Labor Day

 

Labor Day, so much I could say about this day in which we honor the workers of this nation, (notice there is “Management Day”).

From the coal mines, the sweatshops of Northern Massachusetts, the steel workers, the Longshoremen, the Teamsters and a thousand other places, workers struck, fought and died to gain a little dignity, a little safety, a little time off from the drudgery of near constant work. In Colorado, the NG was called in, fully armed to put down a coal miner’s strike. Many died that day, but the strikers held on, a nation was secretly inspired, (outright support for Unionization was generally met with mass firings, police attacks, Pinkerton’s and other hired goons smashed into peaceful meetings and peaceful supporters.

Great literature about men and women of the time was written, The Grapes of Wrath came not so much from the drought as it did from the labor troubles during the 1930’s. Passionate people driven to the brink of extinction while the wealthy sucked every penny they could from an already broken economy.

Some of the things Labor gave us:

An 8 hour work day

A 40 hour workweek

Overtime

Vacation time

Sick leave

Maternity leave

Child Labor Laws

 

 

A process to air our grievances against a company or its officers

Contracts that could be updated so as times changed, workers could gain as well

Safety regulations

Holiday pay/days off

I could add to this list, but we’ve allowed many of these things to slip away as well. Who would have thought that Nixon would have given the country the EPA? Today’s Republican party is trying desperately to strip it away, as well as OSHA and a host of other programs designed to keep workers and the nation safe, there is something very wrong with this picture.

Enjoy your Labor Day Weekend, you’ve earned it, but I’m willing to bet that on Friday, the first one’s out of the door were management.

 

Bob

Conflict (Warning graphic pics)

    

 

The recent murder of James Foley has me in a deep conflict, deeper and darker than I care to go, but I can’t keep myself from thinking of much other than revenge for this murder, but against an entire group ISIS/ISIL appears to be the epitome of evil. They murder without mercy, sell women and children off as slaves, they claim a religious basis for this, but I’ll be damned if I can find one from the Muslims and Qur’an Scholars I’ve spoken with who even come close to agreeing with that.

I fully admit that I am as far from religion as a person can get, but I most certainly have a spiritual side that drives me, almost always for the good of the people around me. What would I do, if I could do anything, to alleviate the suffering ISIS/ISIL has brought upon so many? Could I make a passionate argument that what they were doing was in direct conflict with what is the basis of all of the great religions? Could I get them to stop their slaughter long enough to see that they are in direct conflict with their own religion? I am pretty sure I would suffer greatly for my points of view.

It is the impunity with which they have gathered this storm together that bothers me more than anything. In all of the Middle East, not one nation is condemning these people from what they are doing. This is a huge WTF moment! This small band of thieves and liars became a force because honest people within their region did not call them out on their insanity in the beginning.  They get recruits by paying them, something the nations in the region seem incapable of doing for their own citizens.  Flash point after flash point rises from the dust of the desert, some, which were huge news just a week ago, have been relegated to secondary or tertiary status because this rogue element makes for “good copy”.

Is it right for me to wish to bring the same amount of fear they bring to others to them, or perhaps an extra dose of  fear. It is easy to sit here in Boston and safely write about these things, but they bring up the rumblings of my past, the desire to exact vengeance which I have struggled with for 40+ years. To kill a man is a dreadful thing, even when that man acts like a rabid animal. I sincerely doubt this group of black garbed, masked cowards would sit around a campfire singing Cumbayah. There is so much of evil in these people I find it difficult to comprehend; even in my worst days on the battlefield would I act like these people? How can I, as a Veteran For Peace, deal with monstrous acts on a scale that is growing daily?

I can find no empathy for these people, but I have plenty of empathy and sympathy for those who are being summarily abused by these thugs. I try to find some small shred of goodness in everyone, but I cannot find a sliver of goodness in ISIS/ISIL, it is evil personified in an area that is already a keg of dynamite ready to explode. Sleep comes with great difficulty, for while it is night here, it is day there, and the evil moves forward with each dawn. How can I sleep when I know women and children are being sold into slavery, men of all ages are slaughtered in ditches? It is a damned if you do, damned if don’t moment. Christ, I’m damned!

