Being
Where I Really Need to Be
Joy
First January 17, 2016
Friday
January 8 marked another day of flying to Washington, DC for a week of activism
– again. I was feeling sad leaving my family for a week and not looking
forward to what I knew I was going to have to do in speaking out against the
crimes of our government.
While
in DC I stayed with my dear friend Malachy and his family and that is always a
comfort to be in their home. Each day was filled with activist
work. On Saturday we vigiled against drones at the CIA and I had the
opportunity to share what we are doing at Volk Field in Wisconsin where we have
been holding monthly vigils against drones for over four years, along with
occasional nonviolent direct actions risking arrest. On Sunday we met
with a doctor who is the head of Physicians for Social Responsibility in the DC
area. He would like to engage more doctors from that organization in
civil resistance. He thinks it is a critical time for more people to take
to the streets and work for peace and justice.
On
Monday we went to the White House where our friends from Witness Against
Torture were holding their annual vigil marking 14 years since the first men
were imprisoned and tortured in Guantanamo. It was a moving vigil as
about 20 activists in orange jumpsuits and black hoods walked into the picture
postcard area in front of the White House. As the police began pushing
the rest of us back to the sidewalk in Lafayette Park I resisted and held my
ground as long as possible. For over an hour, our voices were raised
together as we sang:
We
hear a beautiful sound
It
is the breaking of chains
We
see a path of hope
We
have found the way
Let
them go home
Let
them go home
Let
them go home
Let
them go today
Eventually
those who had been standing in the picture postcard area joined us and we
gathered in a circle in the street again and ended the vigil. A number of
men have recently been released from Guantanamo after 14 years of false
imprisonment and torture, but Obama could have released them when he became
president seven years ago, cutting in half their time there.
As
we stayed busy for several days, Tuesday January 12 was weighing heavily on my mind
and I was anxiously waiting for that day when the National Campaign for
Nonviolent Resistance (NCNR) was planning a nonviolent direct action. On
January 12, the day Obama was going to give us his State of the Union address
we were going to deliver a petition to the U.S. Capitol on the “Real State of
the Union” outlining what was really going on, along with ideas for
solutions. We also had a list of war crimes that had been committed by
our government that we wanted to share.
I
woke up early on Tuesday morning. Malachy and I had a big breakfast
knowing we may not eat again for a long time. We took the Metro to town
and as we walked by the Capitol we scoped it out, paying attention to where we
might want to go to deliver the petition, and noticing the police – how many
there were and where they were. We met up with Max and Janice and the
four of us looked at the situation to get a better sense of how the action
could unfold.
We
gathered together at 11:00 am at a church near the Capitol. It always feels
so good to great my old friends and comrades in the struggle. I have been
risking arrest with many of them for over ten years now.
I
was helping David Barrows stretch out his banner “The Real State of the Union”
on wooden poles when Malachy came over and told us that he just heard that Tim
Chadwick had died. Tim had been a regular at NCNR actions for many years,
but I had not seen him for a couple of years. I was shocked and deeply
saddened to hear this news. Tim was an amazing activist and never gave up
on trying to change the world, and we all knew that we had to continue with our
action for the day in his honor.
The
group who was going to risk arrest met together in a corner of the church hall
to do final planning for the action. We decided we would attempt to
deliver the petition to Joe Biden, president of the Senate, as well as
vice-president of Obama’s administration. After the planning meeting, we
all gathered together for an open mic where we were inspired hearing about what
others were doing and sharing stories of past actions.
At
1:30 pm we left the church and gathered on the street corner near the Supreme
Court and across the street from the Capitol. We were planning to set up
on the sidewalk directly in front of the Supreme Court, but the police there
would not allow us to set up the model drones and so we moved to the corner
with our drones – another infringement on our First Amendment rights.
We
had a rally with a number of speakers talking about the issues of war, poverty,
racism, and climate crisis that brought us together that day. Though we
sent out a press release, the only media attention we got was from the foreign
press, with just one local independent media person. It is a real failing
on the part of our mainstream media that they do not provide coverage showing
dissent, with people talking about these important issues.
