Tuesday, December 29, 2015 2:02 PM
Report
of the December 28th Holy Innocents Pentagon Witness
by Art Laffin
Biblical Account
by Art Laffin
Biblical Account
In Matthew's account,
magi from the east go to Judea in search of the newborn king of the Jews,
having "seen his star in the east." The King, Herod the Great,
directs them to Bethlehem, and asks them to let him know who this king is when
they find him. They find Jesus and honor him, but an angel tells them not to
alert Herod, and they return home by another way. The Massacre of the Innocents
text is Matthew 2:16–18, although the preceding verses form the context:
When the
Magi had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. Get up, he
said, take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I
tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him. So he got up,
took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he
stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said
through the prophet: "Out of Egypt I called my son." When Herod
realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave
orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years
old or under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. Then
what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: "A voice is
heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and
refusing to be comforted, because they are no more."
Report of Witness
On
December 28th, 50 people from the Atlantic and Southern Life Communities
held a nonviolent witness at the Pentagon to commemorate the feast of the
Massacre of the Holy Innocents. The noon-time witness began with a
procession in which participants carried banners and signs from
Army-Navy Drive to the police designated "protest" area located near
the Pentagon south metro entrance.
Recently, the Pentagon Police, citing security
concerns, moved our vigil site down the sidewalk, away from the metro
entrance and in the direction of the south parking lot.
Upon our
arrival, we encountered a sizeable police presence who directed everyone
to go into the fenced off designated protest area. Seven did not comply
and remained along the building side of the sidewalk, directly across
from the designated protest area, and held a large banner that said
"Wage Peace--Practice Nonviolence." I also held a sign
which said "The U.S. Bombing of A Doctors Without Borders Hospital in
Afghanistan is A War Crime--U.S. Out of Afghanistan Now!" Unlike
some recent Pentagon action arrests, police moved to arrest very quickly,
taking only a few minutes. Joe Byrne led us in singing two verses of the
"Coventry Carol" as the first and second arrest warnings were given.
As police gave a final warning to leave, Patrick O'Neill then led us
in the "Lord's Prayer," at which point, we were all
arrested. I was able to offer an abbreviated version of the
song "A Voice Is Heard In Ramah," as I was being
taken into custody.
As the police
were moving in to make arrests, the community gathered in the designated
protest area began the program part of the witness which lasted nearly an
hour. During this time, a statement regarding who we
are and the purpose for our action was made, the Gospel account of
the massacre of the Holy Innocents was read, an excerpt from an Allen
Ginsberg poem was shared, and songs and New Year's Resolutions for
a nonviolent world were offered. Please see below the statement and
some of the New Year's Resolutions that were offered. Also please see
photos and short video clip taken by our wonderful stealth photographer!
The seven of us who were arrested were taken to the Pentagon Police Center, which once upon a time served as a day care center, and charged with "Violation of Lawful Order." All were released and are scheduled to appear for a February 4, 2016 court date at the U.S. District Court in Alexandria, VA.
Those
Arrested:
Patrick
O'Neill
Joan Wages
Janice
Sevre-Duszynska
Chris Spicer
Elizabeth
Naro
Joe Byrne
Art Laffin
Statement
and New Year's Resolutions
THE
MASSACRE OF THE INNOCENTS IS MAGNIFIED
Today, Christian churches commemorate
the Massacre of the Holy Innocents, recalling how Herod, as he sought to
destroy the child Jesus, ordered the slaughter of boys under two years old in
and around Bethlehem. Today, the lives of countless innocents, like those in
Bethlehem, are endangered. Every hour of every day, the United States military
magnifies destruction across the globe. From overt wars to covert “dirty
wars,” lives are destroyed, millions of families are torn apart, people are
disappeared. On October 3, 2015, the U.S. bombed a Doctors Without Border
Hospital in Kunduz, Afghanistan, killing 42 people and injuring 30. A survivor
of the attack described how patients in the hospital were literally burning to
death in their intensive care unit beds.
Every second of every minute, the world’s addiction to oil, natural gas and nuclear power is the cause of environmental contamination that is threatening global devastation. The unrelenting violence of the U.S. power structure continues to crush the poor and target people of color. Fear and violence are pervasive everywhere. And always, the existence of nuclear weapons puts all life in utter peril. We respond to these and other horrors with a resounding “No!” This is a time when we call for transformation and resolve to magnify God’s creation with joy. We, members of the Atlantic and Southern Life Communities and other peace groups, invite you to join us in making the following New Year’s Resolutions a reality as we strive to create the beloved community and a nonviolent world.
New Year's Resolutions for 2016
Abolish All
Nuclear and Conventional Weapons Now!
Halt All
Research of Nuclear Weapons Now!
Stop the U.S.
Militarization of Space Now!
Pursue
Climate Justice
Now!
Abolish War
Now!
Repent for 24
Years of U.S. Warmaking in Iraq and Make Reparations to the Iraqi People
Now! Repent for 14
Years of U.S. Warmaking in Afghanistan and Make Reparations to the Afghan
People Now!
Make Peace with
the Islamic State and Stop Bombing Them Now!
Stop All U.S.
Drone Attacks in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Yemen, Somalia and Make Reparations to
All Victims of U.S. Drone Strikes Now!
End
Islamophobia Now!
Close All
U.S. Military Bases, including on Jeju Island and Okinawa Now!
End the
Israeli Occupation of Palestine and All U.S. Military Aid to Israel Now!
Close
Guantanamo, the SOA/WHINSEC and All Military Torture Centers Now!
Free All
Political Prisoners Now!
Tear Down the
Border Wall and Welcome Immigrants Now!
Save the
World's Children Dying From Poverty Now!
Eradicate
Poverty Now!
End Racism
and All Forms of Discrimination Now!
That the U.S.
Government Honor All Treaties With Indigenous Peoples and Make Reparations to
Them Now!
Money for
Human Needs Not for Wall Street and the Pentagon Now!
Abolish The
Death Penalty Now!
Stop All
Police and Vigilante Violence Against African Americans Now!
Money for
Schools Not the Prison Industrial Complex Now!
Demand
Universal Health Care and Affordable Housing Now!
Respect All
Life and Creation Now!
Live,
Practice, and Teach Nonviolence Now!
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