Baltimore Activist Alert July 8 to 10, 2018

Baltimore Activist Alert July 8 to 10, 2018

"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 BNC, 325 East 25th Street, Baltimore, MD 21218.  Max Obuszewski 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] Join Nonviolent Resistance lists  

4] Write Reality Winner

5] Pat Elder for Congress

6] Support the Duncan & Porter Hospitality House  

7] Participate in Megan Shook's fundraiser for USA for UNHCR

8] Adopt a cat – through July 31

9] Americans and the Holocaust Exhibition – July 8

10] Metta, Meditation on Boundless Goodwill – July 8

11] Pacem Music Festival – July 8

12] Birthright Citizens -- July 8

13] Yoga with Pigs -- July 8

14] Black Lives Matter -- July 8

15] Baltimore Women United celebration – July 8

16] Free Farm concert -- July 8

17] Protest at the Pentagon – July 9

18] Stand with immigrants – July 9

19] Training for a Better Budget -- July 9, 16 & 23

20] Health and Safety training – July 9

21] Grassroots organizing – July 9

22] Rally at Supreme Court – July 9

23] A Year in the Life of a Peace Teacher -- July 9

24] Families for Justice Reform Now – July 10

25] Migrant Justice Community Convening – July 10

26] Peace Vigil – July 10

27] No Drone Research DEMO – July 10

28] Gather Together – July 10

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1] – Buttons, bumperstickers 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] – THE ORGANIZING LIST will be the primary decision-making mechanism of the National Campaign of Nonviolent Resistance [NCNR].  It will be augmented by conference calls and possibly in-person meetings as needed.  It will consist of 1 or 2 representatives from each local, regional, or national organization (not coalitions) that wishes to actively work to carry out the NCNR campaign of facilitating and organizing nonviolent resistance to the war in Iraq.

To join the ORGANIZING List, please send your name, group affiliation, city and email 6address to mobuszewski at Verizon.net.  Different local chapters of a national organization are encouraged to subscribe.  

THE NOTICES LIST will include only notices of NCNR actions and related information and is open to any interested person to subscribe.  It will be moderated to maintain focus & will include periodic notices about getting involved in NCNR national organizing.  To join the NOTICES List, send an email message to ncnrnotices-subscribe@lists.riseup.net. You will get a confirmation message once subscribed.  If you have problems, please write to the list manager at ncnrnotices-admin@lists.riseup.net.

4] –  On June 3, 2017 Reality Leigh Winner was arrested and jailed and later charged under the Espionage Act for allegedly releasing a top-secret document to a media outlet, The Intercept.  The document analyzed information about Russian online intrusions prior to the 2016 presidential election. Reality had been employed by a contract agency and worked at the NSA in Augusta, Georgia following her hono8rable discharge from the U.S. Air Force in December of 2016.  Reality has pleaded not guilty to this one charge, and her defense team is working furiously to defend against the Espionage charge, but the Court in Georgia continues to rule against Reality at every turn.  Reality has been denied pretrial bail and awaits trial in a small county jail in Lincolnton, Georgia.

The impact this has had on Reality and our entire family is devastating.  Because of the undue pressure, Reality decided to cop a plea, and now faces five years of imprisonment. Please write to Reality at Reality L. Winner, Inmate # 3342, Lincoln County Jail, PO Box 970, Lincolnton, GA 30817.

5] – Green Candidate Pat Elder is Running against Democratic House Whip Steny Hoyer -- www.elderforcongress.org/elderforcongress@gmail.com/301-997-3963. Elder is a life-long peace and justice activist, who will be on the ballot in November. He is a great progressive.  Elder calls for shutting down the Chalk Point and Morgantown coal-fired stations in the 5th district. Pat is opposed to Dominion Energy’s terminal at Cove Point and other projects in the 5th. He also demands a cessation of weapons testing in the Potomac and an immediate cleanup of Superfund sites at the Indian Head Naval Warfare Center and Patuxent River Naval Air Station. He calls for subjecting the military’s ongoing environmental degradation to state oversight. 

