Baltimore Activist Alert -- March 10 - 11, 2024

Baltimore Activist Alert – March 10 to 11, 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 A Bag of Stones

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

7] Baltimore activist selling her home

8] House cleaner needed  

9] Humanist reproductive rights – March 10

10] Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present – March 10

11] Support Councilmember Janeese Lewis George – March 10

12] History of Tenant Rights – March 10

13] How the Peace Was Lost – March 10

14] Concert/Fundraiser for Palestinian Refugees – March 10

15] PDA Town Hall – March 10

16] Meet and Greet with Senate candidate David Trone – March 10

17] Protest at the Pentagon – March 11

18] Election Protection – March 11

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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] – Barry Lee Burnside, a gaggle of great writers and copy editors are finishing up “A Bag of Snakes: Selected Writings on Prisons and the Death Penalty by Murphy Davis and Eduard Loring. Edited by Barry Lee Burnside.” Ed indicates the book will be available for sale on April 13, and is asking you to pre-order your copy. Your donation will provide a needed financial boost for the printing costs. The suggested donation is $20 for one copy; and $30 for your copy and an additional copy for a prisoner or someone in need. Any donation is appreciated. More or less you will receive the book.  Barry and the team have spent over two years putting this book together. It begins with outlines and notes found in the boxes of materials Murphy left when she ascended. The work is a work of love, and all involved are proud of the fruit borne by seeds nourished in good soil.

  A Bag of Snakes will be available at a gathering at First Iconium Baptist Church. Celebrate the life of Murphy Davis and The Open Door Community along with presenting the book. Also enjoy an Open Door Supper—vegetarian chili, Willie Dee Wimberly cornbread, salad and chocolate chip cookies.

  To order by postal mail, make your check to Open Door Community.  Send it to Open Door Community, PO Box 10980, Baltimore 21234.  For any questions, contact David Payne at 404-290-2047 or davidpayne@opendoorcommunity.org.

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] – A home in Baltimore is for sale on a dead-end street in the Lauraville neighborhood, with three bedrooms, and one bath. The yard backs into a field and then a forest. There is a serene and quiet setting with an abundance of wildlife. The owner will be asking a reasonable amount for the property but it will not be overpriced. Contact her by text only at 443 500 6733. On the text, leave your name and phone number, and she will get back to anyone that reaches out. 

8] – Is there a woman in the Baltimore area who does house cleaning?  This assignment would be on an irregular basis with several hours per week.  Contact Max at 410-323-1607 or mobuszewski2001 at Comcast dot net.

9] –  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 March 10, the meeting will be hybrid, and the theme is “Humanist Reproductive Rights.” Ethical Humanists strive to make the world a better place by minimizing suffering and enhancing the dignity and autonomy of all people. On the issue of reproductive justice, Ethical Culture has long defended the right of women to control their own bodies and opposed draconian religious and sexist assaults on this principle. As we continue our defense of women’s reproductive rights, what secular political tactics should we employ? Should we promote reproductive choice as part of humanists’ religious freedom? Hugh explores these questions and more.

  Hugh Taft-Morales, Leader of the Philadelphia Ethical Society and the Baltimore Ethical Society, will explore these question and more.  To receive a Zoom invitation, please email president@bmorethical.org. Visit https://bmorethical.org

10] – Join AFT for its March AFT Book Club session featuring AFT President Randi Weingarten and renowned author Ruth Ben-Ghiat who will discuss her book Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present. Engage with Weingarten and Ben-Ghiat as they explore the themes of power, personality and politics that define the era of strongmen and authoritarian leaders throughout history. Gain insights into the past and present, to better understand how history can inform our future. This is a must-attend event for anyone interested in history, politics and the lessons we can learn from the past. Register at https://www.aft.org/bookclub?link_id=1&can_id=4b9d4061aec5469758759317ac0f5285&source=email-lets-talk-about-gun-violence-prevention-2&email_referrer=email_2205120&email_subject=join-me-at-the-afts-next-virtual-book-club

11] – Councilmember Janeese Lewis George is running for re-election for District Council in Ward 4, but she is being targeted by both the police union and Mayor Muriel Bowser for the strong stances she has taken as a socialist in office. Metro DC DSA is organizing to defend her seat. While in office, Councilmember Lewis George has introduced legislation to bring a Green New Deal for Social Housing to DC, advocated to expand rent control and raise the minimum wage for tipped workers, fought to claw back the carceral state and much more. There are many ways to volunteer as a socialist, including research and communications support. DSA will also be holding canvasses every weekend for Janeese, including on Sun., March 10 from 1 to 4 PM at the Shepherd Park Community Center. Sign up at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc5vu934ogdtMJgXmOBcwhzFfkmNC7te1i3WL9R_WzSMuOtWQ/viewform

12] – The Metro DC DSA [info@mdcdsa.org] is doing a walking tour on Sun., March 10 at 1 PM about the History of Tenant Rights. The tour will meet in the center of Columbia Heights Civic Plaza, and the tour will adjourn at 2:45 PM around the intersection of Sherman St. NW and Lamont St. NW after 2 miles of walking.  There will be a happy hour afterward at Midlands Tavern. Snacks and water will be provided on the tour. The Walking Tour is hosted by Metro DC DSA’s Political Education Working Group and Stomp out Slumlords campaign.

