Baltimore Activist Alert – August 13 to 14, 2023

Baltimore Activist Alert – August 13 to 14, 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] Can you sponsor a Ukrainian family?

9] Qi Gong – Aug. 13

10] MOCO DSA picnic – Aug. 13

11] Phone bank for Virginia – Aug. 13

12] Protest at the Pentagon – Aug. 14

13] How Local Parties prepare for GOTV – Aug. 14

14] Election and Climate Protection Zoom – Aug. 14

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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] – Jerry Windley-Daoust is looking for an individual or community that might be in a position to sponsor a Ukrainian refugee family under the Uniting for Ukraine program. The head of this family, Dymtro, needs a sponsor. He is 33 and a male fashion model living in Kyiv. He speaks and writes English very well. His 54-year-old mother and his 19-year-old brother, Artem, live in a nearby city. His brother has autism, is nonverbal, and had been receiving care from a local institution until the onset of the war; in recent months, he has not received adequate care due to medical facilities prioritizing war-related physical and mental health issues. Dmytro’s mother is a professional baker who has been out of work and suffers from depression, likely due to the stress of the war and care for her 19-year-old son.

 Dmytro is the sole breadwinner and supporter of his mother and brother. He is keen to leave Ukraine to avoid military conscription, since that would leave his mother and brother in a more vulnerable position. He is legally able to leave the country due to his circumstances. The family would probably best be placed in a major urban center with an existing Ukrainian population, but at this point, they just want to get out of the country and will accept placement anywhere.

The main responsibilities of the sponsor would be to provide the family with temporary shelter and assistance getting Artem connected to the health care system. You can learn more about U4U sponsorship at the USCIS web page. If you or your community are interested in possibly sponsoring this family, please reach out to me at wind@gracewatch.org or jerry@catholicworker.org.

9] – Usually, the Baltimore Ethical Society, 2521 St. Paul St., Baltimore 21218, meets on Sundays, and usually there is a virtual platform address at 10:30 AM ET.  On Aug. 13, hear about Qi Gong.  Everything is made of energy.  Qi Gong (Qi “subtle breath” or “vital energy,” Gong “skill” or “mastery”) is a modern practice with roots in ancient Chinese meditative, healing and martial arts traditions.  Qi Gong opens the flow of energy in meridians used in acupuncture and Chinese medicine through gentle, flowing movements that warm tendons, ligaments, and muscles; and promote circulation of body fluids (blood, synovial, lymph). Through intention and focus, mental as well as physical health improve with practice. Joanna Brandt is a student of Qi Gong.  She will share some background and lead us in a 5-part Qi Gong flow based on the 5 Element Theory of Chinese Medicine to align us with Nature’s rhythms. Email PRESIDENT@BMORETHICAL.ORG for Zoom login information.

10] – Metro DC DSA [info@mdcdsa.org] wants you to know that MOCO DSA is hosting a picnic on Sun., Aug. 13 from 1 to 4 PM in celebration of the successful rent control campaign. The picnic will be at the Wheaton Forest Local Park, 1700 University Blvd. W, Wheaton 20902. The picnic will celebrate the successful rent stabilization campaign victory, and will include interactive games, activities and some short speeches around 2:30 PM. DSA has reserved a covered picnic area, so the picnic will happen rain or shine. Children, family members and friends of all ages are welcome. The park is about a 15-minute walk away from the Wheaton Metro. Questions? Contact montgomerycountydsa@gmail.com and an organizer will get back to you.

RSVP so that there is a head count for food, and comment if you can bring food and supplies or serve in a volunteer role: https://actionnetwork.org/events/moco-dsa-summer-picnic-3?link_id=4&can_id=4b9d4061aec5469758759317ac0f5285&source=email-metro-dc-dsa-weekly-newsletter-for-july-21-2023-2&email_referrer=email_2014411&email_subject=metro-dc-dsa-weekly-newsletter-for-august-11-2023.

11] –  On Sun., Aug. 13 from 6 to 8 PM ET, the Democratic National Committee is organizing VIRTUAL PHONE BANKS FOR THE VIRGINIA HOUSE OF DELEGATES- TO TURN VA BLUE! RSVP at https://www.mobilize.us/mobilize/event/569453/?followup_modal_context=nonexclusive_newsletter_most_popular_virtual. This event will continue on Sundays from 6 to 8 PM ET THROUGH November 5.  Call voters in Virginia to get them out to vote in the November election. NO EXPERIENCE is NECESSARY. Get TRAINING and hear from COACHES TO HELP ALL ALONG THE WAY.

12] – 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 Aug. 14, 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.

13] – On Mon., Aug. 14 from 1 to 2 PM ET, check out How Local Parties prepare for GOTV, a virtual training, hosted by the National Democratic Training Committee. This training is designed to elevate your skills as a local Democratic leader in your community. As you prepare, NDTC will help you elevate your local party and its ability to reach voters, regardless of where you’re at in the cycle. RSVP at https://www.mobilize.us/mobilize/event/569400/?followup_modal_context=nonexclusive_newsletter_most_popular_virtual.

14] – Mike Hersh for Progressive Democrats of America [info@pdamerica.org] wants you to join the Election and Climate Protection Zoom on Mon., Aug. 14 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