Baltimore Activist Alert May 6 to 9, 2018

Baltimore Activist Alert May 6 to 9, 2018

"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 410-323-1607 or mobuszewski2001 [at] comcast.net.

1] Books, buttons and stickers

2] Web site for info on federal legislation

3] Join Nonviolent Resistance lists  

4] Write Reality Winner

5] “Verisimilitude in Living History Portrayals” -- May 6

6] Honor the Catonsville Nine at the NSA & at Prayer Service – May 6

7] Volunteer for Mary Washington – May 6

8] Flint, MI Water Fundraiser – through May 9

9] Visit Jug Bay Natural Area – May 6

10] Universal Dances of Peace -- May 6

11] Our Revolution Maryland canvassing – May 6

12] Celebrate Karl Marx – May 6

13] Sermon on War & Militarism – May 6

14] Guitar Not Guns – May 6

15] Protest at the Pentagon – May 7

16] Peace in Korea? May 7

17] Hate and Free Speech – May 7

18] Debt-free college – May 7

19] State's Attorney Candidate's Forum – May 7

20] Sister Simone at Busboys and Poets – May 7

21] Peace Vigil – May 8

22] No more Drone Research at JHU – May 8

23] Revolution in the Air – May 8

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1] – Buttons, bumperstickers and books are available.  “God Bless the Whole World, No Exceptions” stickers are in stock. Call Max at 410-323-1607.

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 6address to mobuszewski at Verizon.net.  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] –  On June 3, 2017 Reality Leigh Winner was arrested and jailed and later charged under the Espionage Act for allegedly releasing a top-secret document to a media outlet, The Intercept.  The document analyzed information about Russian online intrusions prior to the 2016 presidential election. Reality had been employed by a contract agency and worked at the NSA in Augusta, Georgia following her honorable discharge from the U.S. Air Force in December of 2016.  Reality has pleaded not guilty to this one charge, and her defense team is working furiously to defend against the Espionage charge, but the Court in Georgia continues to rule against Reality at every turn.  Reality has been denied pretrial bail and awaits trial in a small county jail in Lincolnton, Georgia.

The impact this has had on Reality and our entire family is devastating.  Because of her special diet, Reality’s nutritional and medical needs are not met in jail.  She has been spontaneously denied mail, books, and visits.  In order to assist in her defense, she must be transported to the Federal Courthouse in Augusta, Georgia and spends up to 12 hours in full shackles and is strip-searched multiple times during the day. Please write to Reality at Reality L. Winner, Inmate # 3342, Lincoln County Jail, PO Box 970, Lincolnton, GA 30817.

5] – Usually, the Baltimore Ethical Society, 306 W. Franklin St., Suite 102, Baltimore 21201-4661, meets on Sundays, and generally there speaker and discussion from 10:30 AM to noon.  On Sun., May 6, the Sunday Platform is “Verisimilitude in Living History Portrayals” with Bill Grimmette who began acting in 1968 in a conservatory in Indianapolis, Indiana. He was born in Alabama but fled, with his dignity nearly shattered from 17 years of Jim Crowism, to the comparative safety of military service. His discovery of classical Myths while attending Marian College (now Marian University) in Indiana.  Bill pursued his professional acting career full time which led eventually, to his living history portraits. He has performed in King Lear, Othello, Driving Miss Daisy, and some 1000 other plays over these 50 years of theater. Bill will be performing as Frederick Douglass for Maryland Humanities this July at the Chautauqua Living History performances.  Call 410-581-2322 or email ask@bmorethical.org.

6] – On Sun., May 6 at noon, there will be an opportunity to engage in direct action at the National Security Agency; and in the evening participate in a prayer service.  There will be other events continuing until May 27.  Go to http://www.catonsville9.org/50th-anniversary-commemoration/. 

  To participate in the visit to the NSA, contact Max at 410-323-1607 or mobuszewski2001 at Comcast dot net. At 6:30 PM, there will be a prayer service at the Salem Lutheran Church, 905 Frederick Rd., Catonsville, 

7] – Volunteer for Delegate Mary Washington’s campaign for State Senate, District 43, by joining an OUR REVOLUTION CANVASSING on Sun., May 6 at noon, starting at headquarters, 1734 Maryland Ave., near the corner of Lafayette St. Talk to voters about how Delegate Washington has been a champion of progressive values.  There are only eight Sunday’s left between now and Election Day.   The canvassing will end at 4 PM. RSVP at 301.326.6437 or robertbrooking@yahoo.com.

