Opinion

OP-ED: Isolate – Don’t Bomb – Syria

Published

12 years ago

September 10, 2013

President Obama spoke to the nation Tuesday night on Syria hoping to stem opposition that is rising both at home and abroad. Polls show the broad majority of Americans oppose getting further involved in Syria.

Despite his best efforts, the president could not persuade even a majority of the G-20 nations — the largest economies in the world — to declare support for a strike on Syria.

In Congress, the Senate seems split, but in the House the number of representatives expressing their opposition or doubts about striking Syria far exceeds those indicating support.

Americans are weary of war, still waiting for American troops to come home from Afghanistan, now one of the longest wars in U.S. history. I applaud the president for respecting the Constitution and taking the issue to the Congress.

Pundits say that rejection by that body would damage his credibility. But it would accurately reflect deep American skepticism about continued military intrusion into the civil and sectarian conflicts of that region.

The largest concern should be a question of conscience. The administration’s call to intervene is described as an act of humanity, championed by those who are called “humanitarian interventionists.”

They cite a “duty to protect” and emphasize the importance of enforcing the international ban on chemical weapons. The strike, the president says, is “a shot across the bow,” not designed to dislodge the regime or change the course of the brutal civil war in that nation.

But firing cruise missiles also raises questions of conscience. Dr. Martin Luther King broke with Lyndon Johnson over the war in Vietnam, in part because he believed that violence would only beget more violence.

An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth would leave us all blind and toothless. The cruise missiles will surely strike some who had nothing to do with the chemical attacks.

The president would be wiser to detail his evidence to the international community, mobilize a global condemnation of the act, and define a course of further isolating the Syrian regime, turning those who ordered the use of chemical weapons into international pariahs.

Killing more innocent people in an arbitrary punitive act settles nothing, while adding to the violence. More than 2 million people, including 1 million children, have already fled the country. Millions more have been displaced internally. Adding to the violence will only add to this shame.

The administration is now engaged in a full-court press diplomatically to gain support for its strike. Surely, it would be both more effective and more productive to use that energy to engage nations — from Russia to China, Saudi Arabia, even Iran — to press Syria to put its chemical weapons under international control.

The second concern is one of cost. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel argues that even a limited military strike against Syria would cost tens of millions of dollars. But the cost surely will be much higher, while the U.S. is cutting children out of Head Start and depriving disabled seniors of hot meals.

The costs of the unintended consequences are likely to be greater. But the real cost may well be in the distraction from our challenges here at home.

We have over 20 million people in need of full-time work. The economy is limping; Europe is barely inching out of recession..

The congressional debate — in light of the fact that Congress has only has nine days in session to pass a budget to keep the government open next month — should be devoted to the jobs program we need, while passing a budget and lifting the debt ceiling to pay our debts. Instead, this next week at least will be Syria 24/7.

The third concern is one of credibility. The pundits say the president’s credibility and the credibility of this nation are on the line.. But the real credibility gap precedes this president.

The credibility of American intelligence was shattered in the distortions and lies used to sell our intervention in Iraq. That credibility gap grew wider with the revelations that the NSA was collecting data on Americans and allies in ways its leaders had denied in congressional testimony.

Across the world, citizens and leaders are skeptical about American claims.

That a loathsome use of chemical weapons murdered thousands of people in Syria seems clear. But finding evidence that Syrian President Assad ordered the strike is, according to AP intelligence sources, “no slam dunk.”

It is time to challenge the cycle of violence and escalation in the Middle East. Legislators will surely be held accountable for the choice they make.

Email: jjackson@rainbowpush.org

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Oakland Post: Week of June 18 – 24, 2025

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of June 18 – 24, 2025

Published

2 days ago

June 20, 2025

Oakland Post

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Juneteenth: Celebrating Our History, Honoring Our Shared Spaces

It’s been empowering to watch Juneteenth blossom into a widely celebrated holiday, filled with vibrant outdoor events like cookouts, festivals, parades, and more. It’s inspiring to see the community embrace our history—showing up in droves to celebrate freedom, a freedom delayed for some enslaved Americans more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed.

Published

3 days ago

June 18, 2025

Oakland Post

Wayne Wilson, Public Affairs Campaign Manager, Caltrans

By Wayne Wilson, Public Affairs Campaign Manager, Caltrans

Juneteenth marks an important moment in our shared history—a time to reflect on the legacy of our ancestors who, even in the face of injustice, chose freedom, unity, and community over fear, anger, and hopelessness. We honor their resilience and the paths they paved so future generations can continue to walk with pride.

