Baltimore Activist Alert – March 28 - 29, 2021

Baltimore Activist Alert – March 28 - 29, 2021

"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 Max Obuszewski, BNC, 431 Notre Dame Lane, Apt. 206, Baltimore, MD 21212.  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] Volunteer with a Catholic Worker house  

5] Free Prakash Churaman  

6] House cleaner needed

7] Ellen Campbell may lose her house.

8] Hear from Jamie Raskin – March 28

9] Freedom Community Call – March 28

10] Healthcare Town Hall – March 28

11] Caravan for Justice – March 28 – April 2

12] Hear from the amazing Ann Wright. – March 28

13] Pentagon Peace Vigil – March 29

14] Agenda for Diplomacy with Iran – March 29

15] U.S.-China Power Dynamics – March 29

16] What the White House is doing for transgender and non-binary people – March 29

17] Food Rescue – March 29

18] Black Alliance for Peace at the State Department -- March 29

19] US Out of Haiti!! – March 29

20] Clean Air Baltimore Coalition meeting – March 29

21] Eugene Debs’ legacy -- March 29

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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] - Suzanne Fontanesi and Jeff Ross are in the beginning stages of renovating the basement of their house for purposes of bringing in a volunteer (targeting young adults in discernment mode), starting next fall. They are trying to grow a Catholic Worker House in Irvington (West Baltimore). In a nutshell, there is a lot that a volunteer could do in that neighborhood/Baltimore, in addition to prayer and daily community living and in addition to plugging into all the good work that people are already doing in and around Baltimore (and beyond).  If you think you might know of anyone who might be interested in starting a conversation with them about becoming such a volunteer/community member, please contact Jeff/Suzanne at 443-690-6872.

5] – Prakash Churaman was 15 when he was arrested and accused of murdering his best friend. NYPD detective Barry Brown coerced him into making a false confession over the course of hours in an interrogation room. He was convicted and sentenced to life in prison by Judge Kenneth Holder, a former prosecutor. That conviction was overturned this summer and now for the first time he has a chance to come home if money can be raised for his bail. Here is the link to a video which tells his story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FStlvKjTt4&t=7s. Here is the link to Gofundme: https://www.gofundme.com/f/freeprakashchuraman and another one to a petition: https://www.change.org/p/freeprakashchuraman.

6] – Is there a woman in the Baltimore area who does house cleaning?  This assignment would be on an irregular basis with several hours per week.  Contact Max at 410-323-1607 or mobuszewski2001 at Comcast dot net.

7] –   Ellen Campbell may lose her house in Waverly due to a tax sale.  If you would like to donate, there is a Go Fund Me account: https://gofund.me/CO46ab3d.

8] – Usually, the Baltimore Ethical Society, 2521 St. Paul St., Baltimore 21218, meets on Sundays, and generally there is a speaker and discussion at 11 AM.  On Sun., March 28, hear about “Partisanship, Fascism and the Common Good” with Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD)!  Attend via ZOOM here: http://bit.ly/ASP3-28 or watch the live stream on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/EthicalUnion.

Raskin was Lead House Manager in the second Senate impeachment Trial of former President Donald Trump, which ended with a 57-43 vote to convict and was the most bipartisan presidential impeachment process in U.S. history.  He is co-chair of the Congressional Freethought Caucus which he co-founded with Rep. Jared Huffman (D-CA).  Raskin came to the attention of freethinkers nationally when he testified in the Maryland State Senate in 2006 against a proposed constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage and answered a right-wing Senator who asserted that the Bible “defines marriage as one man and one woman” with this retort: “Senator, with all due respect, when you took your oath of office you put your hand on the Bible and swore to uphold the Constitution. You did not place your hand on the Constitution and swear to uphold the Bible.” Email PRESIDENT@BMORETHICAL.ORG for INFORMATION.

9] –   Sunjeev Bery, Freedom Forward [reply@petitions.moveon.org] is inviting you to a Freedom Community Call on Sun., March 28 at 1 PM EST.  Go to https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJYrduCqqz8jHd0i3MGuT3XiD0oJAfC_hy03.  Hear from Lina al-Hathloul, sister of Saudi Arabian women's rights defender Loujain al-Hathloul, Bethany Alhaidari, women’s rights advocate who lived in Saudi Arabia for close to a decade and now serves as Saudi desk officer at the Freedom Initiative, and Isaac Evans-Frantz, global campaigner to stop the war in Yemen and executive director of Action Corps.

