A Call to Come Together on August 7

On the evening of Saturday, August 7, members of Peaceworks and friends, old and new, will gather at Stephens Lake Park for our 24th annual Hiroshima-Nagasaki Peace Gathering. Details are posted below, but first some thoughts from Peaceworks Director Mark Haim:

WHY GATHER? You know, there are some things we just don't like to think about. For many of us, our own mortality is high on that list. But some things are even more disturbing. One of these is the potential for the annihilation of life on Earth; the destruction of all the accomplishments of human civilization--the art, beauty, literature and music we've created--not to mention the tearing asunder of the fabric of nature and the destruction of hundreds of billions of non-human lives.

THE NUCLEAR IMPERATIVE: While many human actions negatively impact the Earth—witness the tragedy currently unfolding in the Gulf of Mexico—nuclear war holds a unique position in terms of its destructive potential. And since the first nuclear bombs were exploded in the summer of 1945, our planet has been literally living on borrowed time.

We've been extremely lucky to date that there has been no use of nuclear weapons since Hiroshima and Nagasaki. We've come frighteningly close to their use, by miscalculated bluff or technical malfunction, on more than one occasion. We certainly can't count on that luck holding out indefinitely, especially as more nations gain nuclear capabilities.

Thus, one of the critical imperatives of our age is the abolition of nuclear weapons. This must be done in a mutual, verifiable fashion. Our nation, which took the lead in developing these hellish devices, and is the only country to have ever used them, is uniquely positioned to lead the world away from the nuclear precipice.

This will not happen, however, if we simply wait for President Obama or Congress to take action. There needs to be a groundswell of concern coming from the grassroots. We all need to find our own way to express our sense of urgency. But we also need to come together to work on this issue. We owe it to our kids, to their great-grandkids, and to the countless generations who we hope and pray will follow and have a habitable, green, verdant Earth to live on.

So, I encourage you to join us at our Hiroshima-Nagasaki Peace Gathering on Saturday, August 7.

REASONS TO PARTICIPATE: The reasons for attending include:

** To experience a sense of solidarity with a community of people who share your concerns; who also want a future free of the threat of nuclear war.

** To make or renew a commitment to create such a future.

** To participate in the creation of commemorative lanterns and to watch these candle-boats float on the lake at dark.

** To enjoy the fine music; to learn from and be inspired by the excellent speakers.

** To share in a scrumptious potluck dinner.

** To take the opportunity to share this experience with your kids, your friends, your lover, your neighbors, etc.

EVENT DETAILS: We will gather at the Gordon Shelter of Stephens Lake Park starting at 6 p.m. (use the Broadway entrance). The potluck dinner will be held shortly after 6. Please bring your own table service, if possible. Lantern making begins once we are done eating. Music begins around 7 and speakers and performance art begin at 8 p.m. We float the lanterns about 9 p.m. Music for the evening will be provided by Steve Jacobs. The commemorative program will include talks by Ruth Schaefer, of Mid-Missouri Peaceworks, and Henry and Jane Stoever of Kansas City PeaceWorks, who have taken a leadership role in opposing the new nuclear weapons plant proposed to be built in Kansas City.

FINAL THOUGHT: If you believe in a God that created this Earth, certainly, this creator would want us to take responsibility for creation, not destroy it. If you don't hold to a theistic belief, then certainly we, the Earth's inhabitants are responsible for our actions and ought to do no harm. Whatever your belief, nuclear weapons are too horrible to ignore. And ignoring them won't make them go away. Please do what you can to say "yes" to a future through the abolition of this overarching threat to our existence

Help Needed with Signature Ad

We are collecting names on a peace signature ad that will run in the Columbia Daily Tribune on Friday, August 6. The statement calls for ending the wars, building a peace economy and moving forward on mutual, verifiable nuclear disarmament. We aim to have at least 1,000 names and hope to raise sufficient donations to pay for a full page ad. 

GET YOUR PETITION FORM:  If you can help collect names, please download a signature form below. Note that the petition form comes in either an 11-inch or a 14-inch version. If you have legal length paper, it's best to print this in 14" format, as you get more names to the page. If you can only print 11" this works too, it just takes more paper. The statements are, of course, identical.

COLLECT SOME NAMES:  We encourage you to collect names at your house of worship, at organizational meetings, from family members, friends and neighbors, at parties, events, etc. If you can help with public petitioning, please let us know this. If you know of events we should be collecting names at, please share this info with as much lead time as possible.

GET THEM IN TO US:  We will be collecting names through July 25. Please bring or send your signatures to the Nook as soon as is feasible, so we don't end up with a logjam doing entry at the end.

HELP US PAY FOR THE AD:  A full page in the Tribune costs nearly $2,000. So we also really need financial support to help pay for the ad. Donations are optional, but most appreciated. You can bring money with you, send a check with your mailed in signature, or make a contribution on-line, and earmark it for the ad.

