Baltimore Activist Alert – June 18 to 23, 2023

Baltimore Activist Alert – June 18 to 23, 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] Threats to Public Schools – June 18

10] Support Jimmy Bierman – June 18

11] First Fair-Trade Agreement – June 18

12] First 54 Years: An Abbreviated Manual for Military Occupation – June 18

13] Celebrate Juneteenth Town Hall – June 18

14] Drop the Indictment of Assange. – June 18

15] Common Cause phone bank – June 18, 20, 22 & 23

16] Protest at the Pentagon – June 19

17] Juneteenth Celebration – June 19

18] Freedom March and Unity Rally – June 19

19] Juneteenth Cookout – June 19

20] Phone bank for Adele McClure – June 19

21] Election and Climate Protection Zoom – June 19

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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] – 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.  On June 18 the group will discuss Threats to Public Schools. The focus of the session would be on the role that racism plays in the current threats to the American public school system from kindergarten through the University. The focus will be on Sarasota County in Florida as a microcosm that is representative of Florida, other states, and even the country as a whole. CONTACT President@bmorethical.Org for ZOOM LOGIN INFORMATION.

10] – On Sun., June 18 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.

11] –  Participate in a webinar The First Fair-Trade Agreement in the World & How the US Tried to Destroy It on Sun., June 18 at 3 PM ET. The featured speakers are Héctor Garza Cabrera, Ambassador to Canada from Cuba, Jesús Bermudez, Minister of Commerce in Nicaragua and Carlos Ron, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for North America and President of the Simon Bolivar Institute for Peace and Solidarity among People in Venezuela. Register at bit.ly/NicaJune18.

12] –   On Sun., June 18 at 3 PM ET, Voices from the Holy Land Film Salon will show The First 54 Years: An Abbreviated Manual for Military Occupation. What are the circumstances, logic, and day-to-day processes that allow the normalization of the Israeli military occupation? Almost 3 million Palestinians live under military occupation on land captured by Israel in the ’67 war, plus another 2 million in Gaza.  What does “military occupation” mean for people living under it? Witness first-hand testimonies from former IDF soldiers and historical film clips that show the devastating results not only on the occupied Palestinians, but also on Israeli youth conscripted to enforce it. In the film, director Avi Mograbi hosts the viewers in his living room and provides insights to how a colonialist occupation works–the logic behind its brutal practices and the different modes of thought needed to sustain it despite international condemnation. Register at https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYufu-pqTgiEtxWicI2nLcUW_T9bBJwf9we#/registration.

13] – Alan Minsky for Progressive Democrats of America [info@pdamerica.org] thinks you might be interested in attending the Town Hall on Sun., June 18 at 4 PM ET. Celebrate Juneteenth, the profound resonance of the holiday in Black communities over the past century and a half, and the role of reparations in fulfilling the legacy and promise of Juneteenth. RSVP Now! https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0tceuhrzsvHdymeeZRwb-i7X50FJa-HMR4#/registration. Rev. Redeem Robinson will lead the conversation celebrating Juneteenth and the ongoing struggle to fulfill the legacy of this great day in our history. He is the Founder and Community Pastor of the All Souls Movement based in Los Angeles, CA, an inclusive faith-based movement taking on social justice issues and doing community outreach.

  Also discuss Rep. Cori Bush's brand new legislation, The Reparations Now Resolution, urging federal reparations to descendants of enslaved Black people and people of African descent. The resolution outlines the various forms those reparations should take, supports existing reparatory justice efforts such as H.R. 40 and H. Con. Res. 44, and provides further momentum to reparations efforts at the state and local levels.

14] –   On Sun., June 18 from 4 to 5 PM ET, there will be a vigil near Attorney General Merrick Garland’s home.  Gather at the 5000 block of Edgemoor Lane, along the fence of Sidwell Friends Lower School, two blocks from the Bethesda Metro station. Send a peaceful message: "Drop the Indictment of Assange." Check out the website for updated news & information:  www.dcactionforassange.org and the Facebook group "DC Action for Assange."

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 18 from 6 to 8 PM, or Tues., June 20 from 4 to 6 PM or Thurs., June 22 from 5 to 7 PM or Fri., June 23 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 19, 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] – On Mon., June 19 from 9 to 11 AM ET, the Scotland AME Zion Church I Rockville will hold a Juneteenth Celebration. The Church, which has been forced to vacate its land due to flooding, and its allies in Montgomery County have launched the 2nd Century Project, a three-phase plan to rescue the building. The link with more information and sponsorship levels is here: https://www.whctemple.org/event/juneteenth-shabbatwhc-2023-06-16/. Visit https://www.whctemple.org/event/celebrate-juneteenth-with-scotland-ame-zion-church/.

18] –Join a Juneteenth Freedom March and Unity Rally on Mon., June 19 from 9 AM to noon ET starting at the Courthouse Square, 9 E. Market St., Leesburg, VA 20176.  The march will end at the Orion Anderson Lynching Memorial Site for a Unity Rally. RSVP at https://www.mobilize.us/mobilize/event/567157/?followup_modal_context=nonexclusive_newsletter_custom_marketing.

19] – The Metro DC DSA [info@mdcdsa.org] is inviting you to a Juneteenth Cookout at Baldwin House, 2572 Sherman Ave. NW, WDC on Mon., June 19 from 2 to 6 PM ET.  Juneteenth celebrates the end of chattel slavery in America, and specifically Major General Gordon Granger proclaiming an end to slavery in Texas on June 19, 1865 in Galveston. It also marks the second anniversary of the organizers behind Baldwin House agreeing to start the process of buying the building and turning it into a co-op. RSVP at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSch5-X041i8SAGMnp5cUg2uMRw20LzBPjMPlKf_fbM_wYbM3Q/viewform?link_id=32&can_id=4b9d4061aec5469758759317ac0f5285&source=email-metro-dc-dsa-weekly-newsletter-for-may-26-2023-2&email_referrer=email_1949547&email_subject=metro-dc-dsa-weekly-newsletter-for-june-9-2023.

20] – On Mon., June 19 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/.

21] – Mike Hersh for Progressive Democrats of America [info@pdamerica.org] wants you to join the Election and Climate Protection Zoom on Mon., June 19 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