I can think of one way where we could help, starting with Gaza, open up the area for humanitarian aid. Once the people in the region see that we can be as good as our word, we can utilize humanitarian aid to open more areas that need as much, if not more than Gaza. Bring in other nations, not just European nations, but Middle Eastern nations, African and South American nations, Asian nations all coming to the aid of a beleaguered speck of land. We can act globally to end this nightmare and the positives will build upon the positives, nations will realize they can work together for the betterment of mankind.  Food, water, shelter, medicine the four basic elements everyone needs can be brought in. In the longer run, we can build desalinization plants for irrigation and a level of production where people can subsist on their own. We’d need a powerful UN force to guard the lines of communication and distribution, that is possible, even if it is might seem a little rough and tumble from time to time. Each time ISIS/ISIL makes a move, we counter it internationally, giving them the option of cessation of hostilities or face capture and imprisonment for life for crimes against humanity. We could bring families back together, finding out who had “bought” the slaves ISIS/ISIL “sold”, (owning or selling human beings is an international crime).

This is a huge effort and is fraught with possibilities of things going terribly wrong, but could they be worse than what is happening now wherever ISIS/ISIL has left its imprint?

On the other hand, we could just target them and be done with it, but is that justice or retribution? This is where I’m conflicted, I want justice, but retribution sounds so tempting.

Perhaps I’m not damned after all.

Bob

James Foley Was Murdered By Cowards

I do not use the word “cowards” lightly, but if one is going to stand over someone who has been incapacitated by handcuffs/wrist restraints while wearing what is essentially a mask to endure he is not recognized for what he is about to do, that man, and others like him, are cowards.

This is not a one time issue, it seems as though many who claim to be acting in “the name of god” don’t have the intestinal fortitude to show their faces; perhaps god will come back to them in a hellfire missile or some 300 rounds from a mini-gun.

My point is, I had to face my “enemies”, often looking into their eyes, these men were brave men, believing in what they were fighting for. Yes, a lot of VC wore black, but I can’t recall one of them wearing a ski mask. War is always an ugly business. From it’s inception to today, the idea is to kill and cripple others, destroying an enemies capacity and will to fight. Foley’s murder was an act of terror, and with all acts of terror, once the initial reaction wears off, we dig in our heels and go after the fools that do do such things.

Make no mistake about this, ISIS/ISIL/Assholes, what ever they are, people will rise up and destroy them. The people they terrorize will find the fortitude to take them on, and I will not shed a tear, not even a sniffle will come from me. When evil raises it’s head, regardless of where that evil is, it must be taken to task. Americans have done horrific things, the British, French and just about every group on earth has done horrific things; Pol Pot, Hitler, Stalin the list goes on…but each of them had a face, not some sappy rag over their head to disguise them.

Let’s find this guy, bring him to justice, let him rot in a steel cell, fed gruel once a day and spend many a year thinking about how cowardly his act was. The one thing we don’t want to do, if possible, is kill this coward, make him live in the shame he brought upon himself and his “ISIS” brethren. A hero dies but once, a coward dies a thousand times a day.

Bob

Sacco and Vanzetti 8-23-1927

 

 

 

This story has been told many times and is perfect conveyance for the dissolution of capital punishment.

Here is a link to the actual trial of the time, copyrighted by Felix Franfurter, from The Atlantic at the time, (it takes some time to read)

http://www.theatlantic.com/past/unbound/flashbks/oj/frankff.htm

What seems to be missing from most of the story is that hundreds of thousands of people across the nation felt that Sacco and Vanzetti were being framed for a crime they did not commit. In fact, the more “evidence” for the prosecution that came out, the larger the crowds became for the acquittal of the two men. In fact it became an international  causes célèbres, where just about everyone believes the accused are innocent, but the powers that be have so much invested, they refuse to back down. We see this today when minorities and poor whites are caught up in a system that is rigged against them, (just think of the drug charges brought against some, depending on county, state or jurisdiction, a person can get life for a joint, while others are tossed out of court for lack of merit.

