Dear Friends,
Between July 2010 and August 2015, GVCP member Hank Stone created monthly ads for our local Penny Saver. I¹ve attached them to this letter, and added them as text below. It seemed to us that these short messages were too good to just end up in the recycling bin. So, Hank compiled them, and I¹m sending them out as widely as possible. A few of them are obsolete by now, and a few of them deal with local matters. However, the great majority are still timely and worthy of attention, and of use by other peace activists. For the record, we didn¹t recruit any new members by placing these ads in the Penny Saver. However, in our rural area, people still read the Penny Saver, and our hope and belief is that the ads raised consciousness about important peace, justice, and ecological issues. Our thanks and compliments to Hank for this significant contribution to Genesee Valley Citizens for Peace.
Peace, Arnie Matlin for GVCP
GVCP is proud to be a chapter of PANYS
DID YOU KNOW? (July, 2010) The cost of the U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan has now exceeded $1 TRILLION. (Learn more at http://costofwar.com). As we celebrate Independence Day, consider our continuing bondage to militarism. Join our monthly meetings and community vigils for peace and justice.
DID YOU KNOW? (August 2010) The U.S. is a global empire with 737 military bases in other countries. (www.alternet.org/story/47998 ) Stand with us on Hiroshima Day for a nuclear weapons-free future! August 6th, 7:30 PM, Avon traffic circle. Signs, candles, song, and hope provided!
DID YOU KNOW? (September, 2010) U.S. military spending represents 48% of the world total. Including our allies, our military spending is 74% of the world total. (www.armscontrolcenter.org ) In practice, this means the U.S. could DECLARE PEACE on the whole world- and win!
DID YOU KNOW? (October, 2010) 1270+ architects and engineers, aware of the evidence for controlled demolition of the World Trade Towers and Building 7, are calling for an independent investigation of 9/11. (http://AE911Truth.org ) This matters because the wars on Iraq and Afghanistan, the Patriot Act, and the whole ³Global War on Terror² rest on the ³19 hijackers² story.
DID YOU KNOW? (November, 2010) Henry Kissinger, Sam Nunn, William Perry and George Shultz, all architects of the Cold War, have called for a nuclear weaponsfree world. (http://www.2020visioncampaign.org/pages/336 ) Their point: ³Mutually Assured Destruction,² breaks down if terrorists, without a country to retaliate against, get nuclear weapons. Mikhail Gorbachev: ³with every passing year [nuclear weapons] make our security more precarious.²
DID YOU KNOW? (December, 2010) Albert Einstein said, “We must inoculate our children against militarism, by educating them in the spirit of pacifism… Our schoolbooks glorify war and conceal its horrors. They indoctrinate children with hatred. I would teach peace rather than war, love rather than hate.” (http://www.betterworldheroes.com/pages-e/einstein-quotes.htm ) If ³Peace on Earth² is what we want, let¹s give ourselves that gift.
DID YOU KNOW? (January, 2011) In today’s wars, 95% of the casualties are civilians – about half of them children. (Enough Blood Shed, p. 62) When the world¹s most powerful military goes into foreign countries and kills civilians, it¹s called ³collateral damage,² not murder. But is it honorable? DID YOU KNOW? (February, 2011) 156 states are parties to the treaty to ban land mines, but the U.S. is not. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ottawa_Treaty ) Land mines are indiscriminate, vicious, cowardly weapons. Worldwide, they kill or maim a man, woman or child every 15 minutes. Why should the U.S., with the world¹s most powerful military, use them?
DID YOU KNOW? (March, 2011) In 1961, at the height of the Cold War, the US and the USSR negotiated the McCloy-Zorin Accords. These provided for an end to war: general and complete disarmament; all military forces, bases, stockpiles and weapons to be eliminated; and a UN Peace Force. (www.nucleardarkness.org/mccloyzorinaccordstext/ ) War is enormously profitable. But security through peace was possible then, and is necessary now. DID YOU KNOW? (April, 2011) On March 16th, Dr. Helen Caldicott wrote: ³Nuclear power is not the answer to global warming; it is not clean; it is not green; it is not safe; and it is not renewable.² Nuclear reactors run the risk of poisoning our children by accident. But the nuclear bombs they make possible run the risk of poisoning the whole world– on purpose. The sun supplies ³nuclear power² we can live with.
