 |
| Mid-Missouri Fellowship of
Reconciliation The Fellowship of Reconciliation (FOR) is a group composed of people from many faiths, and no particular faith -- all coming together to support nonviolence and justice. Offering people of conscience an action response to a morally-impaired U.S. foreign policy. |
| Newsletter | Capital Punishment | War & Peace | Links | Who We Are
|
|
A Report on the Injustice in the Application of the Death Penalty in Missouri (1978-1996)(Microsoft Word document) News
Common Dreams Background Iraq Crisis Issue Guide by Phyllis Bennis of the Institute for Policy Studies U.S. History with Iraq, 1980 - 2 August 1990 Commentary Common Dreams News Center April 12, 2003 April 8, 2003 March 30, 2003 March 29, 2003 March 25, 2003 March 24, 2003 U.S. steps up secret surveillance March 23, 2003 March 22, 2003 March 20, 2003 |
Local News and Announcements... Don't miss anything...please scroll downWashington DC Freedom Plaza-- Missouri presence Oct. 6-9 From Jeff Stack, Mid-MO FOR Coordinator A call this summer by many prominent national peace and social justice activist leaders to travel to Washington in October to help “Stop the Machine! Create a New World!,” resonated with many of us in Missouri. One of the five of us who traveled there from Missouri, Jean Blackwood of Columbia, encapsulated well the collective experience we had: “What was happening in Washington DC was far more than protest, far more than an effort to topple the current system. It was a living, breathing example of a new system being born, a system based on trust, smiles, sharing, patience, hugs, energy, creativity, and a willingness to make decisions by consensus, however slow and awkward that might be. There was a feeling in the air that we were here not only to change it, but to truly be the change we wanted to see.” She adds, “And after my days there, I am more hopeful about this possibility than ever before in my life.” We had attended many rallies, vigils and other demonstrations over the past few decades. The US empire in the mean time has greatly expanded, becoming even more brazen in unilateral actions; corporations and banks, along with the ultra-rich residents of the world have dramatically increased their wealth, while impoverished global residents have only become poorer. Life-- human particularly-- on the planet is becoming ever more precarious with a corporate-greed driven resource grab guiding governmental policy. Someone (I don’t remember who) pointed out to me years ago, that soldiers willingly risk life, limb and mental stability to wage war. People truly concerned about peace with justice, he noted, similarly need to take greater risk, in a nonviolent spirit, to foment change…. That thought prodded me to journey east. Jean, Miguel Rodriquez and I traveled from Columbia, Cynthia “Echo” Tarpeian from Hermann and Herb Petty drove from near Stanberry in northwest Missouri. (He graciously allowed us to travel in his station wagon, after making a few repairs to make it roadworthy). We collectively sought to join, at least for a few days, the beginning of an occupation in Freedom Plaza, inspired by the resistance of sisters and brothers in Egypt, Tunisia and Madison WI. The encampment had the feel of a hopeful village with a few thousand residents coming from throughout the country. There were scores of conversations among folks: activists, homeless citizens, passersby and law-enforcement officers. The plaza served as a staging area for several marches and creative actions (see below for further reflections on a few of them). Jean recalls, “There was a large stage with an excellent sound system up front (this only for the four days of the gathering that had the permit initially), where those gathered could be inspired by speakers like (journalist) Chris Hedges and Ralph Nader and (former CIA analyst) Ray McGovern, along with dozens of rappers, bands, spoken word artists, the anti-war troubadour David Rovics, the Raging Grannies and much more. In the evening a Pagan tribe was there to lead us in drumming, songs and the remarkable circle dance, which was both fun and uplifting. “Assemblies were held morning and evening to deal with issues and we all began to learn how to make decisions by consensus. There were real disagreements exposed, and sometimes some short tempers, but ultimately there was respect and a level of agreement that left everyone free to follow their own consciences.” It was heartening, after waking briefly at night, to look out across the immediate landscape and see a few hundred folks slumbering in sleeping bags, camping out on the plaza, a few blocks from the White House. The Capitol building stood aglow on the opposite horizon, a mile down Pennsylvania Ave. For more information on the continuing presence there log on to http://october2011.org <http://october2011.org> . * Missourians were able to travel to Washington DC, thanks to the generous financial