The New York Times printed the story immediately following the executions:

For further reading of this situation that brought the two men to their men to their deaths, there is plenty to look around for, I chose the two articled linked because they give an accurate account during the time frame at what people were actually hearing. A loose end appears though, even before Sacco and Vanzetti were executed another man admitted to the robbery/killing, from wikipedia:

”

Madeiros confession[edit]

In November 1925, Celestino Madeiros, an ex-convict awaiting trial for murder, confessed to committing the Braintree crimes. He absolved Sacco and Vanzetti of participation.^[86]In May, once the SJC had denied their appeal and Madeiros was convicted, the defense investigated the details of Madeiros’ story. Police interviews led them to the Morelli gang based in Providence, Rhode Island. They developed an alternative theory of the crime based on the gang’s history of shoe-factory robberies, connections to a car like that used in Braintree, and other details. Gang leader Joe Morelli bore a striking resemblance to Sacco.^[87][88][89]

The defense filed a motion for a new trial based on the Madeiros confession on May 26, 1926.^[81] In support of their motion they included 64 affidavits. The prosecution countered with 26 affidavits.^[90] When Thayer heard arguments from September 13 to 17, 1926,^[81] the defense, along with their Madeiros-Morelli theory of the crime, charged that the U.S. Justice Department was aiding the prosecution by withholding information obtained in its own investigation of the case. Attorney William Thompson made an explicitly political attack: “A government which has come to value its own secrets more than it does the lives of its citizens has become a tyranny, whether you call it a republic, a monarchy, or anything else!”^[91] Judge Thayer denied this motion for a new trial on October 23, 1926. After arguing against the credibility of Madeiros, he addressed the defense claims against the federal government, saying the defense was suffering from “a new type of disease,…a belief in the existence of something which in fact and truth has no such existence.”^[81][92]

Three days later, the Boston Herald responded to Thayer’s decision by reversing its longstanding position and calling for a new trial. Its editorial, “We Submit”, earned its author aPulitzer Prize.^[93][94] No other newspapers followed suit.^[95]“

 

Today, 87 years to the day when two innocent men were sent to the electric chair, some states still feel that capital punishment is the answer. Since 1973, 244 death row inmates have been exonerated or had their charges reduced. How would you feel if you were innocent and were walking that last mile?

Peace,

Bob

 

Soldiers Are Always Lonely, Even In the Company Of Other Soldiers

Behind the facade of the “winner” in a war, (just by surviving you’ve “won”), there are millions of lonely men and women who have seen enough to last 10 lifetimes. We are rapidly losing our WWII and Korean vets, the last American Great War vet Frank Buckles died Feb 27, 2011 at the age of 110. Here was a man that saw the end of WWI, the beginning of every war since.

 

I often wonder who will be the last veteran of WWII will be, and will his/her memories be preserved. Korea, Vietnam, the Middle Eastern fiascoes, we need to point out to the young people of today that war is a horrible thing, the closest a person can get to hell here on earth.

Veterans, regardless of branch of service can speak to other veterans with a knowledge that some things they’ve witness have no words to accurately describe what they saw and did, no dictionary no thesaurus possesses the words necessary for an accurate description of the horrors of war. What is spoon fed to the civilian population is old John Wayne movies where every American is a hero and all perceived enemies are cowards or fools, (or worse yet and old Signal Corps film with Ronald Reagan declaring, ‘don’t let your dick look like this!’ while showing a syphilitic penis). The enemies at the time were just as wily as we were, often more so, and they were as brave, if not braver than many Americans.