DID YOU KNOW? (May, 2011) Costa Rica has no military. It has instead a program called BePeace, which is being taught to everyone, children as well as adults, in the whole country (http://rasurinternational.org/ ). BePeace gives people from all walks of life the tools to recognize and resolve conflict, without violence. In the U.S., we have 1.2 trillion reasons per year to keep the war system going. We can still choose peace.
DID YOU KNOW? (June, 2011) NATO is using depleted uranium (DU) munitions in Libya. DU is 70% heavier than lead, and excellent for killing tanks. The problem: DU can cause cancer, birth defects, and death wherever it is used. It stays radioactive and deadly for billions of years. See a short video at; http://rt.com/usa/news/nato-depleted-uranium-libya/
DID YOU KNOW? (July, 2011) The world¹s 9 nuclear nations plan to spend $1 TRILLION on nuclear weapons over the next 10 years, while cutting jobs and services people need. www.globalzero.org Nuclear weapons, and the war system itself, are parasites the world can no longer afford. When will the land of the free and the home of the bravedeclare its independence?
DID YOU KNOW? (August 2011) On August 6, 1945, the U.S. dropped the first nuclear bomb, on Hiroshima, Japan. Now, 60+ years later, the world is considering whether to lay down nuclear power, and nuclear weapons. Stand with us for a nuclear weapons-free future! August 7th, 7:30 PM, Avon traffic circle. Signs, candles, song, and hope provided!
DID YOU KNOW? (September 2011) The Gulf of Tonkin attack, on which the Vietnam War was based, never happened. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HODxnUrFX6k ) 55,000 Americans, died in Vietnam, for a lie. Ancient history, right? That depends. What¹s the truth behind the wars we are in now? And the wars we are preparing to fight?
DID YOU KNOW? (October 2011) Military contractors in Afghanistan get paid more than five times as much as soldiers. (http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/blackwater_mercs_make_more_than_petraeus/ ) A draft would be unpopular, but not enough young men want to volunteer. For five times the money, however, there is no shortage of contractors. Good thing our country has all the money it needs!
DID YOU KNOW? (November 2011) The Occupy Wall Street protests have spread to almost 1,500 cities in the US, including Rochester! (OccupyRochester@gmail.org) Misbehavior by big American Banks that began the Great Recession wasn¹t prosecuted, but rewarded by government bailouts. That money went to executive bonuses instead of loans to create jobs. We the 99% want the wealthiest1% taxed before any cuts to jobs and services.
DID YOU KNOW? (December 2011) More soldiers have committed suicide after returning to the United States than died in Iraq and Afghanistan. 18 soldiers a day commit suicide (Google: Lisa Ling 18). PTSD is the name given this staggering misery. But maybe there¹s something unhealthy about sending our youth to foreign countries to kill people. DID YOU KNOW? (January 2012) There is a bright side to increasingly expensive gasoline, high unemployment, continuing wars, government corruption, and corporate excesses: we are encouraged to strengthen relationships with the good and honest people who live nearby. This new year may be a time to discuss issues of our time with your neighbors. Genesee Valley Citizens for Peace members INVITE YOU to have lunch with us at the Omega restaurant in Geneseo, 1:00 PM, Saturday Jan 21st. DID YOU KNOW? (February 2012) The Roman Catholic Church has a position on nuclear weapons, spelled out here: http://www.lcnp.org/wcourt/ChullikattSpeechKeyPoints.pdf Summary: Nuclear weapons cannot legally be used, cannot morally be owned, and spending money to keep them is sinful. Why is America, with thousands of nuclear weapons, threatening war against Iran, with NO nuclear weapons? Better to join them!
DID YOU KNOW? (March 2012) 78 million people are being added to the world¹s population every year, almost all in poor countries (www.earth-policy.org/indicators/C40). Globally, we are outstripping Earth¹s carrying capacity. Overpopulation means extreme poverty, unemployment, and resource wars. Female education and voluntary family planning lead to fewer, healthier children, and raise families out of poverty.
