9, 2016 |
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================================= Dear Friends:In this newsletter is: 1. NOON VIGIL FOR PEACE: THIS WEEK, THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2016 2. NAGASAKI REMEMBERED 3. THE MISFIT MATHEMATICIAN (Tom's column, http://tomsager.org) a) Rolla's Buehler Park Under Attack b) Unintended Consequences of Militarism and Climate Change c) War Can Be Hazardous to Your Health
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We vigil for peace in front of the Rolla Post Office THIS THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2016, (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 90s. 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. NAGASAKI REMEMBERED Today is the 71st anniversary of the dropping of a plutonium bomb on the city of Nagasaki, Japan, on August 9, 1945. A reader sent in the following article by Dr. Gary Kohls, who has some pretty profound things to say about war and religion. It's an amazing feat of self-deception and compartmentalization that allows professed Christians, including most of our leaders, both in 1945 and today, to kill tens of thousands of innocent civilians and to feel righteous about it. You don't have to be a Christian to know in your heart that violence is not good for your soul. But if you are a Christian or a Jew, the Bible is very explicit: “Thou shalt not kill.” That doesn't allow a whole lot of room for interpretation. This disconnection from what people know is right has a lot to do with the overwhelming prevalence of PTSD in returning combat veterans. The men who pull the trigger or release the bombs have very little choice; they face severe punishment if they refuse. But they know what they are doing, however much they try to convince themselves that it's for a good cause — and they suffer for it. Higher up on the chain of command, with the generals and the politicians, there is no suffering. One wonders how these people can give the order to murder thousands of their fellow humans and feel nothing. A true Christian could not. 3. THE MISFIT MATHEMATICIAN (Tom's column, http://tomsager.org) a) Rolla's Buehler Park Under Attack b) Unintended Consequences of Militarism and Climate Change c) War Can Be Hazardous to Your Health ROLLA'S BUEHLER PARK UNDER ATTACK I ran this snippet on Buehler Park last week; but in case you missed it, here it is again. Please consider making a few phone calls and/or sending out a few emails to help Buehler Park On July 18 the Rolla city council received a serious proposal from Kent Bagnall and Crystal Watson to fence in 1/3 to 1/2 of Buehler Park for dog runs. Kent Bagnall is the owner of Kent Jewelry and Crystal Watson represents Royal Canin. Although this is apparently the first formal proposal to convert Buehler Park into a dog park, the City has been discussing this possibility for nine years. Buehler Park is a beautiful, small city park, and because of its location there have been various suggestions that would either destroy it (1996; sale to Cracker Barrel) or alter its present character (the recent dog-park proposal). Fencing in the Western part of Buehler Park for dog runs would significantly alter the nature of the park. It would no longer be a park for all local people and visitors to our area. It would be primarily for dog-owners willing to drive their dogs to the park. City of Rolla: (573) 426-6948, citycouncil@rollacity.orgHERE'S HOW YOU CAN HELPPlease contact: Royal Canin USA HQ: (800) 592-6687, info.usa@royalcanin.com Royal Canin in Rolla: Crystal Watson, (573) 202-9034, crystal.watson@royalcanin.com Kent Jewelry: Kent Bagnall, (573) 364-1030, kent@kentjewelry.com and respectfully request:“Please do not build a dog park in Buehler Park. Let Buehler Park remain a beautiful park for all people to use and enjoy.” You may also add something like:“Instead please consider building a dog park across Kingshighway near the Welcome Center or at some other location in Rolla.” Thanks for your help. More info at http://buehlerpark.org UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES OF MILITARISM AND CLIMATE CHANGE On several occasions, I've pointed out in this newsletter how militarism and climate change feed on each other. Here is another example from this week's news: In the 1960s the Pentagon built a city under the ice in Greenland to test the feasibility of launching nuclear weapons at the Soviet Union from close to the pole. When they closed the base, they left behind tons of radioactive waste, PCBs and other toxics entombed in the ice. As the Greenland ice sheet melts, guess what will happen to all that waste? If you guessed it will be washed into the North Atlantic where it will poison humans and marine life, you are correct. WAR CAN BE HAZARDOUS TO YOUR HEALTH A new study of deciduous (baby) teeth of Iraqi children finds extremely elevated levels of lead which causes birth defects and developmental disorders in children. The lead is a result of over a quarter of a century of war and heavy bombing. Conclusion: If you want your children to grow up healthy, don't raise them in a war zone. Or better yet: Stop making war, so children all around the world might grow up healthy. ================== 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 ### |