We are taught to suppress our emotions and I think that is a terrible disservice to the nation as a whole. Most assuredly, those who are awarded the higher decorations, the Medal of Honor, Distinguished Service Cross, the Navy Cross, help to create the hero “myth”. This is not to denigrate what they did, but I know that many men and women rest in military cemeteries who did things that were far and away above the call of duty and they received a stone or bronze plaque without the slightest idea of what they did or how they died.

Those of us who survived, recall the names and faces of the forever young, we know what they did, the sacrifices they made so that others may live. Every night, I recall certain things, one is the first man I shot, the first shot I took at a human being and hit him in the forehead, he was dead before he hit the ground. Another poignant point in my life is when a junior medic stuck his pinky in my carotid artery and spoke to me all the way through that Dustoff flight, “You ain’t gonna die on my watch Sarge!” His voice seemed strangely distant, but his face was just about touching mine. I didn’t die because a young black PFC wasn’t going to let me die. How many more like me are out there? Saved by a fellow soldier, often at the cost of life or limb, simply because we had a duty and dedication to one another?

The words may not be there, but there is a gut feeling for all who have served, we know. That knowledge should not be wasted, we need to have service members speaking out against war, shutting down the chickenhawks wherever they raise their ugly heads and squeal about the “necessity” of war.

Personally, the only “necessities” I needed in the Army was coffee and cigarettes.

Peace,

Bob

VOTE!

   

 

I think I have heard every excuse there is for not voting, so please spare me the, “my vote doesn’t count”, “I hate to wait in line”, “I have to work late” and a whole host of other pieces of dialog that keeps people from the polls. Most democracies and virtually all dictatorships and theocracies have a far better turn out than we do at the polls, I am often embarrassed that we call ourselves a democratic-republic; 43-48% turnout is pathetic and amounts to a plurality as opposed to a clear-cut winner.

There is no good reason for not casting a ballot, you can show up in person, as I do, you can request an absentee ballot, as I have, it takes so little time from one’s precious day, and yet there are so many things at stake, I would crawl over crushed glass on cobblestones if I had to to cast my ballot. This is not all about who will be in the House or Senate, it goes far beyond that, there are initiatives on the ballot that can, and often will, have far-reaching consequences on the way we live, taxation, cleaner air and water, the list goes on and you can make a difference.

One rule I live by in voting, is that I will not ask anyone to vote as I do, I find that disingenuous at best. That is not to say I won’t explain why I am voting the way I am, but your vote is your vote, I will nothing to discredit it, nor will I take you to task for it. One’s vote is personal and should be left to that individual without any fear of reprisal. I will defend a person’s right to keep their vote secret, just as I will defend a person’s right to speak, even if I disagree with their message, (in the latter though, I expect the individuals speaking to allow me the same right, especially if I disagree.)

There are often local votes that affect specific communities, I urge you to vote in these as well if you are a part of that community. Things often hinge on a few votes as in School Boards and Townships where a little power can go a long way. Some School Boards have “outlawed” evolution and are endeavoring to do away with science all together, I know of two Townships that the vote rested on two ballots, one would have broken even, the second would have kept someone off the Board. 13 & 17% of eligible voters voted in those elections.

Andrew Johnson was acquitted after being impeached during Reconstruction by a single vote. When asked, the Senator who cast the final nay vote was asked why he did so, he answered that he was not going to be the Senator that would plunge the nation into another Civil War. Granted, Andrew Johnson consistently winds up in the lowest five of presidents, but the wisdom of a single vote might well have saved the nation further bloodshed and horror.

So please, vote , realize that your vote does have an impact and realize as well, if things don’t go your way in the election, your vote has ensured your right to complain. Earn that right with your vote, few things irk me more than people who piss and squeal about “how things ought to be”, and when I ask them if they voted they say no. I refuse to listen to them after that, it’s that simple.