donations of Mark Adams, Priscilla Bevins, Ric Doubet, Jeff Doyle, Mid-Missouri Peaceworks, May Belle Osborne, Ruth Schaefer, Jessie and Mallory Van Gerven, plus a generous donation of healthy food from the Clover’s Natural Foods (please patronize their business and the Peace Nook, thanking them for their support of this peace/social justice journey). There is cause for optimism about social change and as strong a populous imperative in years, to move our society forward in crafting the world we want to see-- thanks to the hundreds of thousands of concerned citizens who have now gathered in some 1500 locations in 89 countries, spurred on by the Occupy Wall Street action. Planning for the Freedom Plaza occupation preceded the OWS. It began a week after the New York City action, initiated by AdBusters. The OWS-inspired Wash. DC occupation in McPherson Square, a half-mile away and the Stop the Machine presence soon became mutually supported, kindred actions. Jean notes, “There was communication with the nearby Occupy DC group, which consisted of mostly younger folks. Many people traveled back and forth between the two encampments regularly.” She describes the layout on the Plaza “so you can get a feel for how cooperation made it all function beautifully. There was a medical tent staffed by volunteer doctors and nurses and set up with basics supplies including, to my relief, sunscreen. There was a legal tent staffed with people who could advise you about what to expect and how to handle yourself if you were willing to risk arrest. There was an information booth where you could learn what events were being planned for the day - though things often got off-schedule and in each other’s way, as might be expected. There were various groups set up around the Plaza to share information or displays, like the realistic drones on one corner. There were signs, signs and more signs, which accompanied huge banners on the assorted marches that would wind there way through the city day after day. “Last but not least was the Food Not Bombs shelter where that gang of tireless people came up with miraculous amounts of food and water for the protesters, day after day. And it was good! We were also helped by donations of pizza from people around the country and a local pizza shop that offered a special deal for the Plaza community. We were given delicious bagels with primo cream cheese spreads, plus boxes of coffee by a local shop called Bus Boys and Poets. “I flew into Washington DC on Oct. 5,” notes Jean, “alone, feeling stressed by the big city and the need to find my way across it on an unfamiliar Metro. With some kind guidance from the guys downstairs who explained the working of the Metro ticket machines, I successfully got myself to the neighborhood of St. Stephens Episcopal Church where other protesters helped me to find the church itself.” This was far from an isolated example, she notes. ”I guess you can see a pattern emerging here. The kindness of strangers stayed with me throughout my amazing four days on Freedom Plaza and I took every opportunity to return it.” She continues, “My own effort there, aside from learning and growing, was mainly marching. I marched with a large group to the US Chamber of Commerce building where dozens of clever protesters applied for jobs in response to the large "JOBS" banner they displayed out front. There were speeches and chants and we got the attention of those inside and outside the building and, in fact, shut the place down for a while.” “When drones fly, children die: Stop the Wars NOW!” a few hundred of us chanted steadily as we marched on Oct. 7, past the White House and later assembled at the office of General Atomics, a corporation which has developed this weapon. Jean and a half dozen others carried symbolic dead baby dolls to remind all of the human cost of US aggression. Participants carried three large banners, including one declaring "DRONES: making enemies faster than we can kill them." A New York activist noted large replicas that were wheeled about during the protests were 1/5th the size of a Reaper drone with a 66-foot wingspan (produced by Nick Mottern with Consumer for Peace, a group from upstate New York). These anonymous, impersonal machines, one speaker noted, make it “easier to enter war.” Debra Sweet, emcee of the protest and director of World Can't Wait wrote for OpEdNews that, as marchers reached the White House, “we paused, partly by plan, and partly because again, we had to. Here lives the Commander in Chief who sent more troops than the Bush regime ever did to Afghanistan, and who has used drones eight times as much as Bush did, spreading the drone war to Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia, Libya, and even recently, Iraq. I had to tell those gathered that the slang term used by pilots of the unmanned drones -- who sit at video monitors half way across the globe -- for their targets, is ‘squirters.’" Sweet