Features
Republicans ask Santa to bring more ammunition
Two more school shootings
by Vijaya Chandrasoma
The American love affair with guns, mostly of white Republicans living in the “southern slave states”, continues unabated. Apart from gun violence which claims over 35,000 American lives per year, school shootings, the killing of the future of the nation, our children, are depressingly regular. According to a Washington Post database, “an estimated 27,000 students on K-12 campuses across 22 states were exposed to gun violence in 2021”, and there have been more school shootings, 30 in 2021 than in any other year in this century. Needless to say, the vast majority of these shootings occur in Republican controlled “Red States”.
There were two school shootings in the USA last week. Both were on November 30. These brutal murders will hold the headlines for a few days and then inevitably disappear into a cloud of “thoughts and prayers”.
Promises by politicians to restrict the sales of military-style guns are made after each tragedy. Other basic precautions, like a waiting period of at least two weeks before purchase, background checks, are popular with over 70% of the population.
However, these promises are quickly forgotten, in the face of opposition of a great majority of Republican congressmen who have taken residence in the deep, Russian backed pockets of the National Rifle Association. And the threat of violence by white supremacist Trump supporters, like the resurgent KKK, the Proud Boys and the Oathkeepers. The Base.
The 30th shooting occurred on the night of November 30, when 18-year-old Jadon Hardiman of Jackson, Tennessee killed one man and wounded two others in the gym at Humboldt High School, during a basketball game. No student was involved in this altercation between adults which led to the shooting.
Perhaps this tragedy cannot technically be included in the list of school shootings, as no student was involved. It was just another Tuesday evening in America, just another shootout, just another round in one of America’s main national sports. And I don’t mean basketball.
Earlier that day, there was another far more gruesome tragedy in Michigan, when a 15- year-old male, white student of Oxford High School, Ethan Crumbley, was allowed to carry a gun into the school premises, emerged from the bathroom armed with a semi-automatic handgun and killed four fellow students, wounding seven others, including a teacher.
This school killing, the 29th such shooting for the year, was tragedy enough. But the timeline leading to the murders is even more stupefying.
Friday, November 26. The shooter’s father, James Crumbley, accompanied by his son, Ethan, buys a 9mm Sig Sauer, acclaimed as one of the top five 9 mm pistols in the world today. Designated as a “Conceal and Carry” weapon, it is used by law enforcement and military organizations worldwide, and is freely available to the public. No waiting period. No background check, over-the-counter, no questions asked. Easy-peasy, like buying a can of beans at Walmart.
The pistol was purchased by Crumbley as a Christmas present for his 15-year-old son. Santa sure came early for the Crumbleys this year. Sadly, there would be no more Christmases for his four victims.
Later the same day, the shooter posts an Instagram of himself holding the semi-automatic handgun, writing: “Just got my new beauty today. Sig Sauer 9 mm. Any questions I will answer”.
Saturday, November 27. The shooter’s mother Jennifer Crumbley, writes on social media that it is a “mom and son day testing out his Christmas present”.
Monday, November 29. A teacher at the Oxford High School, reports to the school authorities that she saw Ethan searching for ammunition on-line with his cell phone, during class. Ethan says, at a meeting with the school counsellor, that “shooting sports are a family hobby”. School personnel call his mother, leave a voicemail and email her, leaving details of the incident. They evoke no response from her. She later writes in a text to her son: “Lol (Laugh out loud). I’m not mad at you. You have to learn not to get caught”.
The same night, Ethan records a video in which “he discusses killing students”, according to Oxford Sheriff deputy, Tim Willis.
Tuesday, November 30. A teacher finds a note on Ethan’s desk, that alarms her sufficiently to take a photograph, which she showed to the school’s counsellors and the dean. The note was the drawing of a handgun and the words, “The thoughts won’t stop. Help me”. Also depicted is a bullet with the words “blood everywhere”, above a person who appears to have been shot. The note also says, “my life is useless” and “the world is dead”.
Ethan was immediately removed from the classroom and questioned about the note. He says the drawing is part of a video game he is designing; he hopes to pursue a career as a video-game designer. This was, amazingly, deemed to be a credible reason, needing no further action.