Look at the issues, the candidates, what they have done in the past, and if they’ve kept their word, (highly unlikely).

Two Links follow, one on important dates, the other on candidates ballot initiatives:

Click to access 2014-primary-and-election-calendar.pdf

http://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/

 

See you at the polls!

Bob

Ferguson MO: Part 3

I find it exceptionally disturbing that the situation in Ferguson has deteriorated to where the NG had to be called in. The situation is sad and difficult enough with the death of a young man and many questions left unanswered, however, this community has shown itself to be resilient and from what I can gather, the people causing trouble are from outside of the area, using the tragedy for their own nefarious purposes.

Is this how we are going to remember Mr. Brown? His death was tragic enough, but to add mayhem to the situation is beyond all reasonable thought processes. We know who shot him, there may be charges brought up on the police officer after an investigation, (I can figure it would be manslaughter at best, but that carries with it a stiff sentence). The point is, you don’t make a terrible situation worse by adding more problems to an already volatile situation.

I am a white male, not that that means anything, above all I am a human being, and as a human being, seeing another human being treated as Mr. Brown was disturbs me greatly. But no good can come of more violence, particularly if that violence comes from other areas and is the incident of Mr. Brown’s death is tarnished by those who seek to gain from this incident.

My hope is that Justice will prevail and we will all learn a lesson from this so that no more “Mr. Brown’s” will find themselves bleeding to death in the street. Restraint by all is of paramount importance if we are ever going to put an end to senseless killing. Let the law take it’s course. By all means, each of us has our thoughts on what happened and why, but the truth will win out, we owe this to Mr. Brown and those who have been in the line of fire before him.

Peace,

Bob

 

Update: Ferguson MO/Mr. Brown

Fortunately, last night the county officers pulled back and the State Patrol took over by order of Governor Nixon, and during the night, there were no arrests or unseemly behaviors on the part of everyone involved. On the news this morning, I saw something I was hoping to see, white individuals getting involved in the call for justice. These are the times when all citizens need to be involved, when the county rolled out armored vehicles and snipers, things were out of control. The Captain speaking for the State Patrol is articulate and well informed, he’s not going to just blurb out some answers that people want to hear, he seems to be explaining the facts as we now know them. More will be coming after more is known.

One of the more unfortunate aspects of  the aftermath is that some looting took place, that appears to be one of the things that happens when some people can’t control themselves and use anything as an excuse to do damage. The vast majority of citizens held themselves in check and they deserve all of the respect we can give them.

It will be some time before we find out all of the facts in this case, however, the number of shots fired alone, particularly after the man is down, show me that the officer at the scene should be fired and brought up on criminal charges. Accounts vary, but several witnesses have come forward and spoken of what they saw. By all accounts, these witnesses are credible and their stories of the event match.

What we need to do now, is de-militarize PD’s. The “fire sale” events by the DOD have to stop. There is no need for a tank in Phoenix, (especially under that nutcase Arpaio), nor is there a need for an M-60A3 in Omaha or any other city in the US. A police department needs to be armed, but do they need to have military grade hardware? I’ve worked with a lot of military weapons, comes with the territory when you spend 13 years in the US Army, (even Medics like me want to try out things that go “bang”, but we used them on firing ranges, not real life scenarios, that would breach the Law of Land Warfare and UCMJ).

May the good people of Ferguson find solace and peace after a tragedy and may the rest of us learn that each life is precious.

Peace,

Bob

Ferguson MO/Mr. Michael Brown

The universal sign of surrender, no threat The Right of the people to assemble peacefully What peaceful assembly brings about     At least 8  heavily armed police aimed at a single unarmed individual Louis Head, Brown’s stepfather, holds a sign saying “Ferguson police just executed my unarmed son.”

