Trial begins for activists who broke into Tennessee security complex

http://ncronline.org/news/peace-justice/trial-begins-activists-who-broke-tennessee-security-complex


Published on National Catholic Reporter (http://ncronline.org)
________________________________________

Trial begins for activists who broke into Tennessee security complex

Patrick O'Neill
May. 6, 2013

Knoxville, Tenn.

Two days before the start of a trial that could put her in prison, 83-year-old Sr. Megan Rice, a member of the Sisters of the Holy Child Jesus, stood in the sanctuary at Church of the Savior United Church of Christ here with her co-defendants and received a standing ovation.

Rice, Michael Walli, 64, and Greg Boertje Obed, 56, were arrested in July after breaking into the Y-12 National Security Complex [1] in nearby Oak Ridge. Each faces three separate charges of destruction of property, "depredation" of government property, and trespassing. Their trial is scheduled to open Tuesday after jury selection Monday, according to the Knoxville News Sentinel [2].

More than 100 people on Saturday attended a "Festival of Hope" honoring the three, who call themselves the Transform Now Plowshares, referencing the exhortation found in the books of Micah and Isaiah to turn swords into plowshares and spears into pruning hooks. Rice said she was awed to see such a large crowd, which included people who traveled to Knoxville from as far away as California and Hawaii and even included a film crew from Japanese public television in Tokyo.

"It's just utterly a speechless moment for me to thank you for coming from wherever you are because we're all in it together, and whoever does what, it's all part of the beautiful action that it has become," Rice said. "I sure do feel at home in this gracious community."

Defense attorney William Quigley, one of the attorneys representing the three, said he expects the court to limit what can be introduced regarding the religious or political motivations of the defendants.

"Legal systems are usually not big enough to handle the truth, and courtrooms are often not big enough to handle justice," Quigley told NCR. "But if anybody can make it fit, I think it's these three folks. They've done a beautiful job and they're inspiring, and I think the jury and the judge and the public is going to really hear the story of the truth about these weapons."

The activists are accused of defacing the Y-12 complex's Highly Enriched Uranium Materials Facility, described by the government [3] as a "vital national security asset," after cutting through several fences early July 28 and painting messages in blood on the walls of a uranium storage site, according to an Oct. 23 NCR story [1]. The break-in led to a two-week shutdown [4] of work at the plant and spurred criticism of the facility's security from the highest levels of the federal government.

Oblate Fr. Carl Kabat, a member of the first Plowshare action Sept. 8, 1980, came from St. Louis for the trial. Kabat, 79, who has spent years imprisoned for acts of civil disobedience, said a lack of spiritual and political leadership keeps most Americans in the dark about the nuclear arms race.

"Most Americans don't know or understand the issues raised by the Plowshares groups," Kabat said. "How are they to know if their local bishops and cardinals and politicians don't speak about these issues?"

Kabat carried a flier at the festival that quoted Second Vatican Council document Gaudiem et Spes [5]: "Any act of war aimed indiscriminately at the destruction of entire cities of extensive areas along with their population is a crime against God and man himself. It merits unequivocal and unhesitating condemnation."

"That's Vatican II," Kabat said. "Why don't [bishops, cardinals and politicians] teach that? Because we're the biggest purveyor of nuclear weapons in the world."

[Patrick O'Neill, a freelance writer from Raleigh, N.C., is a longtime contributor to NCR.]

Transform Now Plowshares activists Greg Boertje Obed, orange jacket, and Michael Walli (in the Ground the Drones T-shirt) with other activists

________________________________________

Source URL (retrieved on 05/07/2013 - 18:15): http://ncronline.org/news/peace-justice/trial-begins-activists-who-broke-tennessee-security-complex

Links:

[1] http://ncronline.org/node/37571/

[2] http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2013/may/06/jury-selection-begins-today-for-y-12-protesters/

[3] http://www.y12.doe.gov/missions/transformation/heumf.php

[4] http://ncronline.org/node/31602

[5] http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_cons_19651207_gaudium-et-spes_en.html


New post on Transform Now Plowshares

Court, Day 1: Bright then boring

by tnplowshares

"Let's stop pouring our billions into false, impossible security." -- Sister Megan Rice

Anabel Dwyer put the focus on this quote of Sister Megan's this morning as she addressed a handful of media representatives at the Transform Now Plowshares pre-trial press orientation. Nuclear weapons have unavoidable catastrophic global effects, and nuclear "security" is a sham. As Paul and Anabel briefed the press, a crowd of supporters and onlookers began to gather at the other end of Market Square, tuned into the drumbeats that signaled the beginning of a prophetic tableau.

Giant blindfolded puppets walked towards the crowd, carrying a huge cardboard nuclear weapon. Sue, dressed as a jester, announced, "These people have been specially chosen to go from town to town bringing this BEAUTIFUL RESOURCE that their country has poured thousands of dollars into, that they are so happy to bring for all to see!"

