Baltimore Activist Alert -- July 28 - 29, 2024

Baltimore Activist Alert – July 28 – 29, 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] Need a cleaning lady

5] Get the book A Bag of Stones

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

7] Baltimore activist selling her home

8] Protest CUFI – July 28 - 30

9] Knock on doors for Democrats – July 28

10] Maryland Housing Justice Summit – July 28

11] Baltimore not for sale – July 28

12] Carroll County picnic – July 28

13] Union Organizing School – July 28

14] PDA Town Hall – July 28

15] Protest at the Pentagon – July 29

16] Mandate fossil fuel divestment – July 29

17] Join clergy at the U.S. Supreme Court – July 29

18] Election Protection Zoom – July 29

-------

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] – Is there a woman in the Baltimore area who does house cleaning?  This assignment would be on an irregular basis with several hours per week.  Contact Max at 410-323-1607 or mobuszewski2001 at Comcast dot net.

5] – 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.

6] – 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.

7] – 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. 

8] –Friends of Sabeel North America [friends@fosna.org] wants you to be aware of that the Interfaith Action for Palestine will bring together an interfaith coalition of organizations to counter Christians United for Israel’s (CUFI) Annual Summit from July 28 through July 30 in National Harbor, Maryland, near Washington DC. CUFI is the largest “pro-Israel” organization in the United States that promotes hawkish, white Christian supremacist, and genocidal policies. Mobilize in Washington, DC to disrupt CUFI’s supremacist agenda and to call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza. FOSNA is a supporting organization calling on its community to help counter CUFI! Register at https://fosna.nationbuilder.com/r?u=wZhHe1_A224-VMvtH79-V0GrFHDsx0LYkYinaMF97qVuKSpY4EmMJoPGPNghSwyeCp8OJa4tWjnX_p_ELjlNSw&e=63c44389e32dff42840fd946fb089e7d&utm_source=fosna&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=fosna_news_july_22_26&n=10

9] – Knock on doors in Baltimore City and join the canvass, hosted by MD Victory.  Gather at the Baltimore Office, 2330 N. Howard St., Baltimore 21211. Knock on doors to elect Angela Alsobrooks to be the next United States Senator and Kweisi Mfume to be re-elected as the Congressperson from Maryland's 7th! First time volunteering? No worries. Each canvass shift starts with a training with an organizer who will be there to help you out. You will go out with a buddy so you can knock on doors together.

You will need a smartphone so you can download the MiniVAN Touch app, the Democratic Party’s canvassing app. Download it on an iPhone or android. Also bring a full water bottle! Canvass on Sun., July 28 from noon to 3 PM ET or 3 to 6 PM ET.  The canvass will continue until Aug. 4 from noon 6 PM ET, RSVP at https://www.mobilize.us/mobilize/event/646353/

10] – Renters United Maryland [info+renters-united-maryland-info@sg.actionnetwork.org] on Sun., July 28 from noon to 5 PM ET will host a Maryland Housing Justice Summit at Owen Brown Interfaith Center, 7246 Cradlerock Way, Columbia 21045. Join Renters United Maryland and tenants, advocates, service providers, and others to celebrate the wins from the 2024 state legislative session and plan for the future of housing justice across Maryland! This summit is an opportunity to continue building the movement for tenants' rights statewide.  Register at https://actionnetwork.org/events/maryland-housing-justice-summit?source=direct_link&

11] – Rachel Kutler [info@jufj.org] wants you to join a canvass to make the point Baltimore is not for sale. It will take place on Sun., July 28 at 1 PM. Everyone in Baltimore City should have a say in how our city is run, and all of us should be able to thrive here. But right-wing corporate interests and developers are threatening our way of life in Baltimore, hoping to use the ballot box to shrink Baltimore City Council and cut the city’s budget – which would have dire consequences for democracy and city services. That’s why a coalition of Jews United for Justice members came together to form Baltimore City is Not for Sale to fight these two ballot measures. RSVP at https://jufj.org/event/baltimore-notforsale-canvass-728/?emci=9727fb2c-1549-ef11-86c3-6045bdd9e096&emdi=c26db3bb-3a49-ef11-86c3-6045bdd9e096&ceid=3403859

12] – On Sun., July 28 from 1 to 4 PM, the Maryland Democratic Party is holding a Carroll County picnic at the Landon C Burns Park, 700 Gist Road, Westminster 21157. Come join your fellow democrats for food, fellowship and fun! RSVP at https://www.mobilize.us/mobilize/event/628605/?followup_modal_context=nonexclusive_newsletter_more_events_of_type

