Letters: Representatives should encourage cease-fire; Words matter
Representatives should encourage cease-fire
Witnessing in real time the replay of military destruction of land, homes and people in the Israel and Palestine is unbearable. Historically, members of the international community, especially Western imperial powers, have contributed to this situation of ongoing hostilities over time. However, there have been many attempts at a solution. I suggest we adhere to UN Resolution 242 that laid out principles for peace in the Middle East, emphasizing “the inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by war,” a basic premise of the UN charter. In order to get to the resolution’s stated goal of “acknowledgement of the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and political independence of every state in the area and their right to live in peace within secure and recognized boundaries free from threats or acts of force,” I urge our congressional representatives, Sen. Bob Casey and Sen. John Fetterman along with Rep. Glenn Thompson, to use all available means to encourage a cease-fire immediately so that lives and homes are saved, hostages are returned, the natural environment protected, and humanitarian aid (food water, fuel, sanitation, shelter, medical and trauma care) can reach all those who need it. Then, together the search for a mutually advantageous solution can be sought by the many peoples and nations involved. Everyone is connected; everyone is affected.
Words matter
In his Veterans Day speech, at a small high-school in northern New Hampshire, former president Trump showed, again, that his political campaign is increasingly inflammatory, degrading, and on a path to violence. In his speech, he labeled political opponents as “vermin.” It was a very unpleasant reminder of Adolf Hitler’s speeches and violence. Trump stated, “we pledge to you that we will root out the communists, Marxists, fascists, and the radical-left thugs that live like vermin within the confines of our country.”
From the auditorium of this high school, my old high school, vendors were busy selling an array of Trump merchandise. Trump talked for nearly two hours, repeatedly calling for violence. The next election for President may be decided by a small margin in a few states. Pennsylvania is one of those states. Civil lawsuits and criminal prosecutions against Trump are not yet effective, and he remains unbound in his pursuit of retribution. He stated he would end the war in Ukraine in one day, and leave NATO. He plans to abandon efforts to deal with climate change. His planned tax cuts would feed inflation, not growth. His indifference to human rights is scary. The list goes on.
Learn the facts. It requires our full attention and our actions. Vote for democracy.