52] Support David Barrows – May 28
53] Hear the Labor Chorus –
May 30
54] Film
SPECIEISM – June 5
55] Sign up with
Washington Peace Center
56] Join Fund Our Communities
57] Donate books, videos, DVDs and records
58] Do you need any book shelves?
59] Join Global Zero campaign
60] Join Peace Park Antinuclear Vigil
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52] – From: Debby Hanrahan
[mailto:debbyhanrahan@yahoo.com] Come
Out to Support David Barrows at His Trial This Thursday, May 28; Spread the
Word to Get Good Turnout.
Please pass on this email to
people, organizations and appropriate listservs that could come out in support
of David. We had a good turnout for a status hearing on David's case
earlier this month, and hope to have even more people in the courtroom to
support him for his trial. Details below:
WHEN: Thursday, May 28, 9:30 a.m.
WHERE: D.C. Superior Court,
500 Indiana Avenue, NW
Courtroom 218, Judge Neil Kravitz
To friends, comrades and supporters of David Barrows:
We want to urge you to turn out beginning Thursday, May 28, for the trial of David Barrows, who faces a misdemeanor charge of disrupting a U.S. House of Representatives hearing last year.
The offense charged comes under a D.C. -- not federal -- statute and relates to David’s nonviolent redress of grievances at a hearing on ISIL before the House Armed Service Committee on September 18, 2014. Specifically, he is charged with “unlawful conduct in violation of D.C. Code & 10-503.16(b)(4).” David faces up to 6 months in jail and/or a $500 fine, if convicted on the charge.
David's trial is scheduled to begin this Thursday at 9:30 a.m. with jury selection before Judge Neal Kravitz, in courtroom 218 of D.C. Superior Court. The judge indicated that after the jury is selected, he will likely recess the case until Monday, June 1. We urge everyone to turn out on May 28 and for all subsequent days of the trial.
In addition to jury selection on Thursday, Judge Kravitz indicated he will at that time rule on a government motion that seeks to prohibit David from explaining his motives for his redress of grievances at the September 2014 House hearing.
As specific intent has to be proven by the government, David must be able to explain his specific intent in order to attain a fair trial. If justice is to prevail, the judge should not be able to convict David before the trial begins by allowing government prosecutors to withhold exculpatory evidence. If prosecutors get their way, the government would be able to censor David’s motives -- with the jury not able to hear the whole truth and with the jury unaware of such censorship.
At a status hearing earlier this month, David won an important victory as Judge Kravitz rejected a government motion that sought to have a single trial to combine David's September 2014 case with another case in which David faces a similar charge of disrupting a Senate committee hearing in February of this year. Judge Kravitz ruled that joining the two cases would prejudice David's defense. Instead, David will face a separate trial on the Senate case at a not yet determined later date.
David’s redress of grievances at the September 2014 hearing consisted of a minute or so. He spoke against escalating U.S. military involvement in the Middle East. In the February 2015 incident at a Senate hearing, David spoke against the deliberate misrepresentation of the situation of prisoners held at Guantanamo who had been cleared for release five years ago.
WHEN: Thursday, May 28, 9:30 a.m.
WHERE: D.C. Superior Court,
500 Indiana Avenue, NW
Courtroom 218, Judge Neil Kravitz
To friends, comrades and supporters of David Barrows:
We want to urge you to turn out beginning Thursday, May 28, for the trial of David Barrows, who faces a misdemeanor charge of disrupting a U.S. House of Representatives hearing last year.
The offense charged comes under a D.C. -- not federal -- statute and relates to David’s nonviolent redress of grievances at a hearing on ISIL before the House Armed Service Committee on September 18, 2014. Specifically, he is charged with “unlawful conduct in violation of D.C. Code & 10-503.16(b)(4).” David faces up to 6 months in jail and/or a $500 fine, if convicted on the charge.
David's trial is scheduled to begin this Thursday at 9:30 a.m. with jury selection before Judge Neal Kravitz, in courtroom 218 of D.C. Superior Court. The judge indicated that after the jury is selected, he will likely recess the case until Monday, June 1. We urge everyone to turn out on May 28 and for all subsequent days of the trial.
In addition to jury selection on Thursday, Judge Kravitz indicated he will at that time rule on a government motion that seeks to prohibit David from explaining his motives for his redress of grievances at the September 2014 House hearing.
As specific intent has to be proven by the government, David must be able to explain his specific intent in order to attain a fair trial. If justice is to prevail, the judge should not be able to convict David before the trial begins by allowing government prosecutors to withhold exculpatory evidence. If prosecutors get their way, the government would be able to censor David’s motives -- with the jury not able to hear the whole truth and with the jury unaware of such censorship.
At a status hearing earlier this month, David won an important victory as Judge Kravitz rejected a government motion that sought to have a single trial to combine David's September 2014 case with another case in which David faces a similar charge of disrupting a Senate committee hearing in February of this year. Judge Kravitz ruled that joining the two cases would prejudice David's defense. Instead, David will face a separate trial on the Senate case at a not yet determined later date.