We thank you!

Download Petitions Here:

• Download 14-inch version (PDF)

• Download 11-inch version (PDF)

Afghanistan: Change the Policy, not Just the Personnel

As most everyone knows by now, on June 23, President Obama fired Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the U.S. military commander in Afghanistan. He said, however, "I don't make this decision based on any difference in policy with General McChrystal, as we are in full agreement about our strategy."  This, we believe, is a tragic mistake on Barack Obama's part.

We at Peaceworks are glad McChrystal is gone, BUT, our primary concern was not with Obama's choice of commander. And it wasn't that the President's plan to win the war was deficient. It's more basic. We reject his embrace of a war that should never have been launched in the first place. It's a war that's illegal at it's base, is immorally costing the lives of countless innocents, is counterproductive to national security, is phenomenally costly, and won't be won.

OUR VOICES SHOULD COUNT:   While public opinion has been turning against this pointless war, the administration and Congress seem intent on ignoring our concerns. It seems the politicians know the war is not popular, but they also don't see it as an issue that many people care intensely about. As such, most feel free to ignore their constituents' concerns confident there'll be no price to pay. We've got to up the ante and let them know that we are not accepting permanent war.

SHOW THEM THAT WE CARE:    For starters, please make a couple of quick phone calls. Call the White House and call your U.S. Rep.  If you share our analysis, please let both know that you think it's the war itself, not just the commander, that should be canned, ASAP. 

Note that this is an opportune time to let them know your thoughts, as the House has yet to approve the supplemental authorizing additional funds for President Obama's ill-conceived troop surge.

You can reach the White House Hotline at 202-456-1111. Call during business hours (9-5 Eastern/8-4 Central). 

If you live in Columbia or elsewhere in Missouri's 9th Congressional District, you can call Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer's Washington office at  (202) 225-2956  or his Columbia office at  (573) 886-8929. You can also leave comments on his website at http://luetkemeyer.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=44&sectiontree=44  but calls are most effective. 
  

If you live outside the 9th District, you can find your Rep's contact info at http://www.house.gov/house/MemberWWW_by_State.shtml

If you have the time, it would also be helpful to send an end-the-war message to our Senators McCaskill and Bond. You can call Sen.McCaskill's DC office at 202-224-6154, or her Columbia office at  573-442-7130. You can post an on-line message to her at  http://mccaskill.senate.gov/?p=contact  

You can call Sen. Bond's DC office at (202) 224-5721, or his Columbia office at  (573) 442-8151. You can post an on-line message to him at http://bond.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=ContactUs.ContactForm

MAKE YOUR CONCERN VISIBLE:  Get visible for peace. Join our highly visible Rush Hour Peace Demos held every Wednesday's 4:30-5:30 at Broadway & Providence. Thousand drive by each week, with large numbers showing solidarity by honking for peace. The more folks out, the better the responses we get. While President Obama might not see us or know we're there, it sends an important message to our fellow citizens. It's essential to remind our community that this war is opposed. Your participation, even occasionally, will help us demonstrate that this is a matter that many, many people care deeply about. Additional peace vigils held each Saturday, 10-11 a.m. at Columbia Post Office and every Wednesday, 12-1 p.m. at the Jefferson City Post Office on High St.

SHOW "RETHINK AFGHANISTAN":  Peaceworks invites you to host a screening of the excellent Robert Greenwald documentary, “Rethink Afghanistan.” We are happy to provide you a copy on DVD for screening at your home, organizational meeting, class or house of worship. We also can send someone to share comments and facilitate a discussion, if desired. Contact us at 573-875-0539. More on the film at www.rethinkafghanistan.com

TAKE ADDITIONAL ACTION:  There are many other ways to influence public opinion and help build a new, powerful anti-war movement. We encourage you to write letters to the editors. Call in on talk shows. Speak up at work, school and at your house of worship. Join Peaceworks in our outreach efforts. Help petition at events. Arrange speakers for organizations. Attend meetings. Help plan peace events. Participate in door-to-door canvasses. There's much to be done that will reach our fellow citizens and our elected officials.

Peaceworks Activists in Action at the Airshow

For more than a decade, Peaceworks members and our allies from the Columbia Peace Coalition have raised awareness outside the Airshow. We suggest to our fellow citizens that there are more appropriate ways to remember those who've tragically lost their lives in war than to celebrate the weapons of war. Moreover, we point out that a major focus of the Airshow is to recruit our young people to enlist, by making war and the military glamorous. 

We also participate in the Veterans for Peace Memorial Day event, Peace Honors Veterans, which provides a more reverent observance of the holiday. We encourage others to join us, both at these events next year, and also at our regular weekly peace vigil held each Wednesday, 4:30-5:30 p.m. at Broadway and Providence.