10] – Dr. Bill for Progressive Democrats of America [info@pdamerica.org] wants you on the Healthcare Emergency Town Hall on Sun., March 28 at 4 PM ET.  Discuss the Medicare for All Bill and More. RSVP at https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0tceuhrzsvHdymeeZRwb-i7X50FJa-HMR4PS. Progressive Democrats of America (PDA) was honored to be a part of the massive collective effort last week to promote the rollout by Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) and Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI) of the new National #MedicareForAllAct (MFA) of 2021 now known as H.R.1976. Join every Sunday throughout the COVID-19 crisis for the weekly national PDA Healthcare Emergency Town Hall online Sundays.  Take a deep dive into their Congressional Liaison Program efforts to obtain more cosponsors for H.R.1976, with reports from the teams across the country on what has worked so far, what hasn’t worked, and some brilliant ideas as to what likely still needs to be tried.

11] – Join Witness for Peace Southeast and the Solidarity Collective for the annual Caravan for Justice, which this year will be virtual, with a message “Climate Justice Means Justice for All!” Commemorate the lives lost and the struggles fought since the pandemic began ravaging our communities. THE DATES FOR THE VIRTUAL CARAVAN are Sun., March 28 at 5 PM ET with Performance: Art in Resistance through Fri., Apr. 2 a Good Friday Economic Justice Way of the Cross at noon ET. Register at https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJIsc-yvrT8uHNFnJC5hr_GG0lieaj4dAJjh?fbclid=IwAR1WwyaqsXQhW_2wYh2RWPa-P67fARPq9qtOBRoTuXai18SKcVJWNehB8QY&link_id=2&can_id=4b9d4061aec5469758759317ac0f5285&source=email-virtual-caravan-for-justice-march-28-april-5-2&email_referrer=email_1119460&email_subject=virtual-caravan-for-justice-march-28-april-5.

12] – March is both Women’s History Month and the 18th anniversary of the Iraq War, so CODEPINK will host Grace Siegelman, coordinator of its Feminist Foreign Policy Project, and the amazing Ann Wright, formerly of the military then the State Department, which she quit because of the Iraq War. On Sun., March 28 at 5 PM ET, get with the Peacemaker Salon for Political Discourse with Ann Wright and Grace Siegelman.  RSVP for the Zoom link at https://www.codepink.org/03282021.

13] – 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 March 29, 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.  

14] – On Mon., March 29 from 8 to 9:30 AM, get with Envisioning a GCC Agenda for Diplomacy with Iran.  The Biden administration has announced its intention to rejoin the nuclear deal with Iran known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. As part of its new diplomatic efforts with Tehran, the United States is also considering involving regional players in future talks about Iran’s ballistic-missile programme and support for armed non-state actors in the Middle East. Expanding the scope of future negotiations and associating local powers is seen as a way to secure regional buy-in for the nuclear deal and address aspects of Iranian security policy that have been overlooked in previous diplomatic attempts. 

This new US approach, which aligns with the regional security priorities of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, will require the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states to articulate a negotiations agenda. GCC officials have expressed a desire to be represented at future international talks with Iran, but forging a unified GCC position on Iran remains a difficult task; harmonizing GCC priorities with Western, Russian and Chinese concerns may be even harder. The speakers will explore the various issues at stake for the GCC states ahead of a potential resumption of international talks with Iran. Register at https://www.iiss.org/events/2021/03/gcc-diplomacy-iran.

15] – On Mon., March 29 from 9 to 10:15 AM, check out A “Special Relationship” in Transition: U.S.-China Power Dynamics in the Emerging 21st Century. As part of the ongoing celebration of the Hopkins-Nanjing Center’s 35th anniversary year, you are welcome to join a conversation between leading figures in the U.S.-China relationship on the future of U.S.-China engagement. Heightened nationalism and antagonism between China and the U.S. during the first 20 years of the 21st century point to a growing need for thoughtful reconsideration and dialogue around both countries’ unique interests and challenges. What are viable ways forward for U.S.-China engagement, and how can institutions help further more peaceful coexistence and cooperation? The panel leading this conversation will include SAIS Dean Eliot Cohen, former U.S. Secretary of War Robert Gates, and President of the Committee of 100 Zhengyu Huang, with questions from the audience welcomed during the Q&A. Visit https://sais.jhu.edu/campus-events?trumbaEmbed=view%3Devent%26eventid%3D494906228#/?i=2.

