Baltimore Activist Alert – June 11 to 16, 2023

Baltimore Activist Alert – June 11 to 16, 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] Join the Our Revolution Phone Bank Force!

9] Interviews with Russian resisters – June 11

10] Takoma Pride – June 11

11] Mindfulness – June 11

12] Support Jimmy Bierman – June 11

13] Fund Healthcare, Not Warfare forum – June 11

14] Celebrate LGBTQ+ Pride & Free Speech. – June 11

15] Common Cause phone bank – June 11, 13, 15 & 16

16] Protest at the Pentagon – June 12

17] End slavery in the U.S. – June 12

18] Witness online abuse – June 12

19] Rally with SEIU – June 12, 14 & 15

20] Phone bank for Adele McClure – June 12 & 14

21] Election and Climate Protection Zoom – June 12

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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] – Join the Our Revolution Phone Bank Force! In 2022, 82% of Our Revolution candidates won their election. In 2023, OR is gearing up to Transform the Party, Elect more Progressive Candidates, Hold Biden Accountable, and so much more. To accomplish these goals, there is a need to continue to build the Phone Bank Force. Sign up to become a part of that transformative force at https://www.mobilize.us/ourrevolution/event/440081/?akid=4199.8252965.WFQlSi&rd=1&t=23.

9] – The Peace and Social Justice Committee of the Friends Meeting of Washington, DC will host a report-back on a visit to Ukraine on Sun., June 11 at 9 AM on Zoom and in-person at 2111 Decatur Place NW, WDC 20008. The report-back will include interviews with Russian war resisters.  To join on Zoom, go to https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86733729782?pwd=bHdHcEtrZHdWNXNiNWp4c05lZTNtQT09#success. In April and May, Andre Kamenshikove, Director of Nonviolence International-Ukraine traveled to Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Georgia, Poland, Germany and Lithuania to interview Russians pacifists and anti-war activists forced to flee Russia.  The trip was made at personal risk, and with support from Friends Meeting of Washington’s Peace and Social Justice Fund. Andre will join in from Kiev, Ukraine, 7 time zones away, to provide a rare first hand report of his findings and his work.

  Andre has worked in the peace building field in Russia and the region for more than 30 years.  At present his efforts with Nonviolence International-Ukraine are focused on supporting conscientious objectors and others to assist the anti-war movement in Russia. You can learn more about his work on Nonviolence international’s site.  https://www.nonviolenceinternational.net/supporting_nonviolent_resistance_to_the_war_in_ukraine.  Michael Beer, Director of Nonviolence International, has made his book, Civil Resistance Tactics in the 21st Century, available at https://www.nonviolenceinternational.net/nv_book.

10] – Takoma Pride is happening on Sun., June 11 from 10 AM to 2 PM ET.  Celebrate the LGBTQ+ community, and see that a Kids’ Pride Parade will start at the TPSS Co-op, 201 Ethan Allen Avenue at 10 AM. The parade will end at Laurel Ave. Enjoy Face Painting & a Drag Queen Storytime.  Visitors are also welcome to share messages of Pride on Laurel Avenue where there will be chalk available in the closed street. Takoma Park’s rainbow crosswalks have been updated to celebrate diversity and acceptance every day! Go to https://mainstreettakoma.org/featured-events/takoma-pride/.

11] – Usually, the Baltimore Ethical Society, 2521 St. Paul St., Baltimore 21218, meets on Sundays, and usually there is a platform address at 10:30 AM ET.  However, on June 11 at 9:30 AM ET the group will engage in Mindfulness Meditation.  Mindfulness is a tool we can use in our daily lives to act in a more ethical way. We practice mindfulness meditation so that it comes naturally in stressful times. Join us as we sit (on chairs) and breathe (just the way it comes naturally) and listen to the words of Thich Nhat Hanh, one of the world’s best-known teachers of mindfulness.

Mindfulness Meditation is a western, non-sectarian, research-based form of meditation derived from a 2,500 year old Buddhist practice called Vipassana or Insight Meditation. It is a form of meditation designed to develop the skill of paying attention to our inner and outer experiences with acceptance, patience, and compassion. CONTACT KARENSELLIOTT@AOL.COM FOR ZOOM LOGIN INFORMATION.

12] – On Sun., June 11 from noon to 2 PM ET, help out Jimmy Bierman who is running for Supervisor in Falls Church/McLean, Virginia.  Sign up for door knocking at https://www.mobilize.us/mobilize/event/558524/?followup_modal_context=nonexclusive_newsletter_custom_marketing.  This event’s address is private, but if you sign up details will follow.  Team Bierman is excited to kick off a door knocking program and to spread Jimmy's positive message for the Dranesville district! Training and materials will be provided, and the Minivan app is preferred. Reach out to info@biermanforsupervisor.com with any questions. This will continue on Sundays through June 18.

13] –Join a Fund Healthcare Not Warfare Second Annual Forum on Sun., June 11 from 2 - 5:30 PM EDT.  The tragic death toll from the COVID-9 pandemic revealed the deep malfunctions of the nation’s healthcare system.  One of the causes, inadequately reported, has been the diversion of our tax dollars to military programs and foreign wars – over half of Congressional discretionary funding. Critical  budgets needed to protect the health and safety of our people – for the NIH, CDC, NSF, Food Stamps, Housing, Veteran’s Administration and other core civilian programs – have been limited in order to feed Pentagon programs. This Conference will explore the reality that funding these critical programs at the needed levels will require political mobilization and cutting Pentagon accounts.

