Baltimore Activist Alert – April 2 to 4, 2023

Baltimore Activist Alert – April 2 to 4, 2023

"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 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] Need help in archiving activist material    

4] Max is looking for tips on a garage or a storage suggestion.

5] Support the Pratt Workers United

6] Get the book Surely Goodness and Mercy by Murphy Davis

7] Get the book Male Supremacy in the Catholic Church: An Insider’s View by Roy Bourgeois

8] Fasting For Jessica Reznicek

9] Wisconsin State Supreme Court phone bank – April 2 - 4

10] Recovery from Religion – April 2

11] Golden Rule picnic – April 2

12] Meet Golden Rule crew – April 2

13] PDA Town Hall – April 2

14] Election Protection phone bank – April 2

15] Social Media Best Practices – April 2 & 5

16] Electoral working group meeting – April 2

17] Protest at the Pentagon – April 3

18] Election and Climate Protection Zoom – April 3

------

1] – Buttons, bumper stickers 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] –  Janice Sevre-Duszynska needs some assistance in archiving her activist material.  If you are interested in this project, contact Max at 410-32301607 or mobuszewski2001 at Comcast dot net.

4] – 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.

5] – The workers at the Enoch Pratt Free Library have started a drive to organize a union calling themselves Pratt Workers United.  Go to https://www.prattworkersunited.org/. There is a letter of support for community members to sign at https://www.prattworkersunited.org/community-letter-support.

"Pratt Library workers are forming a union, Pratt Workers United. We are seeking pay equity for all, safer working conditions, benefits for part-time workers, and a voice in decisions that affect our work.” The workers voted to unionize

6] – Consider getting HOSPITALITY, the newsletter of OPEN DOOR: A prophetic discipleship community honoring the Black Jesus, Dorothy Day and Martin Luther King, Jr. The September/October 2022 issue contains a wonderful review by Claire Schaeffer-Duffy of Surely Goodness and Mercy by Murphy Davis, reprinted from The Catholic Worker, March-April 2022.  Davis, a co-founder of the Open Door Community, died in 2020.   You can subscribe to the newsletter or buy a copy of the book by calling 404-290-2047 or by emailing opendoorcomm@bellsouth.net.

7] – Another book to consider purchasing is Male Supremacy in the Catholic Church: An Insider’s View by Roy Bourgeois. His new book is both memoir and position-paper, and it makes the case that the Roman Catholic Church is a corrupt system that spits out truth-tellers. The crime he was excommunicated for was attending the ordination ceremony of Janice Sevre-Duszynska in Lexington, Kentucky, in August 2008. The ordination was under the auspices of the Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests.  The Vatican’s response has been to excommunicate any woman who has the audacity to see herself as a priest equal to a male priest. You can purchase a copy from Amazon or by Kindle.

  Here are two quotes to contemplate: “I permit no woman to teach or to have authority over men. She is to keep silent.” – Timothy 1, 2:12-13.  “If the patriarchy that dominates the church is not dismantled and women are not treated as equals, the church will continue to diminish and, eventually, die.” – Roy Bourgeois.

8] – In 2016, Jessica Reznicek took direct action to halt the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline. Following in the Catholic Worker movement’s long tradition of nonviolent protest, she disabled construction materials and machinery along the pipeline route. She was indicted on nine criminal charges by a federal grand jury, and in 2021 found guilty of “Conspiracy to Damage an Energy Facility.” Federal authorities waited until after the trial to define her actions as “terrorism,” a tag that nearly tripled the sentence attached to her conviction. On June 29, 2021, Jessica was sentenced to eight years in federal prison, and began serving her sentence on August 11 at Wauseca Federal Correctional Institute. In 2022 an appeals court upheld her conviction and continued to describe her as a “domestic terrorist.”

Her support community is calling for a fast.  During Lent, supporters will spend every Friday fasting for Jessica’s release.  This is a “Black Fast,” the oldest and most severe form of Christian fasting. That’s one simple meal a day with no meat, no milk and no eggs.  And some fasters have promised to pray every day for Jessica with the campaign prayer, a traditional devotion like the rosary, or both.  All Catholics, Christians and people of good will are encouraged to join the call for Jessica to be set free. And they are asking President Joe Biden, a self-described devout Catholic, to defend religious freedom and civil liberties by pardoning Jessica. Visit https://fastingforjessica.com/.

9] – The People for the American Way [alerts@pfaw.org] wants you to know that action is needed for the Wisconsin State Supreme Court election. If progressives lose this election, we can expect to see more attacks on voting rights, more attempts to undermine reproductive freedoms, more erosion of worker protections, and more favoritism for corporate interests over the needs of everyday people.  The Far Right is spending BIG to get their candidate elected.  The Wisconsin Supreme Court race could flip the ideological balance of the conservative court so that labor rights, abortion access, and voting rights are protected. Or, it could cement the conservative majority with dire implications for state and federal elections.  If you can call voters, go to https://www.mobilize.us/pfaw/event/549955/?utm_source=PFAW.

People For has endorsed Janet Protasiewicz in the Wisconsin State Supreme Court election. Make calls from Sun., April 2, Mon., April 3 & Tues., April 4 from 10 AM to 1 PM, 1 PM to 4 PM, 4 to 7 PM and 7 to 10 PM ET. 