David’s redress of grievances at the September 2014 hearing consisted of a minute or so. He spoke against escalating U.S. military involvement in the Middle East. In the February 2015 incident at a Senate hearing, David spoke against the deliberate misrepresentation of the situation of prisoners held at Guantanamo who had been cleared for release five years ago.
David will be representing himself
(pro se), with attorney Mark
Goldstone as his courtroom legal adviser.
As we have previously noted, David has expressed at congressional hearings what so many of us think and feel about U.S. militarism and our endless wars. Now we need to thank him by supporting him at his trial.
Please make every effort to support David by coming to D.C. Superior Court on Thursday, May 28, and on subsequent days as the trial progresses. And get the word out! Thank you.
Debby and John Hanrahan
As we have previously noted, David has expressed at congressional hearings what so many of us think and feel about U.S. militarism and our endless wars. Now we need to thank him by supporting him at his trial.
Please make every effort to support David by coming to D.C. Superior Court on Thursday, May 28, and on subsequent days as the trial progresses. And get the word out! Thank you.
Debby and John Hanrahan
53] – "SONGS IN THE KEY OF JUSTICE,” the Charm City
Labor Chorus’ 6th annual concert, will be presented at 7:30
PM on Sat., May 30 in the auditorium of The Baltimore Museum of
Art, 10 Art Museum Dr., Baltimore 21218. The Chorus is committed to performing
music of the labor, social justice, and civil rights movements. This
year, the concert program includes history, humor (Tom Lehrer’s “Pollution”)
and songs from many traditions, including a Yiddish Anarchist chant. Now, more
than ever, let us be in solidarity as we hear (and sing together) songs of the
Struggle and of our victories!
Special
guest soloists Lea Gilmore, the internationally acclaimed blues, gospel and
jazz singer, and Ruth Pelham, renowned folk singer, will also perform. The Charm City Labor Chorus is directed by
Darryl! L.C. Moch and accompanied by pianist Chester Burke, Jr.
Tickets are
$15 ($12 for BMA members; $5 for students) and are available
at www.CharmCityLaborChorus.org and at the door. For more
information, email CharmCityLaborChorus@gmail.com.
You can get a half-price parking voucher ($4) for the underground JHU
South lot just off Wyman Park Drive at www.CharmCityLaborChorus.org.
54] – The
Hiroshima-Nagasaki Commemoration Committee, Baltimore Quaker Peace and Justice
Committee of Homewood and Stony Run Meetings and Chesapeake Physicians for
Social Responsibility are continuing the FILM & SOCIAL CONSCIOUSNESS DVD
SERIES. SPECIEISM: The Movie [USA, 2013] will be shown around 7:15 PM with a discussion to
follow on Fri., June 5 at Homewood Friends Meetinghouse, 3107 N. Charles St.,
Baltimore 21218. There is no charge, and
refreshments will be available. Call 410-366-1637 or email mobuszewski at
Verizon.net.
This
documentary, by director Mark Devries, explores the concept and practice of
speciesism, the assignment of value to beings on the basis of species
membership. Its definition, the idea that humans are the most superior being,
leads to the cruel and unjust treatment of other beings. If also includes believing
that one specie is more valuable than another, for example a dog being more
valuable than a hen. Obviously, being above all other beings leads to
mistreatment. Animals are exploited everyday by humans who justify such
behavior with the belief of superiority. This paradigm has led to the
extinction of massive numbers of species.
The
film features interviews with, among others, Peter Singer, Richard Dawkins and
Steven Best, along with material shot in and around factory farms in the United
States. During the making of the film, Devries became a vegan, and his
documentary offers suggestions for taking action.
55] -- The Washington Peace Center has a progressive calendar
& activist alert! Consider signing up to receive its weekly email:
info@washingtonpeacecenter.org.
56] -- Fund Our
Communities campaign is a grass roots movement to get support from local
organizations and communities to work together with their local and state elected
officials to pressure Congresspersons and senators to join with Congresspersons
Barney Frank and Ron Paul, who have endorsed a 25% cut to the federal military
budget. Bring home the savings to state and county governments to meet
the local needs which are under tremendous budget pressures. Go to
www.OurFunds.org.
57] -- If you would
like to get rid of books, videos, DVDs or records, contact Max at 410-366-1637
or mobuszewski at verizon.net.
58] -- Can you use any
book shelves? Contact Max at 410-366-1637 or mobuszewski at verizon.net.
59] -- Join an
extraordinary global campaign for the elimination of nuclear weapons:
http://www.globalzero.org/sign-declaration. A growing group of leaders around
the world is calling for the elimination of nuclear weapons and a majority of
the global public agrees. This is an historic window of
opportunity. With momentum already building in favor of Zero, a major
show of support from people around the world could tip the balance. When it
comes to nuclear weapons, one is one too many.
60] – A Peace Park
Antinuclear Vigil takes place every day in Lafayette Park, 1601 Pennsylvania
Ave. NW, 24 hours a day, since June 3, 1981. Go to http://prop1.org; call
202-682-4282.
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/.
"One is called to
live nonviolently, even if the change one works for seems impossible. It may or
may not be possible to turn the US around through nonviolent revolution. But
one thing favors such an attempt: the total inability of violence to change
anything for the better" - Daniel Berrigan
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