Baltimore Activist Alert -- February 14 - 19, 2023

20] Visit Merchants of Death – Feb. 14

21] Love your server -- Feb. 14

22] Palestinian children under attack – Feb. 14

23] Transform universities to peacebuilding – Feb. 14

24] Election Protection phone bank – Feb. 14, 16, 17 & 19

25] Russia out of Ukraine -- Feb. 14

26] Welcome Corps in Action – Feb. 14

27] March for Our LIves -- Feb. 14

28] Celebrate the life of Robert Randall – Feb. 14

29] Defend the Guard -- Feb. 14

-----

20] – The group behind the Merchants of Death War Crimes Tribunal scheduled for November is holding a demonstration to hold the defendants accountable. On Tues., Feb. 14 at 10:30 AM, gather at Raytheon Headquarters, 1100 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22209. Say Melt Your Cold, Cold Hearts: Raytheon, Lockheed Martin, Boeing and General Atomics. What Are You Hiding? Appear at the Raytheon offices with empty cartons, asking them to supply the evidence sought in the subpoena delivered to them in November 2022.  Raytheon will receive a Contempt Citation. Then go to the Pentagon to deliver a subpoena to Secretary of Defense [sic] Lloyd Austin.   Gather at the Pentagon Visitor Entrance adjacent to the Pentagon Metro stop.  Catholic Kathy Kelly [kathy.vcnv@gmail.com].

21] – Love Your Server on Valentine's Day on Tues., Feb. 14 from 11 AM to noon ET at 5231 Campbell Blvd., Baltimore 21236.  This Community Event is hosted by One Fair Wage. Join this event to show support and appreciation to those serving your food at restaurants. Valentine's Day plays a significant role in retail, and that extends to hospitality. Show love to all Maryland servers! Let's raise the minimum wage and end sub-minimum wages!  RSVP at https://www.mobilize.us/mobilize/event/550233/?followup_modal_context=nonexclusive_newsletter_closest.

22] – AFSC [actioncenter@afsc.org] asks How are Palestinian children and human rights workers coping with the escalation of Israeli violence in the occupied West Bank? There is a No Way to Treat a Child campaign webinar on Tues., Feb. 14 at noon ET.  Join staff from AFSC and Defense for Children International-Palestine to learn more and find out what you can do to help.  Register at https://nwttac.dci-palestine.org/nwttac_webinar_20230214.

23] – World BEYOND War [greta@worldbeyondwar.org] is holding a webinar on Tues., Feb. 14 at noon ET -- Demilitarizing & Transforming Education.  How do you transform universities for peace? RSVP at https://actionnetwork.org/events/webinar-demilitarising-education-transforming-universities-for-peace?clear_id=true&link_id=4&can_id=4b9d4061aec5469758759317ac0f5285&source=email-next-week-demilitarising-transforming-education-february-14&email_referrer=email_1809259&email_subject=next-week-demilitarising-transforming-education-february-14. Talk about how higher education partnerships with militaries and the global arms trade directly undermine our trust in academic institutions and their ability to unbiasedly shape student minds.

24] – On, Tues., Feb. 14 from 4 to 6 PM, Thurs. Feb. 16 from 5 to 7 PM, Fri., Feb. 17 from 4 to 6 PM ET and Sun., Feb. 19 from 6 to 8 PM ET there is a Common Cause organized Election Protection phone bank.  These phone banks will continue until April 2, 2023.  Work together to demand bold changes to our democracy to create a government that represents all of us, not big corporations or special interests. Register at https://www.mobilize.us/dfadcoalition/event/376178/?followup_modal_context=organization_newsletter_custom_recommendations. Register for a shift to make calls to recruit poll monitors to support nonpartisan Election Protection efforts in the GA Run-Offs.  Join in to make calls Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and/or Sundays.

25] – Join the Baltimore Nonviolence Center on Tues., Feb. 14 from 4 to 5 PM ET at 33rd and N. Charles Sts. The invasion of Ukraine has the potential to become a war extending throughout Europe.  Putin has destroyed Aleppo and Grozny and has threatened the use of nuclear weapons.  Russian soldiers were sent into the area around the contaminated and still radioactive Chernobyl nuclear plant. Now they are stationed in the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, the largest in Europe.   People who believe in peace and justice should come forward and take the risks of peace. The burial sites continue to expose ruthless war crimes by the invaders, Contact Max at mobuszewski2001 at Comcast dot net or 410-323-1607.

26] – HIAS [info@hias.org] needs you on Tues., Feb. 14 at 4 PM ET for a virtual event - Welcome Corps in Action. Learn how you can take a leading role in welcoming refugees in your community‌. The Biden administration just announced the most groundbreaking innovation in refugee resettlement that the United States has seen in four decades — private sponsorship of refugees, also known as the Welcome Corps. Through the Welcome Corps, communities can now form HIAS Welcome Circles to sponsor refugees from around the world. RSVP at HIAS https://hias.org/events/welcome-corps-in-action-private-sponsorship-of-refugees-through-hias/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=EngagingNetworks&utm_campaign=230207_WelcomeCorpsWebinarInvite&utm_content=230207+WelcomeCorpsWebinarInvite+.

27] – Aalayah Eastmond [brady@bradyunited.org] hopes that you can come out on Tues., Feb. 14 at 6:30 PM ET to join March for Our Lives for a five- year Parkland commemoration & vigil. Meet at the O’Connor Auditorium at Trinity University in Washington, D.C. RSVP at https://www.mobilize.us/brady/event/547205/?ms=org51&emci=862907dd-e29c-ed11-994c-00224832eb73&emdi=0a2c77c9-8aa1-ed11-994c-00224832eb73&ceid=925735.

28] – Join a Feb. 14 Valentine's Day Memorial Zoom gathering at 7 PM ET to celebrate the life of long-time Peace Activist and War Resister Robert Randall. Robert, 70, who lived with his wife, Linda in Brunswick, GA, died December 15, 2022 following a long battle with cancer. Robert is well-known for his essay titled: “An Ethic for the Twenty-First Century;" subtitled, “It Is Not OK To Kill People," a litany listing all of the many groups of people whose lives Robert said were invaluably sacred. The essay will be read at the service and is available at http://nwtrcc.org/2014/09/03/an-ethic-for-the-21st-century/. 

Robert and Linda took their war resistance seriously even to the point that the IRS put a lien on their Georgia home and auctioned it off on November 16, 1984 to recover Robert’s unpaid war taxes. Thankfully, Robert's friends bought the home back at the auction so the Randalls were not home-less. For 40 years Robert was a stalwart supporter and dedicated member of the National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee where he combined his Christian pacifist faith with his keen political acumen to deliver the message "War is Sin. Don't pay for it."

Robert was also involved in a decades-long campaign to oppose the nuclear-armed Trident submarines home-ported at Naval Station Kings Bay in St. Marys, GA. Robert was an invaluable supporter of the Kings Bay Plowshares 7, who went to prison for a 2018 protest of Trident at Kings Bay. Linda said Valentine's Day was Robert's favorite holiday so please join in. Join Zoom Meeting at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84719343099?pwd=TUdld3F2YkZ2S1kyMHJJN0VSS3pRQT09. Contact Sarah Cool <coolsarahs@gmail.com>.

29] – Scott Spaulding [defendtheguardmaryland@gmail.com] is holding an informational Q&A session on the purpose of the Defend the Guard bill, and how to go about testifying. The session is at 8 PM on Zoom on Tues., Feb. 12. Sign up at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81538822298.  The hearing will be on Feb. 15.  Call or text Scot if you have any questions at 443-838-6850.

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