tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77951844246231141012024-03-19T01:02:14.229-04:00VFP - WNCVFP - WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA CHAPTERHufbutcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15895249142830765740noreply@blogger.comBlogger210125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7795184424623114101.post-27712704767531950852024-03-13T15:53:00.003-04:002024-03-13T15:57:56.893-04:00International Uranium Film Festival<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">International Uranium Film Festival Comes to Asheville</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">March 23 & 24</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Brought To Western North Carolina By </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Physicians for Social Responsibility</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Sponsored by Veterans For Peace</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Details Below </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoxH1XOeVcJ2khb0uZnB-mBAnitb3MJJ6EcCQ6Af2-kUAIT2TiWangGuNR7l-ISHi62rFtpYNXEGyl2Tti_DOBmUgsLjdv83Oz0K7yi5XVZXIklx69ztfTV5Ps6ufYNEU8uFmtqy-sryal0fwuKayycZl5xttTA2pm6_0464gJ2kt-qx79iKbVBg-nvNOp/s1650/Uranium%20Film%20Festival.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1275" data-original-width="1650" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoxH1XOeVcJ2khb0uZnB-mBAnitb3MJJ6EcCQ6Af2-kUAIT2TiWangGuNR7l-ISHi62rFtpYNXEGyl2Tti_DOBmUgsLjdv83Oz0K7yi5XVZXIklx69ztfTV5Ps6ufYNEU8uFmtqy-sryal0fwuKayycZl5xttTA2pm6_0464gJ2kt-qx79iKbVBg-nvNOp/w622-h428/Uranium%20Film%20Festival.jpg" width="622" /></a></div><br /> <p></p>Gerry Werhanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09627407831898380289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7795184424623114101.post-64423924378504706372023-05-16T16:08:00.003-04:002023-05-16T16:08:24.687-04:00Memorial Day Observance: Monday, May 29, 2023<p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">We will gather at the Western North Carolina Veterans Memorial* on </span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Monday, May 29, 2023 at 10:30AM to grieve ALL fellow humans around the </span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">world and </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">through all time who have died because of war.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">*74 College Street, Asheville</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpVs4d1kmgZtGAbTZbmXs-gsfP4isxtNShXlkLw61EnaVBMzSsxHsczxmHaefTUUx4pJImDLxRObJUk12TTiS0jxcIw5ChEs3Vb7yztecLAunhy7tRUyo6T_MFldFIgub31QWDo61ZVkb8kLLAbLlZWsFj9RXXAQQZ1tQHTM39yvXgx5be_CZSgVnQ1A/s488/Screen%20Shot%202023-05-16%20at%204.04.14%20PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="184" data-original-width="488" height="121" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpVs4d1kmgZtGAbTZbmXs-gsfP4isxtNShXlkLw61EnaVBMzSsxHsczxmHaefTUUx4pJImDLxRObJUk12TTiS0jxcIw5ChEs3Vb7yztecLAunhy7tRUyo6T_MFldFIgub31QWDo61ZVkb8kLLAbLlZWsFj9RXXAQQZ1tQHTM39yvXgx5be_CZSgVnQ1A/s320/Screen%20Shot%202023-05-16%20at%204.04.14%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXBzqEuV2r71lbUl1IMZ6RynKVpsrLHls7mSQ6IoAVI98peYU-zjdS0Vx4SNXSM-aSBQ17JcNxtuFJkXc2hR0SEuEGXLObGfldba4laxKVVBG810l_IQjqWBTDM83kK4Cx3n68yJwDKu0loiATOACM3yaU8VvxuKQU33At_5LgrEfB0qrG5p0au3Ei7g/s347/Screen%20Shot%202023-05-16%20at%203.53.33%20PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="332" data-original-width="347" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXBzqEuV2r71lbUl1IMZ6RynKVpsrLHls7mSQ6IoAVI98peYU-zjdS0Vx4SNXSM-aSBQ17JcNxtuFJkXc2hR0SEuEGXLObGfldba4laxKVVBG810l_IQjqWBTDM83kK4Cx3n68yJwDKu0loiATOACM3yaU8VvxuKQU33At_5LgrEfB0qrG5p0au3Ei7g/s320/Screen%20Shot%202023-05-16%20at%203.53.33%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span><p></p>Gerry Werhanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09627407831898380289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7795184424623114101.post-76295928859986651542023-05-15T16:11:00.003-04:002023-05-15T16:33:31.656-04:00PEACE TALKS in WNC! - Thursday, May 25, 2023 - 7PM-9PM<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: large; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">PEACE TALKS in WNC! - Thursday, May 25, 2023 - 7PM-9PM </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: large; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">@ Land of the Sky United Church of Christ, </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: large; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">15 Overbrook Place, Asheville, NC</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b id="docs-internal-guid-094b56ed-7fff-580a-5e70-f1abff7e6cd2" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Veterans For Peace - Western North Carolina is excited to invite you to </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">the first of our quarterly symposiums intended to educate and promote </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">action associated with issues that impact our ability to achieve peace </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">in our world. There are so many such issues that it should be obvious that </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">not just “peace people” are invited, but all who yearn for the just peace </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">that underpins genuine peace and all those who want to know and do more.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Each symposium will focus on just one main topic of concern with video, </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">readings, discussion and action planning, but there will be more to each </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">symposium than that.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>Our main topic for the first symposium is titled, </b></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #191f24; font-family: Arial; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>"The Monroe Doctrine, Revisited: How 200 Years of U.S. Policy Have Helped </b></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #191f24; font-family: Arial; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>to Destabilize the Americas.”</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 6pt 0pt 3pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Beyond the focus of our main topic we intend to include time for broadening </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 6pt 0pt 3pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">and deepening our community’s lived commitment to achieving peace </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 6pt 0pt 3pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">through reporting on our actions, results, plans, and celebrating all that </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 6pt 0pt 3pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">makes our corner of the world a place that nurtures a peace that catches </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 6pt 0pt 3pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">on well beyond our beautiful mountains.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 3pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 3pt 0pt 0pt; text-align: center;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Throughout the rest of 2023 at each symposium we will be celebrating </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">ourselves, Veterans For Peace Chapter 099, in observance of </span></p><div style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">our 20th anniversary in existence… and we will do that with CAKE!</span></div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Please join us, bring anyone you want to enjoy a world at peace with, </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">and spread the word about this. Any questions, please let me know. