Peace and Justice Vigil: Warfare State wins over People and Planet

Date/Time
Date(s) - 06/03/2023
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

Location
Corner of Main St and Illinois Ave

Categories No Categories

MONTHLY PEACE AND JUSTICE VIGIL:
WARFARE STATE WINS OVER PEOPLE AND PLANET
SATURDAY, JUNE 3, 2023 NOON TO 1:00 PM
The Peace Coalition of Southern Illinois will hold the Monthly Peace and Justice Vigil on Saturday, June 3, 2023, Noon to 1 P.M. at the corner of Main and Illinois Ave., Carbondale.
The National Priorities Project published a new report this week, THE WARFARE STATE: How Funding for Militarism Compromises Our Welfare. Militarism accounts for $1,1 trillion, or 62 percent, of the discretionary budget which leaves the part of that budget for social programs, the environment, etc. open to cuts as the debt limit bargaining exempts military spending.
“That $1.1 trillion includes spending for the military and weapons, deportations and detentions, and federal law enforcement and mass incarceration. The post-9/11 wars led to the death of an unimaginable 4.5 million people in affected countries — and are widely considered to be failures by the U.S. public. Our broken approach to immigration has led to the deportation of more than 5 million people, most of whom committed no crime other than their presence in their communities. And the U.S. maintains the highest incarceration rate in the world and a pattern of racist police violence.”
We could see social programs — everything from K-12 education and housing, to child care and public health, to food safety and medical research gutted. And we would see spending on the military continue to grow unchecked. The NPP report shows that less than $2 out of every 5 federal discretionary dollars is spent on those priorities to begin with. Since 2001, the federal budget for militarism has grown by $2 for every $1 added for social programs.
The only sane response is to cut funding for militarism and war and reinvest in social programs that save lives and prevent violence.
Appropriate signs will be provided, but all are invited to bring their own. The next monthly meeting will be held on ZOOM on Wednesday, June 21, 2023, 6pm. For information about joining, contact georgeannhartzog@gmail.com.