Letters about Election Sent to Congressional Delegation and to state Election Officials

 

Letters about a fair and safe election were sent by the signers below (IPN is among them) to both our congressional delegation and a similar letter was written to other election officials.  Those were sent approximately two weeks ago.  Additionally, a letter is going to be sent soon to the Des Moines Chief of Police and City Council, though they will be slightly different.  We received letters back from Senator Grassley and Rep. Cindy Axne.  They are shown below as well.

Four Major Health Care Systems

 

By Jeffrey Weiss

There are about 200 nation-states and each devises its own set of arrangements for meeting the three basic goals of a health care system: keeping society healthy, treating the sick, and protecting families against financial ruin from medical bills.

For all the local variations, health care systems tend to follow general patterns. There are four basic systems:

 

Palestinian Voices & Peter Beinart's Dramatic Change of Heart

Reprinted with permission; originally published for MennoPIN (Mennonite Palestine Israel Network) August 2020 email update; see website: www.mennopin.org

 Mennopin’s annexation coverage in the August 2020 email update includes writings from three Palestinian voices from today and one significant American Jewish voice who just changed his mind.

Vigil Stands in Solidarity with Immigrants at Cedar Rapids ICE Check-In

By Alison Gowans

Republished with permission 2020 The Gazette, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

CEDAR RAPIDS — Solidarity was on display at a vigil Tuesday accompanying three immigrants living in Iowa City as they completed a mandatory check-in at the Homeland Security Investigations office in Cedar Rapids. 

Hiroshima & Nagasaki Remembered in Des Moines 2020

 By Christine Sheller

On August 6, 2020, Des Moines area citizens gathered to remember the horrific events of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan 75 years ago. 

A Peace Proclamation in Washington, IA

By: Roger Farmer

 At the Washington Iowa City Council meeting on Tuesday, August 4, 2020, a routine request was made to use the Washington Central Park on Sunday August 9, 2020, for a public presentation entitled "A Peace Proclamation" by Dr Kesho Scott, a professor at Grinnell College, about the meaning of anti-racism and the Black Lives Matter movement.

Tax Day 2020 Letter to Congressional Delegation

Tax Day actions in Des Moines this year were more simple than in years past.  A couple of peace group leaders met and agreed to send letters to Sen. Grassley, Sen. Ernst, and Rep. Cindy Axne for this Tax Day relating to military budget and use of nuclear weapons, as Tax Day was moved to July 15 because of COVID.

Grounded… or Flying by the Seat of our Pants? & Bewildering Federal Budget

By Chrissy Kirchhoefer; reprinted with permission; first printed for the NWTRCC (National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee) newsletter June/ July 2020

An increased number of military planes have been flying over the US and targeting cities, often in clusters, to show appreciation to “front-line workers.” 

Covid Connections

By: David Shogren; reprinted with permission; printed originally for the Iowa Chapter MFSA (Methodist Federation for Social Action) newsletter, Social Questions Bulletin (SQB) Spring 2020

This year has brought perhaps the most radical shift in multinational lifestyles since World War II as Covid-19, a novel coronavirus, erupted in Wuhan, China, population 11 million. The pandemic spread quickly and pervasively.

The Good, the Potential, and What Might Happen

By David Swanson; reprinted with permission, first published for davidswanson.org

https://davidswanson.org/the-good-the-potential-and-what-might-happen/


Already we’ve seen, as a result of people taking to the streets in the United States:

-Four policemen indicted.

-More racist monuments dismantled.