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Any assistance you’d like to offer is appreciated.</span></p>Gerry Werhanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09627407831898380289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7795184424623114101.post-46049842245235720282023-04-10T13:11:00.000-04:002023-04-10T13:11:44.280-04:00Bruce Carruthers/Save Our VA Initiative Gets Radio Time. <p><span class="m_8013960829397362452mbtext" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">The Veterans Administration healthcare system outperforms most hospitals in the private sector. Why then do privatization efforts of VA healthcare continue? Join our guest Bruce Carruthers as we try to separate fact from fiction. Bruce is a US Army veteran and serves on the steering committee of the <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.facebook.com/n/?veteransforpeace%26aref%3D1680614377536486%26medium%3Demail%26mid%3D5f8bf2802bbc7G5b0227b3f6a7G5f88286fa3be6G52%26n_m%3Dbcarruthers1%2540charter.net%26rms%3Dv2%26irms%3Dtrue&source=gmail&ust=1681232464153000&usg=AOvVaw3aNMKCXBRXMoG6OKCzBh-U" href="https://www.facebook.com/n/?veteransforpeace&aref=1680614377536486&medium=email&mid=5f8bf2802bbc7G5b0227b3f6a7G5f88286fa3be6G52&n_m=bcarruthers1%40charter.net&rms=v2&irms=true" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #1b74e4; text-decoration-line: none;">Veterans For Peace</span></a> National Save Our VA Project.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;" /><span class="m_8013960829397362452mbtext" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">More interviews at <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://l.facebook.com/l.php?u%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fabetterworldcommunity.com%252F%26h%3DAT1JCwFcLEv_4ZSc8c3mMV8FrBb0-55JC8Jx3dcgPlgw6hOoiJckx0USAy2fLN37lYAjx4AAZGN0p-05baMF9yCYUI4ZBfpGxnYVBVuUFMUC1cvdTT-5IrUsJb0Y%26rms%3Dv2%26irms%3Dtrue&source=gmail&ust=1681232464153000&usg=AOvVaw2PMo_6Nj4eaSvTuOx181gx" href="http://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fabetterworldcommunity.com%2F&h=AT1JCwFcLEv_4ZSc8c3mMV8FrBb0-55JC8Jx3dcgPlgw6hOoiJckx0USAy2fLN37lYAjx4AAZGN0p-05baMF9yCYUI4ZBfpGxnYVBVuUFMUC1cvdTT-5IrUsJb0Y&rms=v2&irms=true" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #1b74e4; text-decoration-line: none;">abetterworldcommunity.com</span></a></span></p>Gerry Werhanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09627407831898380289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7795184424623114101.post-79811306729414423152023-02-21T12:29:00.002-05:002023-02-23T12:30:38.642-05:00Handout for WNC Veterans for Peace Chapter 099 vigil on February 21, 2023<p>Veterans Challenge Islamophobia<br /> </p><p>Veterans Challenge Islamophobia is a broad based call to all veterans to defend the values of religious freedom, equality and individual rights. These are the very same values embedded in our Constitution that many of us believed we were defending when serving in the military. The campaign is initiated and coordinated by Veterans For Peace. <br /><br />A promise of diversity, openness, and compassion for people of all faiths are the fundamental values we risked our lives to serve. These values for which so many of our sisters and brothers rendered the ultimate sacrifice, must be the foundation of our nation's future. Fear-mongering in the form of politicized and weaponized rhetoric has been used to cultivate a culture of fear, hatred, and animosity, allowing for a state of violence and perpetual warfare to persist at home and abroad.<br /><br />Our values, as a nation, cannot abide and will not long endure amidst the divisiveness of hate speech and Islamophobia. Therefore, we call upon all in the United States and around the world to let their voices be heard and to stand up for the values of tolerance, respect, and love for all people and all faiths.<br /><br /><br />To join Veterans for Peace, or to sign up for VFP e-News, go to: https://www.veteransforpeace.org<br />Western North Carolina Website: www.vfp099.org / Facebook: Veterans for Peace <br />Western North Carolina Chapter 099 Email: president@vfp099.org<br />Mailing address: VFP Chapter 099, PO Box 1024, Asheville NC 28802</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7795184424623114101.post-69718998173420441392023-02-14T16:44:00.001-05:002023-02-14T16:44:04.319-05:00Handout for WNC Veterans for Peace Chapter 099 vigil on February 14, 2023<p> The Doomsday Clock is Still Ticking<br /><br /> The Doomsday Clock that the atomic scientists came up with in the late 1940s and still use today provides us with a fascinating way to look at our world in 2023.<br /><br />If the stroke of midnight represents the end of civilization as we know it, then the closer the minute hand creeps to that moment, the worse off we are.<br /><br />What’s moving that mechanism? Our propensity to assemble nuclear weapons and our willingness to use them.<br /><br />We should immediately sign on to international treaties that ban the creation and testing of nuclear weapons; we should denounce first-use policies; we should take the decision to use nuclear weapons out of the hands of one individual; and we should divert our tax dollars from the military’s inflated treasury into domestic infrastructure projects.<br /><br />To join Veterans for Peace, or to sign up for VFP e-News, go to: https://www.veteransforpeace.org<br />Western North Carolina Website: www.vfp099.org / Facebook: Veterans for Peace <br />Western North Carolina Chapter 099 Email: president@vfp099.org<br />Mailing address: VFP Chapter 099, PO Box 1024, Asheville NC 28802</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7795184424623114101.post-84556373780657008012023-02-07T18:25:00.002-05:002023-02-07T18:25:15.698-05:00Handout for WNC Veterans for Peace Chapter 099 vigil on February 7, 2023<p> VFP Iraq Water Project<br /><br /> Clean water is an essential for any nation pretending to care about its people. Iraq at one time was well along the road to providing this necessity, but a whirlwind of conflict sucking up Iraq, Iran and the United States swept all this progress away in a matter of a few years. Politics is murky, but the consequences upon people are not: life for most Iraqis went to hell. Safe drinkable water became a luxury, and the poor, the aged and infants suffered the worst. These many years later precious few can even now count on something so simple as a safe cup of tap water.</p><p> VFP's Iraq Water Project has supplied small water purification units, ultraviolet and reverse osmosis, to various public institutions throughout Iraq, primarily hospitals, clinics and schools. These devices, pricing out somewhere between $1000 and $1500, are affordable for us so long as contributions keep coming in. <br /></p><p> All the same, Iraq is still a war zone---of our country's making, to a large degree. IWP can only look forward to the day when a more stable Iraq will once again provide for its own water needs without us.<br /><br />To join Veterans for Peace, or to sign up for VFP e-News, go to: https://www.veteransforpeace.org<br />Western North Carolina Website: www.vfp099.org / Facebook: Veterans for Peace <br />Western North Carolina Chapter 099 Email: president@vfp099.org<br />Mailing address: VFP Chapter 099, PO Box 1024, Asheville NC 28802</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7795184424623114101.post-125535521342193652023-01-31T16:46:00.001-05:002023-02-03T10:36:22.341-05:00Handout for WNC Veterans for Peace Chapter 099 on January 31, 2023<p>Costs of War: Soldiers and Veterans<br /><br />Lies in the Recruitment Process<br />According to the New York Times, nearly one of five United States Army recruiters was under investigation in 2004 for offenses varying from "threats and coercion to false promises that applicants would not be sent to Iraq." One veteran recruiter told a reporter for the Albany Times Union, "I've been recruiting for years, and I don't know one recruiter who wasn't dishonest about it. I did it myself."