{"id":75469,"date":"2016-06-27T12:00:09","date_gmt":"2016-06-27T11:00:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/?p=75469"},"modified":"2016-06-22T16:55:12","modified_gmt":"2016-06-22T15:55:12","slug":"orlando-killings-guns-war","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/2016\/06\/orlando-killings-guns-war\/","title":{"rendered":"Orlando Killings, Guns & War"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"jim<\/a> 21 Jun 2016 – <\/em>We grieve with the families of innocent victims in Orlando Florida. The horrific violence carried out Sunday June 12, 2016 against members of the LGBTQ community at the Pulse club by Omar Mateen is difficult to comprehend.\u00a0 How could anyone do such evil?\u00a0 Certainly, the availability of military style assault weapons in the U.S. contributes to such massive casualties \u201349 dead and 53 injured. But it doesn\u2019t explain the source of such hate and violence.\u00a0 More is becoming known each day.\u00a0 Several news sources now quote statements made by the shooter, Omar Mateen, on Facebook in the early morning hours of the shooting. \u201cYou kill innocent women and children by doing US airstrikes..now taste the Islamic state vengeance.\u201d http:\/\/abcnews.go.com\/US\/orlando-shooter-facebook-now-taste-isis-vengeance\/story?id=39875518<\/a><\/p>\n

In short, innocent lives were killed for killing innocent lives. An eye for an eye. A cycle of violence. Vengeance for vengeance. Killing and more killing without end. Solving the escalating killing of innocents will require more than banning military style assault weapons, though that, and universal background checks, would be a start. What about the innocent lives killed on the other end of official U.S. military assault weapons \u2013 weapons of war? Are innocent women and children killed abroad by U.S. airstrikes, drones, special ops, etc. of less value than innocent people killed at home in Orlando? Enough \u2013 here and there! There are reports that 4 million Muslims have been killed in U.S.\/NATO wars. 4 MILLION! How can we do such evil? https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/2015\/04\/unworthy-victims-western-wars-have-killed-four-million-muslims-since-1990\/<\/a><\/p>\n

Like any addict, be it an addiction to alcohol, drugs, violence, video games, consumerism, etc. it is hard for an addict to admit the addiction. The U.S. is a nation addicted to violence \u2014 guns, war, and global domination. Isn\u2019t it time to stop the killing both at home and abroad? The U.S. needs a 12-step program to recovery; to help build a world with liberty, justice, and peace for all.\u00a0 In truth, we are one human family.\u00a0 Let\u2019s show by example that more violence, more weapons, more war, more hate, is not the answer.\u00a0 Love is the answer.\u00a0 Love conquers hate.\u00a0 Let\u2019s live aloha!.<\/p>\n

Aloha! Not Hate, Weapons, War!<\/strong><\/p>\n

While the Hokule\u2019a sailing canoe circles the globe with the message \u201cMalama Honua\u201d \u2013Care for the Earth, the U.S. military is waging war on the earth \u2013 air, land, and sea, people, plants and animals. The U.S. military RIMPAC 2016 will involve 27 nations, 45 ships, 5 submarines, more than 200 aircraft, and 25,000 personnel in military actions in and around Hawaii from June 30 -Aug. 4, 2016.<\/p>\n

The Range Control office at the military 133,000-acre Pohakuloa Training Area (PTA) located in the center of Hawaii Island has confirmed that Pohakuloa will be a target of live -fire for ground forces and aircraft participating in RIMPAC 2016. Pohakuloa (The Land of the night of Long Prayer) has been used as a bombing and live-fire target for more than 50 years, with millions of live-rounds fired annually. Pohakuloa is contaminated with a wide range of military toxins, including Depleted Uranium (DU) radiation. Continued bombing risks spreading the contamination downwind, endangering the lives of troops training there and residents and visitors alike . DU is particularly dangerous when small particles are inhaled and can cause cancer, birth defects and genetic damage.<\/p>\n