Baltimore Activist Alert – April 25 - 26, 2021

Baltimore Activist Alert – April 25 - 26, 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] Max is looking for tips on a garage or a storage suggestion.

6] Free Prakash Churaman  

7] House cleaner needed

8] Ellen Campbell may lose her house.

9] Xochi needs a place to stay in Baltimore

10] “Rethinking Personal Wealth: Taboos and Transparency” – April 25

11] Training: One-on-One Relationship Building – April 25

12] "End the U.S. Blockade of Cuba!"  – April 25

13] Healthcare Town Hall – April 25

14] Green New Deal Teach-In --- April 25

15] United Against Hate meeting – April 25

16] Pentagon Peace Vigil – April 26

17] U.S.-ROK Relations – April 26

18] NO TO WAR ON YEMEN – April 26

19] Food Rescue – April 26

20] Moral Monday -- April 26

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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] – Max is in need of a garage or a storage space.  Any suggestions would be welcome.  Contact Max at 410-323-1607 or mobuszewski2001 at Comcast dot net.

6] – 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.

7] – 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.

8] –   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. Contact Cindy at farquhar.cindy7 at Gmail dot com.

9] – Xochi, a young person from El Salvador, is seeking asylum in the United States.  Xochi made the decision in April 2020 to move to Dallas, TX to live with her mother.  In the last year she lived with a few friends in Texas and with her mother.  Because of the pandemic, Xochi's court date has been pushed back many times.    Xochi would like to move back to Baltimore.  If you know where Xochi can live while she seeks employment in Baltimore, contact Bethany Gregg at  bethany.gregg@gmail.com. 

10] – 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.  On Sun., April 25, get with the “Rethinking Personal Wealth: Taboos and Transparency.”  Many Americans feel there is something deeply wrong about the staggering wealth inequality in the United States. Those who seek collective solutions often promote progressive taxation and government support for those on the lower rungs of our economic ladder. Hugh Taft-Morales explores why so few people feel comfortable even discussing their personal wealth. Should we challenge taboos that shut down candid conversation? Would increased transparency promote greater personal responsibility for managing wealth?  How might organizations like Resource Generation and Patriotic Millionaires help guide us? Hugh Taft-Morales who serves as Leader of the Philadelphia Ethical Society and the Baltimore Ethical Society and is a member of the Ethical Action Committee of the American Ethical Union (AEU) will lead the discussion. Email PRESIDENT@BMORETHICAL.ORG for INFORMATION.

11] – Amy at Sunrise Movement Baltimore [general@sunrisemovementbaltimore.org] wants you to know that Sunrise is holding a Training: One-on-One Relationship Building on Sun., April 25 at 3 PM ET. Relationships will matter now and they’ll matter a decade from now. This is a period to deepen our connections, and one of the most powerful ways we can do that is through one-on-one conversation. Register here https://zoom.us/j/92465328627.

12] – The ANSWER Coalition [info@answercoalition.org] wants you to join a car caravan on Sun., April 25 at 3 PM ET, starting at 18th & Columbia Road NW. Drive to say "End the U.S. Blockade of Cuba!" Call 202-503-9465 or check outanswercoalition.org. Call on President Biden to act now to lift the more than 240 anti-Cuba measures signed by Trump, and to take immediate action to overturn the U.S. blockade of almost 60 years. Click here to learn of a Cuba caravan in your town: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mJL0MS15F1TL5e6gA0m7Zep0PMTmbBJB/view.

The U.S. blockade against Cuba is actually a series of laws, with the first one signed by President Kennedy in 1962, whose sole purpose is to starve and deny medicines and essential trade to the Cuban nation. The objective: Regime change of a government and country simply because it is socialist and no longer under U.S. economic and political domination. One of the harshest laws in the blockade arsenal, passed by U.S. Congress and signed by President Clinton in 1996, is known as the Helms-Burton law. Fully implemented by President Trump in 2019, it has caused even greater economic hardship on the whole Cuban people, by internationalizing its application, forcing other countries to comply with the blockade. Then Trump added to the pain, cutting all remittances from Cuban-American families in the U.S. to their loved ones in Cuba, and signing 240 executive orders and measures in total. Yet, disgracefully, Biden's National Security Council advisor on Western Hemisphere affairs, Juan González, stated April 11 that Biden sees no reason to take action to overturn Trump's reactionary measures.