10] – Usually, the Baltimore Ethical Society, 2521 St. Paul St., Baltimore 21218, meets on Sundays, and there is a presentation of a platform address at 10:30 AM ET. On Sun., April 2, hear about “Recovery from Religion,” is a non-profit providing hope, healing, and support to those struggling with doubt concerning religion or harm caused by religion. Gayle is a former Southern Baptist who left the faith years ago when her then-teenagers began asking questions she could not answer. Her research led her (and her children) into the light of reason and rationality. Years later, she still feels the effects, both positive and negative, of that dramatic shift in perspective and attitude. It is this sympathy and compassion that drives her to reach out to help others navigate the emotional and physical process involved in leaving one’s faith. Gayle lives in Oregon and is an estate-planning attorney. She raises goats and chickens, and is trying her hand at grape-growing at her sunny hillside home affectionately known as Peak Heathen. She blogs about a variety of topics at Happy. Healthy. Heathen. Email PRESIDENT@BMORETHICAL.ORG FOR ZOOM LOGIN INFORMATION.

11] – Join Veterans for Peace and supporters of the "Golden Rule" anti-nuclear ship for a special Potluck Picnic on Sun., April 2 from noon to 4 PM ET at Ft. Hunt Park, 8999 Fort Hunt Road, Alexandria, VA 22308 on the George Washington Memorial Parkway between Alexandria  and George Washington’s Mount Vernon. Gather at Public Area D-1.  Rides will be available from the King St. Metro station. Call Mike at 301-542-9867.  Meet crew members and Helen Jaccard, the Golden Rule Project manager. 

For the pot-luck lunch, bring your own reusable dishware, cutlery and cup. There will be a couple of barbecues to heat up food.  Bring cloth napkins and/or dish towels to eliminate the need for paper products. If you can, try to bring an American Indian food item to serve at least two people.  Donations will be needed to cover the cost of the rental of the park and farm-raised oysters and fish. Learn about the Golden Rule's mission of anti-nuclear education & outreach, and network with friends! Celebrate the indigenous people who are the original stewards of this watershed. Contact Ann Wilcox at (202-441-3265). 

12] – On Sun., April 2 from 6 to 9 PM ET, come to a Meet and Greet with the crew at Busboys and Poets, 450 K St. NW, WDC. Use the Gallery Place – Chinatown Metro on the Green or Red lines or Mt. Vernon Square - Convention Center Metro on the Green Line.

13] – Alan Minsky for Progressive Democrats of America [info@pdamerica.org] wants you to attend on Sun., April 2 at 4 PM ET a Town Hall We Stand for Justice.  The U.S. prison-industrial complex as a whole, which continually warehouses over two million people, represents one of, if not the, greatest on-going human rights violation in the world. PDA views the dismantling of our racist prison system as a top political and social priority. Discuss how to achieve this necessary and humane goal.  Longtime prisoner rights activist James Kilgore will address the all-too-often-overlooked realities of our prison system, and just what it would take to end our brutally inhumane and fundamentally racist mass incarceration system. Kilgore is a visiting lecturer in global studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. RSVP https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0tceuhrzsvHdymeeZRwb-i7X50FJa-HMR4#/registration.

14] – On Sun., April 2 from 6 to 8 PM ET, Common Cause organized an Election Protection phone bank.  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. 

15] – Get with Social Media Best Practices virtually, hosted by The Democratic National Committee on Sundays and Wednesdays from 7 to 8 PM ET.  Participate on Sun., April 2 and Wed., April 5.  Maximize your impact within your social network and join the social media best practices training. Whether you're just getting started on social media or already have an online presence, this training will provide you with the tools necessary to ensure you are reaching your full potential as an online organizer. Learn the essentials for utilizing platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, and Instagram for political story telling. Email williamsak@dnc.org to schedule a presentation for your staff/volunteers or with any queries about co-presenting at one or more of these events.

16] – Northern Virginia Democratic Socialists of America [novabranch@mdcdsa.org]is holding a Branch Electoral working group meeting on Sun., April 2 at 7 PM ET on Zoom. Discuss the work in the Branch, and the goals for this year. A link to attend this virtual event will be emailed upon an RSVP at https://actionnetwork.org/events/nova-electoral-working-group-first-meeting-of-2023?link_id=3&can_id=4b9d4061aec5469758759317ac0f5285&source=email-nova-branch-dsa-upcoming-actions-and-events-92&email_referrer=email_1860255&email_subject=nova-branch-dsa-upcoming-actions-and-events.

17] – 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 3, 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 begins at 8 AM.  No cameras are allowed on Pentagon grounds. The restrooms are located inside Marriott Residence Inn on corner of S. Fern and Army Navy Dr.

18] – Mike Hersh for Progressive Democrats of America [info@pdamerica.org] wants you to join the Election and Climate Protection Zoom on Mon., April 3 at 5 PM ET.  There are attacks on our democracy, and climate chaos threatens us. Since its founding in 2004, PDA has mobilized for open, clean, and fair elections and for stopping global warming. Register at https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYqfuygpjIiHtc20uIOxdeqYRiAicjSLWUc.

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