September 12, Moral Monday Day of Action at the Massachusetts State House

Please join us for a trip into Boston on Monday, September 12, 2016 to take part in the Moral Monday Day of Action at the Massachusetts State House.  

As explained on the Moral Monday website, http://www.moralrevival.org/, “’The Revival: Time for a Moral Revolution of Values’ is a national, multi-state tour to redefine morality in American politics. The tour includes over 50 events led by national and local faith leaders in over 20 states. The Revival is pushing forth a broad social justice agenda that centers on five key issues areas: the economic liberation of all people; access to quality education for every child; healthcare access for all; criminal justice reform; and ensuring historically marginalized communities have equal protection under the law. Our goal is to support state-based fusion movements to combat extremism in state and national politics, and to be a catalyst for a resurgence of political activism in order to end poverty, racial inequalities, and the most pressing issues in our country.”

See the link, http://www.moralrevival.org/moraldeclaration , for a copy of the declaration.

See the link, http://www.uuum.org/pdf-downloads/mass_moral_monday.pdf  , for details on the Boston day of action.  

Peace Vigil, Remembering Hiroshima and Nagasaki, on Friday evening, August 5, 2016 from 5:00 to 6:00 PM at the corner of Main and West Streets

Please join us for a peace vigil on Friday evening, August 5, 2016  from 5:00 to 6:00 PM as we stand to remember the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and to oppose the United States trillion dollar nuclear weapons modernization program. We will be standing on the Walpole Common at the corner of Main and West Streets.

As we reflect on the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki 71 years ago, we stand in opposition to the proposed 30 year U.S. plan to modernize our nuclear arsenal at a cost of one billion dollars.  William Broad and David Sanger, in their New York Times article, show how this plan threatens to revive the cold war and increase the risk of a nuclear war.  We  join with Massachusetts Peace Action and peace groups, people of faith, community groups, and all people who care about the future of humanity to call attention to the people’s demand to “Stop the $1 Trillion Nuclear Weapons Escalation.” See the Massachusetts Peace Action web link http://masspeaceaction.org/event/hiroshima-nagasaki-mass-2016/  for a list of other vigils in the area.

WP&JG Peace Vigil on Saturday, July 16 at 10:00 to 11:30 AM and People over Pipelines march from Medway to Boston, July 14, 2016 to July 18, 2016

Peace Vigil on Saturday, July 16, 2016 from 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM on the Walpole Common at the corner of Main and West Streets. We will stand in vigil for peace and a moment of reflection  in response to the shootings in Baton Rouge,  St. Paul, Dallas, and the issues of violence and racism in America.   

People over Pipelines march from Medway to Boston, July 14, 2016 to July 18, 2016. We will be joining the NoWalpoleGasPipeline Group and other groups in supporting this walk in opposition to the Access Northeast gas pipeline. You can get more information and sign up on the People over Pipelines website, http://www.peopleoverpipelines.org/. Please join us on Thursday,  July 14, 2016 when the walkers will be stopping in Walpole at the United Church in Walpole, 30 Common Street, for a water break at about 4:15 PM. We will be greeting them and some of us continuing to walk with them to Sharon. 

Also, please join us on Monday, July 18, 2016, when a contingent from the  the NoWalpoleGasPipeline Group will be going into Boston for  a rally at 9:40 am sharp at the State House marking the end of the People over Pipelines march. A group of us will be taking  the 8:09 am commuter train from Walpole station to go into Boston.

Walpole Peace and Justice Group sponsors talk on proposed Spectra Energy gas pipeline on Wednesday, March 30, at 7:00 PM at the Walpole Library

What You Should Know About the Proposed Gas Pipeline in Massachusetts

The Spectra Energy 30 inch gas pipeline, proposed for transit through Walpole, will be the subject of a talk at the Walpole Public Library on Wednesday, March 30, 2016 at 7:00 PM.   Carolyn and Rand Barthel will offer information about the pipeline, its potential impact on Walpole, why it is not needed, and what Walpole residents can do about it.  