13] – On Sun., July 28 from 2 to 5 PM ET, attend  the Maryland Union Organizing School at the James C. Spencer Training Facility, 5000 Forbes Boulevard, Lanham 20706. Contact John Sherman - shermanj841@gmail.com - 571-278-5361. Learn about the ins and outs of labor organizing from experienced former UE and ATU organizer Chris Townsend. Pizza will be provided. RSVP AT https://actionnetwork.org/events/maryland-union-organizing-school?link_id=63&can_id=4b9d4061aec5469758759317ac0f5285&source=email-metro-dc-dsa-weekly-newsletter-for-july-19-2024&email_referrer=email_2398946&email_subject=metro-dc-dsa-weekly-newsletter-for-july-26-2024

14] – Progressive Democrats of America [info@pdamerica.org] at the Town Hall on Sun., July 28 at 4 PM ET will showcase Rep. Cori Bush, nine days before her primary. Get an update from Arizona, where Election Day is Tuesday. Then, consider two pressing questions for progressives at this high-stakes moment in our history: How can we best contribute to a Democratic victory in the fall? Can this be done while advancing the progressive movement?  Just like her fellow Squad members, Summer Lee and Jamaal Bowman, faced earlier this year, Cori is facing unprecedented spending by right-wing donors in support of her main opponent. Foremost among these donors is AIPAC's main Super-PAC, United Democracy Project. This should surprise no one, as Rep. Bush was the first member of Congress to introduce legislation calling for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, way back on October 16, 2023.

Rev. Janette Wilson from Rainbow/PUSH will talk about its annual conference in Chicago on Thursday-through-Saturday, August 15-17. That will be followed by an update on PDA's own conference in Chicago on Sunday and Monday August 18-19, Progressive Central 2024. RSVP at https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0tceuhrzsvHdymeeZRwb-i7X50FJa-HMR4#/registration

15] – 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 29 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.

16] –  Stand.earth [action@stand.earth] wants you on Mon., July 29 at 9:30 AM ET to appear at the Montgomery County Climate Finance Hearing, Stella Werner Council Office Building, 100 Maryland Ave., 6th Floor, Rockville 20850. ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌‌In 2014, 350 Montgomery County supported legislation to mandate fossil fuel divestment of the Montgomery County pension and healthcare funds. The legislation became a resolution which passed the Montgomery County Council unanimously in May 2017. As a result, the county agency – which administers the pension and healthcare funds – is required to develop annual reports on their progress with implementing the resolution.  350 Montgomery County believes they can accomplish more than they have so far. Sign up at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1nFDSWuMloCW6edpomXdsAawt8C5nnciFsujc1CgwiPc/viewform?edit_requested=true

17] – Bishop William J. Barber, II [info@breachrepairers.org] indicates that on Mon., July 29 at 11 AM he will join clergy at the U.S. Supreme Court, 1 First St. NE, WDC for a prayer vigil and press conference. Call on the nation to pray for and to put prayers into action for democracy, justice, voting rights, and to conduct the ongoing presidential campaign in a manner rooted in truth, love, and equity. The event will set off a series of Moral Monday prayers that will follow on the last Monday of each month leading up to the election (August 26, September 30, and October 28). The goal is not to endorse specific candidates but to work to heal our nation's divisions and call on all people to pray and organize with their actions and their hearts.  If you are attending this event, go to https://www.facebook.com/events/473383935318075/?rdid=sqEHF0kbyT6hrwef&share_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fshare%2FJX74bGMnfr3uNuRd%2F&sourceid=1077392&emci=1f777736-cf4a-ef11-86c3-6045bdd9e096&emdi=2d07ea25-944b-ef11-86c3-6045bdd9e096&ceid=2588083

They will call on the nation to pray, participate, and call attention to our great five interlocking injustices: systemic racism, systemic poverty, ecological devastation and the denial of healthcare, the war economy, and the false moral narrative of so-called religious nationalism. If you cannot attend in person, go to https://www.breachrepairers.org/livestream?sourceid=1077392&emci=1f777736-cf4a-ef11-86c3-6045bdd9e096&emdi=2d07ea25-944b-ef11-86c3-6045bdd9e096&ceid=2588083

18] – Progressive Democrats of America [info@pdamerica.org] wants you to participate with the Green Grassroots Emergency Environment and Election Protection (GREEP) Zoom on Mon., July 29 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