Pat supports Medicare for all, public financing of elections, free community college. Elder supports a living wage; strong measures to correct racial injustice; eliminating the Social Security taxable maximum of $128,400; He advocates for meaningful cuts in military spending and increasing the top tax for folks making more than $2 million to 50%. That’ll pay for everything. Pat supports non-violent, multilateral solutions to the problems facing our country.

Pat plans to capture 5% of the vote and expects to open the political debate. Pat expects to run the most successful Green Party congressional campaign ever. It shouldn’t be too tough. Hoyer is awful. Spread the message on social media. Send in a dollar or two if you can.

6] – Support the Duncan & Porter Hospitality House. What's a house of hospitality without a working kitchen? Donate at https://www.gofundme.com/v2s3h8.

    More than 25 years ago Vincent Eirene, of Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, opened up his doors to those in need. Vince, now 65, will always put others first and has given back to the community continuously. Avoiding the regulations of official shelters, he maintains an open door policy, working with a few men at a time that usually come from the local food pantry. He helps them with everything from medical care to social services. Vince has been running his open door home on his own disability check and the miracle of generosity. I personally have been helping him secure funding for purchasing the home and keeping it livable, from small touches to large ones. It is currently in need of a new stove. Please help us raise this modest amount before harvest, so the cooking can continue at the Duncan and Porter House of Hospitality.

7] – Participate in Megan Shook's fundraiser for USA for UNHCR.  She asks, “Want to join me in supporting a good cause? I'm raising money for USA for UNHCR and your contribution will make an impact, whether you donate $5 or $500. Every little bit helps. Thank you for your support. I've included information about USA for UNHCR, which helps and protects refugees and people displaced by violence, conflict and persecution. Supporting UNHCR – the UN Refugee Agency – and its partners, we provide lifesaving essentials including shelter, water, food, safety and protection. Around the world, we help refugees survive, recover and build a better future.  Together we give refugees the hope they deserve, restore their dignity and help them rebuild their lives.”  Established by concerned citizens, USA for UNHCR is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization, headquartered in Washington, D.C. Donate at https://www.facebook.com/donate/430046250797823/.

8] – Now is the purr-fect time to adopt and give an unwanted cat or kitten a loving, new family! During the entire month of July, the Maryland SPCA, along with 19 other shelters across Maryland, are waiving adoption fees for felines with the collective goal of finding homes for at least 2,000 unwanted cats and kittens across the state. Regular adoption procedures still apply. The Maryland 2,000 sponsor Cat Hospital At Towson (CHAT) will be offering free wellness exams for all cats adopted during the month of July from the Maryland SPCA and BAWA Partners (BARCS, Baltimore Humane Society and Baltimore County Animal Services). Click here http://www.mdspca.org/updates/detail/maryland-20001. 

Help save more lives with Baltimore Animal Welfare Alliance partners–BARCS, Baltimore Humane Society, Baltimore County Animal Services and special guest Humane Society of Harford County. The standard adoption fee for cats and kittens will be waived as part of our Maryland 2,000 adoption promotion. To help you and your new feline get off on the right paw, adopters will receive a free certificate for a cat wellness exam at CHAT. Standard adoption procedures will apply for each participating shelter.

9] –   On Sun., July 8 through Aug. 8 at 10 AM, see the Americans and the Holocaust Exhibition at hosted by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, 100 Raoul Wallenberg Place SW, WDC 20024. Five years in the making, the Museum is opening a groundbreaking exhibition, Americans and the Holocaust. This exhibition is a portrait of American society in the 1930s and ‘40s that shows what shaped Americans’ responses to Nazism. Why, if Americans knew so much, rescuing Jews didn’t become a priority, except for a few who went against the grain to help. Check out https://www.facebook.com/events/258594731353120/.

10] – Usually, the Baltimore Ethical Society, 2521 St. Paul St., Baltimore 21218, meets on Sundays, and generally there is a speaker and discussion at 10:30 AM.  On Sun., July 8, the topic is “Metta, Meditation on Boundless Goodwill.” The teaching, the experience, and what cognitive science is learning about the practice. Will include a brief guided meditation at the end (seated in chairs). Call 410-581-2322 or email ask@bmorethical.org.