wrote, “Spontaneously, dozens of people went up to the door of the building, and went in. Some held the doors open, and fairly soon, they were ejected, roughly by security guards. DC police blocked the doors, but too late, we had taken the steps. We held a one hour rally on the steps” essentially shutting down the business. Jean adds, “Passionate speeches were offered on the company doorsteps by Ray McGovern and Sweet… We offered chants to reach those inside and for blocks around. Everyone joined in abhorrence of the killing of the innocent by drones and the extra-judicial murder of suspected terrorists around the world, including (recently, U.S.) citizens. Obama was condemned as a war criminal (in part) because of his expansion of the use of drones during his administration. I should mention, I guess, that Mr. Obama did not receive many kind words from anyone involved in this occupation. It was definitely not a Democratic Party gathering.” Another “march was with a group also opposing the drones by rallying outside the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum,” she continues. “This was an action you might have heard about on the news because a right-wing reporter had infiltrated the group and when some of our group at the front of the march entered the museum and dropped a banner and carried signs inside, this provocateur deliberately pushed a private security guard to start trouble. The guards pulled out their pepper spray, and as I was told later, began just spraying it around randomly at everyone present. A number of our people were hit by the spray, one girl was detained… Many of us were only arriving at the museum after most of this was over with, as it was a very long march. “All of your Missouri delegation had joined in doing street theatre (with the Redwing group) so some of us were dressed as ugly, pitiful creatures following along the street behind an over-sized fat cat billionaire, bowing and scraping and promising we'd do anything to keep our jobs, or begging him for some trickle down (crumbs as compensation). When the crowd had calmed down after the pepper spray incident we presented an abbreviated version of our puppet play and were well received.” Several of us joined in one final march, to the White House, initiated by Military Families Speak Out (MFSO) and supported by Veterans For Peace, among other veteran groups. The groups called for a beer summit with the president, following in the spirit of the gathering convened a few years ago by the President between Harvard professor and author Henry Gates who was arrested by police officer James Crowley during an incident at the professor’s home. MFSO hoped that Obama would meet with veteran families to discuss PTSD, repeated deployments of soldiers into war zones and other neglected issues, which they felt needed to be addressed. “This gathering,” Jean added, however “was also thrown off kilter by a rogue actor, a disturbed Vet, possibly with PTSD, who had said earlier he wanted to make a symbolic protest by throwing his shoe over the White House fence, then accepting arrest. Once there, unfortunately, he threw his shoe right at a White House guard instead. His arrest ensued” for about 45 minutes. The police, it seemed “were probably hoping we would all go away. Instead we listened to impromptu speeches by representatives of the various groups.” A new group of young vets called March Forward is working at building GI resistance, getting more disillusioned young men and women to refuse to fight these endless, pointless wars. They feel they are the ones most seriously able to end the wars. I might add that the whole Plaza was very blessed with veterans for peace from all the national organizations. Each evening speakers and musicians shared their poignant visions and talents. Among those speaking were women members of Afghan Youth for Peace and peace activists from Bahrain. One Bahraini physician showed me pictures on his cell phone of what indeed did appear to be as he said, a few hundred thousand people protesting the government and its brutal crackdown on dissent during his nation’s continuing Arab Summer. Two men, former soldiers in Iraq, addressed those gathered, provided for me some of the most inspiring perspectives of our time in Washington. Mike Prysner is a co-founder of March Forward!, a group of military personnel and veterans affiliated with the ANSWER coalition. At the age of 19, he spent a year in Iraq, starting with the invasion in March 2003. His insights and those of other returning veterans (as peace-group leaders have realized for years) do add credibility and a critical voice, essential to help compel the general public an end to these wars. Like many of us, he felt deeply encouraged that this occupation and others marked “the beginning of a new movement in the United States.” His experiences in the war on Iraq showed him the military served solely as “thugs for big business.” And at what human cost? Six thousand soldiers have been killed, tens of thousands have been wounded; seeing a fellow soldier or civilian killed will traumatize hundreds of thousands, if not a million troops, a quarter of all in combat will have PTSD. And the government’s response? Health care, particularly mental health support is woefully inadequate, “criminal, abysmal.” Far more US soldiers, returning from the war zones, he noted, are killing themselves than the number dying in combat. The suffering of people in Iraq and Afghanistan, however, he soberly noted, “is infinitely worse.” 