8] –  The Flint, MI Water Fundraiser continues at the Zion Hill Baptist Church Incorporated Zion Hill Baptist Church Incorporated, 931 E Preston St., Baltimore 21202, each day at noon until May 9.  Zion Hill is on a mission to raise enough money to take 60,000 bottles to Flint, MI again this summer. The residents of Flint still need fresh drinking water. You can help by donating any amount to reach the goal. Email zionhill931@gmail.com. Visit https://www.facebook.com/events/489804621416573/?event_time_id=489804741416561.

9] – Come to see ospreys and mountain laurel at Jug Bay Natural Area, Patuxent River Park, 16000 Croom Road, Upper Marlboro, on Sun, May 6 from 1 to 3 PM, organized by the Prince George's County Sierra Club.  Email Janet Gingold at jgingold3@gmail.com or call (301) 814-1223.  You can expect to see ospreys on their nests, as well as a variety of other interesting birds and wetland plants. If we're lucky the mountain laurel will be in bloom. The trail is mostly natural surface, with some areas of boardwalk and some steps up to observation platforms. This hike is best for adults and children 8 and older. Walk about 2 miles.  Wear long pants and sturdy, close-toed shoes. Bring a water bottle and a pocket-sized snack. Binoculars are a plus for watching the birds on the Patuxent.

10] – On Sun., May 6 from 5 to 8 PM, the Philadelphia Ethical Society, 1906 S. Rittenhouse Square, hosts Universal Dances of Peace. A singing, dancing meditation honoring the earth and many sacred traditions led by Alice Elle Rader, certified leader of Universal Dances for Peace. All are invited to participate. Light refreshments.  Call 484-466-4182.

11] – Our Revolution Maryland is canvassing. Email ormdbaltimore@gmail.com.  On Sun., May 6 from 1:30 to 3:30 PM, there will be canvasing in District 45 for Cory McCray for MD Senate and Marques Dent for MD Delegate.  Come to 4717 Harford Rd., Baltimore 21214.  RSVP to Len Shindel at lshindel3@comcast.net. Cory McCray is a husband, father of four, and an electrician with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. As a member of the House of Delegates, he has fought hard to restore voting rights, expand apprenticeship opportunities, and create transparency in education funding.

12] – On Sun., May 6 from 4:30 to 7 PM, celebrate Karl Marx’s 200th birthday at The Motor House, 120 W. North Ave., Baltimore. IS SOCIALISM & REVOLUTION RELEVANT IN 2018? There will be tabling, literature, refreshments, and presentations, sponsored by the Workers World Party – Baltimore/DC region.

13] – The Rev. Barber will do a Sermon on War & Militarism on Sun., May 6 at 7 PM at the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church, 1313 New York Ave. NW, WDC 20005.  Under the current proposed federal budget, 66 cents of every dollar of federal discretionary spending will go to the military by 2023, while only 12 cents will be used for anti-poverty programs.  War and militarism are persistent and pervasive evils perpetuated by a distorted moral narrative that must be challenged.  This is the same church where Abraham Lincoln worshiped when he wrote the Emancipation Proclamation and Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King spoke out against the Vietnam War.  Discuss how we can stand together to create a revolution of values in America. Go to https://www.facebook.com/events/2096955640580471/.

14] – On Sun., May 6 from 7 to 11 PM, tune in to Spring Guitars Not Guns Fundraiser featuring Muriel Anderson!  The fundraiser will be at the Mellow Mushroom), 2436 18th St. NW, WDC 20009.  Tickets are available at www.airbnb.com.  Admission is free, but donations will be accepted, 100 percent of which will go directly toward providing guitars and music education to at-risk youth as an alternative to violence. And there will be raffles and great prizes.  The renowned HARP guitarist Muriel Anderson, the winner of the National Fingerpicking Guitar Championship and the founder of the Music for Life Alliance, will perform.  Go to http://dc.guitarsnotguns.org.

15] – There is a weekly Pentagon Peace Vigil from 7 to 8 AM on Mondays, since 1987, outside the Pentagon Metro stop.  The next vigil is May 6, and it is sponsored by the Dorothy Day Catholic Worker.  Email artlaffin@hotmail.com or call 202-882-9649.  The vigil will be outside the Pentagon's south Metro entrance and in the designated "protest zone" behind bicycle fences across from the entrance to the Metro.  By Metro, take Yellow Line and get out at the "Pentagon" stop. Do not go to the Pentagon City stop! Go up south escalators and turn left and walk across to protest area. By car from D.C. area, take 395 South and get off at Exit 8A-Pentagon South Parking. Take slight right onto S. Rotary Rd. at end of ramp and right on S. Fern St. Then take left onto Army Navy Dr. You can "pay to park" on Army Navy Dr.,  and there is meter parking one block on right on Eads St. Payment for both of these spots begin at 8 AM.  No cameras are allowed on Pentagon grounds. Restrooms are located inside Marriott Residence Inn on corner of S. Fern and Army Navy Dr.