11] – Now is the Time: Pacem Music Festival is happening on Sun., July 8 from 1 to 9 PM at 301 Stanton Rd., Wilmington 19804.  Besides the bands, enjoy Great Vendors for an even greater time! For example, there is Lily's Lotions, natural candles, bath, body & pet care products with 10% of proceeds going to wildlife conservation.  See http://depaceminterris.org/pacem-music-festival-2017/.

12] – On Sun., July 8 from 1 to 2 PM, Martha S. Jones will discuss Birthright Citizens at Politics and Prose Bookstore, 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW, WDC 20008.  In this groundbreaking history of African Americans’ struggle for citizenship, Jones, the Society of Black Alumni Presidential Professor and Professor of History at Johns Hopkins, focuses on pre-Civil War Baltimore, where Black people claimed citizenship rights decades before the concept was codified in the federal constitution. While the nation debated deporting former slaves born in the U.S., Jones draws on a wide range of archives to document how free Black people fought back by studying law, securing allies, and arguing in courts, legislatures, and at conventions that birth meant citizenship. No less important, Jones argues, was that they conducted themselves like citizens, securing their rights through small and often courageous everyday acts. Jones will be in conversation with Lisa Crooms-Robinson, Professor of Law and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at Howard University. Visit https://www.facebook.com/events/260733034678898/.

13] – Yoga With Pigs Fundraiser will take place on Sun., July 8 from 4 to 7 PM, hosted by Whispering Rise Farm & Animal Sanctuary. Get tickets at www.eventbrite.com.  Enjoy an evening session of yoga with new friends.  In lieu of a ticketed event, bring an item from the Donation List or contribute a Monetary Gift. All donations support the growth of the Sanctuary to help us expand and help more animals in need. Do see https://www.facebook.com/events/243429099768577/.

14] – On Sun., July 8 from 4 to 5 PM, attend a Black Lives Matter monthly vigil at Governor Warfield Parkway and Windstream Drive in Howard County. Visit https://www.facebook.com/events/408704056256085/?event_time_id=408704079589416.

15] – On Sun., July 8 from 5 to 7 PM, there is an 8th Day Celebration Action, hosted by Baltimore Women United at Joe Squared, 33 W. North Ave., Baltimore 21201. BWU Meets on the 8th of each month to do an action, meeting or other type of event. This 8th event, celebrate what’s been done so far! Toast recent successes and get energized for the work this fall. Be sure to complete the survey so that the great data to determine next steps. Visit https://www.facebook.com/events/213410762631352/.

16] – On Sun., July 8 from 7 to 9 PM, enjoy a concert at the Baltimore Free Farm, 3510 Ash St., Baltimore 21211. See https://www.facebook.com/events/209850896311791/.

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 July 2, 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 begin at 8 AM.  No cameras are allowed on Pentagon grounds. Restrooms are located inside Marriott Residence Inn on corner of S. Fern and Army Navy Dr.

18] – On Mon., July 9 from 8:45 to 11 AM, Stand with Immigrants Facing Threat of Detention and Deportation at 31 Hopkins Pl., Baltimore 21201. The network will be accompanying both Marta Rodriguez and Nelson Gbohoutou to their immigration check-ins. Call for the immediate release of Gbohoutou who remains in ICE custody after being arbitrarily detained at this very ICE office.  Marta Rodriguez went to her regular ICE check-in—as she has done for the past nine years—on March 29. At that check-in she was told, “This is not your country. Go back to your country” and was ordered to return to the Baltimore ICE office on May 10 with a plane ticket to Honduras. On May 10, 100 members of the network joined Marta in solidarity as she ascended the steps of the Baltimore ICE office. Multiple Members of Congress weighed in with ICE on her behalf. Together, this was enough to prevent ICE from taking Marta into custody that day, but Marta was only given a two-month stay of deportation. We remain gravely concerned about what will happen on July 9th—her next ICE check-in date. 