1.3 million people in those countries killed: “none deserved to die.” Millions have been displaced. “This is much more than a mistake. It is one of the great atrocities of the modern era.” And why has the US been waging these wars, now in Afghanistan for over a decade and for more than 20 years Iraq (counting two wars and deadly sanctions)? Prysner recites the US official litany: “to bring democracy, human rights.. to free people from oppressive governments… Soldiers however,” he lamented, “know how they are treated” by the US government— they’re “kicked to the curb.” In addition to and in large part due to the psychological trauma they endure, returning veterans have a 30-percent unemployment rate, while at least 11,000 are homeless, he adds. With such neglect of US warrior, “why in the hell” should the public believe Washington cares “about poor people in Iraq or Afghanistan?” Plain and simply, Prysner says, “these are imperialist wars.. rich men’s wars” waged for the “bankers and corporations.” US officials “expect us to think that it is just a coincidence that these enemies that we have to defeat just so happen to be in some of the most oil-rich countries on the planet, that have refused to open up their borders to be exploited by Wall Street and plundered by the oil companies?… We know the primary motive” for intervention in these nations “is regional domination, resources not for us but for that 1-percent” of the wealthiest in our world. “And how do we fight these wars?,” he queried. With vast sums of money robbed from “our pockets,” accumulated through “cutting funding for education… social services…And they need soldiers too.” So Uncle Sam enlists “kids who can’t afford an education (coming) from poor families, (who have been) shut off from social services.” US officials contend, “’We are all in this together,’ (yet) I don’t own any stocks in oil companies.” Soldiers and the general public “have far more in common with the people who are struggling to live in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan than the rich people and the politicians making the decisions (to wage war) in this country.” “There are two societies in the US,” he stressed, continuing a recurring theme of the occupation, “one that lives in luxury, that doesn’t work, that simply owns everything, who collects dividends, who collects bonus checks and the other US society who has to work for a living, that collects a paycheck, that worries about going bankrupt if our children have to go to a doctor..which goes into debt for lifetime if they get a college education.” On a daily basis, the wealthy society is “waging attacks against we, the other society, the 99-percent. The only way things will change is not by asking for change, (nor) voting for change,” but by “fighting for change.” “The people of Iraq and Afghanistan are part of that same 99-percent as us,” he added. Very nearly all of us in these countries and elsewhere around the globe are suffering the repercussions of a belligerent US corporate-interest-driven foreign policy. “The only occupation that is in our own interests are not the occupations abroad (but) are the ones taking place around our country.” Given these realities, “soldiers have the absolute right to refuse to fight” in these wars, asserts Prysner, who proceeded to introduce Danny Birmingham, an Army field artillery specialist and Michigan resident who spent one tour in Iraq. Danny enlisted primarily for the job coming from a family of lower income, but “I thought I’d be helping people there” as well. It was the “first time I saw actual poverty.” For most all Iraqis he saw, there was “no running water, inadequate housing.” Troops did “nothing to help. All we did was build a giant courthouse in Basra,” a city in southern Iraq. Among the troops he encountered in Iraq, “nobody likes what they’re doing.” Soon after returning to the US, he reported filling out paperwork this past February to establish his conscientious objector (CO) status. He said he’s now unwilling to be a combatant and will refuse to return to Iraq next month with his Ft. Lewis (Washington-state based) army unit. Both he and Prysner said gatherings like this one give encouragement to resisting soldiers. Birmingham adds, he’s striving to “spread the word” among other troops that they can take a similar stand. “The money’s not