Ethan’s parents are summoned and shown the note. Ethan’s explanation about pursuing a career in video game design, confirmed by his parents, is accepted, and he is deemed not to be a risk to harm others. The parents resisted the school’s request that Ethan be taken home for the day, on grounds of work assignments. They were told to get Ethan into counselling within 48 hours, and allowed to go, leaving the shooter at the school.
In spite of all this evidence, school authorities did not check the contents of Ethan’s backpack which contained the deadly weapon.
This final and incredible verdict of the head of the Oxford Community School District, after the investigation before the shooting, was that “there were no grounds for discipline”. A verdict almost immediately found to be criminally egregious, and resulted in another shooting. A shooting which could have been avoided if an obviously murderously unhinged teenager had been immediately removed from the school after the evidence uncovered during the investigation before the shooting.
As a professor of psychology at Westchester Community College attested, in a letter to the New York Times: “As a clinical psychologist who has evaluated dozens of emotionally distressed students who may have posed a danger to their fellow students, I find the story of Oxford High School administrators allowing Ethan Crumbley back into the classroom profoundly disturbing”.
Ethan Crumbley has now been charged as an adult of 24 charges, including four counts of first degree murder, and one count of terrorism causing death He has pleaded Not Guilty to all charges, and denied bail.
The parents, James and Jennifer Crumbley have been charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter. They left their home after the shooting and went into hiding. As they had not presented themselves to the authorities by Friday night, they were arrested after a police manhunt that ended in the basement of a Detroit warehouse. They have pleaded Not Guilty to all charges and have been held on $500,000 bail each.
This is an endless theme, but had this been a Black or Latino kid, he would have been held, on the evidence uncovered by the investigation, until the arrival of law enforcement. When they found the weapon in his backpack, along with evidence of the bloody drawings and videos, he would have immediately been arrested and thrown in jail on a variety of charges. His black or Latino parents would not even have been summoned. For what reason? The evidence against their son had been conclusive enough, if only because of the colour of his skin. Or, more accurately, because he was not white.
We all remember how, in August 2020, Kyle Rittenhouse, a 17-year-old from Antioch, Illinois, was driven cross-state to Kenosha, Wisconsin, by his mother, armed with an AR 15 assault rifle, to “protect the property of people threatened during the Black Lives Matter protests”. People he had never met, people who had never requested vigilante protection. The riots had erupted after the gruesome murder of George Floyd and the shooting of Jacob Blake, an African American who was shot seven times by a Kenosha police officer, and remains paralyzed for life.
Rittenhouse used his deadly AR 15 assault rifle to kill two protesters, wounding a third, with the motive that he was “protecting property”. After the killing, he casually walked past a law-enforcement vehicle, whose officers, with their intuitive knowledge that killing causes dehydration, tossed him bottles of water so that his murderous thirst may be slaked. He was allowed to go back to his home in Antioch that night, and was arrested only a week later.
In the recently concluded trial against him, Kyle was acquitted of all charges, and remains a free man today.
So there is hope for Ethan Crumbley, given today’s system of American justice, with the courts heavily weighted with Republican, Trump appointed judges, in thousands of district and federal courts. Strangely, Bruce Schroeder, the judge who presided over the Rittenhouse trial was appointed in 1983 by a Democratic governor. After his behaviour of repeatedly and viciously reprimanding the prosecution in the Rittenhouse trial, it was obvious that Schroeder had switched sides. A comedian commented that he should have been wearing a KKK hood at the trial, instead of the robes of a judge. Sadly, a completely credible piece of satire.
Ethan also may get lucky, as Rittenhouse did. He also may have his trial heard before one of the thousands of the aforementioned white supremacist judges. He may be released with a rap on the wrist, free to pursue his chosen career as a “video game designer”, or more likely on the evidence, a serial killer.
Again, touching on a repetitious theme ad nauseam, had a 17-year-old Black or Latino kid behaved the way Rittenhouse did in Kenosha, he would have been shot to death within minutes by a hail of police bullets.
