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Rolla Peace News

Sept. 4, 2018
Dear Friends:

Note from webperson: If you are having trouble reading this, it is posted at

http://tomsager.org/Peaceletters/peaceletter090418.html

          In this newsletter is:

1. NOON VIGIL FOR PEACE: THURSDAY, SEPT. 6, 2018
2. HOW TO WIN A WAR
3. THE MISFIT MATHEMATICIAN (Tom's column, http://tomsager.org)
          a) The War On Children (Update)
          b) More On Religion
          c) Only God Can Make A Tree — But You Can Plant One Yourself

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1. NOON VIGIL FOR PEACE: THURSDAY, SEPT. 6, 2018

We vigil for peace in front of the Rolla Post Office THIS THURSDAY, SEPT. 6, 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. HOW TO WIN A WAR

It's easy — just change the definition of winning. Nick Turse shows you how it's done.

This would be funny if it weren't for the millions of human lives being lost, ruined, or otherwise negatively impacted by the U.S. military and those who profit by it. And Mr. Turse is correct: The military is winning in every sense that really matters to the people and corporations that are continuing to gain wealth and power.

War is similar to cancer; the medical establishment isn't really interested in curing cancer, because they are making so much money off of the incredibly expensive and drawn-out treatments that keep sufferers alive and paying. In the same way, the military wants war to continue — they get billions to spend any way they want, and are never held accountable, either for the money or the lives they destroy. And according to this article, 75% of Americans approve of them. ????

3. THE MISFIT MATHEMATICIAN (Tom's column, http://tomsager.org)
          a) The War On Children (Update)
          b) More On Religion
          c) Only God Can Make A Tree — But You Can Plant One Yourself

THE WAR ON CHILDREN (UPDATE)

Yemen: Under intense international pressure, Saudi Arabia changed its tune, officially stating that their bombing of a school bus in Yemen, killing over 30 children was “unjustified.” However, Alan Fisher points out that “if you look at the actual wording ... they are not saying that there was a problem with killing children.” It was apparently unjustified only because their target was not aboard the bus at the time. Incidentally, the bomb that killed the children was manufactured in the United States with your tax dollars.

Palestine: Sounds like a statement that could have come out of Israel. Not only do Israelis murder Palestinian children; but they mock the families as they bury their murdered children. “Birds of a feather flock together.”

United States: Weeks after the court-mandated deadline, 497 children separated from their families at our southern border, including 22 under five-years-of-age, have still not been reunited with their families. The parents of 322 of these children were deported without their children. Representative Barbara Lee rightly calls this “government-sanctioned child abuse.” So far, no criminal charges have been filed.

And families are leaving the supplemental nutrition program (WIC) for fear of being deported or having their immigration status revoked.

MORE ON RELIGION

Here is an article by Brian Terrell of the Iowa Catholic Worker community pointing out that while pedophilia in the Catholic Church is justly condemned; the far greater crime of War, which is so damaging to children, is barely mentioned.

Similar statements could probably be made about most religions and other systems of ethical behavior. (See snippet above)

ONLY GOD CAN MAKE A TREE — BUT YOU CAN PLANT ONE YOURSELF

If we are to save our fast-warming planet from disaster, it will be through the help of our good friends, the trees.

Here's an article about how magical gao trees are greening Niger and transforming the Sahel region of Africa.

And here is one about how the people of Delhi saved 16,000 trees that were slated to be cut down.

So go out and plant a tree, or two, or many. And if you have several thousand dollars to spare you could, like Melania Trump, plant a tree in 4 inch stiletto heels and a $4,000 floral Valentino skirt with a gold-plated shovel. Yes — seriously — I'M NOT KIDDING.

Part of the title of this snippet is from the poem, Trees, by Joyce Kilmer.

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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

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