By Chris Overfelt
PeaceWorks Kansas City, in coordination with other groups, has demonstrations coming up on April 30 and May 30. The rally on April 30 will be at Whiteman AFB from 10 to 11 am. The demonstration on May 30 will be at the Kansas City National Security Campus in south Kansas City. These actions seek to draw attention to the role American militarism plays in destabilizing the world.
Whiteman AFB plays an important role in the US drone warfare program, providing training to incoming drone pilots. Drone warfare, used in dozens of countries around the world, has been a key component of the war on terror. The PeaceWorks KC demonstration on April 30 will carry the message that instead of decreasing terror around the world, drone warfare terrorizes the populations that the drones assault, perpetuating more war and hatred.
On May 30, PeaceWorks KC will gather at the KCNSC to protest the fact that the US is currently investing billions of dollars in updating its nuclear arsenal. This updating procedure is taking place right here in KC at the Honeywell plant at Botts Road and 150 Highway, where 85 percent of the mechanical and electrical parts of US nuclear weapons are made or procured. Instead of drawing down its nuclear arsenal, the US government is now increasing its nuclear capability, increasing the likelihood the bombs will be used. This makes us all less safe.
These two upcoming demonstrations highlight the link between American militarism and world instability. Whether it is drone warfare or nuclear weapons, the American military-industrial complex follows only one dogma, profit over safety. The war on terror has been an abject failure, resulting in the destruction of Afghanistan, Iraq, and Libya, and costing thousands of innocent lives. Likewise, America’s deployment of its nuclear arsenal on the borders of Russia has played a key role in the suffering of the people of Ukraine. These weapons reek of corporate greed at the cost of our very existence here on earth.
Notes: The 4/30, Sat., 10-11 am rally at Whiteman AFB includes a carpool from about 8:30 am—for info, call Jane Stoever, 913-206-4088, janepstoever@yahoo.com. For the 5/30, Mon., Memorial Day witness, we will park at Prospect near Mo. Hwy. 150 in south KC MO at 11 am. Then we will walk a mile to the entry to the KC National Security Campus and hold a rally and a die-in. All are welcome to join us!
—Chris Overfelt belongs to Veterans for Peace in the KC area and serves on the PeaceWorks Kansas City Board of Directors. © 2022, Christopher Overfelt, Kriss Avery, Creative Commons Attribution Share-Alike 4.0 International License.
