Baltimore Activist Alert – December 21 – 23, 2024

Baltimore Activist Alert – December 21 – 23, 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] Get the book A Bag of Stones

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

6] Baltimore activist selling her home

7] Janice & Max talk about trial for protesting genocide in Gaza – Dec. 21

8] Darkness of winter– Dec. 22

9] Young Progressive Democrats of America – Dec. 22

10] Vigil at the Pentagon – Dec. 23

11] Jubilee Network – Dec. 23

12] Election Protection – Dec. 23

13] Film RATIFIED – Dec. 23

14] Trans/Queer Liberation Biweekly Meeting – Dec. 15

15] CAIR is Fighting for You -- Dec. 23

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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] – Barry Lee Burnside, a gaggle of great writers and copy editors are making available “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.

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.

5] – 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.

6] – 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. 

7] – Please join in on Sat., Dec. 21 at 4 PM ET for a conversation with Janice Sevre-Duszynska and Max Obuszewski about their recent arrest and trial for speaking out against the genocide in Gaza. The talk will be followed by a potluck dinner to honor their efforts.  Be at the One Body Catholic Worker (Home of Suzanne and Jeff), 515 Collins Ave., Baltimore 21229 (1 block from Mount St. Joseph HS.) Contact Jeff and Suzanne with questions by texting to 443-690-4060.

8] – The Baltimore Ethical Society invites you on Sundays at 10:30 AM for a platform presentation. In these dark days of winter, gather on Zoom to celebrate “Gratitude in the Darkness of Winter.” Bring a candle to light and one sentence to share about gratitude that you hold in your heart. Readings and music will gird you for the cold weather to endure as we look forward to spring. Hugh Taft-Morales, leader of the Philadelphia Ethical Society and the Baltimore Ethical Society, will lead the way. To receive a Zoom invitation, please email president@bmorethical.org

9] – The Progressive Democrats of America [info@pdamerica.org] on Sun., Dec. 22 at 4 PM ET will hold its weekly Town Hall Winning the Future with Young Progressive Democrats of America. Learn about PDA's most important project for 2025: the growth and development of Young Progressive Democrats of America (YPDA). So suffice it to say PDA's most important project right now is the growth of our youth wing - and, given the drop off in support for Democrats (but not the progressive agenda) among young Americans, this is more urgent than ever. Join YPDA's national coordinator, Hartzell Gray, and he, along with three other members of the YPDA Steering Committee, will unveil PROJECT YPDA 2025: A Popular Front for Young Progressives. Get an update on two of the most inspiring ongoing organizing drives in the country: Amazon and Starbucks workers. Register, and the machine will email you your secure codes: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0tceuhrzsvHdymeeZRwb-i7X50FJa-HMR4#/registration

10] – 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 Dec. 23, 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.

11] – On behalf of Jubilee USA Network, you are invited to join online for a special upcoming event to launch Jubilee campaigns in more than 160 countries before Pope Francis opens the Holy Jubilee Door: Press Conference: The Jubilee 2025 Pilgrimage to Tackle Debt, End Poverty, and Heal Our Planet on Mon., Dec. 23 at 9 AM ET. Live from St. Peter's Square, Jubilee and Caritas Internationalis leaders hold a press conference to launch campaigns on debt relief in 160 countries for Jubilee 2025.  The press conference explains the themes of debt cancellation lifted for special Jubilee Years among faith communities.  The high-level press panel takes place 24 hours before Pope Francis begins Jubilee 2025 by opening the Holy Jubilee Doors and Calls for global debt relief for our people and our planet.

12] – Progressive Democrats of America [info@pdamerica.org] wants you to participate with the Green Grassroots Emergency Environment and Election Protection (GREEP) Zoom on Mon., Dec. 23 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

13] – Free Speech for People [contact@freespeechforpeople.org] on Mon., Dec. 23 at 6 PM ET invites you to join Vote Equality for a virtual screening of RATIFIED followed by a Take Action panel! The documentary is about the 100-year struggle for constitutional gender equality, followed by a discussion on how you can take action to help get the ERA over the finish line.  There is a bipartisan effort to make Virginia the 38th state (the last one needed) to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment. It's also a story of how bureaucracy is used to stifle progress and highlights the incredible perseverance of women - specifically, the Black women leaders who have taken their rightful place at the front of the movement for gender equality.”   To join, follow this link to set up a free Kinema.com account, purchase a ticket ($5), and add the screening to your account: https://kinema.com/events/national-screening-of-ratified-wkiqgp?emci=78bc265c-13bf-ef11-88ce-0022482a93af&emdi=d962d5c3-1cbf-ef11-88ce-0022482a93af&ceid=5222495

14] – On Mon., Dec. 23 at 7 PM ET, get over to the Metro DC DSA's Trans/Queer Liberation Biweekly Meeting. Discuss ongoing efforts such as Project Sanctuary, our Gender & Name Change Clinics, and more! A link to attend this virtual event will be emailed upon RSVP: https://actionnetwork.org/events/transqueer-liberation-bi-weekly-meeting-5?link_id=45&can_id=4b9d4061aec5469758759317ac0f5285&source=email-metro-dc-dsa-weekly-newsletter-for-december-13-2024&email_referrer=email_2565916&email_subject=metro-dc-dsa-weekly-newsletter-for-december-20-2024

15] – The CAIR Team [info@cair.com] wants you to attend on Mon., Dec. 23 at 8 PM ET How CAIR is Fighting for You: Congress. Campuses and Communities. This is your chance to hear firsthand about CAIR’s efforts.  RSVP at https://www.cair.com/press_releases/community-advisory-register-for-cairs-webinar-on-advocacy-in-congress-campuses-and-communities/

To be continued

Donations can be sent to Max Obuszewski, Baltimore Nonviolence Center, and 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