<br /><br />PTSD<br />Over two million service members have been to the wars and returned since 2001. Recovery from the trauma of military training and service is not automatic. There are estimates that 20% of veterans suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. Child abuse has been three times higher in homes from which a parent is deployed, for example, and police and courts are dealing with skyrocketing partner abuse rates, which are up 177 percent in Army families since 2003.The Veterans Administration estimates that 300,000 veterans are homeless on any given night. Unemployment rates have been two percentage points higher among war veterans than civilians.<br /><br /><br />To join Veterans for Peace, or to sign up for VFP e-News, go to: https://www.veteransforpeace.org<br />Western North Carolina Website: www.vfp099.org / Facebook: Veterans for Peace <br />Western North Carolina Chapter 099 Email: president@vfp099.org<br />Mailing address: VFP Chapter 099, PO Box 1024, Asheville NC 28802</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7795184424623114101.post-89855809126346774912023-01-26T16:21:00.000-05:002023-01-30T16:24:23.112-05:00Handout for WNC Veterans for Peace Chapter 099 vigil on January 24, 2023<p> From VFP eNews: Call for End to U.S. Blockade of Cuba<br /><br /> The Golden Rule anti-nuclear sailboat, crewed by U.S. veterans and friends, has successfully completed a historic voyage to Cuba. The 34-foot wooden ketch, which in 1958 was sailed toward the Marshall Islands to interfere with U.S. nuclear testing, is owned by Veterans For Peace, and carries out an important part of VFP’s mission, “to end the arms race and to reduce and eventually eliminate nuclear weapons.” </p><p> Five crew, including several members of Veterans For Peace, sailed the Golden Rule from Key West, Florida, and, after 22 hours at sea, arrived at Havana’s Marina Hemingway on December 31, just in time to celebrate New Year’s and the 62nd anniversary of the Cuban Revolution. The Golden Rule was sailed to Havana under a General License issued by the U.S. Treasury Department that allows U.S. residents to travel to Cuba for educational and people-to-people purposes.</p><p> The Golden Rule crew was joined by seven others who flew into Havana to participate in a weeklong educational program. The Proximity Cuba tour agency organized an arts and culture program that highlighted many facets of the rich and diverse Cuban culture, including Afro-Cuban music and dance. The Golden Rule delegation also held a well-attended press conference that was featured on the top of the Cuban TV news and in other Latin American media.<br /><br />To join Veterans for Peace, or to sign up for VFP e-News, go to: https://www.veteransforpeace.org<br />Western North Carolina Website: www.vfp099.org / Facebook: Veterans for Peace <br />Western North Carolina Chapter 099 Email: president@vfp099.org<br />Mailing address: VFP Chapter 099, PO Box 1024, Asheville NC 28802</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7795184424623114101.post-65691856181394486072023-01-23T18:39:00.000-05:002023-01-23T18:39:08.696-05:00Letter to the Editor by WNC Veterans for Peace Chapter 099 member<p> Published in the Mountain Xpress.<br /></p><div><span><b><span>Let’s discuss principles for land use and development</span>
</b> <div> <span>Posted on <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://mountainx.com/opinion/letter-lets-discuss-principles-for-land-use-and-development/&source=gmail&ust=1674603074636000&usg=AOvVaw3D2CLtGgAiQqiGsz4Kr-RY" href="https://mountainx.com/opinion/letter-lets-discuss-principles-for-land-use-and-development/" target="_blank"><span>January 23, 2023</span></a></span> <span>by <span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://mountainx.com/author/letters/&source=gmail&ust=1674603074636000&usg=AOvVaw00nSjnA0X1syAwrDwAETdb" href="https://mountainx.com/author/letters/" target="_blank">Letters</a></span></span> <br /></div></span><br /></div>On Dec. 16, a small group of local citizens
representing Reject Raytheon AVL went to the Biltmore Farms LLC office
in Biltmore Park. We delivered a letter signed by 40 of us asking CEO
Jack Cecil for a meeting to discuss his plans for the development of 900
of his privately held acres.
<p>Our understanding is that he has been working with the Asheville Area
Chamber of Commerce to follow up the recent establishment of the Pratt
& Whitney plant with a full-fledged aerospace industrial park.</p>
<p>In this day and age, the aerospace industry is an integral part of
the military-industrial complex, heavily fueling the climate emergency
and making enormous profits from the business of war.</p>
<p>Reject Raytheon AVL finds these plans completely antithetical to the
idea of working toward a peaceful, just and sustainable future for our
children and grandchildren. It is this that we want to discuss with Mr.
Cecil. This was our third attempt to have a meeting with him about it.</p>
<p>In our letter, we listed the following nine principles we have
formulated for local land use devoted to economic development in Western
North Carolina:</p>
<p>1. Commit to just, equitable and sustainable development that
prioritizes the needs of communities of color and other historically
marginalized and disenfranchised people.</p>
<p>2. Mitigate the climate emergency.</p>
<p>3. Protect the Earth by exceeding the state environmental protections
regarding water, air and soil quality, and maintaining green spaces.</p>
<p>4. Oppose recruitment of and investment in war or fossil fuel corporations.</p>
<p>5. Invest public money equitably in local and regional businesses, not multinational corporations.</p>
<p>6. Generate jobs with a living wage that guarantee workers’ right to organize.</p>
<p>7. Focus on essential community needs, such as deeply affordable
housing, health care, education, social services, infrastructure and
renewable energy.</p>
<p>8. Hold new industries accountable to the community by requiring
contributions to essential community needs in exchange for tax
incentives.</p>
<p>9. Make no secret deals — engage the public in meaningful and
transparent decision making from the very beginning of the economic
development process.</p>
<p>Once again, we have received no response from Mr. Cecil. It is time
for a wider community discussion about this. If interested in having
this discussion, please contact <a href="mailto:rejectraytheonavl@protonmail.com" target="_blank">rejectraytheonavl@protonmail.<wbr></wbr>com</a>.</p>
<p><em>— Ken Jones</em><br />
<em>Swannanoa</em></p>
<p><strong>Editor’s note</strong>: <em>Xpress</em> reached out to Jack Cecil with a summary of the letter writer’s points but did not receive a response.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7795184424623114101.post-36915284680195737172023-01-20T15:17:00.001-05:002023-01-20T15:17:00.158-05:00Letter to the Editor from WNC Veterans for Peace Chapter 099 member<p> </p><p> </p><p> Published in the Smoky Mountain News.<br /></p><h2 class="itemTitle">
VA — the best care anywhere! </h2>
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Wednesday, January 18, 2023 </span>
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<div class="itemIntroText"> <p><strong>To the Editor:</strong> To
crib part of a title from Phillip Longman’s book — “Best Care Anywhere:
Why VA Health Care Would Work Better for Everyone” — this describes my
recent experience at the VA Medical Center in Asheville. </p>
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<p>I woke up Wednesday morning, Nov. 16, with intense stomach pain. At
2:30 a.m., I went to the local emergency room. A CT scan revealed that I
had gall stones and needed surgery. </p>
<p>After a rough weekend, I called the Asheville VA on Monday morning.