"Our first citizen believes that what she is carrying is... a BICYCLE!!! (COOL!) Our second believes that what he is carrying around the country to be admired and used is... a TOASTER!!! (YUM!) A third citizen believes she is bringing books, and a fourth citizen just knows that he has been given an astounding and awe-inspiring... WHALE!!!"

In the end, the citizens remove their blindfolds and see clearly what they have been carrying, and the nuclear weapon is transformed by household hammers into beautiful trees and rivers, mountains and towns full of life and joy.

With that, the crowd danced in the square, and continued dancing in procession all the way to the courthouse. At the courthouse there was more dancing, drumming, and chanting, some statements by the defendants, and a blessing of Greg, Megan, and Michael as they went into the courtroom. John Amidon of Veterans for Peace has put together a three-minute video that gives a wonderful feel for the spirit of the street celebration.

The rest of the day was nowhere near as interesting: in court, the process of sorting through seventy prospective jurors was uninspiring, disorganized, and repetitive. "It was more boring than jail," reported a seasoned resister in the gallery.

Of the pool of seventy, 44 had close ties to the military, and several dozen had close ties to law enforcement. Only three had any experience attending protests. "That's what it means to be in front of an east Tennessee jury," said Ralph Hutchison. Almost 90% of the jury pool had heard about the case prior to arriving in court today. Finally, at 7pm, a jury was chosen. A group of fourteen chosen, which will later be separated into twelve jurors and two alternates; ten are men and four are women. All are white.

After court, we enjoyed the hospitality of the First Presbyterian Church and the wonderful cooking of the Great Smoky Mountains Peace Pagoda. We had a humorous recap of the day from Ralph and Anabel, and some more music from Charlie King before he has to leave us tomorrow.

Court will be starting at 8:30 daily EXCEPT tomorrow, Tuesday -- we will begin at 9:00am due to the late finish tonight.

Below you will find links to a sampling of the media coverage so far.

Peace.

Associated Press -- Introduction and background to trial

Oak Ridge Today -- Monday jury selection

Knoxville News Sentinel photo gallery -- Monday puppet street theater

WATE -- Monday puppet street theater

National Catholic Reporter -- Sunday Festival of Hope

WBIR -- Sunday Y12 vigil

tnplowshares
May 7, 2013 at 12:21 am
Categories: Updates
URL: http://wp.me/p2DeLo-a5




http://ncronline.org/news/peace-justice/trial-begins-activists-who-broke-tennessee-security-complex






Published on National Catholic Reporter (http://ncronline.org)

________________________________________

Trial begins for activists who broke into Tennessee security complex

Patrick O'Neill
May. 6, 2013

Knoxville, Tenn.

Two days before the start of a trial that could put her in prison, 83-year-old Sr. Megan Rice, a member of the Sisters of the Holy Child Jesus, stood in the sanctuary at Church of the Savior United Church of Christ here with her co-defendants and received a standing ovation.

Rice, Michael Walli, 64, and Greg Boertje Obed, 56, were arrested in July after breaking into the Y-12 National Security Complex [1] in nearby Oak Ridge. Each faces three separate charges of destruction of property, "depredation" of government property, and trespassing. Their trial is scheduled to open Tuesday after jury selection Monday, according to the Knoxville News Sentinel [2].

More than 100 people on Saturday attended a "Festival of Hope" honoring the three, who call themselves the Transform Now Plowshares, referencing the exhortation found in the books of Micah and Isaiah to turn swords into plowshares and spears into pruning hooks. Rice said she was awed to see such a large crowd, which included people who traveled to Knoxville from as far away as California and Hawaii and even included a film crew from Japanese public television in Tokyo.

"It's just utterly a speechless moment for me to thank you for coming from wherever you are because we're all in it together, and whoever does what, it's all part of the beautiful action that it has become," Rice said. "I sure do feel at home in this gracious community."

Defense attorney William Quigley, one of the attorneys representing the three, said he expects the court to limit what can be introduced regarding the religious or political motivations of the defendants.

"Legal systems are usually not big enough to handle the truth, and courtrooms are often not big enough to handle justice," Quigley told NCR. "But if anybody can make it fit, I think it's these three folks. They've done a beautiful job and they're inspiring, and I think the jury and the judge and the public is going to really hear the story of the truth about these weapons."

The activists are accused of defacing the Y-12 complex's Highly Enriched Uranium Materials Facility, described by the government [3] as a "vital national security asset," after cutting through several fences early July 28 and painting messages in blood on the walls of a uranium storage site, according to an Oct. 23 NCR story [1]. The break-in led to a two-week shutdown [4] of work at the plant and spurred criticism of the facility's security from the highest levels of the federal government.