Photos courtesy of buzzfeed News: Tasneem Nashrulla BuzzFeed Staff

Looking into the Ferguson situation, I see police overkill in so many instances. The first being the killing of an 18 year old man, Michael Brown; apparently shot in the head once and eight shots to his his body, all by a single police officer. As we learn more of the story behind this, it will not cleanse the wounds this neighborhood is scarred with, now and forever. I am a white male, Michael was a black male; I live near Boston, Michael lived near St. Louis, I am alive, Michael is dead, and for what? Putting one’s hands up is a universal sign of surrender, showing all around that you intend them no harm, you are unarmed and willing to allow a search of your person. It does not give carte blanche  for police to shoot you down, it is an act of submission, just as if a soldier carries a white flag, upraised arms are a signal of truce.

With all of the arms a police officer carries, a pistol, access to a shot gun, pepper spray, taser, handcuffs and zip ties, why did this officer go immediately for his firearm? More intriguing, precisely when was Michael shot in the head and eight shots fired into his body? This is classic “overkill” at it’s worst. When I was in the army, I would tell my guards under certain circumstances they had the order to use deadly force, if necessary. Rarely was  there any necessity to even come close to deadly force. I reminded them that a well placed shot to the femur or butt would place the intruder in a position where they could not escape, leaving myself and others to find out why they were there in the first place; kill an intruder and the intel goes with them. By almost all accounts, Michael Brown was no threat to the officer that shot him. Some, of course, is speculation, but that does not take away the blatant fact this man was shot 9 times, once to the head and 8 to his body.

Why was he shot at all, much less 9 times, then left to bleed out in the middle of the street? I do not blame the people of Ferguson for being outraged, except for a few cases by some miscreants doing some looting the good people of Ferguson are doing what they are doing under Constitutionally protected actions. They are gathering peacefully seeking redress and an explanation of what happened. So why the show of military hardware, to include machine guns atop armored vehicles? Having been in the military for a number of years, I know what they have and am quite knowledgeable in what devastating damage they can do when one is either familiar with said arms, or the very severe damage they can do when one isn’t familiar with what they can do.

Granted, some things have changed since I was in uniform, but the basics remain the same, killing people that cause a threat. Just where is the threat in Ferguson? With the exception of some looters, (whom the police should have been taking into custody), who appear to have gotten away with their illegal activities when those who joined hand in hand, arm in arm to honor Mr. Brown, were being targeted with military grade weapons systems. This is ludicrous at best, criminal at worst. Under what circumstances are military grade munitions “authorized” to be used on an unarmed civilian population?

There are several tragedies involved here, the death and manner of death of Mr. Brown; the looting that went on; the potential use of military grade weapons systems on civilians. The overkill of police in riot gear when they should be reaching out to a grieving community. The officer who shot Mr. Brown must be held accountable, even if there was a threat, why did it take 9 bullets to take him down, one to the head? This officer should be removed from the force and if charges can be brought against him, then let it be so. If there are no charges that can be filed, so be it; but Justice must be served, using the color of authority is not justifiable for what was done. The “blue line” must come down and criminals within any police force must be dealt with severely if found guilty of criminality themselves. There are plenty of good officers out there, a few can change the equation as to where we trust no one with a badge.

I wish the family of  Michael Brown a swift recovery from their loss. I know they will hold him in their fondest memories. I hope the city of Ferguson can get past this without the trauma that often afflicts communities during times such as these. From what I have seen so far, the good people of Ferguson have held their own, doing what is right, demanding justice in the face of adversity, (with a few exceptions who should be ashamed of themselves for using the demise of Mr. Brown for their own selfish gain by looting stores). Let not fear rule your lives, let truth and love be your guiding principles. The truth of what happened to Mr. Brown, and the love you have shown for the community, indeed, the nation’s loss.

The Crazy Has Hit New Lows, (Or Highs As Per Your Point Of View)

 

 

The makers and sellers of arms are at it again, just as before 1917 and 1941, manufacturers of weapons are well on their way ensuring people will die through their malfeasance. US based companies sell arms to just about anyone at exorbitant prices, and not one of those corporate officers will have anything to lose in the bargain. Most assuredly, they, their sons and daughters, and those who consider themselves “nobler than thou” will never spill a drop of blood while they enrich themselves at a horrible human cost.