As we head into the weekend full of festivities and summer celebrations, I want to offer a friendly reminder about who is not invited to the cookout: litter.

At Clean California, we believe the places where we gather—parks, parade routes, street corners, and church lots—should reflect the pride and beauty of the people who fill them. Our mission is to restore and beautify public spaces, transforming areas impacted by trash and neglect into spaces that reflect the strength and spirit of the communities who use them.

Too often, after the music fades and the grills cool, our public spaces are left littered with trash. Just as our ancestors took pride in their communities, we honor their legacy when we clean up after ourselves, teach our children to do the same, and care for our shared spaces.

Small acts can inspire big change. Since 2021, Clean California and its partners have collected and removed over 2.9 million cubic yards of litter. We did this by partnering with local nonprofits and community organizations to organize grassroots cleanup events and beautification projects across California.

Now, we invite all California communities to continue the incredible momentum and take the pledge toward building a cleaner community through our Clean California Community Designation Program. This recognizes cities and neighborhoods committed to long-term cleanliness and civic pride.

This Juneteenth, let’s not only celebrate our history—but also contribute to its legacy. By picking up after ourselves and by leaving no litter behind after celebrations, we have an opportunity to honor our past and shape a cleaner, safer, more vibrant future.

Visit CleanCA.com to learn more about Clean California.

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OPINION: California’s Legislature Has the Wrong Prescription for the Affordability Crisis — Gov. Newsom’s Plan Hits the Mark

Last month, Gov. Newsom included measures in his budget that would encourage greater transparency, accountability, and affordability across the prescription drug supply chain. His plan would deliver real relief to struggling Californians. It would also help expose the hidden markups and practices by big drug companies that push the prices of prescription drugs higher and higher. The legislature should follow the Governor’s lead and embrace sensible, fair regulations that will not raise the cost of medications.

Published

3 days ago

June 18, 2025

Oakland Post

Rev. Dr. Lawrence E. VanHook. Courtesy of Rev. Dr. Lawrence E. VanHook.

By Rev. Dr. Lawrence E. VanHook

As a pastor and East Bay resident, I see firsthand how my community struggles with the rising cost of everyday living. A fellow pastor in Oakland recently told me he cuts his pills in half to make them last longer because of the crushing costs of drugs.

Meanwhile, community members are contending with skyrocketing grocery prices and a lack of affordable healthcare options, while businesses are being forced to close their doors.

Our community is hurting. Things have to change.

The most pressing issue that demands our leaders’ attention is rising healthcare costs, and particularly the rising cost of medications. Annual prescription drug costs in California have spiked by nearly 50% since 2018, from $9.1 billion to $13.6 billion.

Some lawmakers, however, have advanced legislation that would drive up healthcare costs and set communities like mine back further.

I’m particularly concerned with Senate Bill (SB) 41, sponsored by Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), a carbon copy of a 2024 bill that I strongly opposed and Gov. Newsom rightly vetoed. This bill would impose significant healthcare costs on patients, small businesses, and working families, while allowing big drug companies to increase their profits.

SB 41 would impose a new $10.05 pharmacy fee for every prescription filled in California. This new fee, which would apply to millions of Californians, is roughly five times higher than the current average of $2.

For example, a Bay Area family with five monthly prescriptions would be forced to shoulder about $500 more in annual health costs. If a small business covers 25 employees, each with four prescription fills per month (the national average), that would add nearly $10,000 per year in health care costs.

This bill would also restrict how health plan sponsors — like employers, unions, state plans, Medicare, and Medicaid — partner with pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) to negotiate against big drug companies and deliver the lowest possible costs for employees and members. By mandating a flat fee for pharmacy benefit services, this misguided legislation would undercut your health plan’s ability to drive down costs while handing more profits to pharmaceutical manufacturers.

This bill would also endanger patients by eliminating safety requirements for pharmacies that dispense complex and costly specialty medications. Additionally, it would restrict home delivery for prescriptions, a convenient and affordable service that many families rely on.

Instead of repeating the same tired plan laid out in the big pharma-backed playbook, lawmakers should embrace Newsom’s transparency-first approach and prioritize our communities.

Let’s urge our state legislators to reject policies like SB 41 that would make a difficult situation even worse for communities like ours.

About the Author

Rev. Dr. VanHook is the founder and pastor of The Community Church in Oakland and the founder of The Charis House, a re-entry facility for men recovering from alcohol and drug abuse.