[Sundaycommunity] Fwd: Can I submiet this OP Ed from the Nov 20 Hamilton Observer by Mark Hager as my contribution for public awareness?

[Dave Snelgrove]

Thank you for posting this.  We must stay aware, but there is so much to
tend to!  I appreciate when the Sunday Community draws attention to what
might otherwise go unnoticed.   Rosemary

On Sat, Nov 20, 2021 at 11:49 PM Dwyer Sullivan <edwyersullivan at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Hello all,
>
>  A few people keep asking me how am I doing and what am I doing to stay
> out of trouble. So I will be cheering on my granddaughters in hockey for 3
> games on Sunday and then visiting 3 MP's on Monday. Best wishes to all of
> you in whatever you are doing. Work to stay healthy and enjoy the beauty of
> our world and all people
> Peace and blessings,
> Dad/Dwyer
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ---------
> From: Dwyer Sullivan <edwyersullivan at gmail.com>
> Date: Sat, Nov 20, 2021 at 9:18 PM
> Subject: Can I submiet this OP Ed from the Nov 20 Hamilton Observer by
> Mark Hager as my contribution for public awareness?
> To: <letters at therecord.com>, <jpoling at therecord.com>
>
>
> Hello Jim and whoever is in charge of the Letters to the Editor, or who
> controls opinion pieces,
>
> My name is Dwyer Sullivan and a number of us who belong to the coalition
> No Fighter Jets will be participating in a National Campaign this Monday,
> Nov 22. We will be meeting at 11:30 at MP Bryan May's office Cambridge, at
> MP Mike Morrice's office at 1, and at MP Bardish Chagger's office at 4 to
> drop off letters and information pertaining to the proposed government
> spending of $100 billion for new fighter jets and warships. More details
> are listed below in the OP Ed from the Hamilton Observer of Nov 20, 2021. I
> am convinced the Canadian public can think of much better uses for this
> large amount of money which is not being propagated publicly by the
> government.
>
> During the recent election campaign, there was little discussion about
> spending on military aggression. Surprise. The federal government is on the
> cusp of spending approximately $100 billion for new fighter jets and
> warships. Over the life of these killing machines the combined capital and
> operating costs will be approximately $350 billion. This will be Canada’s
> largest military purchase, ever. It far exceeds spending on the climate,
> health care, Indigenous rights, affordable housing and any of the social
> justice issues that got more air time in the campaign.
>
> The jets proposed are the CF-35 jets from U.S. company Lockheed Martin.
> They are not defensive weapons. The CF-35s will have a purchase price of
> $19 billion with an estimated project life cost of $77 billion. The
> warships proposed have a purchase price of $80 billion with a lifetime cost
> of $285 billion. They are not for peacekeeping or even defending Canada.
>
> Not only will these machines displace more productive spending on climate
> justice, they also cause climate destruction and since they are military,
> their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are not counted in Canada’s GHG
> tallies. The U.S. demanded these exemptions at the Kyoto summit and Canada
> did not object. The F-35 is reported to burn 5,600 litres of fuel an hour,
> with a service lifetime of 8,000 hours. For the 88 jets Canada plans to
> buy, that is 4 trillion litres of burned, and unaccounted for, fuel.
>
> This double injustice is not lost on the young Toronto film maker Kasha
> Sequoia Slavner in her upcoming film entitled “1.5 Degrees of Peace.” The
> title is brilliant, concise and thought-provoking. (The trailer for it is
> on the website https://www.1point5degreesofpeace.com/ and it is well
> worth viewing.)
>
> Canada has a track record of destructive bombing in Libya, Syria and Iraq.
> There were no weapons of mass destruction, at least not from Iraq. We
> continue to sell armoured vehicles to the Saudis, knowing full well they
> are used against Yemen contributing to what the UN calls the worst
> humanitarian crisis in the world today. The argument that the armoured
> vehicles provide jobs is repulsive. The CF-35 manufacturer in one of its
> advertisements tries to promote the same perverse benefit, only to be
> called out in a satirical graphic on the NoFighterJets.ca website.
>
> If jobs are the objective, there are far better choices for our government
> funds. The Green Economy Network in Canada, comprised of labour,
> environmental and social justice organizations, estimates that a public
> spend of $80 billion, would create over 1,000,000 jobs with an annual
> reduction of 90 to 250 million tonnes of GHG. The four areas of investment
> promoted by the Network are clean renewable energy, energy efficient
> buildings, public transit and higher speed rail.
>
> Back to the financial cost. If Trump was refreshing in any way, it was his
> blunt and clear choice of words. He avoided flowery double speak. He made
> it clear that his demand of Canada to increase NATO spending was exactly
> what it is, extortion. It is no different than a schoolyard bully demanding
> lunch money from a starving child so they can stay in the cool (NATO)
> group. These weapons of war are not to defend Canada’s sovereign territory;
> they are for NATO military interventions abroad.
>
> It’s one of many national events the week of Nov. 22 co-ordinated by the
> No Fighter Jets Coalition, a coalition of peace, environmental and social
> justice groups. Please consider writing to your Member of Parliament not to
> purchase these weapons.
>
> Submitted by Dwyer Sullivan, 688 Rockway Dr, Kitchener, N2G 3B4 in
> Kitchener-Center
>
>
> If needed I can be reached by phone at 519-570-1323 and it will take a
> voice message so I can return the call if I am not in.
> --
> Act Justly, Love Tenderly, Walk Humbly With Your God
>     - Micah 6:8
>
>
> --
> Act Justly, Love Tenderly, Walk Humbly With Your God
>     - Micah 6:8
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