worth it,” he insists. “One way this war will end is by service members refusing to fight.” To sign a petition urging military leaders to honor Danny’s CO request and not re-deploy him log onto http://www.answercoalition.org/march-forward/statements/active-duty-soldier-why-im.html Jean concludes, “It was hard to leave when I did, knowing that others would remain to face harder days ahead, when arrests would become more frequent and when life on the Plaza might become a lot less pleasant without a microphone, when the rain - or the snow- began to fall, when the police might become a lot less friendly and tolerant, when the numbers of supporters might dwindle (or not?). Mostly it was hard to leave behind the wonderful sense of community that existed there. I hoped then, as I do now, that I can bring back to Columbia some of that sense of community and purpose experienced on Freedom Plaza. The obstacles ahead may be great, but I now know for sure that another way is possible.” 0 Comments (perma-link) Email this:  
Fw: Afghanistan Program 1/31 & News Conference 2/1 Postponed due to WeatherTwo Columbia Peace Coalition activities-- the educational program, "Rethinking Afghanistan: The Human Costs of War," scheduled for Monday evening, 31 Jan. and the 1 Feb. news conference on "Occupation Recovery" to support war-traumatized US veterans-- are being postponed due to the forecast of freezing rain, followed by heavy snow. The freezing rain is likely to make travel in Columbia hazardous tomorrow evening. And the snow would really complicate matters for one of our two speakers, who was slated to travel here from Kansas. 0 Comments (perma-link) Email this:
Fw: Urge Pres. Obama & US to Support halt to Israeli settlements; support health care not more war for traumatized vets; other peace notesWe wanted to share with you several calls for action to support our sisters and brothers in the Occupied Palestinian territories, US war-traumatized soldiers and to protect a peace and democracy advocate. You'll also find in this post, information about international affairs, promoting peace with justice, along with reports of creative, inspiring nonviolent resistance to injustice and war. Thanks to Just Foreign Policy, Jewish Voices for Peace, Avaaz, Amnesty International, the Des Moines and St. Louis Catholic Worker communities, Nuclear Resister and Witness Against Torture for sharing their reports which we forward here. 0 Comments (perma-link) Email this:
Attend Rethinking Afghanistan Monday 31 Jan., news conference 1 Feb.;We invite you to attend any of a few upcoming mid-Missouri events promoting peace and compassionate support for US troops. We hope to see you in these settings next week. 0 Comments (perma-link) Email this:
FOR/Quaker Statement of Religious & Cultural Acceptance/Celebration of DiversityOn September 13, the Mid-Missouri FOR organized a news conference with Rev. Amy Gerhardt, lead pastor of the Missouri United Methodist Church, at their downtown church, urging acceptance—not just tolerance— of all people of all faiths, cultures and races. We gathered to express our concerns with a spate of violence and intolerance against Arab peoples in our nation and abroad, shown by some of our fellow US citizens. Below is the statement delivered by FOR’s Board Chair David Finke...We gather today to affirm a bedrock principle of our civil society: Religious Tolerance, and the Constitutional principle of Religious Liberty. This isn't just about a Mosque, or the hateful stunt of threatening to burn books sacred to one religion. However, when vitriolic speech and the manipulation of fears translate into action, there are consequences of suffering and persecution. In the current wave of anti-Islamic misinformation and hysteria, we have seen attacks against persons and buildings, reminding us that it's time for people of good will to take a stand against intolerance. I welcome that so many faith traditions are standing in solidarity here today on this issue. Those who would deny Cordoba House the right to build a Cultural Center in lower Manhattan, or suggest that Muslims can't be genuine Americans, have simply forgotten their civics lesson — if they ever learned them. I want to address not so much the specifics of current events, but rather the underlying principles in our American history. Religious Liberty is one of America's gifts to the world. It is an experiement which was radical at its inception and, as with any liberty, requires constant vigilance to survive. Unique in the nations of the world, in our Constitution the nation's founders declared two principles about religion: (1) The State could not favor one and persecute others, and (2) Each religion, no matter how unpopular, was assured the right of "Free Expression." Many at that time considered it dangerous, not to have a unifying National Religion, and there are still those among us those who believe in a theocratic state. We still have