Charles Mercieca, Ph.D.
President, International Association of Educators for World Peace
Dedicated to United Nations Goals of Peace Education,
Environmental Protection, Human Rights & Disarmament
Professor Emeritus, Alabama A&M University

The New Webster Dictionary of the English Language describes sin as moral depravity, iniquity, wickedness, offence, and voluntary departure from divine law or command. The same dictionary describes transgression as the breaking or violation of any law. The one involved with such violation is called transgressor, which means an offender or an evildoer. Since sin is generally associated with the divine law, it is viewed as a source of moral aggression.

Divine Law in Perspective

No response is more predictable than the reflexive squawk of the greenhouse fearmongers that anyone questioning their claims is in the pay of the energy companies. A second, equally predictable retort contrasts the ever-diminishing number of agnostics to the legions of scientists now born again to the "truth" that anthropogenic CO2 is responsible for the earth's warming trend.

            Actually, the energy companies have long since adapted to prevailing fantasies, dutifully reciting the whole catechism about carbon-neutrality, sniggering jovially over Tom Friedman's rapturous endorsement of "clean coal," repositioning themselves as eager pioneers in the search for virtuous alternative fuels, settling comfortably into new homes, such as British Petroleum's "Energy Biosciences Institute" on the UC Berkeley campus.

By now many farmers producing organic milk or meat from ruminants have seen the news about the federal court ruling that the USDA violated the law by failing to conduct a full Environmental Impact Study before approving Monsanto’s genetically engineered alfalfa trademarked Roundup Ready®. The judge’s latest ruling in the case bans any further planting of the GE seed until the USDA conducts a complete Environmental Impact Statement on the GE crop.

Genetically modified alfalfa presents significantly different challenges than any other previous GE crop introduction. These differences mean the introduction of GE alfalfa could have significant economic impact on producers of organic forage and animal products. The differences directly relate to the biological differences between alfalfa and the grain crops and the way seed is produced.

Government of Sudan Bombards North Darfur; Africa Action Urges U.S. Action at the UN Security Council to Deploy UN Peacekeepers

Thursday, May 10, 2007 (Washington, DC) – In the wake of renewed government aerial bombardments in North Darfur, reported yesterday by United Nations (UN) Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Africa Action today stressed that civilians in Darfur remain acutely vulnerable to violent attacks in this ongoing genocide. The organization further emphasized that the U.S. mission at the UN, during its current presidency of the Security Council, must act to ensure the deployment of a peacekeeping force to Darfur to protect non-combatants from such attacks.

Nii Akuetteh, Executive Director of Africa Action, said today, “The international community, with the U.S. as a key member, keeps saying it will act to end the violence in Darfur. Recent attacks by the Sudanese government clearly illustrate that international action thus far has been insufficient. The U.S. must work now to advance Darfur on the UN Security Council agenda for this month and use this crucial opportunity to make the deployment of peacekeepers a reality.”

If you knew Syria like Dubya knew Syria, oh, oh, oh what a gal!

            It is a commonly held secret that Syria is President Bush's dirty little mistress in the global war on terror. Like most mistresses, Syria is not acknowledged publicly for its aid and comfort to our self-proclaimed "war president." Remember when he used to be Mr. Compassionate Conservative?

            In fact, Bush openly shuns Syria -- something that also happens to dirty mistresses. They get used, but they get no respect.

            Bush II berates Syria in public as a wellspring for terrorism. He could talk what we in Missouri call ad nauseum about Syria as a benefactor for Hamas and that crowd.

            Such criticism is deserved. So why has the Bushvolk used Syria as an outpost for outsourcing torture? Talk about strange bedfellows!

            Under the questionable practice known as extraordinary rendition, the Bush administration has allowed people to be arrested, kidnapped and held incommunicado in such non-democratic states as Syria.