  The event will take attendees on a walking tour through Columbia Heights, exploring the past, present and future of tenant rights in the area. The tour will explore how Columbia Heights tenants could and have previously come together to demand rent control and better housing conditions, buy their buildings from landlords and form cooperatives, organize tenant unions and exercise their power to get the DC Council to pass the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase (TOPA) Act. The Walking Tour will be led by Professor Amanda Huron, organizers with the Stomp out Slumlords campaign and tenant organizers in Columbia Heights. Sign up at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeoc-XYG3UpZAWx4ZC7iC6JL7bu3Idyp9GS0klbqYq-oHc9jw/viewform

13] – Rich MAPA [info@masspeaceaction.org] is holding a webinar on Sun., March 10 at 1 PM ET -- How the Peace Was Lost with Richard Sakwa.  Come hear the prolific chronicler of recent Russian history, Richard Sakwa, describe how the post-Cold-War peace was “lost” due to U.S. pursuit of unipolarity under the moral banner of “liberalism contesting with autocracy.” Sakwa explores both the continuities and discontinuities since the end of the Second World War, but particularly since 1990, around this tension between a security order centered in the West, on the one hand, and one based on the UN Charter and sovereign internationalism, on the other. After the recent eruption of both cold and hot wars out of that tension, is a peace agenda possible and realistic?

  Richard Sakwa is Professor Emeritus of Russian and European Politics at the University of Kent, England. He has written extensively on the Putin regime (The Putin Paradox; Putin and the Oligarchs), Ukraine (Frontline Ukraine: Trouble in the Borderlands), and Russian relations with the West (Deception). His most recent book, The Lost Peace: How the West Failed to Prevent a New Cold War, explores the crucial issues of “liberal hegemony,” UN Charter internationalism, and the realistic path to creating a secure and peaceful world. RSVP at https://secure.everyaction.com/fTXtz6q-oEmsAqECW1kvZA2?emci=ba20e395-9fdc-ee11-85fb-002248223794&emdi=def30cba-a1dc-ee11-85fb-002248223794&ceid=320042

14] – Rich Forer [richforer@gmail.com] wants you to know about Concert/Fundraiser for Palestinian Refugees on Sun., March 10 from 4:30 to midnight ET in Denver. However, the event will be livestream so anyone can see it and donate.  Your tax-deductible donations will go to Beirut and Beyond, an established non-profit. Every cent they receive will go toward humanitarian assistance for Palestinian refugees, who have been grievously harmed by Israel's oppressive policies.

You can purchase tickets to the live event at https://holdmyticket.com/event/428362.  Or you can donate directly at BeirutandBeyond.org. Just type in “Concert” in the Special Instructions section before you complete your donation.  

15] –Progressive Democrats of America [info@pdamerica.org] are holding its weekly virtual Town Hall on Sun., March 10 at 4 PM ET. It will feature Congressional Candidate Qasim Rashid plus strategy and tactics for moving forward. RSVP at https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0tceuhrzsvHdymeeZRwb-i7X50FJa-HMR4#/registration

  Rashid is challenging "moderate" incumbent Bill Foster in the March 19 primary. In less than two weeks, no fewer than five PDA-endorsed Congressional candidates are running in Illinois' primary.  Three of these are running unopposed: Jan Schakowsky, Delia Ramirez, and Jonathan Jackson. A fourth incumbent, Jesus 'Chuy" Garcia, is facing a conservative challenger!  PDA's one non-incumbent endorsed candidate is Qasim Rashid (IL-11), a human rights lawyer, is an across-the-board PDA progressive.  Also, in contrast to Foster, he supports a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. He puts the climate crisis, human rights, and guaranteed healthcare front and center in his campaign.

16] – Join Congressperson David Trone for a Meet and Greet in Prince George's County, hosted by the Nguyen Family, Beth Wong, Nagender Madavaram, & Mayur Mody..on Sun., March 10 from 6:30 to 8:30 PM at the Samuel Riggs IV Alumni Center, 7801 Alumni Drive, College Park 20742. RSVP at https://www.mobilize.us/davidtrone/event/604211/?followup_modal_context=email_post_shift_future_timeslots_other_events&timeslot=4157761

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 March 11 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 Marriot Providence Inn on corner of S. Fern and Army Navy Dr.

18] – Progressive Democrats of America [info@pdamerica.org] want you to participate with the Green Grassroots Emergency Environment and Election Protection (GREEP) Zoom on Mon., March 4 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