13] – Mike Fox for Progressive Democrats of America [info@pdamerica.org] reminds us to participate in the weekly Dr. Bill's Healthcare Emergency Town Hall on Sundays usually at 4 PM ET.  For over a year Dr. Bill has been doing weekly Healthcare Emergency Town Halls to discuss COVID-19 and the ways we can all support a healthier country for all via Medicare for All and more. On Sun., April 25, the discussion will include All Things Vaccines: Policies and Politics with health systems analyst and author Dr. Henry Broeska, Ph.D.  Register at https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0tceuhrzsvHdymeeZRwb-i7X50FJa-HMR4.

14] – Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Ed Markey introduced the Green New Deal resolution in Congress this week – this time with 13 new cosponsors and more than 12 companion bills that apply the Green New Deal principles. The only way to grow this movement and build support for the Green New Deal is to talk to voters 1:1 on what the resolution calls for and how these measures will directly support our communities now and into the future. Join a Green New Deal Teach-In with the Sunrise Movement on Sun., April 25 from 4 to 6 PM ET to prepare you to communicate powerfully about why the Green New Deal is the solution to the historic crises we are facing as a country. On the call, you’ll learn how you can pressure members of Congress to sign on.  https://secure.everyaction.com/pB6tvTD9PkCe5nG0fOAp7w2?akid=2019.751982.fJssRS&rd=1&t=5.

15] – The next United Against Hate meeting is on Sun., April 25 at 5 PM ET. Hear from Cherrene Horazuk, President, and Sarah Vast, Secretary of AFSCME 3800 - University of Minnesota Clerical Workers. University of Minnesota Clerical Workers, Chief Shop Steward Rosetta Chears will also be joining in.  All three unionists are bargaining committee members for their unit's 2021-2023 contract. They will discuss the impact of George Floyd's murder on their community, and how in partial response their unit is incorporating racial justice into their bargaining demands.

Also to be discussed are possible next calls to action by United Against Hate. One very excellent idea is to organize demonstrations to commemorate the Aug. 12 murder of Heather Heyer at the Unite the Right "rally" in Charlottesville four years ago. Register at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85094604263.

  Also to consider is hosting an online event with an amazing anti-fascist activist, Talia Lavin. Talia wrote a book called Culture Warlords: My Journey into the Dark Web of White Supremacy. United Against Hate would contribute $500 in book sales at a much discounted rate (40 books for $13 each) so the hope is to get organizations and networks involved to do this. "Lavin is an entertaining Virgil for this neo-Nazi hell...She forges engaging narrative paths through the distant and near history of the alt-right.” --THE NEW YORK TIMES.

16] – 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 April 26 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.  

17] – GW Institute for Korean Studies [gwiks@gwu.edu] invites you to a webinar on Mon., April 26 at 10 AM ET -- U.S.-ROK Relations: Challenges and Opportunities under the Biden Administration.  Hear from Rep. Andy Kim [3rd District, New Jersey]. RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/us-rok-relations-challenges-and-opportunities-under-the-biden-administra-tickets-150060794877.

18] – World Says NO TO WAR ON YEMEN.  Get involved in the Yemen Global Day of Action on Mon., Aril 26 at noon ET.  You are invited to a closed, unrecorded meeting to share about the activities last month and plan for the future. Sign up at https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUvcuiqqzgrHNC44zM5CngBgeYohGO7u5BA?link_id=4&can_id=4b9d4061aec5469758759317ac0f5285&source=email-register-for-april-26-global-yemen-meeting&email_referrer=email_1148828&email_subject=register-for-april-26-global-yemen-meeting. Global Day of Action (Yemen) can be reached at national@actioncorps.org.

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

20] – Rev. Dr. William Barber and Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis [info@poorpeoplescampaign.org] are reminding you about Moral Monday, April 26 at 3 PM ET which will focus on Immigration. Demand respect, dignity, and human rights for all immigrants! Hear from immigrant leaders on the frontlines of movements for social change, demanding that we transform our broken immigration system with comprehensive and just immigration reform. From de-militarizing the border to the repeal of mandatory detention, deportation, child detention and family separation, to ensuring full access to public welfare and social programs and permanent protection for ALL 11 million undocumented immigrants, we are coming together to say that EVERYBODY has the right to live and thrive in this country.  Sign up at https://actionnetwork.org/events/immigration-moral-monday?source=direct_link&&link_id=2&can_id=4b9d4061aec5469758759317ac0f5285&email_referrer=email_1153148&email_subject=moral-monday-nil-immigration-lunes-moral-inmigraci_n.

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