The pipeline is part of the Access Northeast Project, which is upgrading the 125-mile Algonquin Gas Transmission pipeline from New Jersey to Massachusetts.   This pipeline would be developed by Spectra Energy, Eversource Energy, and National Grid at a cost of three billion dollars. The Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office released a study,  “Power System Reliability in New England:  Meeting Electric Resource Needs in an Era of Growing Dependence on Natural Gas”,   concluding that, under existing market conditions,  there is no electric sector reliability deficiency through 2030. The study indicated  that no additional pipeline gas capacity is needed to meet electric reliability needs. 

Carolyn Barthel is a climate activist and founder of the Central Mass and Greater Franklin Nodes of 350 Mass.  Rand Barthel is also a climate activist and  a member of 350 Mass. 350 Mass was created by the Better Future Project to support volunteers working in their communities on local issues and climate awareness. Better Future Project is a Cambridge-based climate organizing nonprofit founded in January 2011. 

The talk is sponsored by the Walpole Peace and Justice Group. It will be held in the Community Room at the Walpole Public Library, 143 School Street, Walpole, MA.

Talks on important peace issues offered in the area

Below are two talks and a movie on important peace related issues that are being presented in Natick and Millis. We are fortunate that there are many groups in the area working on peace and sponsoring educational talks on these important subjects. 

Sunday, March 6, Dr. Elaine Scarry speaks on Thermonuclear Monarchy: Why we​ should abolish nuclear weapons.  6 PM at Gallery 55, 55 S. Main St., Natick Sponsored by Metrowest Peace Action

Friday March 18, "This Changes Everything" movie: Why is climate change incompatible with capitalism? This movie inspired Naomi Klein's recent book of the same name.  Millis Public Library, 961 Main St., Millis. 6 PM Sponsored by Metrowest Peace Action.

Wednesday March 23, Alison Weir: Should the US Keep Giving Israel 10 million dollars Per Day? Common St. Spiritual Center, 13 Common St., Natick, 7 PM Sponsored by Peace for Palestine and Pax Christi Metrowest and Metrowest Peace Action.

Walpole Peace and Justice Group sponsors talk by Dr. Bacevich on his book 'America's War for the Greater Middle East' on Monday, March 21, 2016 at 7:00 PM at the Walpole Public Library

Dr. Andrew Bacevich will give a talk on his upcoming book, America’s War for the Greater Middle East, on Monday, March 21, 2016 at 7:00 PM at the Walpole Public Library. In his book, Dr. Bacevich makes a searing reassessment of U.S. military policy in the Middle East. Over the past four decades, U.S. forces embarked upon a seemingly endless series of campaigns across the Islamic world. Few achieved anything remotely like conclusive success. Instead, actions undertaken with expectations of promoting peace and stability produced just the opposite. As a consequence, phrases like “permanent war” and “open-ended war” have become part of everyday discourse. Understanding what America’s costly military exertions have wrought requires seeing these seemingly discrete events as parts of a single war. It also requires identifying the errors of judgment made by political leaders in both parties and by senior military officers who share responsibility for what has become a monumental march to folly.

Dr. Bacevich is a Professor Emeritus of International Relations and History at Boston University. A graduate of the U.S. Military Academy, he served for twenty-three years as a commissioned officer in the United States Army. He received his PhD in American diplomatic history from Princeton. Before joining the faculty of Boston University, he taught at West Point and at Johns Hopkins University. His three most recent books, Breach of Trust: How Americans Failed Their Soldiers and Their Country, Washington Rules: America's Path to Permanent War , and The Limits of Power: The End of American Exceptionalism, have all been on the New York Times bestseller list. His essays, reviews, and op-eds have appeared in publications and newspapers like The Wilson Quarterly, Foreign Affair, the New York Times, and the Boston Globe.

Dr. Bacevich’s talk is sponsored by the Walpole Peace and Justice Group. It will be held in the Community Room at the Walpole Public Library, 143 School Street, Walpole, MA.

Walpole Peace and Justice Vigi in support of Syrian refugees on Saturday on February 6, 2016 from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM on the Walpole Common, corner of Main and west Streets

Please join the Walpole Peace and Justice Group  for a peace vigil in support of Syrian refugees on Saturday, February 6, 2016 from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM on the Walpole Common at the corner of Main and West Streets. With all of the harsh rhetoric it is important that people stand up for the support of all refugees, particularly those from Syria who are fleeing war in numbers not seen since World War II. We also stand for bringing peace to Syria and the Middle East.