Category Archives: Clarence Kailin Chapter 25

Madison Veterans for Peace opposes bringing F-35s to Madison

Capital Times Newspaper Op-Ed Column
John Fournelle: Madison Veterans for Peace opposes bringing F-35s to Madison

Second from left.

[John is an associate member of Veterans for Peace.  VFP has both veteran and non-veteran members.  The chapters are required to be at  least 80% military veterans.]

 

 

 

Safe Skies Clean Water Wisconsin

When I opened a recent copy of the Wisconsin State Journal, I found that Madison is being considered as the future “home” of the latest aerial war-fighting machine, the F-35A. The public is invited to comment on its “environmental impact” over the next month.

I would find that somewhat incongruous if it were not such deadly serious business. Looking up the F-35A, I found that it is a combination stealth fighter and bomber, and can carry several B61 nuclear bombs with a range of less than one kiloton of explosive mayhem to 50 kilotons. That seems to be a lot of environmental impact, when compared to the 12-kiloton bomb dropped on Hiroshima.

Is the hundreds of billions dollar cost of this latest child of the military-industrial complex worth it? As a low-flying stealth bomber capable of carrying nukes, it is an extremely risky and potentially destabilizing war machine in an already unstable world, whether you consider the Middle East, the near east, or the far east. One error in deciphering a tense situation could set off a nuclear tit-for-tat that would produce the worst environmental impact statement of all. One only has to read nuclear war planner Dan Ellsberg’s recent “The Doomsday Machine” to learn of the horrors American cities could experience, and that we have been living on the brink.

The Pentagon has hyped the F-35 as a “computer that happens to fly,” and Lockheed Martin says there are 8 million lines of software code which control weapons deployment, communications, radar and flight controls. Given the extent of computer hacking continuously going on, what could anyone have to fear with a flying computer carrying nuclear weapons?

Every year at the end of May, Madison Veterans for Peace and supporters set into place thousands of tombstone replicas along Atwood Avenue in Olbrich Park. There are almost 7,000, the number of U.S. service members killed in Afghanistan and Iraq (and the war still goes on). We do this to increase public awareness of one of the costs of war — the loss of life. And if there were tombstones for the civilians killed, they would stretch around Lake Monona.

Another mission of Veterans for Peace is to end the arms race and to reduce and eventually eliminate nuclear weapons, and to abolish war as an instrument of national policy. We do not want to see nuclear-enabled stealth fighter bombers stationed here in Madison — or anywhere, for that matter. Come to the public hearing at 5 p.m. on Sept. 12, at the Exhibition Hall of the Alliant Energy Center.

“In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist. We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes.”

Dwight Eisenhower,  Farewell Address to the Nation

January 17, 1961

Raise Your Voice – No F-35’s – No to wasteful killing machines

Some of our public officials don’t know there is opposition to the F-35’s. They have heard from few of their constituents, and because of this some don’t even have it on their radar. Even if you know they oppose the F-35’s, your elected officials need to hear from you.

What you can do:

• Contact local representatives on City Council, Dane County Board, State Senate and Assembly, and US Senate and Legislature – especially Tammy Baldwin, Mark Pocan, Joe Parisi, and Satya Rhodes-Conway.

• Show up Sept 12 at our 5:00pm press conference at the Alliant Energy Center [see map] just before the Public Hearing on the Environmental Impact Statement. We will provide matching signs to hold and stickers or buttons to wear, to make it clear that we have a sizeable opposition.

*Please contact your alder and county supervisor AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

It can be simple, just that you oppose having the F-35’s stationed at Truax due to environmental and safety concerns.

Ask them if they’ll be attending the Sept 12th public comment session at Alliant Energy Center that the Air National Guard is holding to express their constituents’ reservations about the F-35 project.

If you want to provide more reasons go ahead. You can find lots of information attached and at safeskiescleanwaterwi.org

· Madison Alders – find your alder on this map: https://www.cityofmadison.com/Council/councilMembers/map.cfm

· Dane County Supervisors,  contact information may be found here: https://board.countyofdane.com/Supervisors OR

Enter your address to find your supervisor:

https://dcimapapps.countyofdane.com/supervisors/

· Rep. Mark Pocan….  https://pocan.house.gov/contact
· Sen. Tammy Baldwin…  https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/feedback
· Dane County Exec Joe Parisi… [email protected]
· Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway… https://www.cityofmadison.com/mayor/contact

If you are interested in setting up a meeting with your alder or County supervisor, please contact Tom Boswell at [email protected] or 608/718-7312.

