Baltimore Activist Alert – October 6 – 11, 2024

Baltimore Activist Alert – October 6 – 11, 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] 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] Poetry Salon – Oct. 6

8] Get out the vote in Bladensburg – Oct. 6

9] Phone bank for Angela Alsobrooks – Oct. 6 – Oct. 11

10] Do not vote for Hogan – Oct. 6

11] Peace at the Polls – Oct. 6

12] Montgomery County DSA Branch meeting – Oct. 6

13] Every Life, A Universe – Oct. 6 - 8

14] Free Peltier – Oct. 6

15] DSA Street Team – Oct. 6

16] PDA Town Hall – Oct. 6

17] Protest at the Pentagon – Oct. 7

18] Catholic Workers on Trial – Oct. 7

19] Election Protection Zoom – Oct. 7

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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] – Usually, the Baltimore Ethical Society, 830 E. Pratt St., Baltimore 21202, meets on Sundays, and at times there is a platform address at 10:30 AM ET.  However, on Oct. 6, there is no platform address. Instead, on the First Sunday, there is a Poetry Salon by Zoom from 9:30 AM through 10:25 AM ET. The Baltimore Ethical Society’s Poetry Salon is dedicated to the appreciation of all types of poetry. You may read your own poems or you may read the poems of others. To receive a Zoom invitation, please email president@bmorethical.org

8] – The Maryland Poor People's Campaign (MD PPC) [gotv@marylandppc.org] wants you to canvass to Get Out the Vote on Sun., Oct. 6 at noon [meet at 11:30 AM] in Bladensburg.  RSVP at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSewsCjg__iENdaB5eBQ68JhieMsEZFjKhDUE4Z3ZbGT0Ta8Vg/viewform

9] – MD Dems [maryland@momschapterleaders.org] wants you to do phone banking for Angela Alsobrooks on a series of days through Fri., Oct. 18.  Sign up for these days and times: Sun., Oct. 6 from noon to 3 PM, 3 to 6 PM and 5 to 8 PM, Mon. through Fri., Oct. 7 – Oct. 11 from noon to 1 PM and Sat., Oct. 12 from noon to 3 PM, 3 to 6 & 5 to87 PM ET.   Talk to voters and help win races up and down the ballot in a virtual statewide phone bank.  No experience is necessary. RSVP with the campaign: https://www.mobilize.us/mdvictory/event/668790/

10] – Join Progressive Maryland, tenant leaders, and other activists and knock on doors and rally community support to prevent Larry Hogan from flipping Maryland’s Senate seat. A vote for Hogan is a vote for Republican control of the U.S. Senate, which would jeopardize key issues like housing justice. While Hogan was governor, he vetoed legislation that would have helped tenants facing eviction by providing protections for those awaiting rental assistance. Help get out the vote and ensure Maryland’s Senate seat remains in progressive hands. On Sun., Oct.  6 from noon to 2 PM ET, meet in front of Mamma Lucia, 1302 East-West Hwy., Silver Spring 20910.  RSVP at https://www.mobilize.us/mobilize/event/668835/?followup_modal_context=nonexclusive_newsletter_more_events_from_

11] – Peace at the polls: Bystander intervention training via Zoom will happen on Sun., Oct. 6 from 1 to 6 PM ET. Pax Christi USA and Meta Peace Team are working together to offer this practical skills workshop to help ensure a safer voting experience for everyone this fall. Learn simple, effective, nonviolent techniques to interrupt violence and protect yourself and others.  The cost for this training is $65; it includes an extensive, printable color manual. YOU MUST PRE-REGISTER for this event. Participants are required to make the entire training in order to foster trust and community throughout the day.  Register https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe_mbUS98D5fVYr5L1q6tQCtnnjwd5FFHT8d-UEBbht4iHQRA/viewform

12] –The Montgomery County DSA Branch will have a hybrid meeting from 2 to 4 PM ET  in the second floor meeting room of the Rockville Public Library, 21 Maryland Ave., Rockville 20850 and on Zoom. The branch of Metro DC DSA will share updates on ongoing and upcoming campaign work as well as discuss the ballot for the November election. Please RSVP to receive the Zoom link:  https://actionnetwork.org/events/807541948e96cade504ec2488c3f7480de2c17f5?link_id=9&can_id=4b9d4061aec5469758759317ac0f5285&source=email-metro-dc-dsa-weekly-newsletter-for-september-27-2024&email_referrer=email_2478270&email_subject=metro-dc-dsa-weekly-newsletter-for-october-4-2024

New members, please feel free to join at 1:45 PM for an orientation to the branch.  Email montgomerycountydsa@gmail.com.

13] – Get involved with Every Life, A Universe  on Sun., Oct. 6 through Wed., Oct. 8. Nonviolence International invites people and communities around the world to remember and renounce the horrors of occupation, war, and genocidal attacks in Palestine/Israel by wearing a black cloth/ribbon/arm-band and by organizing community vigils, walks, and humanitarian efforts.

