EVERY DAY IS MOTHER’S DAY: PUSHING PEACE AGAINST THE TIDE
Originally Mother’s Day was intended by Julia Ward Howe to be a day in which women and all people would unite to bring peace into the world. This Mother’s Day, you, too, can act up for peace by signing on to Tulsi Gabbard’s bill H.R. 608, the “Stop Arming Terrorists Act.” By clicking on the link, you can read the bill, and sign the petition (on the right side of the screen) that asks you to add your voice.
Many people are unaware that in order to extend war and war profiteering, the USA is arming and training the very terrorists it is supposedly fighting throughout the Middle East.
H.R. 608, and the Senate companion bill (S. 532) are designed to end funding for all U.S. wars in Syria, Somalia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, and Libya, and end the training of ISIL, ISIS, Al-Nusrah, and Al-Qaida terrorists in Jordan and elsewhere. It makes little difference to war profiteers whether the US “wins” or “loses” in any and all zones of conflict, so long as the money keeps rolling in.
We need to draw people’s attention to the fact that if we factor in the “black” budget, the US budget allocates over 60% to war and warmaking, reducing entitlement allocations to Third World amounts (one of the reasons universal health care remains “unaffordable.”) We also need to make the connection between the Pentagon and global warming. US warmaking accelerates climate collapse by burning 340,000 barrels of oil a day, 80% of federal energy demand, in a vicious circle to “secure” (read: steal) more oil.
One of the reasons the peace movement has lost some of its muscle has to do with the betrayals of language itself. Peace is not an active word. Is there an active word for peace? If we borrow “wage peace,” we are using the war maker’s language. A better alternative might be ACTING UP FOR PEACE.
You, too can Act Up for Peace by going to the H.R. 608 website and adding your voice to its nine House of Representative sponsors, and the nine organizations that support it.
A FUN THING TO DO MOTHER’S DAY
Support national Mama’s Bail Out Day. Color of Change in collaboration with many other organizations to bail out women caged behind bars who have only been accused of minor offenses, but not found guilty. The reason they are still in jail is because they are too poor to afford bail.
Please donate to make the reuniting of these women with their families visible and to demand an end to modern-day debtors prisons.
FLOWERS AMIDST THIS WEEK’S THORNS
Environmental groups sue administration over offshore drilling.
Trump praises Australian universal health care.
After a four-day-long student sit-in, Chancellor Henry Yang agrees to discuss UC’s divestment from fossil fuels.
Unanimous Los Angeles City Council passes resolution calling for impeachment investigation for violation of the emoluments clause.
Los Angeles school board passes resolution reiterating that school employees are not to allow any ICE on campus until the superintendent and toplawyers review the policy.
At the eleventh hour, Georgia democrats win lawsuit changing the election rules allowing voter registration to be extended.
Senate kills Trump’s plan to hand over public lands to big oil.
City of Oakland Public Safety committee approved a sweeping ordinance that requires City Council approval prior to possible acquisition and use of surveillance technology.
Republican Senate loses vote on offshore drilling.
A total of twenty attorneys general demand immediate appointment of special prosecutor for Russia probe.
Tiny Town in the Iowa heartland creates its own homegrown sanctuary.
Winnipeg models car sharing linking housing and transportation.
Natural gas storage plan halted at Seneca Lake.
The Church of Stop Shopping orchestrates oil spill at Wells Fargo.
