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Statement of Purpose

We, as military veterans, do hereby affirm our greater responsibility to serve the cause of world peace. To this end we will work, with others both nationally and internationally.

To increase public awareness of the causes and costs of war.

To restrain our governments from intervening, overtly and covertly, in the internal affairs of other nations.

To end the arms race and to reduce and eventually eliminate nuclear weapons.

To seek justice for veterans and victims of war.

To abolish war as an instrument of national policy.

To achieve these goals, members of Veterans For Peace pledge to use non-violent means and to maintain an organization that is both democratic and open with the understanding that all members are trusted to act in the best interests of the group for the larger purpose of world peace.

For More Information (Including how to become a member): www.veteransforpeace.org

THE PENTAGON HAS BILLION$ TO SPEND ON WAR. OUR CHAPTER HAS ONLY OUR DUES AND YOUR DONATIONS TO SPEND ON PEACE.
PLEASE CONSIDER MAKING A DONATION BY CHECK MAILED TO THE ADDRESS BELOW.
THANK YOU!

Join us for the weekly vigil at Pack Square/Former Vance Monument, Tuesdays from 4:30pm to 5:30pm.
MONTHLY MEETING TIME: The Third Tuesday of each month from 6:00PM to no later than 7:00PM. Land of the Sky United Church of Christ, 15 Overbrook Place, Asheville. All are welcome; please join us. Call Gerry Werhan: (704.957.2924)

Sunday, May 29, 2022

Letter to the Editor published in Asheville Citizen Times on May 28, 2022

Photo above from Reject Raytheon Asheville website. The river is the French Broad River.

Growth is not inherently a good thing

In his recent front page homage to Pratt & Whitney, John Boyle presented a case for more growth in Buncombe County, specifically in the manufacturing sector.

Nowhere in his article was there a word of dissent about such a view. And nothing about what will be
manufactured at the P&W plant and the effects of its products on global wars and the climate emergency. Or the probable effects on the health of our precious French Broad River.

The article’s message is one-sided and short-sighted to us locals who see that an “engine of growth” is not inherently a good thing and there are better ways to provide jobs than investing in multinational war corporations.

In another piece in the same issue, Boyle criticizes the hubris of Madison Cawthorn, saying “I admire a person who realizes he or she has a lot to learn in life, and no one has all the answers. Someone who can at least try to view an issue from the other side.”

OK, Answer Man, how about giving a fair and balanced view of the opposition to further development of the Pratt & Whitney variety in our region?

We in the local citizen’s coalition Reject Raytheon challenge the ACT to give our case a platform comparable to your promotional piece for Pratt & Whitney. As in that piece, we would expect no challenge or rebuttal from a journalist or anyone opposing our point of view.

Ken Jones, Swannanoa

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