December has dawned, and Christmas is in the air. ‘Tis the season of peace on earth, of universal kindness expressed by goodwill toward all, and renewed feelings of brotherhood and love. This is the month of office parties and Christmas bonuses, of exchanging gifts; of awaiting the arrival of Santa Claus, hoping he has judged you to be nice, not naughty. This is the time where many families celebrate their achievements and joyful events of the year with Christmas cards, with beautiful pictures of their families.
My favourite, so far, is the Christmas card of Kentucky Republican Congressman Thomas Massie. He posted a Christmas group photograph of his beautiful family, each posing proudly carrying a military-style assault rifle.
This vile family photograph, probably designed by the National Rifle Association, was exhibited to the public just a few days after the Oxford and Tennessee shootings. No doubt a pre-emptive defence against any public outcry at these shootings. A photograph which will meet with the approval of his Kentuckian constituents, his re-election assured. The tacit, if gleeful endorsement of his Republican congressional colleagues across the country can be taken for granted.
And displaying more of the Republican Christmas spirit, Massie tweeted the photograph with the caption: “Merry Christmas! ps. Santa, please bring ammo”.
by Dr Gotabhya Ranasinghe
Senior Consultant Cardiologist
National Hospital Sri Lanka
When we sought a meeting with Hon Dr. Ramesh Pathirana, Minister of Health, he graciously cleared his busy schedule to accommodate us. Renowned for his attentive listening and deep understanding, Minister Pathirana is dedicated to advancing the health sector. His openness and transparency exemplify the qualities of an exemplary politician and minister.
Dr. Palitha Mahipala, the current Health Secretary, demonstrates both commendable enthusiasm and unwavering support. This combination of attributes makes him a highly compatible colleague for the esteemed Minister of Health.
Our discussion centered on a project that has been in the works for the past 30 years, one that no other minister had managed to advance.
Minister Pathirana, however, recognized the project’s significance and its potential to revolutionize care for heart patients.
The project involves the construction of a state-of-the-art facility at the premises of the National Hospital Colombo. The project’s location within the premises of the National Hospital underscores its importance and relevance to the healthcare infrastructure of the nation.
This facility will include a cardiology building and a tertiary care center, equipped with the latest technology to handle and treat all types of heart-related conditions and surgeries.
Securing funding was a major milestone for this initiative. Minister Pathirana successfully obtained approval for a $40 billion loan from the Asian Development Bank. With the funding in place, the foundation stone is scheduled to be laid in September this year, and construction will begin in January 2025.
This project guarantees a consistent and uninterrupted supply of stents and related medications for heart patients. As a result, patients will have timely access to essential medical supplies during their treatment and recovery. By securing these critical resources, the project aims to enhance patient outcomes, minimize treatment delays, and maintain the highest standards of cardiac care.
Upon its fruition, this monumental building will serve as a beacon of hope and healing, symbolizing the unwavering dedication to improving patient outcomes and fostering a healthier society.We anticipate a future marked by significant progress and positive outcomes in Sri Lanka’s cardiovascular treatment landscape within the foreseeable timeframe.
by Fr. Emmanuel Fernando, OMI
Jesuit Fr. Aloysius Pieris (affectionately called Fr. Aloy) celebrated his 90th birthday on April 9, 2024 and I, as the editor of our Oblate Journal, THE MISSIONARY OBLATE had gone to press by that time. Immediately I decided to publish an article, appreciating the untiring selfless services he continues to offer for inter-Faith dialogue, the renewal of the Catholic Church, his concern for the poor and the suffering Sri Lankan masses and to me, the present writer.
It was in 1988, when I was appointed Director of the Oblate Scholastics at Ampitiya by the then Oblate Provincial Fr. Anselm Silva, that I came to know Fr. Aloy more closely. Knowing well his expertise in matters spiritual, theological, Indological and pastoral, and with the collaborative spirit of my companion-formators, our Oblate Scholastics were sent to Tulana, the Research and Encounter Centre, Kelaniya, of which he is the Founder-Director, for ‘exposure-programmes’ on matters spiritual, biblical, theological and pastoral. Some of these dimensions according to my view and that of my companion-formators, were not available at the National Seminary, Ampitiya.
