Baltimore Activist Alert June 21 – June 23, 2013

Baltimore Activist Alert June 21 – June 27, 2013


"I speak as an American to the leaders of my own nation. The great initiative in this war is ours.

The initiative to stop it must be ours." -Martin Luther King Jr.

Friends, this list and other email documents which I send out are done under the auspices of the Baltimore Nonviolence Center. Go to www.baltimorenonviolencecenter.blogspot.com. If you appreciate this information and would like to make a donation, send contributions to BNC, 325 East 25th Street, Baltimore, MD 21218. Max Obuszewski can be reached at 410-366-1637 or mobuszewski [at] verizon.net.



Tune into the Maryland Progressive Blog at http://mdprogblog.org.



1] Books, buttons & stickers

2] Web site for info on federal legislation

3] Join Nonviolent Resistance lists

4] Buy coffee through HoCoFoLa

5] Homage to Harriet – through June 23

6] Tour de Peace – through July 3

7] BUILD's 35 Years of Organizing -- through Aug. 31

8] Created Equal exhibit – through Aug. 31

9] Wildlife Rescue exhibit – through Sept. 2

10] D.C. Demonstration for the Gitmo Hunger Strikers – June 21

11] Justice for Palestine/Israel vigil – June 21

12] Silent peace vigil against torture – June 21

13] World Humanist Day – June 21

14] Screening of "5 Broken Cameras" – June 22

15] Ballroom dancing – June 21

16] 16th Annual Survivor Week Vigil – June 22

17] Breakfast with the Chimps – June 22

18] WALK FOR OUR GRANDCHILDREN– June 22

19] Olney Peace vigil – June 22

20] West Chester, PA demo – June 22

21] Silent vigil at Capitol – June 22

22] Juneteenth March and Rally – June 22

23] World Refugee Day – June 22

24] 2013 Meet Cindy Sheehan – June 22

25] Meet and Greet with Delegate Heather Mizeur – June 22

26] Pray for Peace – June 22

27] Video: “The 99 Percent” – June 23

28] Peace and Pancakes – June 23







1] – Buttons, bumperstickers and books are available. “God Bless the Whole World, No Exceptions” stickers are in stock. Donate your books to Max. Call him at 410-366-1637.



2] – To obtain information how your federal legislators voted on particular bills, go to http://thomas.loc.gov/. Congressional toll-free numbers are 888-818-6641, 888-355-3588 or 800-426-8073. The White House Comment Email is accessible at http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/.



3] – THE ORGANIZING LIST will be the primary decision-making mechanism of the National Campaign of Nonviolent Resistance [NCNR]. It will be augmented by conference calls and possibly in-person meetings as needed. It will consist of 1 or 2 representatives from each local, regional, or national organization (not coalitions) that wishes to actively work to carry out the NCNR campaign of facilitating and organizing nonviolent resistance to the war in Iraq.



To join the ORGANIZING List, please send your name, group affiliation, city and email address to donmuller@msn.com. Different local chapters of a national organization are encouraged to subscribe.



THE NOTICES LIST will include only notices of NCNR actions and related information and is open to any interested person to subscribe. It will be moderated to maintain focus & will include periodic notices about getting involved in NCNR national organizing. To join the NOTICES List, send an email message to ncnrnotices-subscribe@lists.riseup.net. You will get a confirmation message once subscribed. If you have problems, please write to the list manager at ncnrnotices-admin@lists.riseup.net.



4] – You can help safeguard human rights and fragile ecosystems through your purchase of HOCOFOLA Café Quetzal. Bags of ground coffee or whole beans can be ordered by mailing in an order form. Also note organic cocoa and sugar are for sale. For more details and to download the order form, go to http://friendsoflatinamerica.typepad.com/hocofola/2010/02/hocofola-cafe-quetzal-order-form-2010.html. The coffee comes in one-pound bags.



Fill out the form and mail it with a check made out to HOCOFOLA on or before the second week of the month. Be sure you indicate ground or beans for each type of coffee ordered. Send it to Adela Hirsch, 5358 Eliots Oak Rd., Columbia, MD 21044. Be sure you indicate ground (G) or bean (B) for each type of coffee ordered. The coffee will arrive some time the following week and you will be notified where to pick it up. Contact Adela at 410-997-5662 or via e-mail at adela4peace@verizon.net.



