Baltimore Activist Alert – January 21 to January 31, 2024

Baltimore Activist Alert – January 21 to January 31, 2024

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

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

7] Brian Barrett is in recovery.  

8] Ride or Die – Jan. 21

9] Debt clinic – Jan. 21

10] Northern Virginia DSA Abolition research meeting – Jan. 21

11] Join Baltimore City Moms Demand Action – Jan. 21

12] Nicaragua combating climate change – Jan. 21

13] DC Action for Assange – Jan. 21

14] Meet Barbara Lee – Jan. 21

15] Testimony Writing Power Hours – Jan. 21 & 31

16] How We Win the Civil War – Jan. 21

17] IfNotNow Baltimore chapter virtual meeting – Jan. 21

18] Protest at the Pentagon – Jan. 22

19] Join protest at Northrop Grumman – Jan. 22

20] Election Protection – Jan. 22

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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 410-323-1607 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] – 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.

6] – 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.

7] – Brian Barrett has left the Orchard Hill rehab center in Towson. He is staying with Cindy Farquhar until he gets stronger.  At this time, he is using a walker and has a hearing problem. A team of friends was mobilized with Jana Meyer as our leader.  Contact Max for further updates– 410-323-1607 or mobuszewski2001 at Comcast dot net.

8] – Usually, the Baltimore Ethical Society, 830 E. Pratt St., Baltimore 21202, meets on Sundays, and usually there is a platform address at 10:30 AM ET.  On Jan. 21, the meeting will be by Zoom, and the theme is “Ride-Or-Die.” Centering the most marginalized group’s voices and experiences will lead to a healthier society. Unfortunately, we exist in a world where the voices of those at the top of our social hierarchy drown out those with less power. The responsibility to fight for structural change is often handed to those with the least power. Often, this massive responsibility is placed at the feet of Black women. Unfortunately, too many Black women internalize the obligation to produce social and community changes, even when it means deprioritizing their well-being. Labels like “Strong Black Women” and the more recent trope, “Ride-or-Die Chick,” perpetuate the harmful narrative that Black women hold almost superhuman emotional strength and are capable of single-handedly correcting all that is misaligned in our communities and society. Hear from Shanita Hubbard, the author of the award-winning book Ride-Or-Die: A Feminist Manifesto for the Well-Being of Black Women. To receive a Zoom invitation, please email president@bmorethical.org. Visit https://bmorethical.org

9] -- Rise [info@email.risefree.org] is offering a debt clinic on Sun., Jan 21 at 1:30 PM ET at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, 5th Floor Event Space, 901 G St. NW, WDC 20001. Federal Student Aid staff will be on hand to answer your questions, and laptops will be available for use during this session. Sign up at https://civicnation.org/saveonstudentdebt/save-debt-clinics/?link_id=0&can_id=4b9d4061aec5469758759317ac0f5285&source=email-dc-student-debt-in-person-clinic-2&email_referrer=email_2176732&email_subject=reminder-dc-student-debt-in-person-clinic

10] – There is a Northern Virginia DSA Abolition research meeting every other Sunday at 1 PM with the next one on Sun., Jan. 21. People are co-working to research county budgets and ways to divert funds from the police into community care. If you'd like to get involved please fill out the interest form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfEcShQX51IL2Z1sNff7bqiYz68vAtPjUxpTuIrfvAK8iBDqA/viewform

11] – Leslie Meek [maryland@momschapterleaders.org] wants your help on Sun., Jan. 21 at 2 PM ET. Join Baltimore City Moms Demand Action for Advocacy Day Poster Making and Information Session. This gathering is to prepare for the Moms Demand Action Advocacy Day in Annapolis to be held on Jan. 30th! Discuss priority gun safety legislation, talk about the legislative process, and create posters to call attention to the need for action on gun violence.  Free poster-making materials will be provided as well as light refreshments. RSVP at https://act.everytown.org/event/moms-demand-action-event/58140/signup?emci=90e95df7-5f9f-ee11-bea1-002248223f36&emdi=7fd4cd31-3bae-ee11-bea1-0022482237da&ceid=1738958

12] – Join this 75-minute webinar on Zoom on Sun., Jan. 31 at 3 PM ET, featuring Ambassador Valdrack Jaentschke, who led the Nicaragua government delegation to the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference, more commonly known as COP28.  Learn how Nicaragua is combating climate change, both in Nicaragua through its renewable energy and other programs, and in the international arena through its leadership and concern for the earth.  Register at bit.ly/NicaJan21.

