CENTRAL KENTUCKY COUNCIL FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE September 2019 PeacewaysPeacewaysGun Violence: Can I make a difference? How? by Margaret Gabriel A standing feature on page one of of those injuries were critical? How highest rate among the states. Peaceways is the box you see in the many of those people now require Kentucky exported crime guns at lower left corner of this page: the ‘round-the-clock care? How many more than twice the national rate and number of people who have been involve brain trauma that will change more than twice the rate at which killed or injured as a result of gun the life of the injured person forever? it imported crime guns from other violence in the United States to date Several years ago we began states. and the number from last year. The including the statistics from For a complete description of the number does not include people who gunviolencearchive.com in every issue holes in Kentucky’s gun laws, which have died of suicide using a gun, but of Peaceways, and asked readers to score an F (and are pretty darn scary), at various times has included the include them in the agenda of any see the state section of Giffords Law deaths of Lexington’s Trinity Gay, the and all meetings they attend. Center website. students at Marshall County High This month, we would like to ask Clearly, making changes in Kentucky School and Heath High School in readers to also send the statistics to laws can have an impact on the Paducah, and shoppers at a Louisville elected officials with a plea to take national statistics concerning gun Kroger. This month’s number includes the legislative action needed to end violence. the 22 people who were killed on Aug. the easy access to guns that makes Please, please, please contact 3 in El Paso, Texas and the 10 killed a mass shootings not only possible, but Gov. Matt Bevin and members of few hours later in Dayton, Ohio. common. the Kentucky General Assembly and It’s hard to imagine the number The Giffords Law Center to ask them to take whatever action is of people — friends, loved ones, Prevent Gun Violence provides legal needed to put an end to the tragedies community members — who assistance to promote gun control of mass shootings. And while you’re are affected by the deaths of and oppose firearm ownership. The at your keyboard, contact Sen. Mitch the 9,779 people included in the group’s website (giffordslawcenter. McConnell, Sen. Rand Paul and Rep. gunviolencearchive.com report for org) includes information about the Andy Barr, and ask them to address Aug. 29, 2019. And how have the gun laws in each state. The website the issue on a national level. lives changed for the 17,581 people reports that among the deficits in its who have been injured? How many gun laws Kentucky does not: • Margaret Gabriel is the editor of • Require a background check prior Peaceways. Although she is aware that Gun Violence to the sale or transfer of a firearm writing letters seems inadequate, it is less In America as of 8-29-19 by an unlicensed person; inadequate than doing nothing. (excluding suicide) • Prohibit the transfer or possession of assault weapons, 50 caliber 2019 (year to date) rifles or large capacity ammunition Afflict the Killed 9,779 magazines; Wounded 19,581 • Impose a waiting period on firearm purchases. comfortable; 2018 (annual) In 2017, Kentucky had the 16th Killed 13,321 highest gun death rate among the give comfort Wounded 25,734 states. Kentucky also supplied crime Source: www.gunviolencearchive.org guns to other states at the eighth to the afflicted. THE NEWSLETTER OF THE CENTRAL KENTUCKY COUNCIL FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE SEPTEMBER 2019 PAGE 1 The Central Kentucky Council A President, A Prime Minister, A Perspective for Peace and Justice by H.D. Uriel Smith Board of Directors: Rebecca Ballard DiLoreto, Rick Clewett, Bilal El-Amin, Mary Ann President Trump and Prime Minister completely upon Trump’s support. But, Ghosal (secretary), Heather Hadi, Randolph Netanyahu deserve each other. Each fears Trump is unreliable. Thus Netanyahu also Hollingsworth, Rahul Karanth, Steven Lee Katz so much for his own political security that has become unreliable. (treasurer), Richard Mitchell, Bruce Mundy, he endangers his country’s security. Each Israel has special security needs. In Steve Pavey, Nadia Rasheed, Rabbi Uri Smith, increases the spread between the richest order to understand them we should go Teddi Smith-Robillard, Craig Wilkie. and the poorest in his country. Each is back to Thucydides’ Peloponnesian War, Peaceways Staff: Margaret Gabriel (editor); splitting his own country into radical 5, 84-5.113. It states that Melos was Penny Christian, Gail Koehler, Betsy Neale, Mary extremes, hoping that this will hide his an island originally siding with Sparta. Ann Ghosal, Jim Trammel (proofreaders). The own extremism. And, each is downgrading Melos tried to become neutral, and argued views expressed in Peaceways are those of the the educational possibilities in his own in Athens for that neutrality. Instead