Ever since that time, our Oblate formators/ accompaniers at the Oblate Scholasticate, Ampitiya , have continued to send our Oblate Scholastics to Tulana Centre for deepening their insights and convictions regarding matters needed to serve the people in today’s context. Fr. Aloy also had tried very enthusiastically with the Oblate team headed by Frs. Oswald Firth and Clement Waidyasekara to begin a Theologate, directed by the Religious Congregations in Sri Lanka, for the contextual formation/ accompaniment of their members. It should very well be a desired goal of the Leaders / Provincials of the Religious Congregations.
Besides being a formator/accompanier at the Oblate Scholasticate, I was entrusted also with the task of editing and publishing our Oblate journal, ‘The Missionary Oblate’. To maintain the quality of the journal I continue to depend on Fr. Aloy for his thought-provoking and stimulating articles on Biblical Spirituality, Biblical Theology and Ecclesiology. I am very grateful to him for his generous assistance. Of late, his writings on renewal of the Church, initiated by Pope St. John XX111 and continued by Pope Francis through the Synodal path, published in our Oblate journal, enable our readers to focus their attention also on the needed renewal in the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka. Fr. Aloy appreciated very much the Synodal path adopted by the Jesuit Pope Francis for the renewal of the Church, rooted very much on prayerful discernment. In my Religious and presbyteral life, Fr.Aloy continues to be my spiritual animator / guide and ongoing formator / acccompanier.
Fr. Aloysius Pieris, BA Hons (Lond), LPh (SHC, India), STL (PFT, Naples), PhD (SLU/VC), ThD (Tilburg), D.Ltt (KU), has been one of the eminent Asian theologians well recognized internationally and one who has lectured and held visiting chairs in many universities both in the West and in the East. Many members of Religious Congregations from Asian countries have benefited from his lectures and guidance in the East Asian Pastoral Institute (EAPI) in Manila, Philippines. He had been a Theologian consulted by the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences for many years. During his professorship at the Gregorian University in Rome, he was called to be a member of a special group of advisers on other religions consulted by Pope Paul VI.
Fr. Aloy is the author of more than 30 books and well over 500 Research Papers. Some of his books and articles have been translated and published in several countries. Among those books, one can find the following: 1) The Genesis of an Asian Theology of Liberation (An Autobiographical Excursus on the Art of Theologising in Asia, 2) An Asian Theology of Liberation, 3) Providential Timeliness of Vatican 11 (a long-overdue halt to a scandalous millennium, 4) Give Vatican 11 a chance, 5) Leadership in the Church, 6) Relishing our faith in working for justice (Themes for study and discussion), 7) A Message meant mainly, not exclusively for Jesuits (Background information necessary for helping Francis renew the Church), 8) Lent in Lanka (Reflections and Resolutions, 9) Love meets wisdom (A Christian Experience of Buddhism, 10) Fire and Water 11) God’s Reign for God’s poor, 12) Our Unhiddden Agenda (How we Jesuits work, pray and form our men). He is also the Editor of two journals, Vagdevi, Journal of Religious Reflection and Dialogue, New Series.
Fr. Aloy has a BA in Pali and Sanskrit from the University of London and a Ph.D in Buddhist Philosophy from the University of Sri Lankan, Vidyodaya Campus. On Nov. 23, 2019, he was awarded the prestigious honorary Doctorate of Literature (D.Litt) by the Chancellor of the University of Kelaniya, the Most Venerable Welamitiyawe Dharmakirthi Sri Kusala Dhamma Thera.
Fr. Aloy continues to be a promoter of Gospel values and virtues. Justice as a constitutive dimension of love and social concern for the downtrodden masses are very much noted in his life and work. He had very much appreciated the commitment of the late Fr. Joseph (Joe) Fernando, the National Director of the Social and Economic Centre (SEDEC) for the poor.
In Sri Lanka, a few religious Congregations – the Good Shepherd Sisters, the Christian Brothers, the Marist Brothers and the Oblates – have invited him to animate their members especially during their Provincial Congresses, Chapters and International Conferences. The mainline Christian Churches also have sought his advice and followed his seminars. I, for one, regret very much, that the Sri Lankan authorities of the Catholic Church –today’s Hierarchy—- have not sought Fr.
