Month: September 2005

Daniel Berrigan, Societas Iesu

All My Heroes Have FBI FilesFirst century Christians were seen as a threat to the powerful. Twenty-first century Christians are not. (First century Christian hipsters probably wore buttons reading: “All My Heroes Are Martyrs.”)

Last night, Father Dan Berrigan, Jesuit priest and FBI “Ten Most Wanted Fugitives” laureate, read some of his poetry about war at Worcester’s College of the Holy Cross.

A noted anti-war activist, his most spectacular crimes are behind him, but his example continues to inspire others.
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Arguing against the Iraq War/SP4 verdict in

The St. Patrick’s Four were acquitted of conspiracy to impede a federal officer in connection with a nonviolent 2003 demonstration against the Iraq War. (The jury found them guilty of misdemeanor charges of property damage and trespassing.)

This means it’s still OK to demonstrate against the war.

100,000+ demonstrated against the Iraq War in DC this weekend.

I was one of 30 in Worcester demonstrating against it.

For every person demonstrating against it, probably 10 people are blogging against it.

The best “US out of Iraq NOW” posts of the weekend are from Billmon and Juan Cole. Running Scared has a good summary of the latest arguments.

I recommend these posts because they might help you articulate these “out NOW” arguments to others. Especially those who prefer: “US Out of Iraq, But Not Yet.” (Several P&C contributors are leaning that way.)

Every week in Worcester we have a demonstration against the war–it’s been going on for years. (I recall demonstrating with a “No War On Iraq” sign in May 2002; I can’t recall what news item prompted this.)

Most drivers encourage us, but people still flip us off, too. I wish I had a way to reach out to these folks. Maybe you need a 500-word essay to articulate the argument, and not a 5-word sign.

I went to jury duty today. In our state there is a “one day or one trial” policy, and since they had more than enough juries for the day, my group was sent home without ever entering a courtroom.

How to Do Outreach and Build Community

One-man or one-woman revolutions are sometimes necessary, but should never result from a failure to invite others to your demonstration.

Use e-mail, mailing lists, and phone trees from groups sympathetic to your cause. Put announcements in your local newspapers’ calendars, and put up flyers in public places.

Introduce everyone at each protest. Honor all who join you. Ask for feedback afterwards and try to keep an open mind about incorporating new ideas.

Never use us/they language. Instead, describe problems as things which everyone in the human community must solve together.

Respect for your opponents will increase the likelihood of genuine dialog and eventual alliance.

Author’s note: Before my first demonstration in 1978, I enjoyed a nonviolence training session led by seasoned activists, using a booklet filled with wisdom gained over time. Later on, when organizing protests of my own, I enjoyed the advice of civil rights and Vietnam War protestor Tom Lewis. I have also learned a few things the hard way. I hope How to Hold a Demonstration will make it easier for others to organize powerful and persuasive protests.

How to Pick a Time and Place

Select a place for your demonstration that has important symbolic value and is also visible to pedestrian and vehicular traffic.

For example, you may have an arms factory located on an out-of-the-way road. In this case, an anti-war protest may have more impact at a war memorial downtown.

Symbolic dates are fine, but should not be stuck to if more people are likely to attend on a weekend.
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Trial of the St. Patrick’s Four and other items

St. Patricks\' Four sign

  • Today begins the trial of four Catholic Workers from Ithaca, New York who poured blood around the vestibule of a military recruiting office.

    They wanted the fresh recruits, the ones they believed had been seduced by video games and government lies, to see the blood and think about those destined to shed it: the Iraqi people and American soldiers. They refused to leave and prayed while they waited to be arrested.
    (New York Times)

    They were tried in a local court, and had a hung jury. Nine of the twelve jurors voted to acquit.

    After that, federal charges were brought against them for the same incident.

    Running Scared has done a good job of blogging the trial. See also: St. Patrick’s Four, the Press & Sun-Bulletin, Binghamton IndyMedia, and WICZ (a Fox affiliate that some on the scene think is doing the best reporting job).

    This is the dark side of our legal system. It’s gone beyond justice to raw, hungry vengeance.

    “Anyone who disagrees with this administration and dares to show it gets the crap beat out of them.”
    (Associated Press)

  • All that is good in the world is summed up by the Worcester Tornadoes’ Can-Am League championship! Cheap, independent baseball; good times; and the big win at the end.