the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views country. Athenians attacked it, killed all its male of CKCPJ. President Trump came to Kentucky to adults, and sold the rest of the Melians Member Organizations: ACLU-Central Kentucky support Gov. Matt Bevin in his fight with into slavery. Israel cannot allow itself a Chapter; Ahava Center for Spiritual Living; Kentucky’s teachers. Kentucky’s teachers similar weakness. Amnesty International, UK Chapter; Bahá’ís of are badly paid, and Bevin aims to place Anybody supporting BDS (Boycott, Lexington; Berea Friends Meeting; Bluegrass their livelihood in even greater jeopardy. Divestment, and Sanctions) against Israel Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO; Bluegrass In parallel, for his own political needs, either thinks that a Melian argument is Domestic Violence Program; Bluegrass United Netanyahu made Naphtali Bennett the sufficient, or he thinks that national and Church of Christ; Catholic Action Center; Israeli Minister of Education. Israel used religious beliefs are dangerous and need Central Christian Church; Commission for Peace to maintain high educational standards. to be suppressed. BDS supporters either and Justice, Catholic Diocese of Lexington; Gay Bennett’s policies so eroded these know hardly anything about the genocides and Lesbian Services Organization; Humanist standards that Israel now has the lowest of the First and Second World Wars, Forum of Central Kentucky; Hunter Presbyterian standards among all advanced societies including the Holocaust, or they oppose Church; Islamic Society of Central Kentucky; with low teacher pay, the absence of the survival of the Israeli nation. Such Jewish Federation of the Bluegrass; Kentuckians requirements for teacher hiring, and an a person produces his own international for the Commonwealth; Kentucky Coalition to alarming number of graduates who cannot dangers. Nobody in the Israeli Knesset Abolish the Death Penalty, Central Kentucky function in a modern society. is foolish enough to accept such dangers. Chapter; Kentucky Coalition for Immigrant and Trump cannot understand this article’s The far left-wingers among the American Refugee Rights; Kentucky Resources Council; criticism because he has a narcissistic Democrats foolishly do support BDS. Lexington Fair Housing Council; Lexington personality. He is incapable of placing When Israel originally allowed the two Fairness; Lexington Friends Meeting; Lexington himself in another person’s shoes. This congresswomen supporting BDS into its Hispanic Association (AsociaciÓn de Hispanos mental disability makes him perceive country, it showed itself strong enough Unidos); Lexington Labor Council, Jobs with chaos where normal people perceive to withstand the BDS movement. Trump Justice Committee; Lexington Living Wage other people thinking independently, instead demanded that Netanyahu support Campaign; Lexington Socialist Student Union; communicating with each other. He thus his personal war with the congresswomen. Maxwell Street Presbyterian Church; Newman cannot differentiate any self-produced So, notwithstanding his other pro-Israel Center at UK; North East Lexington Initative; ideational chaos from any other chaos. decrees, Trump has shown that he does One World Film Festival; Students for Peace Since his own ideas are the only ones he not care about Israel’s security. And and Earth Justice (Bluegrass Community and recognizes, all others are null and void. since Netanyahu jumped to obey Trump, Technical College); Peacecraft; The Plantory; Thus his own ideas are “the greatest,” Netanyahu showed his own political Progress (student group at Transylvania greater than nothing. He is more insecurity. University); Second Presbyterian Church; comfortable with dictators than with The problems between the Israelis and Shambhala Center; Sustainable Communities democrats, since he believes dictators Palestinians will be reduced within thirty Network; Union Church at Berea; Unitarian think like him, following their own years once the two communities have to Universalist Church of Lexington; United decisions without paying attention to other work together to ensure that they have Nations Association, Bluegrass Chapter. people’s chaotic views. Other leaders thus enough drinking water. By then Trump run rings around him. In June 2016 Dan P. and Netanyahu will be history. McAdams wrote an article in The Atlantic, In the mean time we should oppose both “The Mind of Donald Trump,” explaining BDS and Netanyahu. this narcissism. Many columnists have • repeated this warning, but we still pay Peaceways is published 10 times a year by the little attention to this. H.D. Uriel Smith is rabbi emeritus for Central Kentucky Council for Peace and Netanyahu can understand this article’s Ohavay Zion Synagogue and a member of Justice, 1588 Leestown Rd., Ste. 130-138, Lexington KY 40511. The next issue of criticism, but he is now so insecure the CKCPJ steering committee. Peaceways will appear in October. Deadline for that he has made his re-election depend calendar items is Sept.