Saturday, June 8, 2019

Baltimore Activist Alert – June 9 – 11, 2019



"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] Get involved with NCNR   
4] Buy an Anti-War Veteran hat  
5] Lawyers Against War
6] “Explore & Live Palestine” from July 11 through July 25, 2019
7] SUPPORT AMAZON WORKERS OF CONSCIENCE
8] Where are the children? – June 9
9] The American Humanist Association conference will be live-streamed. -- June 9
10] Toxic Contamination at Military Bases – June 9
11] On the Call for the ERA – June 9
12] The Clean Air Act -- June 9
13] Pentagon Protest – June 10
14] Food Rescue – June 10
15] Meet Rep. Adam Smith – June 10
16] Food Rescue Pop-Up at Flourish – June 10
17] 500 Women Scientists Policy & Advocacy Training – June 10
18] Protest Bolton – June 10
19] Get Money Out of Maryland Teleconference – June 10
20] 2019 AIDS Walk and Music Festival – June 11
21] Code Red Pennsylvania – June 11
22] Learn with Mary Washington – June 11
23] China and South Korea in North Korea – June 11
24] Peering Beyond the DMZ – June 11
25] Nuclear Cybersecurity –- June 11
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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 U.S. wars.

To join the ORGANIZING List, please send your name, group affiliation, city and email address to mobuszewski2001 at Comcast dot net.  Different local chapters of a national organization are encouraged to subscribe.  

4] – Get a good-looking black hat which says Anti-War Veteran in the front and Viva House 50th in the back.  The cost is $10. Contact Max at 410-323-1607 or mobuszewski2001 at Comcast dot net.

5] – Jeff Ross, an attorney in Maryland, is interested in gathering with other lawyers to discuss ways in which the legal profession and the law generally can be conceptualized as a peace-building and war-resisting institution and redirected to these ends. Areas to explore might include: 1) ways in which this group could support with legal analysis/writing those lawyers who are representing peace-builders/war-resisters in criminal prosecutions; 2) ways in which, from a more theoretical perspective, the law might be grounded in an ethic of non-violence; and 3) ways in which law students and young lawyers might be exposed to a non-violent vision of the law. All religious, philosophical, and critical perspectives on the law are welcome. The group might want to call itself Lawyers Against War. Jeff can be reached at 443-690-6872 and jross50@hotmail.com.

6] – If you are 18 to 35, don't miss this unique opportunity to visit Palestine! Registration is Now Open at https://kthps.org/join. For more information, please visit: https://kthps.org/.  Know Thy Heritage, Inc. is offering a Leadership Initiative “Explore & Live Palestine” from July 11 through July 25, 2019.  This is a program of The Arab American Institute.  Visit http://www.aaiusa.org/.

7] -- SUPPORT AMAZON WORKERS OF CONSCIENCE.  We are in a deep struggle to support conscience within the high tech community, which may be the only way to prevent a major leap into artificial intelligence warfare that we see the beginnings of in the expanding global U.S. drone war system.  This may be of particular interest to Johns Hopkins' Navy-funded researchers, some of whom have been working on swarming drone technology.

These are not major asks and can be a powerful reinforcement of conscience at an extremely critical moment.  Please consider circulating this link to your lists encouraging people to sign the linked RootsAction petition - https://www.knowdrones.com/blog/2019/3/6/support-amazon-workers-who-dont-want-to-work-for-war and leafletting Whole Foods in your areas. This is a link to the leaflet -- https://gallery.mailchimp.com/dd110b000ca250d868d4f419b/files/107fc695-8af9-4f7e-a523-ecd1d1dfd28f/Wholefoods_Leaflet.pdf. Should you have interest in circulating the links and possibly leafletting, contact Nick Mottern at  nickmottern at gmail.com.