16] – On Mon., May 7 from 8:45 to 11:30 AM, hear  the talk "Spring Summitry on the Korean Peninsula: Peace Breaking Out or Last Gasp Diplomacy?" with multiple speakers at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW, WDC. RSVP at https://www.csis.org/events/spring-summitry-korean-peninsula-peace-breaking-out-or-last-gasp-diplomacy.

17] – On Mon., May 7 from noon to 1:30 PM, hear the discussion HATE: Why We Should Resist It with Free Speech, Not Censorship, hosted by The Cato Institute, 1000 Massachusetts Ave. NW, WDC 20001.  Tickets are available at www.cato.org.  The Founders placed freedom of speech at the head of the Bill of Rights, yet we still struggle to protect it.  In fact, it was not until the 20th century that our courts began to develop a systematic jurisprudence against attacks on speech. In recent years, however, ill-defined “hate speech” has been a particular target—especially on the nation’s campuses, where one would expect speech to enjoy the greatest protection.

In her closely argued new book, Nadine Strossen has given us a powerful and incisive defense of even the speech that most offends, carefully distinguishing what should and should not be protected. Her mission, she writes, is to refute the argument that the United States should follow the lead of many other nations and adopt a broad concept of illegal hate speech. In the process, she demonstrates not only that doing so would violate our fundamental principles, but also that it would do more harm than good. REGISTER at https://www.cato.org/events/hate-why-we-should-resist-it-free-speech-not-censorship.  If you can’t make it to the event, you can watch it live online atwww.cato.org/live and join the conversation on Twitter using #Cato1A.

18] – Ben Jealous is putting the idea of debt-free college at the center of his campaign to be Maryland’s next governor. He understands that in a highly competitive global economy, we need the best-educated workforce in the world and that it is insane that people cannot afford to go to college or are leaving school deeply in debt. On Mon., May 7 at 6 PM, Bernie Sanders will join Ben in Prince George’s County at a Debt-Free College Rally at Oakcrest Community Center, 1300 Capitol Heights Blvd., Capitol Heights 20743.  RSVP at https://go.berniesanders.com/page/event/detail/other/gpg5q9.

19] –Get over to the State's Attorney Candidate's Forum on Mon., May 7 from 6 to 9 PM at the Oakcrest Community Center, 1300 Capitol Heights Blvd., Capitol Heights 20743. Contact Seanniece Bamiro t seanniece@progressivemaryland.org or 240-245-0268.  See http://www.progressivemaryland.org/saforum?utm_campaign=pmwkmemapr232018&utm_medium=email&utm_source=progressivemaryland .

20] – SISTER SIMONE AT BUSBOYS AND POETS.  Join Her Talk on Catholic Social Justice on Mon., May 7 at 7 PM. She will share her insights on the challenges of staying true to Catholic Social Justice under the current administration. This event is sponsored by the Holy Name Society of St. Augustine Catholic Church and will take place at the Busboys and Poets, 14th and V Sts., NW, WDC 20009.   She will be joined by Ralph McCloud, Director of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development and St. Augustine parishioner, Jeanné Isler. Hear about “The Plight of the Poor: Economic Justice at Home and Abroad.” Email info@networklobby.org.

21] –  Each Tuesday from 4:30 - 5:30 PM, the Catholic Peace Fellowship-Philadelphia for peace in Afghanistan and Iraq gathers at the Suburban Station, 16th St. & JFK Blvd., at the entrance to Tracks 3 and 4 on the mezzanine.  The next vigil is May 8.  Call 215-426-0364.

22] – Vigil to say "No Drone Research at JHU" each Tuesday at 33rd & North Charles Sts. Join this ongoing vigil on May 8 from 5:30  to 6:30 PM. Contact Max at mobuszewski2001 at Comcast dot net or 410-323-1607. 

23] – On Tues., May 8 at 7:30 PM at Red Emma's Bookstore Coffeehouse, 30 W North Ave, Baltimore, Maryland 21201, catch REVOLUTION IN THE AIR: RADICALISM FROM 1968 TO 2018.   The sixties were a time when radical movements learned to embrace twentieth-century Marxism; in 1968, protests against capitalism, racism, and imperialism erupted around the world. Fifty years later, Max Elbaum, author of "Revolution in the Air," discusses what the resistance of today can learn from the legacies of Lenin, Mao and Che.

Taking issue with the idea of a division between an early “good sixties” and a later “bad sixties,” Max Elbaum is particularly concerned to reclaim the lessons of the new communist movement for today’s activists who, like their sixties’ predecessors, are coming of age at a time when the Left lacks mass support and is fragmented along racial lines. Call 443-602-7585. RSVP at http://www.redemmas.org.