16] – The ACLU [info@peoplepower.org] is holding a virtual Town hall on Mon., March 29 at 10 AM ET.  Do you have questions about what the White House is doing for transgender and non-binary people? Actress and advocate Angelica Ross will lead us in discussion with Reggie Greer, the White House LGBTQ Liaison, LaLa Zannell, ACLU Trans Justice Program Manager, and Ian Alexander, actor.  These leaders will share stories and explore how the White House can help protect Trans and intersex students and athletes, prevent criminalization of Tran’s women of color, and ensure everyone has access to accurate IDs. RSVP at https://go.peoplepower.org/signup/they-the-people/?source=ppem_92051&t=3&akid=92051%2E1415127%2ESZYP17.

17] – On Mon., March 29  from noon to 1:30 PM EST, participate in Food Rescue at Land of Kush, 840 North Eutaw St., Baltimore.  This Food Rescue will continue until Mon., Apr. 26. Food Rescue Baltimore is proud to partner with The Land of Kush each and every Monday to bring free vegan and plant-based food to the community. Bring a bag, take what you want, while supplies last. #KeepItFreshDay #MeatlessMonday. See https://www.facebook.com/The-Land-of-Kush-102096254517153.

18] – The Black Alliance for Peace in Washington, D.C. will gather on Mon., March 29 at noon at the State Department, 21st Street and Virginia Ave., NW. Go to https://www.facebook.com/events/168600841746087?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=df3e0da6-de1f-4fd9-82d0-2e713b59f6fe. U.S. out of Haiti.

19] – The Black Alliance for Peace and Popular Resistance are calling for nationwide protests -- US Out of Haiti! Baltimore Peace Action will protest on Mon., March 29 at 4 PM at the Garmatz Federal Courthouse, Lombard and Hanover Sts.  We protest in solidarity with the Haitian people and against U.S. support of Haitian president Moise who has illegally overstayed his term since Feb. 7, and has been killing the people of Haiti. 

  BPA demands that the Biden administration End its support for Jovenel Moïse, Withdraw from participation in Haiti's constitutional process, Stop interfering in the internal affairs of Haiti, Stop deporting Haitians who are fleeing their country and Use these hashtags to share photos of your actions when you hold them: #HandsOffHaiti or #USOutOfHaiti.

March 29 is the anniversary of the 1987 Haitian Constitution written after the 1986 overthrow of the brutal Jean-Claude Duvalier dictatorship. The 1987 Constitution was designed to create "a socially just, economically free, and politically independent Haitian nation." Those ideals are again in crisis. The Haitian people have been bravely holding mass demonstrations, especially on Sundays, for months calling for Moïse to step down so they can appoint an interim leader and hold an election. The state response to their demonstrations has been violent repression. Contact Baltimore Peace Action at www.bmore4peace.org.

20] – Baltimore is about to get a new director for the Department of Public Works. He directed the same department in Oakland, California, where they don’t burn their trash, but have a Zero Waste program guided by the Zero Waste Hierarchy invented years ago! The next biweekly Clean Air Baltimore Coalition meeting is on Zoom Mon., March 29 from 5 to 6 PM. Register/join here http://www.cleanairbmore.org/meeting. Discuss how to move forward zero waste measures such as Save as You Throw, curbside composting collection, and deconstruction in Baltimore City.  Share insights from a recent meeting with Baltimore City Council President, Nick Mosby.

21] – On Mon., March 29 from 6:30 to 8:30 PM, as part of political education there is a NEW Socialist Night School: Eugene Debs and American Socialism.  As a five-time presidential candidate and founding member of both the Socialist Party of America and Industrial Workers of the World, Eugene Debs’ legacy has loomed large over the American socialist movement. Join Shawn Gude (of Jacobin and Substack’s Debs Dispatch) to explore the many facets of Debs’ legacy. Register at https://actionnetwork.org/events/socialist-night-school-eugene-debs-and-american-socialism/?emci=2f2d6090-498b-eb11-85aa-00155d43c992&emdi=2b01756f-528b-eb11-85aa-00155d43c992&ceid=136680.

To be continued.

Donations can be sent to Max Obuszewski, Baltimore Nonviolence Center, 431 Notre Dame Lane, Apt. 206, Baltimore, MD 21212.  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