8] – Where are the children?  Families should be reunited instead, they remain separated.  Thousands. Thousands of children have been torn from their families. Even toddlers and some younger than 12 months have been separated from their parents. This situation should never have happened, yet it continues.  Since last year the Trump Administration has had a “zero-tolerance” policy of prosecuting immigrants entering the U.S. at the border. The policy has resulted in separating immigrant families who are seeking a better life. Many children are housed in detention centers in Maryland or placed in foster care. This cruel policy and practice must end, and families must be reunited. That’s why the ACLU is working with the project "Where are the children?" to host a powerful demonstration and march to hold the Trump administration accountable for the irreparable damage it has done to these young children.

Get with the PAJAMA CLOTHESLINE PROJECT on International Children’s Day, to oppose this injustice on Sun., June 9 from 10 AM to 5:30 PM on the National Mall, between 12th and 14th Streets, WDC.  The government deported hundreds of parents without their children — without a plan for how they would be ever be found. A racist view drives these policies and practices that immigrants and asylum seekers from Central America deserve nothing but cruelty and punishment.

As a statement of the nation’s concern, hundreds of pairs of children’s pajamas will be hung on clotheslines on the National Mall.  For details or to donate used pajamas or money, see https://www.wherearethechildren.us/.  Visit https://www.facebook.com/events/853085191694058/.

9] – Usually, the Baltimore Ethical Society, 2521 St. Paul St., Baltimore 21218, meets on Sundays, and generally there is a speaker and discussion at 10:30 AM.  However, on Sun., June 9, the American Humanist Association annual conference will be live-streamed. There are two talks that fall during the usual meeting time: from 10:45 to 11:15 AM, hear from Jennifer Hancock: The Necessity of Humanism in the Workplace; and from 11:15 to 11:45 hear from Anita Peters: Let’s Celebrate Humanism! Building Community by Assigning Significance within a Secular Life.  BES will livestream these two talks. Call 410-581-2322 or email ask@bmorethical.org

10] --You are cordially invited to a workshop, sponsored by MUPJ/Institute for Positive Action on Sun., June 9 from 2:30 to 4:30 PM at Adelphi Friends Meeting, 2303 Metzerott Road, Adelphi 20783.  Pat Elder will present Toxic Contamination at Military Bases: Another Threat to our Environment.  Pat will address the contamination flowing from military bases as a result of the use of Per and Poly Fluoroalkyl Substances, or PFAS. The substances are used in fire-fighting foam. They may be the most toxic substances ever developed. The toxins are allowed to leach into the groundwater, poisoning everything in its path, including drinking water for humans. 

Pat Elder is a writer for Civilian Exposure, a non-profit news organization providing investigative reporting of toxic military contamination at bases and base communities around the world. Pat’s work is focused primarily on the contamination caused by per and poly fluoroalkyl substances, (PFAS). These chemicals are found in the aqueous film forming foam (AFFF) used by the military in routine fire-fighting exercises.  The workshop is free, and refreshments will be served.  Contact Tony Langbehn at 301-390-9694 or tonylang4peace@gmail.com.

11] – On Sun., June 9 from 4 to 5 PM, get on The CALL - ERA Education Program at Katrina's Dream, PO Box 32003, WDC 20007.  Tickets are at www.katrinasdream.org.  Please come each Sunday and help build the groundswell. The collaboration of grassroots organizers, lobbyists, and professionals is dedicated to promoting and educating folks across the United States of America to empowering women around the world.

The CALL IN NUMBER is 563.999.2090, the CONFERENCE NO: 898879#.  Visit https://www.facebook.com/events/1710130249022424/?event_time_id=1710130255689090.

12] – 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 June 10, 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.

13] –  On Mon., June 10 from 11 AM to 2:30 PM, get Lessons from the Clean Air Act, hosted by American Academy of Arts and Sciences and Resources for the Future at the Carnegie Institution for Science.  Tickets are at members.amacad.org. Climate and energy policy must be durable and adaptable to be successful. However, these two concepts often seem to be in opposition. One venerable institution that exemplifies both ideas is the Clean Air Act, first passed by the United States Congress in 1963 with amendments passed in 1970 and 1990. The Act has resulted in remarkable improvements in air quality, with programs that reach across the entire economy and regulate various sectors and pollutants.