Here’s a simple illustration: We sell arms to Qatar, which in turn gives or sells them to Hamas, same basic thing with the Saudi’s. We sell arms and ammunition to Israel directly, thereby enhancing the threat all the way around, setting the stage for more death and dismemberment, more  non-combatants killed and more orphans are created. This is just a tiny observation of the entire network of arms dealing that brings with it assured death for hundreds of thousands if not millions of human beings now and in the future. This is not a cheap thrill movie out of Hollywood where everybody has a “great time” blowing up the “bad” guys with precision, it is real and incredibly deadly. It is also remarkable for it’s stupidity from all sides.

Hamas tosses essentially a garbage can they call a missile into Israel, Israel tosses several highly accurate missiles, bombs and artillery back to Gaza, where the people have no place to hide, no where to run, the targets are easy for Israel, and the “collateral damage” is considered part of a very odd equation based on retaliation for the “first strike”; has anyone, from either side actually sat down and thought this though?

The only people who are gaining anything are the industrialists, the more war, the better business is, accountants are in their glory while taxpayers and shareholders lose. How does one think the huge “bonuses” officers at companies that supply the machinery of death? That money is directly siphoned off from taxpayers and shareholders in various companies, when that money could easily be used to prevent  war. In our incredible ignorance, we permit the greediest bastards on the earth use us as playthings, mere pawns in their game of death. I find it incredible that few, if any, of us for Peace can be heard above the chanting for war and the din of that war the purveyors so badly need to prevent a bruised ego.

Some may say this is about religion, rest assured, it isn’t. Many times in the past people of different cultures worked side by side to create wondrous accomplishments that were proud reminders of how easy it is to get along when tasks are common and evenly distributed. Often, when a society was threatened, people of very different cultures came together to fend off the threat, today, cultural differences are used as weapons in the battles against morality and justice. When I hear anyone speak of religion I honestly get sickened. Every religion teaches the capacity of love, compassion, empathy and a host of other good things, like forgiveness, justice and helping one’s fellow human beings through tough times. But all I ever see is the dark side, the side that lies and betrays the goodness being taught, demanding the ultimate sacrifice for profit and gain, condemning others for their beliefs and shouting out hate filled diatribes when they should be feeding the hungry and clothing the naked. The “moral” justification for organized murder, what we call war, come from heartless minds of those who thrive on hate and controversy; I think it’s about time the whole world stood up and shouted out, “ENOUGH!” 

So here we are in the world of “Whack-a-Mole”, something pops up, just beat it back into the hole with all the force you need. Pretty pathetic way to live life, perpetually scared, standing around waiting for the next mole to pop up so we can whack it with a hammer. Worse still, we “justify” our deeds with our inaction against those who put the cash and power gained as they create more havoc for an already absurdly violent world.

The cycle of death and destruction must be broken and only people can do that by coming together in the common causes of Peace, Justice and Equality. I’ve had it up to my eyes with war mongering psychopaths. I’m done standing in the shit that sociopathic industrialists and money lenders leave behind. We need a social revolution, peaceful and inspired to break the cycle. Not selling arms to anyone would be a start, although that void would be filled by some other nation with a chip on it’s shoulder. We, as a species, need to come together and put an end to all of this. The road is rough, but visionaries of the past have cut the initial route, what we need to do is smooth it out and ensure it’s upkeep. Most assuredly, I don’t have all of the answers, but I believe when we come together we can find most of them. I would be gratified to leave a peaceful world to my son, stepdaughters and grandkids, it’s not impossible but we’re going to have to learn to live together before we extinguish life on the planet.

Peace to all,

Bob

PS: Don’t forget to perform a random act of kindness today!