5] – Homage to Harriet, works about and inspired by the life and legacy of Maryland-born abolitionist Harriet Tubman, continues through June 23 at Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and Culture, 830 E. Pratt St. Call 443-263-1800. Go to http://www.africanamericanculture.org/.



6] – From Thurs., Apr. 4 through Wed., July 3 follow the Tour de Peace across the country. Visit http://cindysheehanssoapbox.blogspot.com/p/tour-de-peace-road-less-taken.html.



7] – The Enoch Pratt Free Library, Central Library, 400 Cathedral St., hosts an exhibit Learning, Listening, Leading: BUILD's 35 Years of Organizing in Baltimore City, which documents the achievements of BUILD, featuring the leaders who made these changes possible, through Sat., Aug. 31. Call 410-396-5430. Go to http://www.prattlibrary.org/locations/central.



8] – Created Equal, an exhibit celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation, the 50th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech, and the second inauguration of President Barack Obama, is on display through Aug. 31 at the Enoch Pratt Free Library, Central Library, 400 Cathedral St. Call 410- 396-5430 or go to http://www.prattlibrary.org/locations/central.



9] – Wildlife Rescue is a new Maryland Science Center's travelling exhibit. It allows for experiment and exploration of the science of how we can save Earth's ecosystems. Visitors to the exhibit will be introduced to the rescue efforts used by experts, have a chance to experiment with puppets and costumes, and learn survival. The exhibit at the Science Center, 601 Light St., will continue through September 2. Call 410-685-5225 or go to http://www.mdsci.org.



10] – A peace vigil takes place every Friday from noon to 1 PM at Lafayette Park facing the White House. Join the Dorothy Day Catholic Worker and friends. However, on June 21, as the hunger strike continues into 135 days, the vigil will Support Guantanamo Hunger Strikers--Close Guantanamo & End Indefinite Detention. The men detained at the U.S. prison in Guantánamo are engaged in a large-scale hunger strike, which began in early February. The vast majority of the 166 prisoners have been held for more than 11 years without any charge or fair trial, with no end to their detention in sight. Demand that President Obama use his authority to close Guantánamo! See www.witnesstorture.org. Contact Art Laffin: artlaffin@hotmail.com.



11] – A vigil for Justice in Palestine/Israel takes place every Friday from noon to 1 PM at 19th & JFK Blvd., Philadelphia (across from Israeli Consulate. It is sponsored by Bubbies & Zaydes (Grandparents) for Peace in the Middle East. Email cswartz@pil.net. Go to http://phillyjewishpeace.org/.



12] – There is a silent peace vigil on Fri., June 21 from 5 to 6 PM outside the Cathedral of the Incarnation, University Parkway and St. Paul St. The vigil is sponsored by Homewood Friends and Stony Run Meetings, and was recently moved because of the construction on Charles St. The National Religious Campaign Against Torture is promoting June as Torture Awareness Month. TORTURE IS A MORAL ISSUE. So the weekly vigil on June 21 and 28 will focus torture. Email campaign@nrcat.org or go to www.tortureisamoralissue.org.



13] – On Fri., June 21 at 6 PM, enjoy a Pizza Social for World Humanist Day and at 7 PM see a film "In God We Teach" with Matthew LaClair at the Baltimore Ethical Society, 306 W. Franklin St., Baltimore 21201. Donations will be appreciated. Go to https://www.facebook.com/events/113053528901427/.



In the documentary, filmmaker Vic Losick tells the story of Matthew LaClair, who rose to national prominence by challenging his history teacher who preached his religious views in class. Matthew will take questions and read from his forthcoming book "The Preachin' Mr. P: Condemned in a Kearny Classroom." The website for the film is http://ingodweteach.com/. Admission is free and open to the public. If you're coming for pizza, please email volcheck@acm.org.

Are teachers allowed to express their personal opinions in the classroom? Can competing theories be taught alongside evolution in a public classroom? These and other questions are the focus of the full-length documentary, "In God We Teach," which follows the “separation of church and state” controversy played out in a very public feud between a high school student and his history teacher in Kearny, NJ.



LaClair started out as a student activist from Kearny, N.J., challenging his U.S. History teacher for preaching his religious beliefs during class time and taking on an American Government textbook that contained inaccurate and biased information. For his efforts, he has appeared on and in numerous media outlets including The New York Times, Anderson Cooper 360 on CNN, and Brian Lehrer on NPR and has published an Op-Ed piece in a Sunday edition of the Los Angeles Times. He has delivered dozens of addresses around the country and in London, and has received numerous awards from organizations including the ACLU, the American Humanist Association, and the American Ethical Union.