That afternoon a VA surgeon called me and scheduled an appointment for
Tuesday morning. I completed pre-op that day, and Thursday morning, the
24th, I was on the operating table. The procedure was completed via
laparoscopic surgery and I was discharged that day. My recovery has been
quick and smooth. I needed pain medication for less than a week. I
returned for a follow-up appointment on Dec. 6 and I was cleared to
return to normal activity in a week. </p>
<p>I couldn’t be any happier with the care I received from the VA. The
personnel there responded immediately to my call, and everything was
handled efficiently, promptly, and with real concern. This is the kind
of care all Americans should receive. I went to the local emergency room
because it was the middle of the night, and the VA is about a half-hour
drive for us. Had I gone to the VA emergency room, I am certain the
surgery would have been scheduled even sooner. </p><p>Rather than attempting to privatize the VA healthcare system, which
will be a great disservice to those who have answered the call to duty,
Congress should be seeing it as a model for healthcare for all
Americans. Numerous studies clearly show that VA care is equal to and
often better than private care, is more cost effective, and offers an
integrated, holistic approach as opposed to the costly, fragmented, and
inefficient private sector, which leaves so many Americans poorly
served, if not served at all. If you support veterans and want to do
something concrete to show that support, instead of thanking us for our
service, go to the website <a href="https://www.veteransforpeace.org/take-action/stop-privatization-veterans-health-administration">Save Our VA / Veterans For Peace</a> and join our campaign to stop the privatization of the VA healthcare system. </p>
<p>Bruce Carruthers </p>
<p>Waynesville</p><p> </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7795184424623114101.post-30074504251261493642023-01-18T18:27:00.002-05:002023-01-18T18:27:14.499-05:00Handout for WNC Veterans for Peace vigil on January 17, 2023<p> Direct Action to Stop the War Machine:<br /><br />Want to take bold nonviolent action to stop the war machine? Join Veterans for Peace for a two-hour workshop on organizing creative and dynamic direct actions to meaningfully challenge the war machine and create space for a more just and peaceful future.</p><p><br />This workshop is the first in a series of workshops on creative direct action. During this workshop we’ll cover the fundamentals of direct action including strategic uses of direct action, assessing and preparing for risks, working together as part of an action team, and using actions to amplify our message.</p><p><br />This workshop is free and open to VFP members, allies, and anyone interested in taking direct action to stop the war machine. To register, go to: www.veteransforpeace.org<br /></p><p>Date is <strong>January 22nd, 3pm (ET), 2pm (CT), 1pm (MT), 12pm (PT). </strong><br /><br />To join Veterans for Peace, or to sign up for VFP e-News, go to: https://www.veteransforpeace.org<br />Western North Carolina Website: www.vfp099.org / Facebook: Veterans for Peace <br />Western North Carolina Chapter 099</p><p>Email: president@vfp099.org<br />Mailing address: VFP Chapter 099, PO Box 1024, Asheville NC 28802 <br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7795184424623114101.post-79916761124489953662023-01-16T14:01:00.001-05:002023-01-16T14:01:11.257-05:00Upcoming event on January 17, 2023<div style="text-align: center;"><h2><b><br /></b></h2></div><h2 style="text-align: center;"><b> SAY NO TO U.S. WARS!<br /><br />TUES. JAN 17, 4:30 – 5:30<br />PACK SQUARE, ASHEVILLE<br /><br /><br />STOP ENDLESS WARS AGAINST<br />IRAQ, SYRIA, SOMALIA, PALESTINE<br />NO WAR AGAINST RUSSIA!<br />NO WAR AGAINST CHINA!<br /><br />MONEY FOR HUMAN NEEDS – NOT FOR WAR<br /><br />CALLED BY THE UNITED NATIONAL ANTIWAR COALITION AND THE WNC CHAPTER OF VETERANS FOR PEACE, CHAPTER 099 </b><br /></h2>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7795184424623114101.post-46438424936836453762023-01-10T20:30:00.002-05:002023-01-10T20:30:18.363-05:00Handout for WNC Veterans for Peace Chapter 099 vigil on January 10, 2023<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigg-Xc3QKMHA7OWH2NMLfOSkJ3S6WPeUTxUhzM9EC-1ig4lPHBtI9Xlo52S13US8XLX6aBHTo-Xt_PP2a5rAsr9nFs4X2LKag0HzddOai4qDvB5CgBooUIsKXR09_DJyWKJD5Mj6oDZOd59PDkJKgh4QKxbiIFBt_y9SsIwbuA17yKok9rSmWNm1wowg/s2533/Image%20(3).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2533" data-original-width="1653" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigg-Xc3QKMHA7OWH2NMLfOSkJ3S6WPeUTxUhzM9EC-1ig4lPHBtI9Xlo52S13US8XLX6aBHTo-Xt_PP2a5rAsr9nFs4X2LKag0HzddOai4qDvB5CgBooUIsKXR09_DJyWKJD5Mj6oDZOd59PDkJKgh4QKxbiIFBt_y9SsIwbuA17yKok9rSmWNm1wowg/w418-h640/Image%20(3).jpg" width="418" /></a></div><br /> <p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7795184424623114101.post-26259094530837459482023-01-10T20:28:00.005-05:002023-01-10T20:28:59.351-05:00Handout for WNC Veterans for Peace Chapter 099 vigil on January 10, 2023<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW52ZUjTA7mQOcAPY4YL45iTceZPvQ1wfJ6jeceXX1wD5kEu6yGZdMcJ88tbf220iH7GsjJ6o_yNJ0Bw_bU_B9JRdJiOd2uUukss8aRZcCvdb5pJ9rBrms67i1VemQjMic08GpQKoWKHX2X_LUiNr1_jPE8QDr9f6-5l_pHyfpKw3ZOsK3mVGSxANVfw/s2499/Image%20(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2499" data-original-width="1580" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW52ZUjTA7mQOcAPY4YL45iTceZPvQ1wfJ6jeceXX1wD5kEu6yGZdMcJ88tbf220iH7GsjJ6o_yNJ0Bw_bU_B9JRdJiOd2uUukss8aRZcCvdb5pJ9rBrms67i1VemQjMic08GpQKoWKHX2X_LUiNr1_jPE8QDr9f6-5l_pHyfpKw3ZOsK3mVGSxANVfw/w405-h640/Image%20(2).jpg" width="405" /></a></div><br /> <p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7795184424623114101.post-66480969478782783602023-01-03T19:42:00.005-05:002023-01-03T19:42:26.897-05:00Handout for WNC Veterans for Peace Chapter 099 on January 3, 2023<p> The Christmas Truce<br /><br />The Christmas Truce occurred on and around Christmas Day 1914.