Typically, people assume that if our government is fighting a war, that war is “just.” Historically and currently, some institutional churches say they support the “Just War” criteria. Actually, the “Just War” criteria go back for many centuries, and our wars — and specifically any use of nuclear weapons — violate the “Just War” criteria. These two documents provide solid information: Principles of the Just War Just War criteria and discussion
On February 1, 2021, the military of Myanmar (previously known as Burma) overthrew democracy and installed an extremely brutal military dictatorship. The population has been protesting against that, so the military has been using extreme violence to suppress the resistance. Most of the public’s resistance has been nonviolent, but — out of frustration — some people have been resorting to violence. Of course, this nation had been colonized by a European nation, so that background plays into the current crisis. The nation exists in the context of other nations in that region. Mainstream news media in the U.S. have been […]
Trump’s war on science has hurt our nation and our public institutions: https://truthout.org/articles/trumps-attacks-on-science-have-scarred-our-public-institutions/?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=abae6ed1-a9a4-41f5-a9d3-2d3f636cbbbe Trump Officials Tried To ‘Cripple’ The CDC’s COVID-19 Response, House Panel Says. Trump appointees sought to change reports “in a misguided effort to achieve herd immunity,” House investigators found. SEE THIS: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-cdc-covid-19-response_n_5fe0d20dc5b60d416344a7d0?ncid=newsltushpmgpolitics In 4 years Trump escalated his corruption over the CDC. Trump’s biases increasingly overruled scientists and medical professionals. This article does not mention the urgent need for Biden to restore honest science instead of Trumpian corruption at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Trump corrupted EVERY federal agency. Voters must demand that Biden […]
Many non-profit organizations are urging President Biden to take smart actions. I have collected some recent ones here. You might want to provide your own name and contact information and click to send. For a few of these you may remove my name and contact information and substitute your own. Also, you can contact President Biden through the White House website — www.whitehouse.gov/contact/ — or through the White House phone switchboard — (202) 456-1414 Grassroots pressure has produced positive governmental actions on some issues. Let’s keep it going! Human rights, democracy, and peace for Myanmar (traditionally known as Burma): On […]
Courageous nonviolent activists keep risking arrest and prison in order to put their bodies on the line to witness against nuclear weapons. This happens in various parts of our nation, including the Trident nuclear submarine base in Kitsap County WA and at the Trident base at Kings Bay GA. The federal court system’s procedures are always rigged by prosecutors and judges to prevent defendants from making an effective defense about the dangers of nuclear weapons, international law, and the “necessity defense.” People with any strong feelings about nuclear weapons are excluded from serving on the jury. At a recent trial […]
We keep seeing various articles documenting various ways in which Trump is cruel, corrupt, incompetent, etc. Recently two reputable national magazines focused entire issues on compiling such articles. They are powerful resources. I recommend them highly. The July-August 2020 issue of Mother Jones focused especially on Trump’s extreme mismanagement of the COVID-19 pandemic. The front cover says: “PLAGUED: Grift, Greed, Gaslighting: A Special Report on Trump’s COVID Corruption.” Read it here: https://www.motherjones.com/mag/2020/07/toc/ The October-November 2020 issue of The Progressive contains many articles on a wide variety of Trump’s terrible public policies and other actions. It documents his cruelty, corruption, and […]
I’m posting this to my blog a few days before International Human Rights Day, December 10. This day celebrates when the U.N. General Assembly passed the International Declaration on Human Rights on December 10, 1948. It’s good to re-read the International Declaration on Human Rights every few years. Information and the text are at this link: https://www.un.org/en/universal-declaration-human-rights/ A .pdf with a simple, readable font is at this link: https://www.ohchr.org/EN/UDHR/Documents/UDHR_Translations/eng.pdf Thanks to Eleanor Roosevelt who had worked skillfully to create and pass this landmark document. Bonus questions: (1) How many of these internationally recognized human rights has the U.S. (and/or states […]