Since 2009, Matthew has hosted a talk show called "Equal Time for Freethought" on WBAI 99.5FM in NYC, interviewing authors, scientists and public figures including Neil deGrasse Tyson, Lawrence Krauss, Chris Mooney, and Ellery Schempp. He graduated from The New School in NYC with a B.A. in Culture and Media studies this past summer and will be attending Columbia Journalism School starting in late August to pursue an M.A. in Science Journalism. Matthew is the brother of BES member Kate LaClair. The Baltimore Coalition of Reason website is http://BaltimoreCoR.org .



14] – See a screening of "5 Broken Cameras" on Fri., June 21 from 6:30 to 8:15 PM at The Jerusalem Fund, 2425 Virginia Ave. NW, WDC 20037. Call 202.338.1958. A deeply personal, first hand documentary of nonviolent resistance in Bil’in, a West Bank village threatened by encroaching Israeli settlements. Shot almost entirely by a Palestinian farmer, Emad Burnat, who bought his first camera in 2005 to record the birth of his youngest son, the footage was later given to Israeli co-director Guy Davidi to edit. Email info@thejerusalemfund.org.



15] – There is an opportunity to participate in ballroom dancing, usually every Friday of the month, in the JHU ROTC Bldg. at 8 PM. Turn south on San Martin Dr. from the intersection of Univ. Parkway and 39th St. Drive on campus by taking the third left turn. The next dance will be June 21. Call Dave Greene at 410-599-3725.



16] – On Sat., June 22 participate in TASSC’s 16th Annual Survivor Week Vigil from 7 AM to 7PM in Lafayette Park, in front of the White House. Join survivors from around the world. As a movement of torture survivors, TASSC issues a clear call to end torture, enforced disappearance, and impunity and to support all efforts to disclose the truth, bring justice to the families of victims, and to hold accountable governments responsible for torture. Go to www.tassc.org.



17] – Breakfast with the Chimps at the Chimp Forest on Sat., June 22 from 8:30 to 10 AM at the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore, 1876 Mansion House Drive. A same day entry to the park is included with the ticket price. Children under two are free, but they still require a ticket. Call 410-366-7102. Visit http://www.marylandzoo.org.



18] – The 2013 WALK FOR OUR GRANDCHILDREN. KEEP FOSSIL FUELS IN THE GROUND. CLIMATE ACTION NOW, led by elders and grandparents, started on Sat., June 15 near Camp David and will arrive at the White House on Sat., June 22. Contact Steve Norris at earthsun2@gmail.com.



The walk dramatizes the need to liberate our children and grandchildren from fossil fuels, beginning this summer with the rejection of the Keystone XL Pipeline. Camp David is the point of origin, referencing President Eisenhower naming the retreat after his grandson David, and his work to liberate the world from the destructive effects of fascism, - just as we must now mobilize to confront climate change and liberate our children and grandchildren from fossil fuels.



19] – Friends House, 17715 Meeting House Rd., Sandy Spring, MD 20860, hosts a peace vigil every Saturday, 10:30 to 11:30 AM, on the corner of Rt. 108 and Georgia Ave. [Route 97] in Olney, MD. The next vigil is June 22. Call Chuck Harker at 301-570-7167.



20] – Each Saturday, 11 AM – 1 PM, Chester County Peace Movement holds a peace vigil in West Chester in front of the Chester County Courthouse, High & Market Sts. Go to www.ccpeace.org. Email ccpeacemovement@aol.com.



21] – There will be a peace vigil on the West Lawn of the Capitol at noon on Sat., June 22. Look for the blue banner with the message, "Seek Peace and Pursue It.--Psalms 34:14." The vigil lasts one hour and is silent except when one responds to the occasional questions. Go to http://www.quaker.org/langleyhill/seekpeace.htm or email seekpeacevigil@yahoo.com.



22] – There’s a Juneteenth March and Rally for Liberation on Sat., June 22 from noon at 4th and F Sts. NW. Demand affordable housing, jobs for all and quality schools, and rally in the spirit of Juneteenth- the day enslaved people in Galveston, TX got news that slavery was abolished. Email Jobsnotjails@gmail.com.