<br />At the first light of dawn on Christmas Day, some German soldiers emerged from their trenches and approached the Allied lines across no-man's-land, calling out "Merry Christmas" in their enemies' native tongues. At first, the Allied soldiers feared it was a trick, but seeing the Germans unarmed they climbed out of their trenches and shook hands with the enemy soldiers. The men exchanged presents of cigarettes and plum puddings and sang carols and songs.<br />Every year, Veterans For Peace celebrates the anniversary of the Christmas Truce. Once again, we urge our leaders to follow the example set by the Christmas Truce soldiers who rejected militarism and the glorification of war. We call on all leaders to honor all those who have died in war by working for peace and the prevention of war.<br /><br />To join Veterans for Peace, or to sign up for VFP e-News, go to: https://www.veteransforpeace.org<br />Western North Carolina Website: www.vfp099.org / Facebook: Veterans for Peace <br />Western North Carolina Chapter 099</p><p>Email: president@vfp099.org<br />Mailing address: VFP Chapter 099, PO Box 1024, Asheville NC 28802</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7795184424623114101.post-66506991615554133122022-12-28T20:18:00.000-05:002022-12-28T20:18:22.478-05:00Letter to the Editor from WNC VFP Chapter 099 member<p> </p><header class="entry-header">
<h1 class="entry-title">Letter: Focus on spiritual values, peace and nonviolence</h1>
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<span class="posted-on">Posted on <a href="https://mountainx.com/opinion/letter-focus-on-spiritual-values-peace-and-nonviolence/" rel="bookmark" title="12:00 PM"><time class="entry-date published" datetime="2022-12-19T12:00:52+00:00">December 19, 2022</time></a></span> <span class="byline">by <span class="author vcard"><a class="url fn" href="https://mountainx.com/author/letters/" title="View all posts by Letters">Letters</a></span></span>
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<div id="pico"><p>What makes you come alive and wake up in the
morning, eager for the day ahead? I encourage local parents, teachers
and the general public to consider what it takes to inspire wonder, awe,
enthusiasm and courage to actively participate in changing our way of
life. It seems to me that to achieve this, one has to examine one’s
inner life — many call this the contemplative and active life.</p>
<p>Our local holiday parade modeled a glimmer of a coming together. A
coalition of 15 local groups calling for positive changes in our society
marched. I do not speak for this coalition, but I support the positive
messages they displayed. These nonviolent group activists are usually
described as “protest,” but their activities are directed at what is
best in America.</p>
<p>For example, Ken Jones of the Reject Raytheon group suggests that “we
can generate more jobs with investments in sustainable energy,
education, health, infrastructure” [<em><a href="https://mountainx.com/opinion/letter-new-plant-is-leading-us-in-wrong-direction/">“New Plant Is Leading Us in Wrong Direction,”</a> Nov. 30</em>,
Xpress]. I see this as a call not to merely criticize, but to actively
work at discovering what we really want. Promotion of the “arms race” is
a reckless way to create jobs. This suggests that we pay more attention
to more meaningful jobs, meaningful work and a living wage.</p>
<p>My temptation here is to back up Ken’s factual information with more
facts pertaining to the now Disunited States of America. But I don’t
think more information will change the hearts and minds of many
Americans. So, this brings me back to schooling our children, supporting
families and the workers of our country. Why do we teach reading,
writing and arithmetic in our schools? Is it to become better consumers
of material possessions and entertainment? If so, this implies the
tendency to consider material possessions and physical comfort more
important than spiritual values.</p>
<p>Do yourself a favor: As you make your way through life and learn from
your experiences, practice expanding your worldview by getting out of
your comfort zone. Read, study, contemplate and, if inclined, pray.
Pray, not to ask something from your God, but to remind yourself what
really matters. Read not merely for information or entertainment, but
for inspiration to contemplate on things that really matter and pass
this down to our children. There is no liberal, conservative or even one
religious or American way to eat, breathe, sleep and survive. We are
all human; a miracle of life.</p>
<p>Focus on your own lives on spiritual values such as compassion,
kindness and loving relationships, friendships and family life, etc. It
will positively affect your second half of life, including your
retirement years. And it will be a gift to future generations.</p>
<p>I suggest to parents, home schoolers and teachers: Teach peace and
nonviolence in school and give equal time to peacemakers. But educating
our children is not a single issue. All of us can do the work of
informing ourselves, even when family and work responsibilities limit
our democratic participation. One resource that might help is<em> Free
to Learn: Why Unleashing the Instinct to Play Will Make Our Children
Happier, More Self-Reliant, and Better Students for Life</em>, by Peter Gray.</p>
<p>I offer a challenge from Maya Angelou. “I am convinced that most
people do not grow up. We find parking spaces and honor our credit
cards. We marry and dare to have children and call that growing up. I
think what we do is mostly grow old. We carry accumulation of years in
our bodies and on our faces, but generally our real selves, the children
inside, are still innocent and shy.”</p>
<p>Ask yourself: “What is calling you to the heroic in you?”</p>
<p>(For information on our local coalition or resources, contact esacco189@gmail.com.)</p>
<p style="text-align: right;"><em>— Ed Sacco</em><br />
<em>Asheville</em></p>
</div> </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7795184424623114101.post-72171890117963292102022-12-23T22:19:00.001-05:002022-12-23T22:19:00.150-05:00Letter to the editor from VFP Chapter 099 member<p> Letter: Priority shift could reduce community needs
</p><header class="entry-header"><div class="entry-meta">