13] – DC Action for Assange will gather on Sun., Jan. 21 for a vigil at the White House from 4 to 5 PM ET.  Contact Ann Wilcox [ann1.wilcox@gmail.com]

14] – Alan Minsky for Progressive Democrats of America [info@pdamerica.org] wants you to attend the Town Hall on Sun., Jan. 21 at 4 PM ET with Rep. Barbara Lee, the PDA-endorsed candidate for U.S. Senate in California. RSVP at https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0tceuhrzsvHdymeeZRwb-i7X50FJa-HMR4#/registration

  Across the entire 19- year history of PDA, Barbara Lee has been one of the group’s two closest allies in Congress.  The other, Bernie Sanders, made the move from the House of Representatives to the Senate. Now it's Barbara's turn. The other transformed American politics with an upstart PDA-backed campaign for higher office.  Now, it's Barbara's time!  Like Sanders, Barbara Lee stands out for her lifelong unshakable conviction that we can build a much better world through progressive politics. Just like with Bernie, Barbara's integrity sets her apart. They are a true rarity, politicians that people trust.

15] – Elianna Cooper [elianna@jufj.org] wants you to know about Testimony Writing Power Hours  on Sun., Jan. 21 at 7:30 PM ET and Wed., Jan. 31 at 7:30 PM ET. Would you be willing to write Maryland statewide testimony this year? Every way of taking action, from calling legislators to filling out action alerts to participating in rallies in Annapolis, matters and writing testimony is one of the most powerful ways to move the needle on Jews United for Justice campaigns! Legislators pay close attention to the number of constituents who submit testimony on a bill, and learn why constituents and advocates care about a bill’s passage through testimony. If you’re considering writing testimony, please let me know or fill out this form: https://jufj.org/md-testimony-interest/

16] – Steve Phillips [info@democracyincolor.com] wrote a book How We Win the Civil War. On Sun., Jan. 21 at 8 PM ET, Phillips will host a weekly “Sundays with Steve” on Facebook Live to discuss contemporary issues through the prism of the ongoing Civil War. Sign up at https://www.facebook.com/events/1380348316229936/1380348362896598/?active_tab=about

17] – On Sun., Jan. 21 from 8 to 9 PM ET, there is an IfNotNow Baltimore chapter virtual meeting. Come together to process with community, to organize, and to take action.  RSVP at https://www.mobilize.us/mobilize/event/596622/?followup_modal_context=nonexclusive_newsletter_closest

18] – 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 Jan. 22, 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.

19] – Prevent Nuclear War/Maryland activists, on January 22 for the annual speak out in favor of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, will gather outside Northrop Grumman, 1580A West Nursery Road, Linthicum, Maryland, at 4 PM to leaflet workers. The leaflet will explain that producing nuclear weapons is a theft from the poor, and that any military contractor supplying weapons to Israel will be complicit in the war crimes being committed in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.  As part of the visit to Northrop Grumman, a letter would be delivered to Kathy Warden, CEO.  Contact Max at 410-323-1607 or mobuszewski2001 at Comcast dot net if you are interested in challenging Northrop Grumman. 

  According to the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, the $43.7 billion spent by the U.S. on nuclear weapons in 2022 means that, every minute, $83,143 was diverted from healthcare, housing, and other needs in our country! And the leading nuclear weapons contractor in the U.S. is Northrop Grumman which in September 2020 was selected by the U.S. Air Force under a $13.3 billion contract awarded for the engineering and manufacturing development (EMD) phase of the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent [sic] (GBSD) program. Northrop Grumman is the third largest weapons contractor in the world taking in $32 billion in 2022 for military hardware.

According to the watchdog site Investigate, Northrop Grumman “supplies the Israeli military with a wide variety of weapons, including various missile systems. The company’s technologies are also integrated into Israel’s main weapon systems, including its fighter jets, missile ships, and trainer aircraft.” The company has provided Israel weapons for decades and, says Investigate, “these weapons have repeatedly been used against Palestinian civilians, resulting in numerous casualties as well as mass destruction of homes and civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, schools, and water and electric systems.” It has also supplied the Israeli Navy with Sa'ar 5 warships, which have participated in the assault on Gaza. 

 Since 2017, Prevent Nuclear War/Maryland activists have celebrated the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. The TPNW opened for signature at the United Nations in New York on 20 September 2017 and entered into force on 22 January 2021. As of 19 September 2023, the TPNW has 69 states parties while 28 further states have signed but not yet ratified.

 Pope Francis in the annual Christmas message condemned war and weaponry provided by the global arms industry. This year’s message also included condemnation of the ongoing slaughter in the Gaza Strip, as he mourned the children killed, which he called the "little Jesuses of today."

20] – Progressive Democrats of America [info@pdamerica.org] want you to participate with the Green Grassroots Emergency Environment and Election Protection (GREEP) Zoom on Mon., Jan. 22 at 5 PM ET. Hear from leading activists, elected officials, and others committed to union organizing as well as cleaning up our elections and the environment, and other critically important issues. RSVP at https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYqfuygpjIiHtc20uIOxdeqYRiAicjSLWUc#/registration

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