Now that the 50th nation has ratified the United Nations Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (Honduras on October 24, 2020), the Treaty will go into effect 90 days after the date of the 50th ratification (on January 22, 2021) and become International Law: https://treaties.un.org/pages/ViewDetails.aspx?src=TREATY&mtdsg_no=XXVI-9&chapter=26 The International Campaign for the Abolition of Nuclear Weapons (www.icanw.org) — the global organization that organized the United Nations General Assembly to pass the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear weapons in July 2017 and won the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize — issued this statement: https://www.icanw.org/historic_milestone_un_treaty_on_the_prohibition_of_nuclear_weapons_reaches_50_ratifications_needed_for_entry_into_force?utm_campaign=50_audience_news&utm_medium=email&utm_source=ican Nuclear Weapons Will Soon Be […]
Here is info about the NOVEMBER 2020 episode of “Glen’s Parallax Perspectives” TV program. Please publicize it in whatever ways you can. Thank you! How to De-Polarize American Society The November 2020 interview on “Glen’s Parallax Perspectives” TV series (also watchable on your computer) is very timely now in late 2020 — and beyond. Our nation is sharply polarized regarding politics and public policy issues. Many Americans recognize that we must heal the extreme polarization that is tearing our country apart. Three guests share their insights and remedies so all of us can help to de-polarize our nation. Thurston County’s […]
More and more people are alerting the public and organizing nonviolent actions to protect honest democracy from Trump’s coup, which is already underway and will likely proceed beyond election day. I’ll send you info about that today, but right now you can SIGN UP FOR TONIGHT’S “ACTION HOUR” on Zoom so you can take quick actions to protect the election and stop Trump’s coup. Here is information I edited from an organizer of TONIGHT’S “ACTION HOUR” on Zoom: Join with other people to take preventative action to stop Trump’s coup and support a free and fair election! Register now […]
A friend shared this with me, and I thought you might like it too: Donald Goes To The Vatican Donald took a quick trip to Rome to show his concern for the Pope: “I met with Pope Francis today. He’s a really great pope — great, great pope. You know he’s the leader of the Catholic Church — big church. “I couldn’t believe it when he told me how many Catholics there are. Way more than I thought. They have churches all over the world; some are very, very close (so close) to my hotels and golf courses. “He tells […]
Since the 1960s I have devoted all of my adult life to working for peace, nonviolence, social justice, and related issues. Sometimes people ask me how I started in this. Here is a bit of information about my spiritual and ethical grounding for peace. I grew up in a mainstream Lutheran church. Although it taught the usual middle-of-the-road theology, I recognized that underneath was the very radical message of Jesus and his early followers. Jesus and his early followers were promoting a new society that would be radically nonviolent, radically inclusive, and radically egalitarian. Mainstream theology missed this larger, more […]
The July 2020 episode of “Glen’s Parallax Perspectives” TV series (on cable channel 22 in Thurston County WA and on this blog) provides fresh information and insights that will be interesting to people whether or not they are Christians. We live in a society where Christianity is the dominant religion, but most people – including most Christians – do not adequately understand that Jesus taught and practiced profound nonviolence. The July 2020 episode of “Glen’s Parallax Perspectives” TV series helps Christians and non-Christians alike to see the radical, practical Jesus that Jesus taught and practiced. Dave Bellefeuille-Rice shares his interesting […]
Near the end of my July 2020 TV interview, I present the information at the link below. But this information fits neatly into a short article (1 1/2 pages) that I’m attaching it at the link below. We live in a society where Christianity is the dominant religion. Most people – including most Christians – do not adequately understand what Jesus taught and what he did nonviolently to promote social justice. Instead, most Christians put Jesus into a comfortable role (about saving people from sins), but they do not adequately understand or value his very bold teachings actions about nonviolence […]
For more information about Liz McAlister and the Kings Bay Plowshares 7, see www.kingsbayplowshares7.org The following news came out on June 8, 2020, from Ralph Hutchison, a great leader in a nonviolent grassroots group opposing nuclear weapons, the Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance (OREPA, www.orepa.org). The peace movement has been waiting anxiously for the sentencing of Elizabeth McAlister, who has long history as a Catholic nun, and who was held in prison pending the sentence. Now the sentence came out: basically, time served with no additional prison time, and a huge financial penalty that she can pay out slowly. Here […]
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