<span class="posted-on">Posted on <a href="https://mountainx.com/opinion/letter-priority-shift-could-reduce-community-needs/" rel="bookmark" title="11:00 AM"><time class="entry-date published" datetime="2022-12-11T11:00:41+00:00">December 11, 2022</time></a></span> <span class="byline">by <span class="author vcard"><a class="url fn" href="https://mountainx.com/author/letters/" title="View all posts by Letters">Letters</a></span></span>
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<div id="pico"><p>Regarding the article <a href="https://mountainx.com/news/local-companies-prioritize-hands-on-giving/">“Corporate Caring: Local Companies Prioritize Hands-on Giving”</a> [<em>Nov. 16</em>,
Xpress], which features Pratt & Whitney employees: I am thankful
and grateful for the community service of local businesses and
corporations.</p>
<p>However, what if the USA stopped starting and supporting wars, and
then some of the billions of dollars of the defense budget that go to
military contractors were spent on affordable housing, food, health
care, education and other necessities for those here at home who do not
have access to them?</p>
<p>Although those working for corporations that develop, manufacture and
sell weapons/weapons-delivery systems, like Pratt & Whitney and its
parent company, Raytheon, worth billions, might not fare so well, the
USA might possibly have fewer veterans with combat-related PTSD and a
healthier, better-educated population.</p>
<p>Should we ever arrive at such a utopian but not unreachable goal,
those military-contractor employees who lost their jobs could be trained
to work in more life-giving/sustaining, rather than life-taking,
professions, and the need for community service would not be so great,
leaving those wanting to serve to expend their energy in other
underserved areas, thus still engaged in “corporate caring.”</p>
<p style="text-align: right;"><em>— Cynthia Heil</em><br />
<em>Asheville</em></p>
</div> </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7795184424623114101.post-16490194411318206372022-12-20T11:15:00.001-05:002022-12-20T11:15:00.148-05:00Handout for WNC Veterans for Peace Chapter 099 vigil on December 20, 2022<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH9GOIYK1m8bGich7NfrPm-SNWX9fqxUchIHgdnYgz01HxMIKuQoyx8slhHiFinpU_dTskL9YYF9r9RBlf8CbAYcd7tGZb1hdufE-pQ2QzhHlvbUldteFWkbpRra5_h2sqyAAPOmEb9HCUcWG-MMsZNIQIJD6N-tWlHUBQx2V2qIilg8wuIg23WlLVdA/s1500/militarypollution.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="558" data-original-width="1500" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH9GOIYK1m8bGich7NfrPm-SNWX9fqxUchIHgdnYgz01HxMIKuQoyx8slhHiFinpU_dTskL9YYF9r9RBlf8CbAYcd7tGZb1hdufE-pQ2QzhHlvbUldteFWkbpRra5_h2sqyAAPOmEb9HCUcWG-MMsZNIQIJD6N-tWlHUBQx2V2qIilg8wuIg23WlLVdA/w640-h238/militarypollution.png" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>As veterans who have learned the hard way that serving our government is not always serving our country, members of Veterans For Peace may be more likely than most to distrust pronouncements from the so-called “Defense” establishment. We remember the fraudulent use of the Tonkin Gulf incident which victimized so many of us, the WMD hoax preceding the invasion of Iraq, the use of the “bomber gap” of the 1950s and the “missile gap” of the 1960s to advance the influence of the Military Industrial Complex about which President Eisenhower warned us.<br /><br />To join Veterans for Peace, or to sign up for VFP e-News, go to: https://www.veteransforpeace.org<br />Western North Carolina Website: www.vfp099.org / Facebook: Veterans for Peace <br />Western North Carolina Chapter 099Email: president@vfp099.org<br />Mailing address: VFP Chapter 099, PO Box 1024, Asheville NC 28802<br /></p><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7795184424623114101.post-7239415603080310942022-12-16T22:15:00.001-05:002022-12-16T22:15:00.162-05:00Letter to the Editor from VFP Chapter 099 member<p> Letter: New plant is leading us in wrong direction
</p><header class="entry-header"><div class="entry-meta">
<span class="posted-on">Posted on <a href="https://mountainx.com/opinion/letter-new-plant-is-leading-us-in-wrong-direction/" rel="bookmark" title="9:00 AM"><time class="entry-date published" datetime="2022-12-05T09:00:15+00:00">December 5, 2022</time></a></span> <span class="byline">by <span class="author vcard"><a class="url fn" href="https://mountainx.com/author/letters/" title="View all posts by Letters">Letters</a></span></span>
</div>
</header>
<div class="entry-content">
<div id="pico"><p>On Nov. 16, Pratt & Whitney had a ribbon-cutting
ceremony to mark the beginning of its administrative occupancy of its
new plant. Production is expected to begin in the spring.</p>
<p>In its press release about the event, P&W happily stated that it has met or exceeded <em>its own goals</em> for greenhouse gas, water and waste management, and that the building has obtained LEED certification.</p>
<p>An <em>Asheville Watchdog</em> article said, “The company noted during the ceremony that its airfoils help improve jet engine efficiency by up to 50 percent.”</p>
<p>Let’s be clear that war is not green, and the burning of jet engine
fuel is one of the largest contributors to climate change. No amount of
greenwashing or increased efficiency is sufficient to address the
existential emergency humanity is now facing.</p>
<p>Yet, at the gala ceremony, Gov. Cooper celebrated the growing
aerospace industry presence in North Carolina and our supposed status as
the most military-friendly state in the country.</p>
<p>And Rep. Brian Turner and the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce’s
Clark Duncan talked exuberantly about recruiting more aerospace
companies to fill up the 900 additional acres that Biltmore Farms has
set aside for this purpose.</p>
<p>What tragic tunnel vision our elected officials and business leaders
have. With their eyes set only on so-called economic development, they
fail to see or act on the very real threats to our very existence on
this planet.</p>
<p>What does it matter that a plant is better at environmental design
when it is intended to make products that continue to add huge amounts
of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere?</p>