Oblate Fr. Carl Kabat, a member of the first Plowshare action Sept. 8, 1980, came from St. Louis for the trial. Kabat, 79, who has spent years imprisoned for acts of civil disobedience, said a lack of spiritual and political leadership keeps most Americans in the dark about the nuclear arms race.

"Most Americans don't know or understand the issues raised by the Plowshares groups," Kabat said. "How are they to know if their local bishops and cardinals and politicians don't speak about these issues?"

Kabat carried a flier at the festival that quoted Second Vatican Council document Gaudiem et Spes [5]: "Any act of war aimed indiscriminately at the destruction of entire cities of extensive areas along with their population is a crime against God and man himself. It merits unequivocal and unhesitating condemnation."

"That's Vatican II," Kabat said. "Why don't [bishops, cardinals and politicians] teach that? Because we're the biggest purveyor of nuclear weapons in the world."

[Patrick O'Neill, a freelance writer from Raleigh, N.C., is a longtime contributor to NCR.]



Transform Now Plowshares activists Greg Boertje Obed, orange jacket, and Michael Walli (in the Ground the Drones T-shirt) with other activists

________________________________________

Source URL (retrieved on 05/07/2013 - 18:15): http://ncronline.org/news/peace-justice/trial-begins-activists-who-broke-tennessee-security-complex

Links:

[1] http://ncronline.org/node/37571/

[2] http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2013/may/06/jury-selection-begins-today-for-y-12-protesters/

[3] http://www.y12.doe.gov/missions/transformation/heumf.php

[4] http://ncronline.org/node/31602

[5] http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_cons_19651207_gaudium-et-spes_en.html







New post on Transform Now Plowshares






Court, Day 1: Bright then boring

by tnplowshares


"Let's stop pouring our billions into false, impossible security." -- Sister Megan Rice

Anabel Dwyer put the focus on this quote of Sister Megan's this morning as she addressed a handful of media representatives at the Transform Now Plowshares pre-trial press orientation. Nuclear weapons have unavoidable catastrophic global effects, and nuclear "security" is a sham. As Paul and Anabel briefed the press, a crowd of supporters and onlookers began to gather at the other end of Market Square, tuned into the drumbeats that signaled the beginning of a prophetic tableau.

Giant blindfolded puppets walked towards the crowd, carrying a huge cardboard nuclear weapon. Sue, dressed as a jester, announced, "These people have been specially chosen to go from town to town bringing this BEAUTIFUL RESOURCE that their country has poured thousands of dollars into, that they are so happy to bring for all to see!"

"Our first citizen believes that what she is carrying is... a BICYCLE!!! (COOL!) Our second believes that what he is carrying around the country to be admired and used is... a TOASTER!!! (YUM!) A third citizen believes she is bringing books, and a fourth citizen just knows that he has been given an astounding and awe-inspiring... WHALE!!!"

In the end, the citizens remove their blindfolds and see clearly what they have been carrying, and the nuclear weapon is transformed by household hammers into beautiful trees and rivers, mountains and towns full of life and joy.

With that, the crowd danced in the square, and continued dancing in procession all the way to the courthouse. At the courthouse there was more dancing, drumming, and chanting, some statements by the defendants, and a blessing of Greg, Megan, and Michael as they went into the courtroom. John Amidon of Veterans for Peace has put together a three-minute video that gives a wonderful feel for the spirit of the street celebration.

The rest of the day was nowhere near as interesting: in court, the process of sorting through seventy prospective jurors was uninspiring, disorganized, and repetitive. "It was more boring than jail," reported a seasoned resister in the gallery.

Of the pool of seventy, 44 had close ties to the military, and several dozen had close ties to law enforcement. Only three had any experience attending protests. "That's what it means to be in front of an east Tennessee jury," said Ralph Hutchison. Almost 90% of the jury pool had heard about the case prior to arriving in court today. Finally, at 7pm, a jury was chosen. A group of fourteen chosen, which will later be separated into twelve jurors and two alternates; ten are men and four are women. All are white.

After court, we enjoyed the hospitality of the First Presbyterian Church and the wonderful cooking of the Great Smoky Mountains Peace Pagoda. We had a humorous recap of the day from Ralph and Anabel, and some more music from Charlie King before he has to leave us tomorrow.

Court will be starting at 8:30 daily EXCEPT tomorrow, Tuesday -- we will begin at 9:00am due to the late finish tonight.

Below you will find links to a sampling of the media coverage so far.

Peace.

Associated Press -- Introduction and background to trial

Oak Ridge Today -- Monday jury selection

Knoxville News Sentinel photo gallery -- Monday puppet street theater

WATE -- Monday puppet street theater

National Catholic Reporter -- Sunday Festival of Hope

WBIR -- Sunday Y12 vigil

tnplowshares
May 7, 2013 at 12:21 am
Categories: Updates
URL: http://wp.me/p2DeLo-a5