Aloy’s expertise for the renewal of the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka and thus have not benefited from the immense store of wisdom and insight that he can offer to our local Church while the Sri Lankan bishops who governed the Catholic church in the immediate aftermath of the Second Vatican Council (Edmund Fernando OMI, Anthony de Saram, Leo Nanayakkara OSB, Frank Marcus Fernando, Paul Perera,) visited him and consulted him on many matters. Among the Tamil Bishops, Bishop Rayappu Joseph was keeping close contact with him and Bishop J. Deogupillai hosted him and his team visiting him after the horrible Black July massacre of Tamils.
Sri Lanka-Singapore Free Trade Agreement
By Gomi Senadhira
senadhiragomi@gmail.com
“You might tell fairy tales, but the progress of a country cannot be achieved through such narratives. A country cannot be developed by making false promises. The country moved backward because of the electoral promises made by political parties throughout time. We have witnessed that the ultimate result of this is the country becoming bankrupt. Unfortunately, many segments of the population have not come to realize this yet.” – President Ranil Wickremesinghe, 2024 Budget speech
Any Sri Lankan would agree with the above words of President Wickremesinghe on the false promises our politicians and officials make and the fairy tales they narrate which bankrupted this country. So, to understand this, let’s look at one such fairy tale with lots of false promises; Ranil Wickremesinghe’s greatest achievement in the area of international trade and investment promotion during the Yahapalana period, Sri Lanka-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (SLSFTA).
It is appropriate and timely to do it now as Finance Minister Wickremesinghe has just presented to parliament a bill on the National Policy on Economic Transformation which includes the establishment of an Office for International Trade and the Sri Lanka Institute of Economics and International Trade.
Was SLSFTA a “Cleverly negotiated Free Trade Agreement” as stated by the (former) Minister of Development Strategies and International Trade Malik Samarawickrama during the Parliamentary Debate on the SLSFTA in July 2018, or a colossal blunder covered up with lies, false promises, and fairy tales? After SLSFTA was signed there were a number of fairy tales published on this agreement by the Ministry of Development Strategies and International, Institute of Policy Studies, and others.
However, for this article, I would like to limit my comments to the speech by Minister Samarawickrama during the Parliamentary Debate, and the two most important areas in the agreement which were covered up with lies, fairy tales, and false promises, namely: revenue loss for Sri Lanka and Investment from Singapore. On the other important area, “Waste products dumping” I do not want to comment here as I have written extensively on the issue.
1. The revenue loss
During the Parliamentary Debate in July 2018, Minister Samarawickrama stated “…. let me reiterate that this FTA with Singapore has been very cleverly negotiated by us…. The liberalisation programme under this FTA has been carefully designed to have the least impact on domestic industry and revenue collection. We have included all revenue sensitive items in the negative list of items which will not be subject to removal of tariff. Therefore, 97.8% revenue from Customs duty is protected. Our tariff liberalisation will take place over a period of 12-15 years! In fact, the revenue earned through tariffs on goods imported from Singapore last year was Rs. 35 billion.
The revenue loss for over the next 15 years due to the FTA is only Rs. 733 million– which when annualised, on average, is just Rs. 51 million. That is just 0.14% per year! So anyone who claims the Singapore FTA causes revenue loss to the Government cannot do basic arithmetic! Mr. Speaker, in conclusion, I call on my fellow members of this House – don’t mislead the public with baseless criticism that is not grounded in facts. Don’t look at petty politics and use these issues for your own political survival.”
I was surprised to read the minister’s speech because an article published in January 2018 in “The Straits Times“, based on information released by the Singaporean Negotiators stated, “…. With the FTA, tariff savings for Singapore exports are estimated to hit $10 million annually“.
As the annual tariff savings (that is the revenue loss for Sri Lanka) calculated by the Singaporean Negotiators, Singaporean $ 10 million (Sri Lankan rupees 1,200 million in 2018) was way above the rupees’ 733 million revenue loss for 15 years estimated by the Sri Lankan negotiators, it was clear to any observer that one of the parties to the agreement had not done the basic arithmetic!