<p>How do more military-related jobs here keep us safe from the global
threat of nuclear annihilation Raytheon and its fellow war corporations
increasingly provoke in their endless quest for growth in arms sales?</p>
<p>There is plenty of research to show that we can generate more jobs
with investments in sustainable energy, education, health,
infrastructure, almost anywhere other than the military-industrial
complex.</p>
<p>Isn’t it apparent that a primary reason that P&W is moving its
operation here is because it will be able to use high-tech methods and
exploit nonunion labor in order to put less money into people and more
into its own profits? This is what multinational corporations are good
at. And our local leaders eat it right up.</p>
<p>The shiny object that is the P&W plant and the plans for more of
the same are not economic developments that our community should be
feeling proud about. They are shameful concessions to a powerful war
industry that is leading us in exactly the wrong direction.</p>
<p style="text-align: right;"><em>— Ken Jones</em><br />
<em>Swannanoa</em></p>
</div> </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7795184424623114101.post-82481203807159768252022-12-12T22:13:00.006-05:002022-12-12T22:13:55.026-05:00Handout for WNC Veterans for Peace Chapter 099 handout for December 13, 2022<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfJFtJnxCB-Nnm7NKP_nWPXfaiDkctBvV8x-yeQYRoKR7gRmK00_V3DBWoKnJUGuPZwSUBkzGgB5ic7EUAHaY87b02Js3wfe_-KKHL474L2Ei5nkIWb3uuiszwk5OhC1MQkrBXK_9DuBZUpEBT3I4jnnV9qZJdmALCy6F_78oK8Gd13ldruiTtkSI_IQ/s1356/blog.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="1356" height="330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfJFtJnxCB-Nnm7NKP_nWPXfaiDkctBvV8x-yeQYRoKR7gRmK00_V3DBWoKnJUGuPZwSUBkzGgB5ic7EUAHaY87b02Js3wfe_-KKHL474L2Ei5nkIWb3uuiszwk5OhC1MQkrBXK_9DuBZUpEBT3I4jnnV9qZJdmALCy6F_78oK8Gd13ldruiTtkSI_IQ/w640-h330/blog.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>Photo from War Industries Resisters Network. Vets for Peace is a part of this network.<p></p><p>VFP Joins Over 200 Organizations to Demand End to F-35 Program<br /><br /> In a time of economic uncertainty, climate crisis, and the necessity for peace and stability for people and planet, over 220 organizations join together in an international campaign to end the United State's F-35 program. Citing "harm caused abroad, cost of the program to the taxpayer, inefficiencies and failures, the environmental impact of F-35s, and the effects training has on local communities" the large coalition of organizations are joined by Ben Cohen, Roger Waters, Noam Chomsky and others in signing a joint letter addressed to President Joe Biden and members of the United States congress.</p><p> "The global community is fed-up with overpriced, under-performing weapon systems like the F-35. It's a complete waste of tax-payer dollars that causes harm abroad and here at home in Vermont." Ben Cohen, co-founder of Ben & Jerry's ice cream and Vermont local continued, "The only people this project benefits are the executives at Lockheed Martin. Real security is knowing you can see a doctor when you're sick, not a boondoggle fighter jet that can't fly near thunderstorms."<br /><br />To join Veterans for Peace, or to sign up for VFP e-News, go to: https://www.veteransforpeace.org<br />Western North Carolina Website: www.vfp099.org / Facebook: Veterans for Peace <br />Western North Carolina Chapter 099Email: president@vfp099.org<br />Mailing address: VFP Chapter 099, PO Box 1024, Asheville NC 28802<br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7795184424623114101.post-55133835199053941902022-12-06T12:42:00.002-05:002022-12-06T12:42:14.689-05:00Handout for WNC Veterans for Peace Chapter 099 vigil on December 6, 2022<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBTt7XcnciKbUbEYczBGiHi18d7zSDmlYUVds3QTGKUoU8ux67FxjYdfl3r777eWWRkj8TL-FvqjNuIim3iWXynzXb-69QrMvMJe-yYV-7u8Kf3pHQqC77rAmaLnuck2t_Ejcw6cKE1BqKA7X_hoNdHDf5NrkpyKt92eKaG1kCgYk2HuQqP1CBlSDuJA/s1000/climate.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBTt7XcnciKbUbEYczBGiHi18d7zSDmlYUVds3QTGKUoU8ux67FxjYdfl3r777eWWRkj8TL-FvqjNuIim3iWXynzXb-69QrMvMJe-yYV-7u8Kf3pHQqC77rAmaLnuck2t_Ejcw6cKE1BqKA7X_hoNdHDf5NrkpyKt92eKaG1kCgYk2HuQqP1CBlSDuJA/w400-h300/climate.png" width="400" /></a></div><p><br /> VFP Stop the War, Save the Climate! project: <br /><br />This project is designed to alert the public to the connections between the ongoing climate crisis and militarism, especially the war in Ukraine, by having veterans risk arrest to stress their commitment to the message. Even though the U.S. has finally passed a climate bill in the form of the “Inflation Reduction Act of 2022,” the $369 billion energy and climate portion of the bill allocates far less than the U.S. is projected to spend on its nuclear forces alone between 2021 and 2030 and is less than 1/30th of projected military spending during the same period. This ratio of military to climate mitigation spending cannot continue if the U.S. hopes to uphold its commitments made in the Paris Agreement at COP21.<br /><br />To join Veterans for Peace, or to sign up for VFP e-News, go to: https://www.veteransforpeace.org<br />Western North Carolina Website: www.vfp099.org </p><p>Facebook: Veterans for Peace Western North Carolina Chapter 099</p><p>Email: president@vfp099.org<br />Mailing address: VFP Chapter 099, PO Box 1024, Asheville NC 28802</p><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7795184424623114101.post-5542589458905419132022-11-29T01:30:00.001-05:002022-11-29T01:30:00.142-05:00Handout for WNC Veterans for Peace Chapter 099 on November 29, 2022<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNea8HLGg5eP00txw8CoNDvel6QrypU5ychqosditgoovSd6JNNOG3mkf4o5DH5ASxiA0II_nqfmBM9ApRIdXvNWitZ2zzND1vK5AxC2nve_araXjnQwQmNp2ULYMz9P9T9tAGDdTMUkaxNri9lgxZtt8-Md5Sa8UpIq85XLDEf3xQSco66UcjsKVzEw/s450/blog.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="207" data-original-width="450" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNea8HLGg5eP00txw8CoNDvel6QrypU5ychqosditgoovSd6JNNOG3mkf4o5DH5ASxiA0II_nqfmBM9ApRIdXvNWitZ2zzND1vK5AxC2nve_araXjnQwQmNp2ULYMz9P9T9tAGDdTMUkaxNri9lgxZtt8-Md5Sa8UpIq85XLDEf3xQSco66UcjsKVzEw/w640-h294/blog.png" width="640" /></a></div>Photo from War Industries Resisters Network on national VFP website. <br /><br />Veterans for Peace recommends: War Industry Resisters Network webinar<br /><br />Online, Thursday December 1st @ 8:00pm.