Healthcare not Warfare March 20, 2020 Hilo Peace Vigil leaflet
A Question of Priorities
CDC: $11 billion vs. Pentagon: $738 billion
The Coronavirus pandemic is sweeping across the U.S. and the world and people are dying in increasing numbers. It’s becoming clear how unprepared and underfunded the U.S. public health system is to handle this crisis. Hospitals and health care workers are scrambling for equipment desperately needed. Meanwhile, the U.S. continues to bomb Iraq, Afghanistan, and numerous other countries in endless wars costing trillions of dollars, millions of lives, destruction and chaos.
Many events originally scheduled for Hawaii have now been postponed or canceled due to the Coronavirus. But one event is still full speed ahead – RIMPAC 2020 –the 27th Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) military war exercises. From late June through early August “Hawaii’s skies will be filled with rockets, mortars, missiles, and drones. warships, fighter jets, destroyers, and submarines will maneuver, and more than 25,000 military personnel will gather in Hawaii … for the world’s largest international maritime exercises, if all goes as planned.” Over 2 dozen countries are scheduled to participate many experiencing COVID-19 cases. For more details on RIMPAC 2020 see https://thediplomat.com/2020/03/as-the-coronavirus-spreads-rimpac-planners-face-grim-facts/
Join the movement to cancel RIMPAC 2020. The money spent on war exercises should go to the healing needed from the Coronavirus pandemic. Email ja@malu-aina.org if you would like your name added to the statement below to be sent to all nations participating in RIMPAC 2020.
Stop RIMPAC 2020 Bombing of Hawaii!
From late June until early Aug, every two years since the early 1970s other countries have come to Hawaii to join the U.S. military in conducting war games — bombing air, land and sea. In 2018 more than 2 dozen countries — including some 47 surface ships, five submarines, 18 national land forces, and more than 200 aircraft and 25,000 personnel participated in RIMPAC. The war games include the bombing and shelling of the 133,000-acre military Pohakuloa Training Area (PTA), located in the center of Hawaii island. We, the undersigned, say — Enough already! We say No to RIMPAC 2020. We say Stop the Bombing of Pohakuloa and conducting war games in the air, on land, and the sea around Hawaii. This is not Aloha and Malama Honua (taking care of the earth). Wage Peace Not War! End the illegal U.S. military occupation of Hawaii that has been ongoing since 1893 when the U.S. Military assisted foreign business interests in the illegal overthrow of the lawful government of the independent nation of Hawaii.
Healthcare Not Warfare! Wage Peace!
1. Mourn all victims of violence. 2. Reject war as a solution. 3. Defend civil liberties.
4. Oppose all discrimination, anti-Islamic, anti-Semitic, anti-Hawaiian, 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), Hawaii 96760 Phone (808) 966-7622 Email ja@malu-aina.org
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March 20, 2020 Hilo Peace Vigil leaflet – week 964 – Fridays 3:30-5PM downtown Post Office