DID YOU KNOW? (April 2012) The Green Party¹s ³Green New Deal² includes cutting military spending by at least 70%. Plus creating millions of renewable energy jobs, single-payer ³Medicare for all² health care, tuition-free public higher education, and abolishing corporate personhood. (http://www.greenchange.org/article.php?id=5984 ) If you haven¹t heard of the Green New Deal, could the reason be that the corporate media only report on the corporate political parties?
DID YOU KNOW? (May 2012) Bill McKibben, author of Eaarth, and founder of 350.org, says Climate Change is Our Most Urgent Challenge. (Google this excellent 28-minute video.) Meanwhile, the corporate media tries to drum up support for more Middle East wars, to keep the oil-based economy profitable. If McKibben is right, as scientists believe, the ³Global War on Terror² is a dangerous distraction.
DID YOU KNOW? (June 2012) Chris Martenson¹s Crash Course is a clear and non-partisan presentation of facts every American should know about economics, energy, and the environment. Banks, corporations and government operate in ways that the media don¹t explain, and most citizens don¹t understand. Google Crash Course and watch it online for free.
DID YOU KNOW? (July 2012) The USA is one of only 7 countries in the world that have not ratified the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). We are the only democracy. We are the only developed country. We find ourselves in the company of Iran, Somalia, and Sudan. (Google CEDAW) Equal rights for women are needed to end overpopulation, reduce poverty and injustice, and get past the war system of dispute settlement. Real men don¹t discriminate against women.
DID YOU KNOW? (August 2012) The U.S. now has over 1,000 military bases around the world, and is adding more. Called the Lily Pad Strategy, proliferation of small bases forward-deploys runways, weapons, and small numbers of troops all over the world, to protect American interests (Google Lily Pad Strategy). Anticipating future wars for oil in Africa and to counter China¹s growing influence, the ³often-secretive² bases supply money to the local economies, and give the U.S. the ability to strike anywhere in the world. ³Military planners see a future of endless small-scale interventions² World peace will require a different strategy.
DID YOU KNOW? (September 2012) ³since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 left roughly 3,000 people dead, gun violence has killed almost 140,000 and injured more than 2,000,000.² (Google Arming the Asylum). The Aurora, Colorado movie theater murders were just one more insane shooting spree- part of the cost of our culture of violence. It¹s time to stand up to the gun lobby, but also to teach our children non-violent problem solving.
DID YOU KNOW? (October 2012) The presidential debates this year will exclude all the eligible candidates except the Republican and Democrat. Why? The two parties run the private Commission on Presidential Debates, which believes that giving exposure to the non-corporate candidates might allow them to win. Google Who¹s Afraid of an Open Debate? for a 26-minute video that explains the sad truth.
DID YOU KNOW? (November 2012) According to Christian scholar Roland Bainton (see Google), for the first 300 years, all Christians renounced war. Now, almost 2,000 years later, the world is awash in nuclear weapons. Christians, Jews, Hindus, Muslims and Buddhists either stand by or assist in the threat against Creation posed by the war system. This may be the time to rediscover our roots. Maybe Jesus was right.
DID YOU KNOW? (December 2012) You can help give your children a peaceful future simply by not giving them war toys or violent video games for the holidays. The next generation learns what is ³normal² partly by what we accept. But accepting the war system has become a poor choice in this interconnected world. Stand with our DON¹T BUY WAR TOYS silent vigil on Saturday, December 1st, 11:30 AM, at the entrance to Wegmans Plaza in Geneseo. Bring a peaceful toy, and dress warmly!
DID YOU KNOW? (January 2013) For the cost of a single Global Hawk Drone ($75 million), 20,000 schools in the Third World could be built, complete with desks, chairs, tables and blackboards. The website www.stwr.org has a calculator that gives a list 23 socially productive ways of repurposing the cost of dozens of weapon systems. Celebrate the New Year by joining with your neighbors to help find a peaceful way forward for society!