Please share this information with as many Madisonians as you can

Thank you, you make a difference.

Content from Vicki Berenson
for Safe Skies Clean Water Wisconsin
www.safeskiescleanwaterwi.org  

Air Force Environmental Impact Statement…
http://www.angf35eis.com/Documents.aspx

Illustration by Bill Krupinski

Kruptoons

VFP at LaborFest 2019 in Madison

Veterans for Peace-Madison: Steve Books and Brad Geyer spent Labor Day educating the public at the Labor Temple in Madison [LaborFest 2019.]

Pic by Paul McMahon/Heartland Images

We were talking to people about war profiteering, the corrupt government, the massive pollution by the MIC and the boondoggle of the plan to bring F-35’s to Wisconsin and Madison.

[Steve speaking with commander of the National Guard, Governor Tony Evers ]

~Peace is the way Tony.~

 

Pic by Paul McMahon/Heartland Images

The South Central Federation of Labor (SCFL), Industrial Workers of the World, Madison Teachers Inc., American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), Teamsters, TAA and other organized workers groups celebrated Labor Day with its annual LaborFest on Monday, September 2, at the Madison Labor Temple grounds. The Jimmys and Chris O’Leary Band performed.

There were family-friendly activities: magic shows, face painting, a bounce house, balloon

Pic by Paul McMahon/Heartland Images

twister, and caricature artist.

Veterans For Peace is an international organization made up of military veterans, military family members, and allies. We accept veteran members from all branches of service.

We are dedicated to building a culture of peace, exposing the true costs of war, and healing the wounds of war. Our networks are made up of over 140 chapters across the United States and abroad.

Vets for Peace: Our Mission

Climate Strike! Madison to the Globe

This September, millions of us will walk out of our workplaces and homes to join young climate strikers on the streets and demand an end to the age of fossil fuels.  [Veterans for Peace-Madison has endorsed the Climate Strike. ]

A walkout and actions at the state Capitol and at Madison Gas and Electric will take place on September 20.

Our house is on fire — let’s act like it. We demand climate justice for everyone.

“Madison strikers are demanding that Governor Evers, our county, and our city government declare a climate emergency. Our private sector demands to MG&E are that it divest and transition completely to 100% renewable energy by 2030 by closing the Columbia & Elm Road Coal Plants still in use.”

Wisconsin Youth Climate Action Team
Questions: [email protected]  |  or  |   [email protected]

Schedule for Friday. 8/20:

  • 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
    Concert for Climate (State Capitol Steps – State St.)
  • 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
    MG&E Rally – Railroad Street (Teach-ins, Action Booths, Food Trucks, & more activities!)
  • 3:00 PM – 3:10 PM
    March to Capitol
  • 3:15 PM – 4:15 PM
    Rally – Capitol Steps, State Street (Speakers, Chalking, Action Booths, & more!)
  • 4:15 PM – 6:00 PM
    Rally – Rotunda (Free Pizza, Petition/Letter delivery, & more!)

Strike Planning Meeting  September 5 from  7 PM – 9 PM, Wisconsin Network for Peace, Justice & Sustainability office at 30 W Mifflin #702, Madison

Banner drops Sep 5, 6, 12, 13, 19

Extinction Rebellion Presentation

Sunday, September 8 from 12:30 – 2 PMpin
First Unitarian Society of Madison @ 900 University Bay Dr, Madison

Climate Strike-Madison Facebook Event

Global Strike Website

“Our house is on fire. The climate crisis is an emergency but we’re not acting like it. People everywhere are at risk if we let oil, coal and gas companies continue to pour more fuel on the fire.

Our hotter planet is already hurting millions of people. If we don’t act now to transition fairly and swiftly away from fossil fuels to 100% renewable energy access for all, the injustice of the climate crisis will only get worse.

We need to act right now to stop burning fossil fuels and ensure a rapid energy revolution with equity, reparations and climate justice at its heart.

But it’s going to take all of us working together to succeed. Join the Climate Strikes starting on September 20 – three days out from the UN’s climate emergency summit and continuing on September 27.

Millions of us will walk out from home, work, school or university to declare a climate emergency and show our politicians what action in line with climate science and justice means.
The climate crisis won’t wait, so neither will we.”