Baltimore Activist Alert – February 23 – 24, 2025

Baltimore Activist Alert – February 23 – 24, 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] In Democracy We Trust – Feb. 23

8] Canvass for a socialist – Feb. 23

9] Doctors against Genocide meeting – Feb. 23

10] Amour falafel – Feb. 23

11] Global Day to close military bases – Feb. 23

12] Working Families Party – Feb. 23

13] DSA meeting -- Feb. 23

14] Prophet Muhammad – Feb. 23

15] Film No Other Land – Feb. 23

16] For democracy -- Feb. 23

17] Vigil at the Pentagon – Feb. 24

18] ROK USA – Feb. 24

19] Lobby Night – Feb. 24

20] Lobby Day of Action – Feb. 24

21] Election Protection -- Feb. 24

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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. 23, the Zoom presentation will be “In Democracy We Trust?” In his first inaugural address, Ronald Reagan said, “Government is not the solution to our problem. Government is the problem.” That drumbeat of opposition has continued, from Newt Gingrich to the Tea Party to today’s MAGA movement. Is villainization of government a permanent trend? Can we rebuild trust in democracy? Are progressives so worn out that they are losing faith? Hugh Taft-Morales explores responses to the anti-government movement that is sabotaging our political system. He serves as Leader of the Philadelphia Ethical Society and the Baltimore Ethical Society and is a member of the Ethical Action Committee of the American Ethical Union (AEU).  To receive a Zoom invitation, please email president@bmorethical.org.

8] – Metro DC DSA [info@mdcdsa.org] endorsed Shayla Adams-Stafford, and socialists are organizing to elect a people’s champion to the Prince George’s County Council District 5 seat. Comrades will be canvassing for Shayla on Sun., Feb. 16 from 11 AM to 2 PM ET, starting from the Progressive Maryland Office, 4500 Forbes Blvd., Lanham 20706. Knock on doors until about 2 PM and meet up afterward to debrief. Chapter members and allies are invited to participate: hand warmers will be provided, and warm dress is strongly encouraged. RSVP at https://actionnetwork.org/events/feb-16-canvass-for-shayla-adams-stafford?link_id=17&can_id=4b9d4061aec5469758759317ac0f5285&source=email-metro-dc-dsa-weekly-newsletter-for-january-24-2025-5&email_referrer=email_2619065&email_subject=metro-dc-dsa-weekly-newsletter-for-february-14-2025

 Shayla is a former Teachers Union shop steward, has led the fight on the school board for care not policing in our schools, and fought back against developers to get strong project labor agreements on public school projects. This race will decide the balance of power on a County Council split 5 – 5 between corporate developer interests and progressives. Establishment Democrats are opposing Shayla with everything they have.

9] – Doctors against Genocide [info@doctorsagainstgenocide.org] on Sun., Feb. 23 at noon ET is holding a virtual All-Member Meeting. Agenda items include Voices from Gaza, Day on the Hill advocacy efforts, and DAG Leadership Updates.  Discuss collective advocacy efforts, share key updates from DAG leadership, and hear directly from medical students in Gaza.  Register at https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/uN-5XRarQLeQBZfaQxwWpw#/registration?link_id=1&can_id=4b9d4061aec5469758759317ac0f5285&source=email-end-a-letter-urgent-support-needed-for-senate-resolution-against-us-military-intervention-forced-displacement-in-gaza-restore-unrwa-funding-and-protection-of-healthcare-2&email_referrer=email_2628638&email_subject=doctors-against-genocide-dag-all-member-meeting-invitation

10] – On Sun., Feb. 23 from noon to 5 PM, head to Chacho Spirits, 6031 Kansas Ave. NW, WDC 20011 for an afternoon of food, music, art, and solidarity featuring traditional cuisine, a vendor marketplace, and art exhibits. Enjoy Sunday Bruch from Colombia to Palestine for Amour Falafel. Visit https://www.instagram.com/p/DGRqq9tgmUf/?igsh=MXZnbzFuZDJ6eXB2Zg%3D%3D&link_id=56&can_id=4b9d4061aec5469758759317ac0f5285&source=email-metro-dc-dsa-weekly-newsletter-for-february-14-2025&email_referrer=email_2627468&email_subject=metro-dc-dsa-weekly-newsletter-for-february-21-2025

11] – Join the February 23 action at 1:30 PM at Hancock Airfield National Guard Base. You will feel the difference for as soon as you take action there is hope.  And there is community too. Invite your friends and please share this message. If you are not near Syracuse, go to the World Beyond War website. More vigils are listed across the country.  Visit the Global Day of Action to Close Military Bases - World BEYOND War: https://worldbeyondwar.org/global-day-of-action-to-close-military-bases/

12] – Join a virtual meeting, hosted by Working Families Party on Sun., Feb. 23 from 2 to 3:30 PM ET. Then meet weekly or biweekly either virtually or in person to run through actions available, receive coaching and guidance, and create community & accountability among our pack. Work together to reach goals relevant to each tactical category and incentivized to take on a variety of tactics instead of sticking to just one type of action. Find out about becoming a Wolf Pack Member in Maryland right now. RSVP at https://www.mobilize.us/mobilize/event/755614/?followup_modal_context=nonexclusive_newsletter_closest https://www.mobilize.us/mobilize/event/755614/?followup_modal_context=nonexclusive_newsletter_closest