DID YOU KNOW? (February 2013) NASA scientist James Hansen has determined that if Canadian tar sands are exploited for oil, it will be ³game over² for the climate (Google: Game over for the climate). It¹s simple. Burning fossil fuels (oil, coal and natural gas) adds greenhouse gas carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. If proven reserves are burned, world temperatures will rise enough to trigger runaway global warming. If we fail to transition society to sustainability, we destroy the positive future our children and grandchildren deserve.
DID YOU KNOW? (March 2013) The U.S. has over 9,000 gun murders every year. Among rich countries, Germany is second with 269, and Canada is third with 144. (Google: murders with firearms) Why? One contributing factor is the National Rifle Association (NRA), which spends about $1 million per year lobbying Congress against controls on guns. NRA board members own companies that make assault rifles, high capacity magazines, and ammunition. When the NRA says Obama will ³take your guns,² sales, and profits, soar.
DID YOU KNOW? (April 2013) This March, Norway held a conference calling for the whole world to ban nuclear weapons. (Google: Norway nuclear ban) During the Cold War, nuclear abolition was considered unrealistic. But now, nuclear proliferation makes nuclear accident a far greater risk than intentional attack. 130 countries attended the conference, but the U.S. did not. In this interconnected world, whom should we hate enough to endanger our children¹s future?
DID YOU KNOW? (May 2013) A powerful 6 12 minute video that describes wealth inequality in America is making the rounds. If you haven¹t seen it, Google: Wealth Inequality Youtube. In a poll, Americans say what they believe is the distribution of wealth in America. Then by large margins Democrats and Republicans alike say a more equal distribution would be better. The actual wealth distribution is then shown, and it is stunningly unequal! The point? Austerity budgets are misdirection; we need fair taxation and full employment.
DID YOU KNOW? (June 2013) Deliberately killing another human being in a war is deemed legal. Killing outside of war is murder. So is the U.S. at war with Pakistan, Yemen, and Somalia? This question is asked by noted author and activist Bruce Gagnon. Google: Protecting Drone Crimes and read his engaging story. Killing people in foreign countries with drones may be the single most efficient way of creating terrorists, including people angry enough to carry out terrorist attacks in the United States.
DID YOU KNOW? (July 2013) The first Pathways to 100% Renewable Energy conference took place on April 16, 2013 in San Francisco (Google: ³pathways-to-100², and see an inspiring short video). The technology for 100% renewable energy is ready, but the political will is not. It¹s time to declare our independence from government run by fossil fuel interests.
DID YOU KNOW? (August 2013) On August 6, 1945, the U.S. dropped the first nuclear bomb, on Hiroshima, Japan. At the end of World War II, atomic power represented hope. Now, 60+ years later, people around the world see nuclear weapons (and nuclear power) as incompatible with long-term human survival. Stand with us for sustainable future, free of nuclear weapons! August 6th, 7:30 PM, Avon traffic circle. Signs, candles, and song provided!
DID YOU KNOW? (September 2013) Much material offered to us by the corporate media is either trivial, or depressing. But one publication, YES! Magazine, reports on positive accomplishments and hopeful trends for the future. Each quarterly issue focuses on one subject, in depth. Past issues are available on many subjects. To purchase past issues, subscribe, or explore, go to YesMagazine.org.
DID YOU KNOW? (October 2013) ³Over the past 40 years, we¹ve spent a trillion dollars prosecuting the drug war. We¹ve jailed tens of millions of Americans for nonviolent offenses, ruined countless young lives, turned neighborhoods into armed battlegrounds, done major damage to the Bill of Rights² ³drug legalization would save $77 billion a year. It would free up close to half the nation¹s prison cells² (Google: Drug Warrior No More) America¹s future, now on autopilot, deserves informed debate.
DID YOU KNOW? (November 2013) The world now has 7.2 billion people, and adds 76 million per year, almost all in poor countries (Google: world population). World population is projected to hit 10 billion by around 2050, assuming enough food. But agriculture may fail through oil shortages, climate change, and/or social upheaval. Far wiser to reduce population by educating women, finding women jobs, and making reproductive health care free.
