When people use food stamps for special costly items, they are called “selfish.” When the U.S. military cannot account for $21 trillion of taxpayer money it does not matter because we need people who kill to “make us safe”. When we give billions to bail out farmers it’s called “unfair”. When we give billions to bail out banks and corporations, “it’s good for the economy”. When we give trillions to billionaires it is “good for America”. But when we need money for the homeless, refugees, insurance for the sick and dying, food for the starving or social security for the elderly, suddenly “ Oh my God, it’s a handout.” We Catholic Workers refuse to pay federal taxes since 60% of the tax money goes for war, weapons and violence. If we want peace, how can we pay for war? We continue to refuse to pay federal taxes until the money is used to help the needy here and around the world rather than for war, oppression, weapons and increasing the wealth of the 1%. ---Don Timmerman
Recently Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez told members of Congress that it strikes her that “if Christ himself walked through these doors and said what he said thousands of years ago ― that we should love our neighbor and our enemy, that we should welcome the stranger, fight for the least of us, that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to get into a kingdom of heaven ― he would be maligned as a radical and rejected from these doors.”
Healthcare, Not Warfare. Now we see the results of pouring 55% of our discretionary budget into the military—$738 billion— while allocating a mere 1.5% of that — $11 billion — to the Centers for Disease Control.—Code Pink
DON’S JOKES
A police officer told a driver, “When I saw you driving down the road, I guessed at least 55.” The woman driver looked at the officer and replied, “You’re dead wrong. It’s my hat that makes me look that.” Police officer to a driver, “Your tail light is broken, your tires must be changed and your bumper hangs down. That will be $300. The driver replied, “Alright, go ahead and do it. They wanted twice that much at the garage.” To the person who stole my glasses. I will find you. I have contacts. An animal vet went to school to learn Taxidermy. He opened his own office with a sign on the door reading, “Dr. Jones, Veterinary Medicine and Taxidermy----Either way, you get your dog back.” A 15 year old girl said, “ My generation could now be called a quaranteen.” Where do polar bears keep their money? In a snow bank. How does a cow do math? With a cow-culator! What did one plate say to another plate? Dinner is on me Why did the students eat their homework? Because the teacher told them that it was a piece of cake. What did the stamp say to the envelope? Stick with me, and we will go places! Light travels faster than sound. That is why some people seem bright until they speak. “My ancestry goes back all the way to Alexander the Great,” said Christine. She then turned to Miriam and asked, “How far back does your family go?” “I don’t know,” replied Miriam, “all of our records were lost in the flood.” Did you hear that they now put a chicken in people’s bloody marys? It leaves a fowl taste in one’s mouth. Which travels faster ---heat or cold? Heat, because you can catch cold easily. Boy: “Why don’t you come to my church. The other boy: “Cause I belong to another abomination.”
INTERESTING FACTS
Last year, corporations like Netflix, Eli Lilly, Amazon, & Starbucks paid $0 in federal income taxes.--- Progress America
A blind man, Lucio Delgado, who took his citizenship exam on May 21, 2019, failed the exam and was denied U.S. citizenship after immigration agents failed to provide him with Braille during his exam. Delgado, 23, was born blind and came to the U.S. six years ago. He is legally blind. ---Daily Kos The notorious war profiteer Erik Prince recruited former American and British spies to work with the right-wing group Project Veritas to infiltrate at least one Democratic congressional campaign and organizations “considered hostile” to President Donald Trump’s agenda.---Common Dreams 3/8/20
Since 2001, the total cost of wars to local taxpayers has been $10.68 billion. It is easier, perhaps, to visualize this way: $10,680,000,000.---Veterans for Peace