neighbors who decry secular, religiously neutral government, and want favor given to their own, often claiming rights as a majority. As a Quaker, I bring a particular perspective to this discussion: Members of our faith, in America, were the only group ever to officially be put to death for attempting to worship as they felt God led them. Massachussets Bay Colony executed 4 Quakers in the 1660s for persisting in their preaching and praying, before the King stepped in and pardoned others similarly convicted. The Puritan Establishment in New England wanted religious liberty, but only for themselves. How quickly we forget the high stakes of religious intolerance, although in my lifetime the brutal fact of the Holocaust aganst Jews should be a stark reminder. You probably know the subsequent story of Quakers under William Penn founding their own colony at Pennsylvania, extending religious freedom to all, regardless of how much they differed theologically. That, I believe, was the model for what is now enshrined in our First Amendment, to which we draw attention today. When we celebrate Ameica as "The Land of the Free," we may forget our epochs of pervasive religious prejudice leading to persecution. Here in Missouri there is the shameful, if often forgotten, episode of "The Mormon Wars," when the Governor called for extermination of that religion, driving adherents from the state. The 19th century frequently had anti-Catholic riots, and I can remember the hostility toward John F. Kennedy who, it was feared, as a Catholic would turn the nation over to the Pope. Any Jewish person you talk to probably has tragic stories of family members facing discrimination in this country, and genocide in the Third Reich. Jehovah's Witnesses, Bahai's, Native Americans -- all can tell of facing either official or popular hostility for practicing their faith. The mindset which promotes burning the sacred books of another faith differs only in degree from promoting the burning of houses of worship. And it can be but a small step toward burning people, if one believes they are of the Devil, and one is an agent of God's vengeance. So, today, we join in affirming the core value of Religious Tolerance. By definition, our varying faith traditions have points of disagreement in our understanding of what God is calling us to. However, we must respect the ability of each to pursue our religious practices without harassment. To do otherwise is to be profoundly un-American. David H. Finke, Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) Chair, Fellowship of Reconciliation, Mid-Missouri Chapter 0 Comments (perma-link) Email this:
Mid-MO FOR Condemns Israel's Attack on the Gaza Freedom Flotilla & Mourns the Deaths of HumanitariansPublic Statement passed out at 2 June News ConferenceCo-sponsored by Mid-MO FOR & MU PIPA (Palestine Israel Peace Association) To view the Columbia Daily Tribune’s article on the news conference, log onto http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/2010/jun/02/local-residents-decry-attack-on-gaza-aid-flotilla/ The Mid-Missouri Fellowship of Reconciliation mourns the killing of at least nine people and the injuries of dozens of others in the May 31 Israeli attack of the Gaza Freedom Flotilla. This attack by Israel against the humanitarian mission is an affront against humanity. The Mid-MO FOR condemns Israel’s violent actions and supports an international, impartial investigation of the incident. We additionally oppose violence by Palestinian or Israeli combatants and support nonviolent resolution of conflicts between the peoples. We urge Israel to follow through on public promises to release all of the nearly 700 people, taken by force from the six Gaza-bound ships and detained by the military. Furthermore, we implore US officials to pressure Israel to end its illegal blockade of the occupied Palestinian Gaza Strip and to cease sending US dollars to enable the Israeli military to undertake such actions with impunity. We sadly recognize U.S. complicity in arming Israel and enabling its human rights abuses. In July 2008, the United States signed a contract worth $1.9 billion to transfer the latest-generation of naval combat vessels to Israel at U.S. taxpayer expense; some of those vessels were likely used in this barbaric attack on international humanitarian activists. Currently, Congress is in the process of appropriating a record $3.2 billion in military aid to Israel this budget year. The Gaza Freedom Flotilla boats were attacked by the Israeli military in international waters, a clear violation of international law. An elite commando unit of the Israeli military, armed with heavy automatic weapons, boarded the ships. Israel must be held responsible for this use of disproportionate force and for recklessly endangering the lives of all civilians onboard. The Flotilla was attempting to break Israel’s illegal and immoral three-year siege of the 1.5 million Palestinians