Malu 'Aina

Restore Hawaii County’s

Historic Nuclear–Free Law!

Repeal the Military

Exemption!

Support Bill 206

Send an email in support of Bill 206 to counciltestimony@hawaiicounty.gov

     Good News: Bill No. 206 passed the Policy Committee on Health, Safety, and Well-Being on Oct. 1st by a vote of 7-0. Now Bill 206 will go before the full Council in Kona on Oct. 16 and Hilo on Oct. 30. Please mark your calendars and try to testify in person or by video from various Council offices around the island. For questions on the bill or sites to testify call the County Clerk’s office at 808-961-8255

     Hawaii County’s historic Nuclear-Free Law (No, 665) was passed in February 1981. Hawaii County was the first municipality in the U.S. to pass a law declaring itself a Nuclear-Free Zone. Since then, more than 100 or 200, other municipalities have passed similar laws.

     Forty years ago, on July 18, 1984, hundreds of people gathered peacefully on the Hilo docks to protest a visiting US Navy Nuclear-armed warship – the USS Ouellet. After 3 years of requesting the US Navy to respect our County’s Nuclear-Free law without success, our organization announced that we planned a non-violent peaceful swimming protest of the next Navy Nuclear ship visit a month later. A Navy Nuclear ship visit was planned for the July Hawaii Japanese Chamber of Commerce Festival of the Pacific.

On July 17, 1984, the day before the nuclear warship’s scheduled arrival, the Hawaii County Council, under the leadership of then Council chair, Stephen Yamashiro, passed an emergency amendment “exempting the military” from the Nuclear-Free law.  Having an amendment to the Nuclear-Free Law to exempt the military is like having an exemption for smokers from Smoking laws.  It makes no sense. For more on the Hilo Bay Warship Peace Blockade, and for a link to read Bill 206 see https://malu-aina.org/?p=10305 My testimony on Oct. 1^st can be viewed here. https://malu-aina.org/?p=10529

Malu ‘Aina Center for Non-violent Education & Action P.O. Box 489 Ola’a (Kurtistown), Hawai’i 96760

Phone (808) 966-7622 Email ja@malu-aina.org to receive our posts.

For more information see https://www.malu-aina.org

The Dangers of Escalating

War!

     More than 1 million people have been displaced in a matter of days in Lebanon by Israel using US weapons while the death toll mounts. Bombs are flying in many directions. Israel is bombing Gaza, Lebanon, Yemen and Syria. Iran is now bombing Israel. Where will it end? Global Nuclear War?

“When I pray for peace, I pray not only that the enemies of my own country may cease to want war, but above all that my country will cease to do the things that make war inevitable.”

the late Trappist Monk, Thomas Merton

     The US continues to send tens of Billions of dollars of weapons into Israel, including Bunker Busting bombs being used in dense urban areas, more and more weapons into Ukraine (including long-range missiles) that could trigger a nuclear war with Russia, increased militarization in Taiwan, the Philippines, Australia, etc. surrounding China – all for what? To make more war inevitable and maintain US global domination in a unipolar world, rather than make peace in a multi-polar world of civilized nations? The only winners in the current situation are the Corporate War Profiteers!

     Some good news: On Oct. 1, 2024, the Hawaii County Council Committee on Health, Safety, and Well Being, voted 7-0 on Bill 206 with Council persons LeeLoy and Kierkiewicz excused. Bill No. 206 Repeals the 1984 military exemption from Hawaii County’s Historic 1981 Nuclear-Free Law. Bill No. 206 will now go before the full council for a vote. Stay tuned to testify in support. Mahalo Councilmembers!

Negotiations for Peace Now,

Not More Weapons and War!

1 . Mourn all victims of violence. 2. Reject violence & war as solutions. 3. Defend civil liberties.  4. Oppose all discrimination: anti-Islamic, anti-Semitic, anti-Hawaiian, anti-Black, anti-Asian, anti-Russian, anti-LGBTQ, etc. 5. Seek peace through peaceful means and work for justice in Hawai`i and around the world.

Malu ‘Aina Center for Non-violent Education & Action P.O. Box 489 Ola’a (Kurtistown), Hawai’i 96760 Phone (808) 966-7622 Email ja@malu-aina.org to receive our posts.

For more information see https://www.malu-aina.org

Oct. 4, 2024, Hilo Peace Vigil leaflet – week 1201– Fridays 3:30-5 PM downtown Post Office