There are 8 Trident submarines deployed at Bangor, which is believed to hold the nation’s largest stockpile of nuclear weapons. Six Trident submarines are deployed on the East Coast at Kings Bay, Georgia. Washington state police arrested 9 people for obstructing traffic. Their banners read “Trident Threatens All Life on Earth” and “Abolish Nuclear Weapons”. While they stood in the road, one of the blockaders read aloud the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. (Adopted by the U.N. General Assembly in July 2017) the Treaty will enter into force when ratified by 50 nations. Thirty-five nations have ratified it. Those cited by state police are: George Rodkey, Gary Cavalier, Sue Ablao, Julia Ochiogrosso, Rush Rehm, Ed Ehmke, Mary Jane Parrine, Elizabeth Murray and Clancy Dunigan. Arrested on base property were Jim Haber, Charlie Smith, Betsy Lamb and Steve Dear. Sam Yergler dropped a 20 foot banner from a nearby overpass visible to the demonstrators and traffic. It read, “Base closed for survival”. One Trident submarine carries the destructive force of over 1,300 Hiroshima bombs. ---Nuclear Resister
Cuba announced that people inflicted with the coronavirus from cruise ships are permitted in Cuba for treatment since health care is a human right. ---Cuba Solidarity.org The U.S. still puts sanctions on Cuba making it difficult for the people to get what they need. ----Pastors for Peace Iran is suffering from the sanctions put on it by the U.S. Many of them with the coronavirus will die without certain health care essentials to contain the virus. ---Democracy Now Russia delivered over 100,000 Covid-19 test kits to 13 states, including Iran, North Korea. --- CLG
A new MIT study found that there was no fraud in Bolivia’s elections last October — refuting a widely touted accusation that was used by the Organization of American States, the U.S. government and others to justify supporting the coup that removed President Evo Morales and put in place an unelected right-wing, anti-indigenous government. ---Democracy Now Yale scholars have found that Medicare for All will save Americans more than $450 billion and prevent 68,000 deaths every year. --- The Lancet
The U.S. agreed to purchase more than $3 billion of advanced American military equipment, including Apache and MH-60 Romeo helicopters courtesy of U.S. taxpayers. ---NPR
Some 71 troops and 139 civilians have been killed in U.S.-backed strikes in Somalia since 2007. That figure far exceeds AFRICOM’s official count of just 2 civilian deaths. -----Intercept
Percentage of Americans who said in 1995 that immigration should be reduced : 65 Who say so today: 35 Number of pregnant women jailed in the United States for immigration violations in 2018 : 2,098 Amount that the United States has spent on reconstruction in Afghanistan since 2001 : $137,000,000,000 Amount, adjusted for inflation, that it spent on reconstruction in Europe after World War I: $135,000,000,000. Percentage of U.S. Protestant churches with security protocols that involve armed church member:45 Percentage of people worldwide who believe capitalism “does more harm than good in the world”: 56 ---Harper’s Index
"The fury of the virus illustrates the folly of war. I am calling for an immediate global ceasefire in all corners of the world. It is time to put armed conflict on lockdown and focus together on the true fight of our lives."--- U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres.
As Italy's death toll soars, Cuba has sent medical brigades to combat COVID-19. Cuba has also deployed doctors to Venezuela, Nicaragua and Jamaica, ---Democracy Now
In Colorado, Governor Jared Polis signed into law a bill abolishing the death penalty and commuting the sentences of 3 men on Colorado’s death row. It joins 21 states and the District of Columbia, which have already banned the death penalty. ---A.I.
We will not be doing our usual vigils protesting the ROTC and the selling of guns until the pandemic is over. Thanks for your care and concern.
MAY WE ALL RISE WITH CHRIST BY FOLLOWING HIS WORDS AND EXAMPLE.
NOTES FROM 21ST STREET:
Odd growths on older trees are burls. The burl comes from an injury or a disease that a tree has suffered. A tree may have many burls on it but does not necessarily die. When a tree does die, artisans have found when they cut into a burl there are beautiful swirls and patterns. The patterns are so beautiful that they are used as inlays or table tops. I was reflecting on this phenomenon of a disease or injury which from the outside is a hideous growth on the tree. Yet later when one is able to look inside the burl, one sees beautiful patterns that take your breath away. During this corona virus pandemic I pray daily for all the people around the world. It is a fearful, sad time, but perhaps we can try to achieve what the trees have done. During this tragedy may we commit to beautiful acts of kindness and adhere to rules that will keep all society safe. Perhaps then when we are able to reflect back on this terrible pandemic what we will see is beauty in the compassion shown by the people during a terrible time. Peace, stay safe, Roberta