<br /><br /><a href="http://masspeaceaction.org/event/truth-killers-the-corporate-media-and-the-military-industrial-complex/" target="_blank">Register Here.</a><br /><br />The first casualty of war, and militarism, is the truth. And the corporate mainstream media works diligently hand-in-glove with the US military-industrial complex to make this happen. Through its unquestioning repetition of government propaganda, its lies of omission, and its ratings-hungry war mongering, the media have become an essential part of the information war so endemic to US imperialism.<p></p><p>From Operation Mockingbird to CIA Director William Casey’s famous quote (“We’ll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false”), the control of the US public’s perceptions of its government’s role in the world has been long in the making.<br />Now that we are on the brink of nuclear armageddon as a result of the US/NATO pursuit of continuous war against Russia and soon, it appears, with China, it has never been more important to see through the lies fed to us from the corporate media. <br /><br />To join Veterans for Peace, or to sign up for VFP e-News, go to: https://www.veteransforpeace.org<br />Western North Carolina Website: www.vfp099.org </p><p>Facebook: Veterans for Peace Western North Carolina Chapter 099</p><p>Email: president@vfp099.org<br />Mailing address: VFP Chapter 099, PO Box 1024, Asheville NC 28802<br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7795184424623114101.post-51105829862560287072022-11-22T13:25:00.002-05:002022-11-22T13:25:34.214-05:00Handout for WNC Veterans for Peace Chapter 099 vigil on November 22, 2022<p> </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg55ydgYqMTM8YR2Q0MmD3XA5omxzwpPpv9y6ZcD78vSGVCiS2dcrZJNW92tY_FEH8UlQ0E2Jws7JpAO0cnNp3ZBaSK5NKjxOIuryjfgSvp7J1pSwXSSYQDv64Nm30OyZ0H21wpG0zDvkk8cuetw9SHnGVD4CR28RY0sMb7ObGSIpHniTnJ8ATkwWR6NQ/s1125/blog.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="1125" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg55ydgYqMTM8YR2Q0MmD3XA5omxzwpPpv9y6ZcD78vSGVCiS2dcrZJNW92tY_FEH8UlQ0E2Jws7JpAO0cnNp3ZBaSK5NKjxOIuryjfgSvp7J1pSwXSSYQDv64Nm30OyZ0H21wpG0zDvkk8cuetw9SHnGVD4CR28RY0sMb7ObGSIpHniTnJ8ATkwWR6NQ/w400-h200/blog.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>From the VFP Korea Peace Campaign: The USA in Korea</p><p><br />After dividing Korea into two arbitrarily at the end of WW II, the U.S. military has been more or less occupying South Korea since 1945. Uncle Sam established a U.S. military government in South Korea for three years, set up a separate regime in the South in 1948, and intervened in the Korean civil war, 1948-53, destroying the entire country with heavy, indiscriminate bombing raids. </p><p>The terrible war was stopped with a cease-fire only in 1953. Thereafter, the U.S. brought in its nuclear weapons into South Korea in 1958 in violation of the Armistice Agreement-- igniting an intense arms race with North Korea. The U.S. military troops in South Korea number about 30,000 -- which cost us billions of dollars each year that are solely needed at home. From 1950, the U.S. also imposed and maintains heavy economic sanctions on North Korea. The tragic Korean War is still continuing today without a peace treaty.<br /><br />To join Veterans for Peace, or to sign up for VFP e-News, go to:<br />https://www.veteransforpeace.org<br />Western North Carolina Website: www.vfp099.org / Facebook: Veterans for Peace Western North Carolina Chapter 099 </p><p>Email: president@vfp099.org<br />Mailing address: VFP Chapter 099, PO Box 1024, Asheville NC 28802</p><p> <br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7795184424623114101.post-44039753268961658122022-11-20T17:14:00.004-05:002022-11-20T17:14:50.532-05:00Veterans for Peace Chapter 099 in Holiday Parade in Asheville on November 19, 2022<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo75rjlz2qyWwfust_EERRyCgq2PP7Wbsq2etjrj1yMvd-Au8kMykCYRF6CQPhJ1qewn4hQpLJHYZBX9S3EXXUHJtqoaV6j9MYGp06xhdmhSYrp743I_6PzkhTnlmJRnt8UB5jLqBRvmeFBQp1LwoRX_bmrwZBz-5Tx5fgSQEZvz4Cgor662ekxOyoWQ/s2048/Pamela%20Mumby%201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1311" data-original-width="2048" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo75rjlz2qyWwfust_EERRyCgq2PP7Wbsq2etjrj1yMvd-Au8kMykCYRF6CQPhJ1qewn4hQpLJHYZBX9S3EXXUHJtqoaV6j9MYGp06xhdmhSYrp743I_6PzkhTnlmJRnt8UB5jLqBRvmeFBQp1LwoRX_bmrwZBz-5Tx5fgSQEZvz4Cgor662ekxOyoWQ/w400-h256/Pamela%20Mumby%201.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDuEKdq2VcUlXKz3yQKDNMzhkXPu-_L8v6ZWdjSNBR6VR3Kywag3KorXjtMRWMYtTJhSxPYFxDpAL4Lcbfjd7_XfLzOReuAJonHGs9nhp3L3u7Ez0wjEgJTjynhKOEJyuKhBu7ydXPLPaohhp6bkdTNKqrxiOE6iO45Tv6UxaDBWVYKnfvOoF5lZzpXA/s2048/316421661_10227223672350899_7357141134772738330_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1153" data-original-width="2048" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDuEKdq2VcUlXKz3yQKDNMzhkXPu-_L8v6ZWdjSNBR6VR3Kywag3KorXjtMRWMYtTJhSxPYFxDpAL4Lcbfjd7_XfLzOReuAJonHGs9nhp3L3u7Ez0wjEgJTjynhKOEJyuKhBu7ydXPLPaohhp6bkdTNKqrxiOE6iO45Tv6UxaDBWVYKnfvOoF5lZzpXA/w400-h225/316421661_10227223672350899_7357141134772738330_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihc8Sc7r6ADx0cftygZOX9Y3hJHh0ks9UoxvDeRRCOIT9YS6MpGAYsl36PoHRswgsvidgoE1SjReUAWzad2bGpvdDeR4UpZ0MpieSKC7NcVs_YIkft4o77Fu6PUFziT6BsvH8jGYSgSzjaAv8PiK3rm8F86AaEwr43Rnozp2SYtUDrc3frDNTGic4ZsA/s2048/316311453_10227223680791110_4478283129701643668_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1256" data-original-width="2048" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihc8Sc7r6ADx0cftygZOX9Y3hJHh0ks9UoxvDeRRCOIT9YS6MpGAYsl36PoHRswgsvidgoE1SjReUAWzad2bGpvdDeR4UpZ0MpieSKC7NcVs_YIkft4o77Fu6PUFziT6BsvH8jGYSgSzjaAv8PiK3rm8F86AaEwr43Rnozp2SYtUDrc3frDNTGic4ZsA/w400-h245/316311453_10227223680791110_4478283129701643668_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> <p></p><p>Photos by Pamela Mumby.<br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0