Six years later, according to a report published by “The Morning” newspaper, speaking at the Committee on Public Finance (COPF) on 7th May 2024, Mr Samarawickrama’s chief trade negotiator K.J. Weerasinghehad had admitted “…. that forecasted revenue loss for the Government of Sri Lanka through the Singapore FTA is Rs. 450 million in 2023 and Rs. 1.3 billion in 2024.”
If these numbers are correct, as tariff liberalisation under the SLSFTA has just started, we will pass Rs 2 billion very soon. Then, the question is how Sri Lanka’s trade negotiators made such a colossal blunder. Didn’t they do their basic arithmetic? If they didn’t know how to do basic arithmetic they should have at least done their basic readings. For example, the headline of the article published in The Straits Times in January 2018 was “Singapore, Sri Lanka sign FTA, annual savings of $10m expected”.
Anyway, as Sri Lanka’s chief negotiator reiterated at the COPF meeting that “…. since 99% of the tariffs in Singapore have zero rates of duty, Sri Lanka has agreed on 80% tariff liberalisation over a period of 15 years while expecting Singapore investments to address the imbalance in trade,” let’s turn towards investment.
Investment from Singapore
In July 2018, speaking during the Parliamentary Debate on the FTA this is what Minister Malik Samarawickrama stated on investment from Singapore, “Already, thanks to this FTA, in just the past two-and-a-half months since the agreement came into effect we have received a proposal from Singapore for investment amounting to $ 14.8 billion in an oil refinery for export of petroleum products. In addition, we have proposals for a steel manufacturing plant for exports ($ 1 billion investment), flour milling plant ($ 50 million), sugar refinery ($ 200 million). This adds up to more than $ 16.05 billion in the pipeline on these projects alone.
And all of these projects will create thousands of more jobs for our people. In principle approval has already been granted by the BOI and the investors are awaiting the release of land the environmental approvals to commence the project.
I request the Opposition and those with vested interests to change their narrow-minded thinking and join us to develop our country. We must always look at what is best for the whole community, not just the few who may oppose. We owe it to our people to courageously take decisions that will change their lives for the better.”
According to the media report I quoted earlier, speaking at the Committee on Public Finance (COPF) Chief Negotiator Weerasinghe has admitted that Sri Lanka was not happy with overall Singapore investments that have come in the past few years in return for the trade liberalisation under the Singapore-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement. He has added that between 2021 and 2023 the total investment from Singapore had been around $162 million!
What happened to those projects worth $16 billion negotiated, thanks to the SLSFTA, in just the two-and-a-half months after the agreement came into effect and approved by the BOI? I do not know about the steel manufacturing plant for exports ($ 1 billion investment), flour milling plant ($ 50 million) and sugar refinery ($ 200 million).
However, story of the multibillion-dollar investment in the Petroleum Refinery unfolded in a manner that would qualify it as the best fairy tale with false promises presented by our politicians and the officials, prior to 2019 elections.
Though many Sri Lankans got to know, through the media which repeatedly highlighted a plethora of issues surrounding the project and the questionable credentials of the Singaporean investor, the construction work on the Mirrijiwela Oil Refinery along with the cement factory began on the24th of March 2019 with a bang and Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and his ministers along with the foreign and local dignitaries laid the foundation stones.
That was few months before the 2019 Presidential elections. Inaugurating the construction work Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said the projects will create thousands of job opportunities in the area and surrounding districts.
The oil refinery, which was to be built over 200 acres of land, with the capacity to refine 200,000 barrels of crude oil per day, was to generate US$7 billion of exports and create 1,500 direct and 3,000 indirect jobs. The construction of the refinery was to be completed in 44 months. Four years later, in August 2023 the Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal presented by President Ranil Wickremesinghe to cancel the agreement with the investors of the refinery as the project has not been implemented! Can they explain to the country how much money was wasted to produce that fairy tale?
It is obvious that the President, ministers, and officials had made huge blunders and had deliberately misled the public and the parliament on the revenue loss and potential investment from SLSFTA with fairy tales and false promises.
As the president himself said, a country cannot be developed by making false promises or with fairy tales and these false promises and fairy tales had bankrupted the country. “Unfortunately, many segments of the population have not come to realize this yet”.
(The writer, a specialist and an activist on trade and development issues . )
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