Baltimore Activist Alert – February 2 – 3, 2025

Baltimore Activist Alert – February 2 – 3, 2025

"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] Church attendance is down – Feb. 2

8] DSA meeting – Feb. 2

9] Legislative briefing – Feb. 2

10] Gaza in Context – Feb. 2

11] Renters need help -- Feb. 2

12] Rejecting MAGA -- Feb. 2

13] Divest Philly meeting -- Feb. 2

14] DSA Electoral Working Group meeting -- Feb. 2

15] Death Penalty report – Feb. 2

16] Vigil at the Pentagon – Feb. 3

17] Election Protection – Feb. 3

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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] – The Baltimore Ethical Society invites you on Sundays at 10:30 AM for a platform presentation. On Feb. 2, the Zoom presentation will be “The Vast Dechurching and the Paradox of Christian Decline.” The rapid secularization in Europe has reached our shores in America, and people are leaving organized religion in droves. It is an overlooked and underappreciated cultural shift that promises to be very profound. And yet, while institutional Christianity looks to be on the decline in the Global North, nothing could be further from the truth in the rest of the world. Indeed, overall trends suggest that Christianity will continue to grow, even while it seems quite moribund in the west. In any case, the decline of Christianity may be just what is needed; many Catholics leave the church in disgust over widespread corruption and cruelty. But as the French Jesuit Paul Valadier has written, a church that has no power—which is greatly diminished today—cannot abuse it. Thus, paradoxically, the significant marginalization of the church in the west may be what properly purifies the faith and its institution.

Firmin DeBrabander is Professor of Philosophy at the Maryland Institute College of Art. He teaches courses in Political Philosophy, Philosophy of Religion, Aesthetics, Economic Theory and Greek Philosophy. He is the author of two books: Do Guns Make us Free? (Yale University Press, 2015), and Life after Privacy (Cambridge University Press, 2020). To receive a Zoom invitation, please email president@bmorethical.org

8] – The Montgomery County DSA branch meeting will be held on Sun., Feb. 2 from 2 to 4 PM ET in a hybrid format: in-person at The Hamilton House, 4 Monroe St., Rockville 20850 and virtually on Zoom! Divest Philly [greta@worldbeyondwar.org] meets monthly on the first Sunday of the month from 2:30 to 3:30 PM ET on Zoom. The next meeting is Sun., Feb. 2 at 2:30 PM ET. If you are interested in attending, email greta@worldbeyondwar.org to get the Zoom link.

 These monthly branch general body meetings are for all DSA members who live, work, or organize in Montgomery County, as well as for any members of the public curious about DSA and our work. There will be a brief introduction to the Branch and share updates on ongoing campaign work. Hear speeches from the candidates for the branch steering committee election, which is happening this month. There won't be any live voting at the meeting, though. Ballots (if any) will be sent out by email afterward.  RSVP at https://actionnetwork.org/events/february-montgomery-county-dsa-branch-meeting-steering-election?link_id=59&can_id=4b9d4061aec5469758759317ac0f5285&source=email-metro-dc-dsa-weekly-newsletter-for-january-24-2025-2&email_referrer=email_2601548&email_subject=metro-dc-dsa-weekly-newsletter-for-january-31-2025

9] –Brother Ryan W. Roberts [justice@sistersofmercy.org] wants you to attend a legislative briefing on Sun., Feb. 2 from 2 to 3:30 PM ET from Interfaith Power & Light, Interfaith Partners for the Chesapeake, and other partners (including Maryland Catholics for our Common Home. There will be specific information on three important environmental bills, as well as a chance to join a breakout room to take a deep dive on one of the bills. RSVP at https://www.interfaithchesapeake.org/2025_faith_community_maryland_legislative_briefing_call?emci=69ba8211-a3dd-ef11-88f8-0022482a9579&emdi=967d571e-a6dd-ef11-88f8-0022482a9579&ceid=9618763 Divest Philly [greta@worldbeyondwar.org] meets monthly on the first Sunday of the month from 2:30 to 3:30 PM ET on Zoom. The next meeting is Sun., Feb. 2 at 2:30 PM ET. If you are interested in attending, email greta@worldbeyondwar.org to get the Zoom link.