At
about 2:30, after each person risking arrest was able to share why they were
engaging in nonviolent civil resistance, we walked toward the Capitol with petition
in hand. There was a long roadway leading from the sidewalk to the
Capitol and we thought we might be stopped, but we were able to get to the
steps of the Capitol before an officer stopped us and told us we could not go
any further.
We
told him we wanted to deliver a petition to Biden, as well as a list of war
crimes, and he said we couldn’t, but that he would escort us to the grassy area
where we could protest. We told him that we were not there to protest,
but rather we were citizens who were attempting to deliver a petition to our
government for a redress of grievances, a First Amendment right. By this
time, some members of our group were on the steps holding a banner saying,
“Stop the War Machine: Export Peace”. The officer said they needed to
come down off the steps, and at that point the rest of us walked up the steps
and stopped short of a chain blocking us from going further with a sign that
said there was no access to the public past that point.
Art
Laffin, who was there with others in solidarity, led the group in singing “We
shall not be moved” and as we sang an officer gave us three warnings that we
needed to get off the steps. As we held our ground they started
handcuffing those on the steps and told the others that they had to leave if
they didn’t want to be arrested.
It
was probably less than 15 minutes between the time we arrived at the steps of
the Capitol and the arrests began. I expect they wanted to clean up
quickly before people started arriving for the president’s version of the state
of the union.
The
13 arrested included Eve Tetaz, Alice Sutter, Janice Sevre-Duszynska, Joy
First, Trudy Silver, Linda LeTendre, Joan Nicholson, Carol Gay, Max Obuszewski,
Malachy Kilbride, Martin Gugino, Phil Runkel, and Brian Terrell. In addition,
there were others who were important in making this action happen including our
jail support David, Don, and Paki.
We
were taken in vans to the Capitol police station where we were processed and
released with a court date of February 3. When we compared citations
after the action some read we were charged with blocking, other citations noted
the charge was incommoding and obstructing.
I
will be surprised if the government goes through with prosecuting us. It
seems the government is dismissing a lot of cases against activists over the
last few years. In this case, we were exercising our First Amendment
rights, simply and peacefully attempting to deliver a petition to our
government. We did block or obstruct anyone. We were standing
against a chain, we did not cross, that had a sign reading the public did not
have access past that point. What did we do wrong? Why were we
arrested?
The
charges may be dismissed, but it would be better if we went to trial and could
bring these issues into the courtroom. If we continue to be arrested and
then the charges are dropped before trial, it appears that the government is
using that as a way to block our access and not allowing our grievances to be
heard.
As
we have noted in many actions over the last several years, the government is
becoming less and less accessible to the citizens. If you are part of a
wealthy corporation or have a lot of money, you will have the ear of those in
power in DC. But the rest of us do not have a way to access our
government about our concerns. We have written letters that have
not been answered. We follow up with visits to the White House, Congress,
the Pentagon, the Department of Justice etc. and we are refused a meeting with
anyone in a policy-making position. My friend Linda said that as the
crimes of the government become greater and greater, accessibility to the
government becomes less and less.
I
do not take action because I want to be arrested, though I know I put myself at
risk for being arrested for the actions I take. I am engaging in
nonviolent civil resistance and I am acting in resistance to the crimes of the
government. I am not the one who is breaking the law, but we have many in
our government, including Obama, who should be prosecuted for war crimes and
crimes against humanity.
These
actions are not something I relish doing, but I feel a deep spiritual calling
to do this work for my grandchildren and all the children of the world. I
am not suffering by the minor inconvenience of being arrested, but there is
much grave suffering by children, mothers, and fathers, sisters and brothers
both here at home and around the world because of the illegal policies of our
government. And so, when I do an action like this I know I am exactly
where I need to be and speaking out exactly as I need to be speaking.
There is no place else in the world I needed to be at that moment, but on the
steps of the Capitol trying to deliver a petition of our grievances.
There
are so many grave ills facing the world - war, poverty, racism, climate crisis,
and systemic violence to name a few. Please consider taking to the
streets. We need more people in the streets engaging in nonviolent civil
resistance. That is the only way we will bring about real and lasting
change. We will not survive unless we do. It is up to we, the
people to demand change.
Video
of the January 12 action
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