Transform Now Plowshares is ONLINE!!!

Check out the brand new Website and Blog for Transform Now Plowshares by clicking here!  It’s been set up by that maven of Plowshares journalism, Chrissy Nesbitt.  I have been fortunate to work with Chrissy on all things media-related to Disarm Now Plowshares, and we can count on more good work from her in this new endeavour (and believe me, it’s a long road ahead).

Transform Now Plowshares Action Statement

Editor’s Note: This is the action statement the members of Transfrm Now Plowshares carried in to the y-12 nuclear weapons facility on July 28th.

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A STATEMENT FOR THE Y-12 FACILIITY

“Come let us go up

to the mountain of God

to the house where God lives.

That God may teach us God’s ways

That we may walk in God’s paths….

For God will bring justice among the nations and bring peace between many peoples. They will hammer their swords into plowshares

and their spears into pruning hooks. Nations will not lift swords against nations. No longer will they learn to make war.

Come, let us walk in the light of God.”  Isaiah 2

Transform Now Plowshares Arraignment

Editor’s Note: Many thanks to Ralph Hutchison, of Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance (OREPA), for his fine reporting of today’s arraignments.

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Michael Walli, Megan Rice and Greg Boertje-Obed made
their initial appearance before federal magistrate Bruce Guyton in
Knoxville, Tennessee at 11:15am today—Monday, July 30, 2012. The proceedings
were nearly over before Greg required the judge to read the charges
against them—the trio were charged with criminal trespass, a misdemeanor,
for their Transform Now Plowshares action on Saturday, July 28 at the
Y12 Nuclear Weapons Complex in Oak Ridge,  Tennessee.

Transform Now Plowshares Action

Editor’s Note: Thanks to Ellen Barfield for this narrative.  We will continue to post information and updates on transform Now Plowshares here at Disarm Now Plowshares Blog.

28 July 2012.

Michael R. Walli (63), Megan Rice shcj (82), Greg Boertje-Obed, (57), succeeded in a disarmament action at the Oak Ridge Y-12 Nuclear facility before dawn.

Calling themselves Transform Now Plowshares they hammered on the cornerstone of the newly built Highly-Enriched Uranium Manufacturing Facility (HEUMF), splashed human blood and left four spray painted tags on the recent construction which read: “Woe to the empire of blood; The fruit of justice is peace; Work for peace not for war; and Plowshares please Isaiah.”

Susan’s July 23rd Hearing

Susan Crane was in U.S. District Court, Tacoma, Washington on July 23, 2012 where she was given 60 additional days of prison time for her noncooperation with the conditions of supervised release. Here are some photos from the day along with music (The Ballad of Disarm Now Plowshares) by James Morgan.  Judge Settle told Susan to report to prison when she is notified by the probation officer, which is likely to be some time in September.

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Susan’s Probation Hearing: A Question of Conscience

Today in Judge Benjamin Settle’s courtroom in Tacoma, Washington Susan Crane continued to drive home the illegality and immorality of nuclear weapons. She started by saying that the Plowshares group went to the US Naval Base to speak the truth about the need to disarm the illegal and immoral nuclear warheads. In court they tried to speak the truth about the nuclear weapons, but the court would not allow their defense.

Plowshares Angel

A short reflection before going to court for the revocation hearing in an attempt to lighten up! Susan Crane

The Plowshares Angel
The Angel of Recidivism
Photography by Dennis Duffy of Angel at St. Boniface Church, SF

We hear about angels in scripture, and angels are often called the felt presence of God.  When people have done various plowshares actions, they have often found gates unlocked, doors open, unexplained unguarded areas, and security systems that inexplicably don’t work. Could this be described as the help of angels?

When Steve Kelly, SJ, and I walked into the Lockheed-Martin plant in Sunnyvale, we were hoping to convert on of  the Trident D-5 missiles that are deployed on the Trident Submarines. We didn’t know if we would be able to get into the building where the D-5 missiles were being built. As we climbed over the fence, there were some smokers outside who seemed to be looking at us–which was not in our plan! But as we walked up to the building, a large bay door opened in front of us! We walked right in!

In telling this story, I often think that if we were living when Acts was being written, we would say that an angel opened the door!

And, how can we explain how we got onto the Naval Base Kitsap/Bangor? How was it that we were able to walk on the base for four hours without anyone questioning us? How was it that we walked along the roads, and car after car, and even military convoys, passed us. We were carrying bolt cutters, not concealing anything.

A couple of days ago, Fr. Louis Vitale was walking around St. Boniface Church in San Francisco  telling me the stories of the people in the statues and stained glass windows there. Above the altar, there were several statues of angels, and one of the angels had a hammer!

The angel might have removed the nails from the hands and feet of Jesus, and would likely use them today to follow the command of Jesus just before his crucifixion “Put down the sword!”

Today the angel would likely use the hammer to continue the conversion process of turning modern day swords into plowshares, and the nails to seal the nuclear weapon bunkers shut.

Thanks to Dennis Duffy for the photograph.

Helen Young interviewed about the Elder “Commandos” of Disarm Now Plowshares

Friends,

Robbin Shannon recently interviewed Helen Young on Fordham Conversations at WFUV.org, 90.7 FM about the Disarm Now Plowshares.  Helen is Emmy Award winning writer, producer and film maker, currently working on a documentary called “The Bangor 5.”

Listen to the audio interview at WFUV.org.  The interview with Helen begins just after 4 minutes, 30 seconds into the program.

The interview is a great way to familiarize yourself with work of the Disarm Now Plowshares.  Here’s the description from the WFUV Website:

Five Senior Citizens’ Break into a Military Base

A discussion with Emmy Award winning filmmaker Helen Young who’s producing a documentary called “The Bangor 5.” It follows the case of five unlikely commandos, all over the age of 60, who executed a bold break-in at a military bases near Seattle that stockpiled nuclear weapons.

Peace,

Leonard

Living In an Urban Village

Living In an Urban Village

by Lynne Greenwald

written for the Tacoma Catholic Worker newsletter

One of my favorite activities is showing visitors around our community.  Guests are often surprised at the number of houses, gardens and services offered.  By providing housing, showers, meals, clean socks and countless opportunities to just listen, provide a smile and a sign of respect, many of the people that live in this 4-block area share a vision of another way of living with others.

Fr. Kabat says to “De-Fence” is better than “Defense”

Dear Friends,

Our dear colleague in holy mischief, Fr. Carl Kabat, continues following God’s Foolish One down the path of nonviolence while continuing to throw wrenches into the gears of the empire’s machinery of death.  Here is a update on Fr. Carl’s early morning antics this Interdependence Day.  Following the update you can read Fr. Carl’s witness statement on today’s action at the new (and I’m sure greatly improved) Kansas City nuclear weapons plant (that produces approximately 85% of the non-nuclear components for our nations nuclear weapons).