Author Archive for Jack & Felice

WE CAN SEE THE BOTTOM OF THE CREDIT UNION ACCOUNT – PLEASE HELP!

November 6, 2012

Dear friends,

Today is election day in the U.S.  But presidential elections do not distract us from the important work the Nuclear Resister continues to do year round, year after year.  We know that whoever is elected, nonviolent resistance to nuclear weapons, nuclear power and war must continue. And after watching eight such contests come and go since the Nuclear Resister began in October of 1980, we are confident that the resistance will continue.

We are also certain that publishing the newsletter and expanding our outreach via blog, email and Facebook would not be possible without your vital support! We are deeply grateful to know that we can count on the generosity of your donations to help us continue reporting on these acts of conscience and encouraging support for imprisoned activists, bringing this news of resistance to thousands of people around the world.

from The Upstate Coalition to Ground the Drones and Stop the Wars

On the morning of October 25, forty concerned citizens created a blockade of Hancock Air National Guard Base outside Syracuse, NY.  MQ-9 Reaper drones are operated by remote control from the base, and are used to carry out attacks in Afghanistan and possibly other countries.  The activists say this use of drones violates international and domestic law, and amounts to war crimes.

“Unless God guards the city, in vain do the guards keep watch.” One of the four guard towers at the corner of the Highly Enriched Uranium Materials Facility, storehouse for nuclear weapons HEU, is inscribed with the words “Plowshares Please Isaiah.” The Transform Now Plowshares action reveals the illusory nature of the quest for security—the only true security is to abolish nuclear weapons.

PHOTOS OF PLOWSHARES PROTEST AGAINST NUCLEAR WEAPONS AND NEW BOMB PLANT PROPOSED FOR Y-12 COMPLEX IN OAK RIDGE ARE RELEASED

The Transform Now Plowshares resisters, Michael Walli, Megan Rice and Greg Boertje-Obed, today release to the public photographs from their July 28, 2012, entry into the Y12 Nuclear Weapons Complex in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The Transform Now Plowshares action focuses attention on the ongoing production of nuclear weapons of mass destruction in Oak Ridge and the plans for a new $7.5 billion weapon production facility, the Uranium Processing Facility, at Y12.

Three high security fences enclose the facilities that engage in ongoing crimes against humanity—the production of thermonuclear weapons of mass destruction—at the Y12 Nuclear Weapons Complex in Oak Ridge, TN. These fences enclose the “deadly force” zone; motion sensors and cameras failed to alert guards to the presence of the Transform Now Plowshares resisters; the National Nuclear Security Administration notes guards were desensitized to the alarms by the natural activity of animals. “These fences are on land entrusted by the Creator for life-giving purposes,” said Greg Boertje-Obed. “Should we be grateful to nature for helping to raise awareness of false ‘security’ and impending global destruction?” The fences bear banners hung by the Plowshares resisters including the citation from the prophet Isaiah, “They shall beat swords into plowshares.”

Beth Brockman on July 5, 2010, taken shortly before she participated in a blockade of the road into the Y-12 nuclear weapons complex in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. photo by jpKernodle

from Art Laffin, Dorothy Day Catholic Worker, Washington, D.C.

The court hearing for the August 6th peace witness at the Pentagon took place on October 19 in U.S. District Court in Alexandria, Virginia before U.S. Magistrate Judge Buchanan. Andrea Eiland had her charge dismissed as did Luke Hansen, who was not present. Both were first time arrestees. Beth Brockman, popular educator and peace activist from Raleigh, North Carolina, Bill Frankel-Streit, Little Flower Catholic Worker in Virginia, Rosemary Thompson, Executive Director, Murphy Initiative for Peace and Justice, Baltimore, Maryland and I pled “no contest” to the charge of “failure to obey a lawful order.” We were each found guilty and allowed to make brief sentencing statements. (Below is a poem from Daniel Berrigan which I quoted in my sentencing statement). Several of us also extended an invitation to Judge Buchanan to join us in our work of creating a nonviolent world free of nuclear weapons, weapons of mass destruction and war. We were then given an $85 fine.

Linda Pon Owen assists Frances Crowe in chaining herself with others across the Vermont Yankee driveway.

from Marcia Gagliardi, Shut it Down affinity group

VERNON, Vermont — Attired in hazmat suits to highlight the danger of radiation emissions from the Entergy Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant, twelve women of the Shut It Down Affinity group chained themselves across the driveway Wednesday afternoon, October 17, before Vernon police arrested them for trespass.

Workers scheduled to leave their day shift at the plant were detained by Entergy officials and Vernon police during the arrest while Vernon Sergeant Bruce Gauld arranged transportation for the arrestees to the police department less than a mile from the power plant.