13] – The Metro DC DSA is holding a chapter-wide hybrid General Body meeting on Sun., Feb. 23 at 2 PM ET. To attend in person, come to the Thurgood Marshall Center, 1816 12th St. NW, WDC 20009. General Body Meetings are the chapter’s opportunity to come together as a body and discuss news, strategize, deliberate and make decisions for the chapter, and socialize. RSVP at https://actionnetwork.org/events/metro-dc-dsa-february-23rd-general-body-meeting?link_id=5&can_id=4b9d4061aec5469758759317ac0f5285&source=email-metro-dc-dsa-weekly-newsletter-for-february-14-2025&email_referrer=email_2627468&email_subject=metro-dc-dsa-weekly-newsletter-for-february-21-2025

14] – On Sun., Feb. 23 at 3 PM ET, Jewish Islamic Dialogue Society and the Rumi Forum will be sponsoring a dialogue at Congregation Beth El, 8215 Old Georgetown Road, Bethesda, MD 20814.  The dialogue is entitled "Inspiration from the Prophet Muhammad."  RSVPs should be sent to jids.washington@gmail.com.  The speakers include Imad-ad-Dean Ahmad, a Palestinian American polymath whose areas of expertise range from astrophysics to chaplaincy; Dr. Sevde Arpaci Ayhan, a scholar in political economics and international development; and Kemal Taban, who will provide the perspective of a successful young adult who grew up in the DMV.  The Rumi Forum's Executive Director, Ibrahim Anli, will moderate.  The hope is that all in attendance will better understand this incredible person and find their own inspiration to study his message on their own. 

15] –  The SNF Parkway Theatre [info@mdfilmfest.com] will show the documentary No Other Land on Sun., Feb. 23 at 3:30 & 6:30 PM at 5 W. North Ave, Baltimore, MD 21201. This eye-opening, vérité-style documentary chronicles the destruction of Masafer Yatta, a group of Palestinian villages in the West Bank, at the hands of the Israeli military. Created by a Palestinian-Israeli collective, the film documents five years of displacement and resistance, led by Palestinian activist Basel Adra and Israeli journalist Yuval Abraham. As they protest and capture the harrowing demolitions, they form a powerful bond despite the unequal realities they face. A moving and necessary portrait of friendship, resilience, and activism, No Other Land has received multiple awards, including the Panorama Audience Award at the Berlinale. It is also one of the five finalists for Best Documentary at the Academy Awards—and the Parkway is the ONLY place in Baltimore where you can see this Oscar-nominated film on the big screen. Go to https://prod5.agileticketing.net/websales/pages/list.aspx?epguid=8bc073b6-5168-4092-8a65-75332b6f9cdd

16] –Alan Minsky for Progressive Democrats of America [info@pdamerica.org] wants you to know on Sun., Feb. 23 at 4 PM ET there will be a Town Hall . Here from Everett Kelley, president of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the largest Federal employee union representing 800,000 Federal and DC government workers. Stand in solidarity with AFGE to defend government workers. Learn from President Kelley how PDA members and all of its allies can best support the AFGE, and send a message to Musk and Trump that the people united can never be defeated.

Also hear from Sheriff Dustin Heuerman from Champaign County, Illinois, who will explain how local law enforcement, aided by state law, will ensure fair treatment of undocumented immigrants. Finally joining in will be the Rural-Urban Bridge Initiative's Anthony Flaccavento, who is the co-author of the Rural New Deal with PDA. Get an update on how progressives can defend rural and small-town America from the devastation of the Trump Administration. Register here and the machine will email you your secure codes: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0tceuhrzsvHdymeeZRwb-i7X50FJa-HMR4#/registration

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 Feb. 24, 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] – GW Institute for Korean Studies [gwiks@gwu.edu] on Mon., Feb. 24 at 3 PM ET will hold a virtual Korea Policy Forum: U.S Trade Policy Shifts and the Future of the U.S-ROK Economic relations. RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/korea-policy-forum-us-rok-economic-relations-tickets-1247329779949?aff=oddtdtcreator

Recent shifts in U.S. trade policy are reshaping economic relations with South Korea, influencing investment trends, supply chain dynamics, and regulatory frameworks. How will these changes impact U.S.-ROK economic cooperation? What strategic challenges and opportunities arise from evolving trade policies? How can both nations navigate economic security risks in an increasingly complex global landscape?  

19] – On Mon., Feb. 24 at 4:15 PM, join the Progressive Maryland's Lobby Night 2025, Come together in Annapolis to make your voices heard! Gather at St. Anne's Parish House, 199 Duke of Gloucester St., Annapolis 21401. This is your chance to meet with legislators from your district and advocate for bold, transformative policies that support working families across Maryland. There will be a comprehensive prep session beforehand to ensure you feel confident and comfortable. You'll learn about the key priority bills, how to share your story effectively, and tips for making a lasting impact during your conversations.  RSVP at https://www.mobilize.us/progressivemaryland/event/746596/?followup_modal_context=organization_newsletter_custom_recommendations

20] – On Mon., Feb. 24 at 4:30 PM, get with Common Cause for a People’s Lobby Day of Action at Graduate by Hilton Annapolis, 126 West St., Annapolis 21401. Meet with lawmakers, share your stories, and advocate for the passage of the Maryland Voting Rights Act, the Voting Rights for All Act, special elections for legislative vacancies, and more. We’ll also support critical legislation to protect immigrant communities. This is your opportunity to make your voice heard and demand that the General Assembly prioritize democracy reforms. RSVP at https://www.mobilize.us/dfadcoalition/event/756146/?followup_modal_context=organization_newsletter_custom_recommendations

21] – Progressive Democrats of America [info@pdamerica.org] wants you to participate with the Grassroots Election Protection Coalition/ALLIANCE 4 GRASSROOTS DEMOCRACY Zoom on Mon., Feb. 24 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/.