By examining the successes – and failures – of the Clean Air Act, an American Academy study group has identified lessons for improving future climate and energy policy-making in the U.S. at both the federal and state levels. Those lessons are described in a new book from Cambridge University Press, "Lessons from the Clean Air Act: Building Durability and Adaptability into U.S. Climate and Energy Policy." Visit https://www.amacad.org/events/lessons-clean-air-act-building-durability-and-adaptability-us-climate-and-energy-policy.  See https://www.facebook.com/events/1166998776812791/.

14] – On Mon., June 10 at noon, there will be a Food Rescue at Land of Kush, 840 N. Eutaw St., Baltimore 21201. Food Rescue Baltimore is honored to partner with The Land of Kush each and every Monday to bring access to free vegan/plant-based food in the community. Bring a bag. Take what you want from noon to 1PM or while supplies last. No purchase is necessary to take advantage of the Food Rescue Baltimore give away. Items from The Land of Kush's menu are not included in the give-away but will be available for sale. See https://www.facebook.com/events/415842178868197/.

15] --  On Mon., June 10 from 2 to 3 PM, Rep. Adam Smith will speak about the FY 2020 National Defense Authorization Act at CSIS Headquarters, 2nd Floor, 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW, WDC 20036.  Smith is the House Armed Services Committee Chair. See https://www.csis.org/events/representative-adam-smith-fy2020-national-defense-authorization-act-0.

16] –On Mon., June 10 from 3 to 4 PM, there is a Food Rescue Pop-Up at Flourish, 3418 Belair Road, Baltimore 21213-1233.  Bring a bag, and take home healthy, free food! View https://www.facebook.com/events/301851223848295/?event_time_id=301851250514959. 
This will continue into the future.

17] – On Mon., June 10 from 6:30 to 8:30 PM, catch up with 500 Women Scientists Policy & Advocacy Training at the Union of Concerned Scientists, 1825 K St. NW, #800, WDC 20006.  Do you want to understand how to talk to your congressperson and have your research used in policy?  Do you need a crash course in demystifying science policy? Join the SciPol workshop! This is open to scientists of all career stages who would like to better understand science policy and advocacy or just want to practice speaking to congressional reps.  Go to https://www.facebook.com/events/336146210423298/.

18] – On Monday, June 10 at 6:45 PM, join a protest of War Monger John Bolton at his private residence in Bethesda.  RSVP with clara@codepink.org for meet up location details! Gather outside National Security Advisor John Bolton’s house to protest his war-mongering tactics against Iran and Venezuela. This has been coordinated with neighbors, who are raising their voices against Bolton’s bloody foreign policy. Bolton was one of the promoters of the Iraq War, and now he’s revisiting his same strategies of propaganda and lies to escalate conflict with Venezuela and Iran.

19] – Join the Get Money Out of Maryland Teleconference on Mon., June 10 from 8:30 to 9:30 PM.  Call 605-475-6711, code 1136243#.  Work only on brainstorming ideas for participation in the upcoming General Election.

20] – On Tues., June 11 from 8 AM to 1 PM, get over to the 2019 AIDS Walk and Music Festival.  Gather at the POWER PLANT LIVE!  It is at 34 Market Place, Baltimore 21202.  Tickets are at events.chasebrexton.org.  Register at BaltimoreAIDSWalk.org.  Registration opens at 8AM and the opening ceremony starts at 8:45AM. See https://www.facebook.com/events/450744572124762/.

21] –On Tues., June 11 from 9 to 10:30 AM, attend the CodeRed PA: Gun Violence Policy Work Group Meeting in Philadelphia. Healthcare providers, organizations and individuals have formed a coalition to address gun violence policy in Pennsylvania. PSR PA and PHMC co-chair this work group and invite you to attend the next meeting. Email info@psrphila.org for more information on how to participate.