DID YOU KNOW? (December 2013) The U.S. is now at war around the world, in dozens of countries, with drone killings, torture, and death squads. It seems that trying to kill someone suspected of terrorism leads to ³collateral damage², which produces more people suspected of terrorism for the kill list. The movie Dirty Wars, by investigative reporter Jeremy Scahill, shows how America is spending your taxes to create enemies worldwide. Pour yourself a stiff one, and watch it on Netflix.
DID YOU KNOW? (January 2014) The Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) is a massive deal being negotiated in secret by 600 multinational corporations. Called ³NAFTA on steroids,² TPP is designed to keep communities, states or countries from enacting laws to protect the environment, food safety, or the climate. Parts of the TPP draft were released by Wikileaks (Google: TPP Thom Hartmann). TPP trades national sovereignty for Wall Street profits. And President Obama wants ³fast track authority² to push TPP through Congress before Americans find out what¹s in it.
DID YOU KNOW? (February 2014) Individuals and organizations around the world are joining the new World Beyond War coalition. Why might war be eliminated now? Wars distract us from planetary problems. Wars worsen poverty and inequality of wealth. Recent wars and drone attacks have been transparently unjust. And the Internet connects individuals and organizations all over the world. You are invited to sign their short peace statement at http://WorldBeyondWar.org.
DID YOU KNOW? (March 2014) On average, one active duty soldier kills him- or herself each day, twice the number of daily combat deaths and twice the civilian rate of suicide. (Google: NYSHealth suicide Branson) Eighteen deaths from suicide per day are veterans. The war system creates enemies around the world, squanders our national wealth, and poisons the environment. And it devastates and kills our children.
DID YOU KNOW? (April 2014) Six corporations control 90% of what Americans read, watch, and listen to: Comcast, News-corp, Disney, Viacom, Time Warner, and CBS. Media companies don¹t want to offend their corporate sponsors or government by reporting misbehavior or unwelcome news. One result is that the public doesn¹t understand the seriousness of climate change, wealth inequality, or government corruption. For independent news, citizens can subscribe for free to www.commondreams.org and/or www.truthout.org .
DID YOU KNOW? (May 2014) Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont is considering challenging Hillary to become the Democratic nominee for president in 2016 (Google: 6 reasons Bernie Sanders). This is important because, win or lose, he would force the corporate media to report: the threat of climate change, the corruption of money in politics, police state NSA spying, the possibility of Medicare-for-all, and the need for good jobs.
DID YOU KNOW? (June 2014) Thomas Jefferson and other American revolutionary leaders believed that the main purpose of government was increasing the happiness of its citizens (Google: Truthout Happiness). The state of Vermont, following in the footsteps of the country of Bhutan, believes public policy should increase ³Gross National Happiness,² an index that measures people¹s happiness. War, hurricanes, floods and illness all increase Gross Domestic Product (GDP), because they increase economic activity. If happiness is what we want, maybe that is what we should measure.
DID YOU KNOW? (July 2014) ³By the time you read this, America¹s next undeclared war in Iraq may already be underway (Google: Boardman another war in Iraq).² Why? To prove the president is ³strong.² And because the 2001 Authorization to Use Military Force (AUMF) allows it. Why can¹t our ³land of the free and home of the brave² declare its independence from the military-industrial complex?
DID YOU KNOW? (August 2014) The U.S. gives Israel $3 billion in military assistance annually, and officially supports Israel¹s occupation of Gaza (Google: AFSC Gaza siege). This support implicates us in charges of bullying, lawlessness, apartheid, and ethnic cleansing. Furthermore, as Israeli settlements shrink the areas controlled by Palestinians, a future 2-state solution becomes difficult or impossible. The U.S. would be a better friend to Israel by insisting on a positive future for the region.
DID YOU KNOW? (September 2014) Military weapons and training have been given to U.S. police departments since the early days of the Reagan administration ( Google: stop giving cities military weapons). Ferguson, MO is not the first place U.S. citizens have been seen as enemies and attacked by the police. The ³war on terror², powered by Homeland Security money, looks as racist and un-American as the failed ³war on drugs.² Both have to end.