10] – Massachusetts Peace Action [info@masspeaceaction.org] is doing Gaza in Context, a four part online series concluding on Sun. Feb. 2 at 3 PM ET.  Jeff Klein is a veteran anti-war activist, retired machinist and local trade-union president, who for 8 years until 2023 taught a course on “The US in the Middle East” at the UMass Boston Lifelong Learning Institute.  He is a board member of Massachusetts Peace Action and a member of its Gaza Israel Mideast peace campaign’s steering committee.

Since 2004 Jeff has traveled almost every year to Palestine/Israel and elsewhere in the Middle East, and has many close friends among veteran activists in Palestine, Lebanon and Jordan.  He has also worked in Nicaragua and for the exiled African National Congress in Zambia.  Check out his weekly video presentations on “Genocide in Gaza” and read his articles on the Middle East. Register to attend: https://secure.everyaction.com/uwPThhTHA0eazZPC8GJOQg2?ms=email-241230&emci=d3753702-66c5-ef11-88ce-0022482a93af&emdi=7f2add5c-b6c6-ef11-88ce-0022482a93af&ceid=269591

11] – Renters United Maryland on Sun. Feb. 2 at 3 PM will highlight the need for action this legislative session, Discuss the challenges facing renters and the work being done to ensure that everyone has access to safe, affordable, and stable housing. Now that the Maryland General Assembly legislative session is in full swing, the legislators need to take meaningful action to keep Marylanders housed and rooted in their communities. This listening session is not only an opportunity to hear and share stories that demonstrate this need for action, but will be an opportunity to take collective action in the fight for housing justice. Please join us and spread the word!  RSVP at https://actionnetwork.org/events/rooted-in-baltimore-a-listening-session-on-stable-safe-affordable-housing-for-baltimore-city-renters?source=direct_link&

12] – Alan Minsky for Progressive Democrats of America [info@pdamerica.org] on Sun., Feb. 2 on 4 PM ET wants you to attend a Town Hall: Resisting MAGA, Another Record-Breaking Town Hall, and DNC Report. RSVP at https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0tceuhrzsvHdymeeZRwb-i7X50FJa-HMR4#/registration

Get the path to resisting MAGA insanity, debrief the DNC National Convention, and hopefully break the record of attendees on last Sunday! Get a debrief from Alan Minsky on the DNC National Convention.

13] – Divest Philly [greta@worldbeyondwar.org] meets monthly on the first Sunday of the month from 2:30 to 3:30 PM ET on Zoom. The next meeting is Sun., Feb. 2 at 2:30 PM ET. If you are interested in attending, email greta@worldbeyondwar.org to get the Zoom link.

14] – The Northern Virginia DSA Electoral Working Group meeting will be on Sun., Feb. 2 from 7 to 8 PM.  Join #nova-electoral on slack, and fill out the interest form. Also, feel free to reach out to @Alex Yarkosky on slack with any questions about electoral work. A link to attend this virtual event will be emailed upon RSVP at https://actionnetwork.org/events/nova-electoral-monthly-working-group-meeting-0202?link_id=58&can_id=ff1aaba0f5e146464809836e821c386b&source=email-metro-dc-dsa-weekly-newsletter-for-january-3-2025-2&email_referrer=email_2593574&email_subject=metro-dc-dsa-weekly-newsletter-for-january-24-2025

Our next working group meeting is Sun., Feb. 2 at 7 PM ET. Join us in #nova-electoral on slack, and fill out our interest form. Also, feel free to reach out to @Alex Yarkosky on slack with any questions about electoral work.

15] – Death Penalty Action [info@deathpenaltyaction.org] on Sun., Feb. 2 at 9 PM ET hopes you will join THE FORECAST for a review of the issues and action opportunities surrounding the next several executions scheduled in the United States. This project of Death Penalty Action recurs (normally) on the first Sunday of each month. REGISTER to join the Zoom audience or watch on YouTube, Facebook or X. Hear from folks close to most of the cases for an in-depth look at the circumstances and protest organizing around the upcoming executions in Texas, Alabama, Florida and Texas. RSVP at https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_GQi-Z-U0QyyvyVOoYaL3nA#/registration?link_id=8&can_id=4b9d4061aec5469758759317ac0f5285&source=email-results-14&email_referrer=email_2603151&email_subject=more-strange-fruit

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 Feb. 3, 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.

17] – Progressive Democrats of America [info@pdamerica.org] wants you to participate with the Green Grassroots Emergency Environment and Election Protection (GREEP) Zoom on Mon., Jan. 3 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, 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