Dear Friends,
This April 4th
marked the second anniversary of the Kings Bay Plowshares 7 disarmament action.
It’s also a time of grave danger for people around the planet with the
emergence of the novel corona virus, especially among the poor, the imprisoned,
the homeless, the sick, communities of Color, the elderly, and the
marginalized. This is only the beginning of what lies ahead. Fault lines are
widening as bread lines grow beyond lengths seen during the great depression.
You, dear friends, may be sick, or have lost loved ones, or lost income. You
may be disconnected from loved ones, or have family or friends working on the
front lines to save lives. We see you and grieve with you. We acknowledge that
this world has forever changed.
There is an
irony. It took a tiny virus to stop us in our tracks, something we thought
wasn't possible. Many of us have been blinded to what death feels like, having
learned a terrible lesson of indifference especially since the bombings of
Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Every day many of us accept, without protest, the
reality of living in a world that could be erased at any moment by nuclear
weapons. And because we are willing to live with that absolute threat, we are
also able to ignore the death and suffering that the mere existence of these
weapons brings in denying the poor and displaced of the world their rights to
health and safety and independence. The Kings Bay Plowshares action was a
declaration that another way is necessary. And possible.
The KBP7 trial
guilty verdict came on Oct. 24th, 2019. There is still no sentencing date. The
arrival of the virus has brought additional delays to the process. Sentencing
may not happen until June or even later. Judge Wood has informed the defendants
that she will not be making any decisions until after April 17th at the
earliest. That date was set before the extension of the federal stay at home
recommendations until the end of April. It’s possible the sentencing may be
pushed back further.
Originally
expected in January, 60-90 days after the trial, the sentencing was first
delayed by waiting for the required probation reports and sentencing
recommendations. That was done by February and the attorneys' schedules were
cleared for the end of March or April. Then the global pandemic struck. Now
everything is on hold. When sentencing finally takes place, the court may be
closed to observers because of virus concerns. No one knows yet. It's also
possible that the judge may hold court sessions by video conference with no
defendants physically present in the court. This is all unprecedented
territory.
Fr. Steve Kelly
has been in county jails for the past two years. We are concerned about his
health and that of others in close confinement together facing the pandemic. We
have not heard of any cases of the virus at the Glynn County Detention Center,
so far. Fr. Steve was adamant that he does not want any special treatment or
for a campaign to be released or for us to be distracted from the real issue of
nuclear weapons. The other defendants are home under curfew restrictions
(8:30pm-7am). The sentencing recommendations call for 15-21 months for Liz
(already served 17mo.); 18-24 months for Martha; 21-27 months for Carmen,
Clare, Patrick, and Mark; and 28-48 months for Fr. Steve.
Mark Colville,
one of the KBP7, asks us to “all step back and consider the absurdity of
sentencing people by video conference to federal prison. To tell us it's too
dangerous to be in a court and at the same time to order people to prison is
inhumane. Its shows that the prison industrial complex takes a higher priority
in the eyes of this government than human life. All prisoners should be set
free.”
There are a
number of petitions circulating calling for the release of prisoners in the
face of the pandemic which is starting to hit many jails and prisons. Here's
one you might support. Faithful America Petition
A special video
has been prepared by supporters for the second anniversary of the action
bringing greetings from around the world:
We urge you to contact Congress, demanding that money should be
directed towards health care for all, particularly during the COVID-19 and for
all future pandemics. This could be achieved by cutting funding for the
military. The Nobel Prize winning International Campaign for the Abolition of
Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) has pointed out that the U.S. spent $35.1 billion on
nuclear weapons in 2019. This could have provided: 300,000 intensive-care beds,
35,000 ventilators, and the salaries for 150,000 nurses and 75,000 doctors. If
only a small portion of conventional weapons spending were redirected many more
supplies could be available to provide for the rest of the world rather than
the endless wars our government pursues now. Our world would discover its real
security lies in a shared humanity, not in nationalist arrogance or domination.
KPB7 defendant,
Patrick O’Neill, writes, “At this juncture we stand in the depths of Lent,
overwhelmed by a deadly virus, scores are dying ... and yet the U.S. war
machine grinds on -- generals and admirals assuring us of their readiness to
destroy all of Creation. Heresy! God forgive us! Jesus weeps! Let us, instead,
heed the words of the United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres: 'The
fury of the virus illustrates the folly of war.' May the God of Love have Mercy
on Us.”
We understand
that so much has changed and many are without income at this time. We ask for
donations only if you are able and doing well. Thank you for all the support
you have given through these past two years. Your support for the Kings Bay
Plowshares 7 will help cover the ongoing costs surrounding the seven
codefendants while in prison and their families and communities. Checks can be
sent to Plowshares, PO Box 3087, Washington, DC 20010. Or donate online here at
this new :Isaiah project. Thank you.
###
EMAIL: Media: kbp7media@gmail.com
General: kingsbayplowshares@gmail.com
WEBSITE: www.kingsbayplowshares7.org
TWITTER: www.twitter.com/kingsbayplow7
INSTAGRAM: https://instagram.com/kingsbayplowshares7
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
No comments:
Post a Comment