{"id":99781,"date":"2017-10-09T12:00:12","date_gmt":"2017-10-09T11:00:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/?p=99781"},"modified":"2017-10-05T14:32:46","modified_gmt":"2017-10-05T13:32:46","slug":"u-s-killing-fields","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/2017\/10\/u-s-killing-fields\/","title":{"rendered":"U.S. Killing Fields"},"content":{"rendered":"

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American Sniper! From Las Vegas to Afghanistan and around the world.<\/strong><\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u201cViolence\u2026 is as American as cherry pie\u201d H. Rap Brown, July 27, 1967 (50+ years ago). Or to put it another way \u2013the U.S. has a serious addiction problem. The U.S. is addicted to guns and war. The net result is more violence, both at home and abroad.<\/p>\n

The details of the Oct. 1, 2017 massacre in Las Vegas continue to unfold.\u00a0 At least 59 people dead and more than 525 injured at a country music concert.\u00a0 The mass shooter \u2014 a white, multi-millionaire, American sniper armed to the teeth and perched in a 32nd floor luxury hotel room.\u00a0 Currently, the killer\u2019s motivations remain unknown.\u00a0 Meanwhile, families grieve, a nation mourns, and the world asks: America\u2013 what have you become?<\/p>\n

Here is what is clear. The U.S. #1 export product \u2013 violence \u2013 is coming home to roost. Violence begets violence. We cannot do to the earth, air, and water, to people, plants and animals without doing to ourselves. What goes around comes around. U.S. gun violence, endless wars, and environmental destruction bringing on climate disaster hurricanes, raging wild fires, etc. are all interconnected. But many Americans, like other addicts, remain in denial. This is what we hear:<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Vegas sniper had a second amendment right to possess guns \u2013 even 47 guns in his homes and hotel room; we need to wage war for peace, freedom and democracy. As for destroying earth\u2019s environment, it\u2019s an unintended consequence of empire \u2013\u2018progress\u2019 and making money, and besides \u2013 technology will provide a solution to the problems of technology. As the president says, \u2018believe me\u2019.\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Oct. 6, 2017 marks the 16th anniversary of the longest foreign war in U.S. history. The U.S. has spent $5 trillion on wars since 9-11. That $5,000,000,000,000 could have been spent on health care, education, cleaning up the environment, etc. Instead of ending the U.S. war in Afghanistan, Trump has now ordered more U.S. troops sent there. And it\u2019s not only Afghanistan where the U.S. is waging and threatening war. It\u2019s Iraq, Syria, Libya, Yemen, etc. And now threatening war on Iran, Venezuela, the \u201ctotal destruction of North Korea,\u201d and increasing tensions with Russia and China.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s time to end the wars and the threat of wars and stop the destruction of the earth. It\u2019s also time for meaningful gun control legislation to help stop or at least reduce the number of mass killings. In short, it\u2019s time for the U.S. to stop making excuses and acknowledge its addiction to guns, war, and violence. It\u2019s time for \u201cwe the people\u201d to say enough. No more killing.<\/p>\n

No more \u201cone for the road.\u201d <\/strong><\/p>\n