Local activists join Witness Against War walk to St. Paul

Three area activists, Danielle, Sr. Paulette, and Josie, recently joined Voices for Creative Nonviolence for the first two days of their 40 day walk from Chicago to St. Paul, Minnesota. They covered the first 23 miles of the 450 mile journey with Kathy Kelly and other activists. The group aims to arrive in St. Paul with their "Witness against War" message just as the Republican National Convention begins. Along the way, as they cross Wisconsin, they hope to draw attention to the record Iraq deployment of the Wisconsin National Guard planned for next year. The walkers are keeping a blog at the Voices for Creative Nonviolence website.

Mother's Day Proclamation, 1870, by Julia Ward Howe

I dream that day by Peter Ediger

I dream that day
when priests and popes and presidents
are free to say I was wrong
when a millionaire says that's enough
and a billionaire says that's too much
when NRA means National Reconciliation Association
when loving enemies is synonymous with homeland security
when all that is said is done.
I dream that day.

--from The Wolf, publication of Pace e Bene Vonviolence Service
Editor: Peter Ediger

Creating a Culture of Peace workshop available

The three-day intensive nonviolence workshop,Creating a Culture of Peace: Nonviolence Training for Personal and Social Change, is available through local facilitators Jim Bailey and Josie Setzler. Read more about the workshop here.
To schedule a workshop, contact Josie (FremontPeace at gmail.com).

The Draft, War, and Conscience: Presenters available

Tiffin Area Pax Christi recently cosponsored a Catholic Peace Fellowship workshop training for making interactive presentations to students in Catholic high schools and parish programs. The presentations discuss Catholic teaching and tradition on war and conscience, discuss the mechanics of a draft, and allow students to role play their reaction to a draft. Writing statements of conscience is presented as an option. Learn more about CPF resources for educating youth at their website. Contact Tiffin Area Pax Christi to schedule a presenter.

Shut Down Guantanamo Jan. 11, 2008

Witness Against Torture activists approach Supreme Court on behalf of Guantanamo detainees on the International Day of Action to Shut Down Guantanamo, Jan. 11, 2008.


Local activists Josie Setzler and Danielle McClory participated in the procession of "prisoners" from the National Mall to the Supreme Court. The activists in the above photograph were arrested for conducting a protest on Supreme Court grounds. Further stories are posted at www.witnesstorture.org.

A peace-filled evening in Fireside, Ohio

Mario Penalver , a peace walker on his way to Washington, DC, was a surprise guest at the Peace Bubble Concert at Zion UCC Fireside, attended by Tiffin Area Pax Christi. Singer Jerry Leggett interviewed Mario and posted the videos below. Thanks to Rev. Candy Thomas for hosting a peace-filled evening of music and fellowship.

Fremonters answer "Is Peace Possible?"

Jerry Leggett interviewed concert-goers at his Peace Bubble Concert in Fremont July 13. He asked them "Is peace possible? What would peace look like?" Watch the interviews here:



Listen to Jerry sing his ballad "Born in a Carlsbad Canyon," about a baby girl born to a migrant couple.

On the Road to Peace--sign up for John Dear's online column

Jesuit priest and well-known peace activist John Dear writes an online column for National Catholic Reporter entitled On the Road to Peace. He is currently recruiting new subscribers. It's free. To see examples of his columns and to sign up, click here.

John Dear is a Jesuit priest, peace activist, and the author of more than 20 books, most recently, Transfiguration (from Doubleday, with a foreword by Archbishop Tutu). Other books include You Will Be My Witnesses, Living Peace, The Questions of Jesus and Mohandas Gandhi. He has served as the director of the Fellowship of Reconciliation, the largest interfaith peace organization in the U.S., and after 9/11, as a coordinator of chaplains for the Red Cross at the New York Family Assistance Center. From 2002-2004, he served as pastor of four churches in New Mexico. He has traveled the war zones of the world, been arrested some 75 times for peace, and given thousands of lectures on peace across the country. He lives in the high desert of northeastern New Mexico. For information about his books, articles and speaking schedule, see: www.fatherjohndear.org.

The Narrow Path, a film featuring John Dear, SJ

The Narrow Path

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Order from the San Damiano Foundation at www.sandamianofoundation.org.

CD features poetry by Daniel Berrigan

The Trouble With Our State

The trouble with our state
was not civil disobedience
which in any case was hesitant and rare.

Civil disobedience was rare as kidney stone
No, rarer; it was disappearing like immigrant's disease.

You've heard of a war on cancer?
There is no war like the plague of media
There is no war like routine
There is no war like 3 square meals
There is no war like a prevailing wind.

It flows softly; whispers
don't rock the boat!
The sails obey, the ship of state rolls on.

The trouble with our state
-- we learned only afterward
when the dead resembled the living who resembled the dead
and civil virtue shone like paint on tin
and tin citizens and tin soldiers marched to the common whip

-- our trouble
the trouble with our state
with our state of soul
our state of siege
--
was
Civil
Obedience.

To order the new CD of poetry read by Daniel Berrigan, for which this selection is the title poem, go to www.yellowbikepress.com. The CD was made to honor Fr. Berrigan's 86th birthday.

Out Standing in his Field!

"Iraqi Corn Maze" at Rimelspach Farms, south of Fremont on Rt. 53 at Rt. 12.
Article and photo in Toledo Blade Oct. 9, 2007

Walt Whitman: Beat! Beat! Drums!

Beat! beat! drums!--blow! bugles! blow!
Through the windows--through doors--burst like a ruthless force,
Into the solemn church, and scatter the congregation,
Into the school where the scholar is studying;
Leave not the bridegroom quiet--no happiness must he have now with his bride,
Nor the peaceful farmer any peace, ploughing his field or gathering his grain,
So fierce you whirr and pound you drums--so shrill you bugles blow.

Beat! beat! drums!--blow! bugles! blow!
Over the traffic of cities--over the rumble of wheels in the streets;
Are beds prepared for sleepers at night in the houses? no sleepers must sleep in those beds,
No bargainers' bargains by day--no brokers or speculators--would they continue?
Would the talkers be talking? would the singer attempt to sing?
Would the lawyer rise in the court to state his case before the judge?
Then rattle quicker, heavier drums--you bugles wilder blow.

Beat! beat! drums!--blow! bugles! blow!
Make no parley--stop for no expostulation,
Mind not the timid--mind not the weeper or prayer,
Mind not the old man beseeching the young man,
Let not the child's voice be heard, nor the mother's entreaties,
Make even the trestles to shake the dead where they lie awaiting the hearses,
So strong you thump O terrible drums--so loud you bugles blow.