Mass Shootings & the US War Budget
Innocent Lives Lost!
Mass Shootings & the US
War Budget
There are more guns than people in the U.S. Estimates are 430 million civilian guns, including 20 million AR – assault rifles, in a nation of 334 million people. These figures exclude police and military firearms.
More and more mass shootings are taking place in US food stores, churches, schools, outside sporting events, etc. Hate, racism, and white nationalism are on the rise. This year, there have been more than 200 US mass shootings and it’s only May.
10 Innocent Buffalo, N.Y. people were killed by a white nationalist
In addition to increased deaths from gun violence, more than 107,000 people in the US died from drug overdoses in 2021, and more than 1 million died from Covid in 2 years. The US has a continuing public health covid crisis. It also has serious addiction, mental health, and other social problems leading to increased violence. It’s been said that violence is as American as apple pie. But where is the government funding to deal with positive solutions to these problems – to help heal people and our communities, and to build a more just society?
Government funding for basic human needs is being diverted to an ever-increasing war budget. This year’s proposed US war budget is over $800 Billion. That’s more than the next 12 countries’ military spending combined. Recently, the US House passed overwhelmingly $40 billion for additional weapons to be sent to Ukraine. More weapons mean more war. Weapons are not a path to peace. If there is one thing that has bipartisan support it is war, war, and more war. What is needed in Ukraine is not more weapons, but a ceasefire, negotiations, and diplomacy for peace. Peace is a victory for all sides. Peace heals at home and abroad. But peace doesn’t make money for the weapons makers – the merchants of death, so the killing continues. See file:///tmp/mozilla_jim0/Unanimous%20Dem%20Support%20for%20the%20$40b%20War%20Package%20to%20Raytheon%20and%20CIA_%20_For%20Ukraine,%205-16-2022_.html
We Need More Healing Not More Killing!
We Need More Love to Conquer Hate!
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, 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 http://www.malu-aina.org/
May 20, 2022, Hilo Peace Vigil leaflet – week 1077– Fridays 3:30-5PM downtown Post Office
-- Jim Albertini 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 Visit us on the web at www.malu-aina.org