    The Tornadoes don’t really have a good nickname. The local paper calls them the ‘Nadoes.

    Ralph NaderBut how about the ‘Naders?

    Or the ‘Nads?

  • Vern sums up all that is bad in the world with his review of the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards.

    Quoth Vern:

    The weird thing is, it turns out the ’80s could’ve been worse.

    and

    It was like Caligula without the bestiality.

    and

    So what did we do? Were we fiddling while Rome was burning? Well no, it wasn’t a real fiddle, it was keyboards.

“Real Solutions” and other items

Since Pie and Coffee is on the list of integral blogs, maybe the connections between the “Items” should be made more explicit.

  • Today in Worcester, a group of concerned citizens called Real Solutions announced their existence and asked the City to focus on compassionate, effective solutions to problems of poverty.

    Real Solutions press conference at City Hall, Worcester, Mass.The tag line: “Target poverty, not people.”

    The speakers included Baptist minister Walter Tilleman, one of the local clergy who signed a recent statement against the City’s panhandling campaign. (Monsignor Francis Scollen, my parish priest, also signed the statement.)

    Real Solutions called for the City to discontinue the anti-panhandling campaign, and focus these energies elsewhere.

    The group’s next meeting is Tuesday, September 20th at 7pm at Abby’s House Shelter at 52 High Street. The meeting will focus on the Mayor’s Social Service Siting Task Force.

    (Worcester Telegram & Gazette article)

    Speaking of American religious leaders taking an all-too-rare bold stand on controversial issues . . .

  • . . . on August 29 the Leadership Conference of Women Religious declared opposition to the war in Iraq. The LCWR represents about 70,000 women religious (that is, Catholic nuns) in the US.

    We call on our government to develop a responsible plan for the withdrawal of troops from Iraq; to support the development of infrastructures for both human and environmental stability in Iraq; to respect religious and cultural diversity within Iraq; and to redirect needed resources to meet human needs at home and in other parts of the world.

    Speaking of the Catholic Church and hot-button issues . . .

  • Yesterday, there was a small vigil at Worcester’s Holy Cross college sponsored by alumni and aimed at removing the college’s ROTC program. The vigil is held annually on September 14, the Feast of the Holy Cross.

    Speaking of Holy Cross . . .

  • . . . Fr. Daniel Berrigan will be speaking at the Hogan Ballroom there Weds, Sept 28, 7:00 pm.

    Speaking of Catholic priests . . .

  • . . . New York Times: Vatican to Check U.S. Seminaries on Gay Presence.

    Many years ago I was at a week-long Boy Scouts of America training program to be a summer camp Aquatics Director. One day a bureaucratic type addressed our class on the BSA’s homosexuality policy, which at that time required us to inform on camp staff who were gay. An old guy from the South raised his hand and said, “I’m not going to do that.” The bureaucrat started to argue with him, which broke the wall of polite silence, and many of the Aquatics Directors-in-training joined in saying, “Yeah, I’m not going to do that, either. Are you crazy?”

    Wonder how often the Vatican will run into the same situation.

    I also wonder how many Vatican memos have used the word “gaydar.”

    Speaking of kinkiness . . .

  • . . . once again the Worcester Public Library brings you Rocky Horror Picture Show. As square a venue as the library is, they’ve upped the ante by showing the film at 2 o’clock on Saturday afternoon!

How to Send a Clear Message

Before your demonstration, articulate what you oppose and support in a single-sided flyer. Give it a short title. Sum your purpose up in one sentence, then highlight it.

Don’t get sidetracked. Every group has members with pet issues. A protest headlined “Vegans, Catholics, Feminists, Anarchists, Pacifists Unite!” is less likely to draw a crowd than one labeled “Unite Against War!” If it’s a vigil against factory farming by Kentucky Fried Chicken, then vegetarianism might belong in the title, but not otherwise.
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Thoughts on Panhandling

On the one hand, a lot of guys panhandle to feed addictions.

On the other hand, asking for help is a basic social action. When I came into the world, the first thing I did was took a breath and cried for help.

When a city mounts an anti-panhandling media campaign, it can come across as saying: “Welcome to our town! Don’t even think of asking for help here!”

How should we relate to people who are asking for things we probably shouldn’t give them?

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