Marta left Honduras in order to support her son Osman, who is severely disabled in Honduras. Marta—who has lived for over ten years in a home she owns in New Carrollton, and who is legally employed with a work authorization card—sends $600 to Honduras to pay for Osman’s medical care every month. In addition to Osman, she has five other children who live in the DC area with her, who will be left without their primary caretaker if she is detained. Marta is deeply-rooted in the DC area and would be devastated to be separated from her children and community. 

Nelson Gbohoutou is a DREAMer and an asylum seeker, and brother to Prince Gbohoutou, who was detained by ICE on April 19. Their father was a diplomat from the Central African Republic who brought him to the U.S. as a young teen. Their father's asylum claim was denied and, as a result, young Nelson was ordered deported. Just like his brother Prince, Nelson has built a life for himself here and fears for his life if returned to the Central African Republic. 

The Baltimore ICE field office has jurisdiction over all three of these cases, and can make the right decision to allow both Marta and Nelson to walk out of the building after their check-ins and return to their families and communities, and to release Prince back to his. As we stand with Marta and Nelson as they go to their check-ins, we will also be using this opportunity to continue to demand that Prince Gbohoutou, who remains in ICE custody following a harrowing, failed deportation attempt, be released immediately. See https://www.facebook.com/events/598330203871311/.

19] – On Mon., July 9, 16 and 23 at noon, attend the Canvassing Training for a Better Budget, hosted by Better Budget Baltimore and Communities United, 2221 Maryland Ave., 2nd floor, Baltimore 21218. Tickets are at membershipdrive.secure.force.com. It is time for an open and inclusive budgeting process for Baltimore. Push for a charter amendment to allow City Council to add to the budget! Learn how to get signatures and to put the initiative on the ballot! See https://www.facebook.com/events/582487802150692/.

20] – On Mon., July 9 from 6 to 9 PM, there is a Protest Health & Safety Training, hosted by Baltimore Street Medic Collective and Baltimore Peoples Climate Movement at 1808 Pennsylvania Ave., Baltimore 21217. This is a training on how to stay healthy & safe at protests and political actions. Learn skills to care for yourself physically & emotionally before, during, and after a protest so you can stay in the streets! This training is free but please consider making a donation to the Baltimore Street Medic Collective at https://www.everribbon.com/ribbon/view/74847. Go over to https://www.facebook.com/events/2071554693084752/

21] – On Mon., July 9 from 6:30 to 9:30 PM, get over to the Profs & Pints Workshop: Grassroots Organizing at La Pop DC, 1847 Columbia Road NW, WDC 20009. Tickets are at profsandpintsgrassroots.brownpapertickets.com.  The workshop "Grassroots Organizing: Strategies, Tools, and Techniques" will be run by Joshua Habursky, adjunct professor of strategic communication at West Virginia University and founder of the Grassroots Professional Network. How are movements created? Why do people come together to support social and political goals? With important elections coming up, how can you make a difference? Learn the basic reasoning and techniques behind grassroots organizing and activism from Joshua Habursky, founder and chairman of the Grassroots Professional Network, an organization with more than 15,000 advocacy, grassroots, and lobbying professionals as members. Tickets are $30 and must be purchased in advance. Those who live more than 10 miles away from the District of Columbia can attend via Skype by emailing Joshua Habursky at jmhabursky@gmail.com.  Go to https://www.facebook.com/events/2006176009644857/.

22] – On Mon., July 9 from 8:30 to 10:30 PM, Rally against Trump's Supreme Court nominee, hosted by Health Care Voter and others at the Supreme Court of the United States.  PLEASE NOTE: REGARDLESS OF THE TIME, THIS EVENT WILL START AT THE STEPS OF THE SUPREME COURT 30 MINUTES AFTER PRESIDENT TRUMP ANNOUNCES HIS PICK.  On July 9, President Trump will announce his pick to fill Justice Anthony Kennedy’s seat on the Supreme Court, a move that threatens to shift the balance of power on the Court to the far-right and ensure that Trump’s extreme views are imposed on our country not just for four or eight years, but for decades to come. Check out https://www.facebook.com/events/247629795823053/.