DID YOU KNOW? (October 2014) The United States and 61other countries signed the Kellogg-Briand Pact, outlawing war! Since the treaty went into effect in 1929, the signatory states have promised not to use war to resolve international ³disputes or conflicts, whatever their nature or origin.² (See Wikipedia) Our Constitution says treaties are ³the supreme law of the land.² But there is no global authority with the power to enforce international treaties, so we still engage in wars whenever the military-industrial complex finds it profitable. We do not DECLARE these wars, however, because that would be illegal.
DID YOU KNOW? (November 2014) Renewable energy sources are eclipsing nuclear power (Google: Nuclear power after Fukushima). The point of nuclear power was to produce plutonium for nuclear weapons. To this end the U.S. gave the industry technology, promised nuclear waste storage at taxpayer expense, and limited liability in case of nuclear disaster. But the Fukushima disaster reminded the world: we need energy sources we can live with.
DID YOU KNOW? (December 2014) What is the connection among wars and proposed wars with ISIS, Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Libya, Ukraine, Russia, Iran, and China? It is the sale of oil in dollars, which is critical to the American economy. Invest 22 minutes to Google and watch: ³The Geopolitics of World War III.² It explains clearly what¹s going on.
DID YOU KNOW? (January 2015) The New Year is a time to consider whether continuing to support the war system is good for us, and good for America. The $2 trillion the world pays for war could be better spent! Visit WorldBeyondWar.org and watch a compelling 10 12 minute video. Then sign their petition if you think world peace is worth a try.
DID YOU KNOW? (February 2015) AVAAZ (meaning ³voice²) is a global web movement bringing people-powered politics to decision-making everywhere. Makes petitioning easy. AVAAZ offers three principles: 1) Show KINDNESS and RESPECT, 2) Strive for WISDOM, and 3) Cultivate GRATITUDE. It is a pledge, to ³Be the change you want to see in the world.² Google: ³Avaaz three principles² to sign.
DID YOU KNOW? (March 2015) Astronomers estimate there are 70,000 million million million stars in the Universe (Google: Maria Temming how many stars). In Biblical times, the Earth was believed to be small, flat, and the center of Creation. Today part of the support for Middle East wars is to satisfy Biblical prophecy. For humankind to have a future, we will need harmony between science and religion.
DID YOU KNOW? (April 2015) Six corporations control 90% of what Americans read, watch, and listen to: Comcast, News-corp, Disney, Viacom, Time Warner, and CBS. Media companies don¹t want to offend government by challenging calls for new wars. Media¹s corporate sponsors want contented shoppers. But media self censorship leads to public ignorance on climate change, wars, wealth inequality, and government corruption. For independent news, citizens can subscribe for free to www.commondreams.org and/or www.truthout.org .
DID YOU KNOW? (May 2015) The Gulf of Tonkin attack, on which the Vietnam War was based, never happened. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HODxnUrFX6k ) 55,000 Americans died in Vietnam, for a lie. Ancient history, right? That depends. What¹s the truth behind the wars we are in now? And the wars we are preparing to fight?
DID YOU KNOW? (June 2015) Scientists estimate that 99.9% of all species that have ever existed are now extinct (Google: Wikipedia extinction). Meanwhile, we humans play around with doomsday weapons, as a child plays with matches. If humankind chooses to grow up, and get along with each other and the planet, we can thrive for billions of years.
DID YOU KNOW? (July 2015) Retired four-star U.S. Air Force general Lee Butler was commander of U.S. nuclear forces between 1991 and 1994 (Google: Lee Butler hair-trigger). Now age 75, Butler has long since denounced nuclear weapons as enormously dangerous, outrageously immoral, and without strategic value for any government. He believes total elimination of nuclear weapons is required, and our first responsibility as human beings is to life. Should our country stand for death?
DID YOU KNOW? (August 2015) On August 6, 1945, the U.S. dropped the first nuclear bomb, on Hiroshima, Japan. At the end of World War II, atomic power represented hope. Now, 70 years later, people around the world see nuclear weapons (and nuclear power) as incompatible with long-term human survival. Stand with us for sustainable future, free of nuclear weapons! Wednesday August 5th, 7:30 PM, Avon traffic circle. Signs, candles, and song provided! 
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