On each of the three days, you are invited to join the international community online each day at 2 PM ET. Through these three virtual gatherings, we seek to establish a unified ritual space to process grief, confront the systems of oppression that perpetuate immeasurable suffering, and reframe the crisis in Israel and Palestine by fostering a shared vision of reconciliation, justice, and collective actions to bring about peace. Nonviolence International, Parents Circle Families Forum/American Friends of Parents Circle Families Forum and Combatants for Peace/American Friends of Combatants for Peace will facilitate these three online events. The group is deeply honored that its partners Win Without War and Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom will be joining in with their communities as well. Please note that you only need to register once to attend all three events. Please use the same Zoom link to join each day. RSVP at https://secure.everyaction.com/VqGqQlpl_UiJra6L_JhPLw2?contactdata=L3DMCObkt5aQsyxzUQmdZbOlQkzaZoCda9GO1KBQEQxFj8NqFR8bxjQiFp7HpQoHVC34gAQHQp%2fUZezk4mrb9WfLA7MTRYmS%2fOJFyunHVz5YXRvi+pSlnq6ym6sUJxpz5pNlt1gamyOA+FDdwDwI4Wx+5mqJQKznzwXVhstvpwENXwCu3mJQOgmS69JtAyZzxyRvLVEDDb9mgEbqXynUyHtx0uDDwVmwDkdisn+L%2frMnZgMnqCOz+GhKyWAZFDhRmz%2f2bXAeptAOGYn8nWHm4Q%3d%3d&emci=de9c5af3-a181-ef11-8474-6045bda8aae9&emdi=f4993954-6182-ef11-8474-6045bda8aae9&ceid=8142762

14] – On Sundays Oct. 6 and Nov. 3, there will be a FREE PELTIER VIGIL from 3 to 4  PM ET at 5100 block of Edgemoor Lane, two blocks from Bethesda Metro station (Red Line).   All are welcome! 

15] – Metro DC DSA Street Team is holding its monthly meeting on Sun., Oct. 6 at 3:30 to 5 PM ET in Capitol Hill.  Email streetteam@insolidarity.co for the meeting address. This event is for anyone interested in getting active in the chapter’s Street Team to build socialist power in the DMV. The Street Team hosts and attends community events to connect Metro DC DSA and its campaigns with the community in the DMV in order to expand the chapter’s base and build a more democratic society. In this meeting the Street Team will be discussing fall events with a happy hour to follow. Monthly Saturday meetings will return to MLK Memorial Library in November.

16] –Alan Minsky for Progressive Democrats of America [info@pdamerica.org] wants you to attend the Town Hall on Sun., Oct. 6 at 4 PM ET.  Discuss progressive solutions to one of the top concerns of voters, the sky-high cost of housing. California's pro-rent control ballot initiative, Prop 33, is so important. Hear from Congressperson Ro Khanna and PDA-endorsed California congressional candidate Derek Marshall. 

In this past week's Vice Presidential debate, when Tim Walz was asked about the housing crisis, he talked about the sensible first-step policies that the Harris-Walz campaign is proposing - which, once again, revealed that the Democratic ticket is sincere in wanting to help Americans.  J D Vance, on the other hand, gave an utterly absurd, and equally xenophobic, answer. The high cost of housing would be rectified not only by severely limiting immigration, but also through mass deportations of recent immigrants. What made this answer even more frightening was that it was rarely mentioned after the debate; and, believe it or not, polling shows that the idea of mass deportations is seen by much of the population as a good approach to the housing crisis.

Rep. Ro Khanna (CA-17) will explain why California's Prop 33 ballot measure that will re-establish the right of cities and towns around the State to adopt rent control measures is so important, not just for Californians but for all Americans.  A victory for Yes on 33 - in the largest state in country, where the crisis of affordable housing has been more pronounced for a longer time than anywhere else in the USA - would represent the biggest victory yet for poor, working- and middle-class Americans over the big money interests that have increasing dominated the housing market in recent decades, and have been bilking the American people.  Derek Marshall (CA-23) is running a great campaign in a largely rural district. A victory by Derek will also be a national game-changer, proving the appeal of progressive ideas in the large geographic expanse of so-called Red State America, where people are also looking for significant and positive change. RSVP at 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 Oct. 7, 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] – On Mon., Oct. 7 at 8:30 AM, there will be a prayer service in front of D.C. Superior Court  to support Kathy Boylan and Art Laffin of the Dorothy Day Catholic Worker.  They are on trial for praying in the Russell Senate Office Building. Email artlaffin@hotmail.com or call 202-882-9649. 

19] – Progressive Democrats of America [info@pdamerica.org] wants you to participate with the Green Grassroots Emergency Environment and Election Protection (GREEP) Zoom on Mon., Oct. 7 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/.