GMOM Teleconference: Monday, July 9, 8:30- 9:30 pm.,  605-475-6711, code 1136243#.

We will work only on brainstorming ideas for our participation in the upcoming General Election. Early voting goes from Thursday, October 25, through Thursday, November 1 (8 days), and Election Day is Tuesday, November 6. 

23] – On Tues., July 10 from 10 to 11:30 AM, catch A Year in the Life of a Peace Teacher, hosted by the United States Institute of Peace, 2301 Constitution Ave. NW, WDC 20037.  Get tickets at www.usip.org. At a time when violent international conflict and the threat of extremism loom large, four high school teachers in Missouri, Montana, Oklahoma, and Florida have spent the last year taking part in a U.S. Institute of Peace program to help their students gain the knowledge, skills and perspectives they need to work toward a more peaceful world.  Three of USIP’s 2017 Peace Teachers will share how they advanced their students’ understanding of conflict and the possibilities of peace in ways that aligned with their existing curriculum. Their stories will reveal how students from very different communities across the U.S. make sense of the world and what they were inspired to do over the past year as part of this USIP program. RSVP at https://www.usip.org/events/year-life-peace-teacher. See https://www.facebook.com/events/254305181989295/.

24] – On Tues., July 10 from 2 to 3:30 PM, be with Families for Justice Reform Now at the United States Capitol, Washington, District of Columbia 20515. Tickets are at support.famm.org. Reform can’t wait—we need it now. The rally will bring families and advocates together to ensure criminal justice reform will be a reality in 2018! Visit https://www.facebook.com/events/811574855700370/.

25] – On Tues., July 10 from 7 to 9 PM, there is a Migrant Justice Community Convening, hosted by Jews United for Justice – Baltimore at the Bolton Street Synagogue, 212 W. Cold Spring Ln., Baltimore 21210.  Tickets are at jufj.org.  The last few weeks have been full of anger, rage, and protest after we were bombarded with horrifying images of children being separated from their parents, and families being thrown into cages. People took to the streets, the airports, and detention centers, in a renewed call for immigrant justice. Join JUFJ-Baltimore for its monthly community convening and a night of group learning, strategizing, and organizing to take action. Learn about a long history of racist immigration policy in this country, and learn how you can get involved as Jews in the important work that needs to happen right here in Baltimore and the state of Maryland.  RSVP at jufj.org/event/baltimore-convening-july/.

26] –  Each Tuesday from 4:30 - 5:30 PM, the Catholic Peace Fellowship-Philadelphia for peace in Afghanistan and Iraq gathers at the Suburban Station, 16th St. & JFK Blvd., at the entrance to Tracks 3 and 4 on the mezzanine.  The next vigil is July 10.  Call 215-426-0364.

27] – Vigil to say "No Drone Research at JHU" each Tuesday at 33rd & North Charles Sts. Join this ongoing vigil on July 8 from 5:30  to 6:30 PM. Contact Max at mobuszewski2001 at Comcast dot net or 410-323-1607. 

28] – On Tues., July 8 from 6 to 8 PM, come to the July Potluck for Survivors, hosted by Force at The Motor House, 120 W. North Ave., Baltimore 21201.  This a Gather Together's monthly potluck, a space to join in community with other people who have been impacted by sexual or domestic violence in Baltimore. At the gathering, learn about how survivors are organizing through art this month.  Bring a dish to share and hear updates about the Listening Campaign to Disrupt Rape Culture. Dial 013 from the callbox to come up to #205. 

Gather Together is a multi-racial, multi-gender collective of people who encountered domestic and sexual violence at some point in their lives. The group welcomes and honors survivors and victims of sexual and domestic violence. Go to https://www.facebook.com/events/297082910831017/.

To be continued.

Donations can be sent to the Baltimore Nonviolence Center, 325 E. 25th St., Baltimore, MD 21218.  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