Dear Friends,
On this week’s program, Helen Jaccard of Veterans for Peace joins Charles and me to discuss a bold initiative elevating the urgency of nuclear disarmament.
I got my start working for a better world in 1984 out of deep concern over the proliferation of nuclear weapons.
The danger of nuclear war remains very real, yet it doesn’t register as a high priority for most people, publications, and politicians. That’s changed a bit recently, as Russia’s war against Ukraine continues to elevate the profile and risk of a nuclear confrontation.
The Golden Rule protesting naval war games in Hawaii, September, 2020.
Enter the Golden Rule — a powerful call-to-action organized by Veterans for Peace. The ship is currently sailing down the Mississippi River, with plans to continue an extensive voyage running through the end of 2023.
The Golden Rule was first commissioned in 1958 when a group of Quakers sailed toward the Marshall Islands with the intent of stopping a US nuclear test. The crew was intercepted and arrested, but the high-profile incident ignited a wave of public opposition to nuclear testing.
Helen Jaccard, Veterans For Peace.
The Golden Rule‘s crew and spokespersons will stop in river towns en route to the Gulf of Mexico to meet with people concerned about the nuclear threat or simply curious about the ship’s history and voyages. You can learn more at this link or on the group’s Facebook page.
In Des Moines, Helen Jaccard will talk about the Golden Rule‘s mission and journey on Wednesday, October 12, at 7:00 p.m. at the NW Community Center, 5110 Franklin Ave, Des Moines, 50310. It’s free and open to the public, and I hope to see some of you there!
Also on this week’s program, Charles and I discuss President Biden’s student debt cancellation effort. We also tackle white-collar crime, with a look at the Johnson & Johnson talc ovarian cancer crime and the 21st century’s white-collar version of Al Capone: Donaldo Josefi Trumpino.
Finally, Kathy and I share impressions of our trip through France’s farm country, including this interesting factoid: half of France’s corn crop is eaten by humans. In the US? About 1%. Cows, hogs, cars, and laboratories choke down or gobble up the other 99%.
Thanks for reading, listening, and taking action. — Ed
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(02:15) Sailing for a nuclear free world, with Helen Jaccard of Veterans For Peace;
(20:54) Is cancelling student debt the right approach?
(37:38) Donaldo Josefi Trumpino and other white-collar crooks;
(55:16) Comparing US and French farm practices, with Kathy Byrnes of Birds & Bees Urban Farm.
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Ed Fallon