23] – On Sat. June 22 from 1 to 3 PM, participate in Baltimore's World Refugee Day at the Walters Art Museum, 600 N. Charles St., Baltimore 21201. The international showcase celebrates Baltimore as the home to talented refugees and immigrants. Baltimore's favorite beat boxer, Shodekeh, headlines with all of the international acts. Students of BCCC's Refugee Youth Project open with multimedia performances. Eritrean husband & wife, Abebe Setarge & Eyersaliem Zemichael, sing to African beats. Sokoja Kondorka, musician from Darfur, sings in native masalit and fur languages while playing electric guitar.



Visit with organizations on the Sculpture Court throughout the day and hear indigenous Kurdish music by Ghazi Kurdistani, Ali Omar & Halgurd Omar from 1 to 1:30 PM. There is art exhibition by BCCC's Refugee Youth Project and Torture Abolition and Survivor Support Coalition on the Level 2 Lobby. Visit www.thewalters.org. RSVP at baltimoreresettlement@gmail.com or call Holly of Baltimore Resettlement Center at 410-558-3167.



24] – On Sat., June 22 at 4 PM, Jean Athey is hosting a potluck for Cindy Sheehan. Invite your friends: https://www.facebook.com/events/312151428919127/?ref=22. RSVP at info@peaceactionmc.org with what you can bring to the potluck. Cindy is vegan. Greet Cindy Sheehan and support the Tour de Peace. The Tour de Peace is aimed at getting grass roots support for an end to U.S. Wars and U.S. immunity for war crimes, suppression of civil rights and the persecution of whistle blowers and the use of fossil fuels.



25] – There is a Meet and Greet with Delegate Heather Mizeur on Sat., June 23 from 6 to 7:30 PM at 221 Stony Run Lane Apt JG, Tuscany-Canterbury. The hosts are Lisa and Don Akchin. Hear from Heather about her vision for Maryland as she considers a run for Governor in 2014. RSVP at Jeremy@heathermizeur.com or 202-316-1202.



Twice named a Top 100 Woman and a Health Care Hero by the Daily Record, Del. Mizeur has worked to expand health coverage, create jobs, protect the environment, and invest in transportation. The Baltimore Sun called her “one of the leading environmental advocates in the General Assembly," and has featured her plans on how to rebuild Baltimore City schools, expand low-income family planning access, and reform the criminal justice system.



26] – Pray for Peace on Sat., June 22 at 7:30 PM at St. Ignatius Church on Calvert St. Contact Fr. Charles Cloughen, Jr. at [mailto:frcharles@verizon.net] or 410-321-0199.



27] – Usually, the Baltimore Ethical Society, 306 W. Franklin St., Suite 102, Baltimore 21201-4661, meets on Sundays, and generally there is a speaker and discussion from 10:30 to noon. On Sun., June 23, see a video presentation – “The 99 Percent.” Look back on the Occupy Movement from an international perspective through a documentary offered by the Ironweed Film Club. The Occupy Movement has become the largest global social movement in recent history and shows no sign of slowing down. But do the protests really have the potential to alter the course of world politics? They call themselves the “99 percent” and whether in Frankfurt, Athens, or New York, the tactics and demands are the same everywhere. Using social media to coordinate efforts around the globe, the Occupy movement has sought to follow in the footsteps of the Arab Spring, replacing the Mubaraks and the Assads with the IMF and ECB. The 29 min. video is from ORF/Austrian Broadcasting. Go to http://bmorethical.org/ or Twitter: @bmorethical or Facebook: http://fb.com/bmorethical/or email ask@bmorethical.org.



28] – Join the Kadampa Meditation Center for Peace and Pancakes on Sundays at 10:30 AM at KMC Maryland, 2937 North Charles St. All are invited to participate in guided meditation and chant praying for world peace. There will be a talk based on Buddhist thought followed by brunch. Call 410- 243-3837. Brunch is $5.



To be continued.



Donations can be sent to the Baltimore Nonviolence Center, 325 E. 25th St., Baltimore, MD 21218. Ph: 410-366-1637; Email: mobuszewski [at] verizon.net. Go to http://baltimorenonviolencecenter.blogspot.com/.

"The master class has always declared the wars; the subject class has always fought the battles. The master class has had all to gain and nothing to lose, while the subject class has had nothing to gain and everything to lose--especially their lives." Eugene Victor Debs