22] – On Tues., June 11 from noon to 1 PM, get over to a Summer Lunch & Learn with Mary Washington, hosted by the Dresher Center for the Humanities in the UMBC Performing Arts and Humanities Building, Room 132. Enjoy a FREE lunch! Join for a series of informal talks on a variety of interdisciplinary topics. Meet other students, connect with UMBC faculty, broaden your knowledge, and prepare for a successful career.  Join Baltimore City’s Senator Mary Washington for a conversation about race, gender, sexuality and electoral politics. Fresh off her first year as a Maryland State Senator, Washington will discuss the importance of electoral politics, and the role of race, gender, and sexuality in running for office, voting, and making policy for all of us. Senator Washington will also share her experiences running for office—and how you can too.

Senator Mary Washington is originally from Philadelphia, and arrived in Baltimore to earn a Masters and Ph.D. in sociology from Johns Hopkins University. She won her second campaign for 43rd District Delegate in 2010. She became the first openly LGBT African American elected official in Maryland—and only the second in any state legislature in the country. In 2018 she unseated longtime incumbent Senator Joan Carter Conway, winning the campaign by about 500 votes. Senator Washington has led legislative fights for marriage equality, equitable school funding, access to affordable water for all, and landmark bills to prevent shacking of incarcerated women in labor and to keep people from losing their homes to an unpaid water bill. See https://www.facebook.com/events/2414626988771786/.

23] –On Tues., June 11 from noon to 1:30 PM, check out Competition or Cooperation: China and South Korea in North Korea’s Special Economic Zones at the Korea Economic Institute of America, 1800 K Street, NW, Suite 300, WDC 20006.  Hear from Théo Clément, Kings College London.  While North Korea has developed Special Economic Zones (SEZs) for several decades, most have attracted limited attention from foreign investors for a variety of reasons. The more successful of these areas have drawn interest from Chinese and South Korean partners, but interactions with each country follow very different models. Whereas Chinese economic cooperation in North Korean SEZs is led by small-scale trade, South Korean engagement has entailed large investments. Should a denuclearization process start, however, Seoul’s emphasis on these zones for renewed engagement with Pyongyang will likely prompt Beijing to be more committed to growing its presence in North Korean SEZs.  Look up http://www.keia.org/event/competition-or-cooperation-china-and-south-korea-north-korea%E2%80%99s-special-economic-zones.

24] – On Tues., June 11 from noon to 1:30 PM, check out Peering Beyond the DMZ: Understanding North Korea behind the Headlines at the Cato Institute, 1000 Massachusetts Ave. NW, WDC 20001-5403.  The speakers are Heidi Linton, Christian Friends of Korea; Randall Spadoni, World Vision; and Daniel Jasper, American Friends Service Committee.  Visit https://www.cato.org/events/peering-beyond-the-dmz.  Negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang over North Korea’s nuclear weapons program are at an impasse, and tensions are rising. And while neither side appears to want a war, the path to a diplomatic solution remains unclear. What is obvious, however, is that most U.S. policymakers have little understanding of what the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) is or how it operates, a fact that limits America’s ability to peacefully resolve the crisis.  Heidi Linton, Randall Spadoni, and Daniel Jasper, by contrast, have firsthand knowledge of the DPRK. Their organizations maintain long-term aid programs in North Korea, and all three have spent time there as part of humanitarian missions, including trips to parts of the country closed to most visitors.

25] – On Tues., June 11 at 4 PM, get over to Nuclear Cybersecurity: Risks and Remedies in SR-385, Russell Senate Office Building, WDC.  The Stimson Center and Fissile Material Working Group (Eric Chein, Symantec; Debra Decker, Stimson Center; and Kathryn Rauhut) will testify.  Email econnolly@armscontrolcenter.org.

To be continued.

Donations can be sent to the Baltimore Nonviolence Center, 325 E. 25th St., Baltimore, MD 21218.  Ph: 410-323-1607; Email: mobuszewski2001 [at] comcast.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


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