  At 4:05 PM, there will be breakouts, including Cutting Budgets for Nuclear Weapons Upgrades with John Bach (Friends Meeting at Cambridge); Richard Krushnic (Mass Peace Action); Timmon Wallis (NuclearBan.US); and Dr. Gwen DuBois (Chesapeake Bay PSR).Register at https://masspeaceaction.org/event/fund-healthcare-not-warfare/.

14] –Alan Minsky for Progressive Democrats of America [info@pdamerica.org] hopes you will attend on Sun., June 11 at 4 PM ET a celebration of LGBTQ+ Pride & Free Speech.  Help Defend Equality and Liberty! RSVP at https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0tceuhrzsvHdymeeZRwb-i7X50FJa-HMR4#/registration. Take a Close Look at Two Pillars of the GOP's Reactionary Agenda: Homophobia and Anti-Intellectualism. Then, Organize to Defeat Them! Love and Equality over Oppression! Liberty and Wisdom Vanquishing Repression! 

  First, hear from Illinois State Representative Anna Stava-Murray, who introduced first-in-the-nation legislation to ban book banning. The bill passed through both chambers of the Democratic-controlled State Legislature and will soon be signed into law by Governor Pritzker.

  Then, meet Nadine Smith, one of the most inspired and inspiring progressive leaders in the country. Smith is the Executive Director of Equality Florida, the state's largest organization dedicated to ending discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. This past year, Smith was named to the Time100, TIME's annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world!

15] – There are virtual Common Cause phone banks on Sundays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. 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 for a shift to make calls and help strengthen the phone bank team to protect our democracy. Make calls on Sun., June 11 from 6 to 8 PM, or Tues., June 13 from 4 to 6 PM or Thurs., June 15 from 5 to 7 PM or Fri., June 16 from 4 to 6 PM ET. These shifts will also always include training for first-timers before you make calls, so if this is your first time, no worries! This will continue through August 28, 2024. Sign up at https://www.mobilize.us/dfadcoalition/event/376178/?followup_modal_context=organization_newsletter_custom_recommendations.

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 June 12, 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.  This vigil will honor the visit to the area of the anti-nuclear ship the Golden Rule.

 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 Marriot Providence Inn on corner of S. Fern and Army Navy Dr.

17] –The National Religious Campaign Against Torture [nrcatlist@nrcat.org] thinks you may be interested in attending the virtual End the Exception Faith Leaders Roundtable on Mon., June 12 at 2 PM ET.  This virtual event will include discussion surrounding slavery, the 13th Amendment, and faith, bringing together religious leaders from various backgrounds to delve into the critical topic of ending the exception to the abolition of slavery. During the roundtable, speakers will shed light on the #EndTheException campaign, which seeks to reintroduce the Abolition Amendment in Congress. 

To register, go to: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYudumvqj0iHdYIq4tnABELtlyzF0ACz2qR#/registration.  The program will include the historical context of slavery, the implications of the 13th Amendment, and the role of communities of faith in promoting justice and equality. The 13th Amendment includes an exception clause that still allows slavery to be used as punishment for crime, and it continues to be cited to defend the exploitative use of prison labor today. Campaign leaders from the #EndTheException campaign will share about opportunities for communities of faith to join in the work of garnering support from Congressional leadership.

18] – PEN America [loudertogether@pen.org] is inviting you to a virtual event on Mon., June 12 at 2 PM ET -- HOW TO BE AN ALLY WHEN YOU WITNESS ONLINE ABUSE.  In this one-hour interactive training, you will be given the tools you need to intervene safely and effectively in online abuse using Right to Be’s 5Ds of bystander intervention.  REGISTER at https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Z6q0o-E2SlKk-BggU1cIDg?utm_source=Communications&utm_campaign=b667a5b372-EMAIL_PENNews_2023_05_31&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-e98639ab83-%5BLIST_EMAIL_ID%5D&mc_cid=b667a5b372&mc_eid=f996b749cd#/registration.

19] – Rally with SEIU custodial workers fighting for a fair contract on Mon., June 12, Wed., June 14 and Thurs., June 15.  Members of SEIU 32BJ will be hosting three different rallies for over 9,000 custodial staff engaged in collective bargaining in the area. Workers will be meeting on Monday, June 12 at 4 PM ET at 11730 Plaza America Drive in Reston, Wednesday at 3:45 PM ET at the Rosslyn Metro station and Thursday at 3 PM ET at Farragut Square, 17th and K Sts. NW). Come out, show support and help build class solidarity. Visit https://www.seiu32bj.org/.

20] – On Mon., June 12 & Wed., June 14 from 5 to 7 PM ET, join a virtual phone bank for Adele McClure for Delegate in Virginia.  Sign up at https://www.mobilize.us/mobilize/event/550425/?followup_modal_context=nonexclusive_newsletter_more_events_of_type. Through the lens of her community activism and her many lived experiences, Adele has worked with advocates and members of the Virginia General Assembly to draft, pass, and implement legislation that breaks down systemic barriers, expands human rights, and improves access to services for people in Arlington and across the Commonwealth of Virginia. Adele’s lived experiences combined with her policy expertise and experience in the state legislative and executive branches make Adele ready to hit the ground running on the first day. Already running in the election for over a year now, Adele has met some amazing folks doing some dials - and we hope you are able to help however you can! Join us for a virtual phone-bank and help us share Adele's plans for the newly redrawn 2nd house district. Learn more about Adele's historic campaign at https://adeleforva.com/. The phone bank will conclude on Mon., June 19 at 7 PM ET.

21] – Mike Hersh for Progressive Democrats of America [info@pdamerica.org] wants you to join the Election and Climate Protection Zoom on Mon., June 12 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