of the Gaza Strip. Israel military forces, during its December 2008-January 2009 assault on the Gaza Strip, codenamed “Operation Cast Lead” killed more than 1400 Palestinians. Beyond the horrific murderous actions, the “operation” further exacerbated the human suffering of the siege, causing $2 billion in infrastructural damage. Israel has nonetheless consistently refused to allow rebuilding materials into the Gaza Strip. High-end medical supplies, as well as a revolving list of items that has included pasta, jam, and cardamom, have also been denied. When armed might is used to attempt to break up clearly organized nonviolent resistance to injustice, the conscience of humanity is offended. Besides that, the judgment of history goes against those seeking to preserve entrenched privilege when confronted by disciplined and determined People Power. Earlier this spring we recalled with shame the gunning down of unarmed protesters at Kent State University 40 years ago. We think of the murder of hundreds at Tiananmen Square when the Chinese government attempted to suppress democracy. The brutal beatings at the Pettis Bridge in Selma, Alabama during the Civil Rights struggles are another example of the might of the State brought to bear against those courageously standing against injustice. In these and so many other cases we see the power of nonviolent direct action -- which is not just refusal to engage in violent defense of rights, but also the vivid expression of the power of Truth, the willingness to sacrifice all for justice. Those who have perished in this humanitarian flotilla will join, in the annals of history, those we respect as having advanced the claims and interest of all mankind against those who, in an ultimately futile effort, try to suppress the just aspirations of humanity. We mourn the loss of these brave souls, and honor their efforts to relieve suffering. --David Finke, Mid-MO FOR Board Chair and Jeff Stack, Mid-MO FOR Coordinator 0 Comments (perma-link) Email this:
June 2, 2010 Public Statement-- Condemning the Israeli attack on the Gaza Freedom Flotilla and mourning the deaths of humanitarians The Mid-Missouri Fellowship of Reconciliation mourns the killing of at least nine people and the injuries of dozens of others in the May 31 Israeli attack of the Gaza Freedom Flotilla. This attack by Israel against the humanitarian mission is an affront against humanity. The Mid-MO FOR condemns Israel’s violent actions and supports an international, impartial investigation of the incident. We additionally oppose violence by Palestinian or Israeli combatants and support nonviolent resolution of conflicts between the peoples. We urge Israel to follow through on public promises to release all of the nearly 700 people, taken by force from the six Gaza-bound ships and detained by the military. Furthermore, we implore US officials to pressure Israel to end its illegal blockade of the occupied Palestinian Gaza Strip and to cease sending US dollars to enable the Israeli military to undertake such actions with impunity. We sadly recognize U.S. complicity in arming Israel and enabling its human rights abuses. In July 2008, the United States signed a contract worth $1.9 billion to transfer the latest-generation of naval combat vessels to Israel at U.S. taxpayer expense; some of those vessels were likely used in this barbaric attack on international humanitarian activists. Currently, Congress is in the process of appropriating a record $3.2 billion in military aid to Israel this budget year. The Gaza Freedom Flotilla boats were attacked by the Israeli military in international waters, a clear violation of international law. An elite commando unit of the Israeli military, armed with heavy automatic weapons, boarded the ships. Israel must be held responsible for this use of disproportionate force and for recklessly endangering the lives of all civilians onboard. The Flotilla was attempting to break Israel’s illegal and immoral three-year siege of the 1.5 million Palestinians of the Gaza Strip. Israel military forces, during its December 2008-January 2009 assault on the Gaza Strip, codenamed “Operation Cast Lead” killed more than 1400 Palestinians. Beyond the horrific murderous actions, the “operation” further exacerbated the human suffering of the siege, causing $2 billion in infrastructural damage. Israel has nonetheless consistently refused to allow rebuilding materials into the Gaza Strip. High-end medical supplies, as well as a revolving list of items that has included pasta, jam, and cardamom, have also been denied. When armed might is used to attempt to break up clearly organized nonviolent resistance to injustice, the conscience of humanity is offended. Besides that, the judgment of history goes against those seeking to preserve entrenched privilege when confronted by disciplined and determined People Power. Earlier this spring we recalled with shame the gunning down of unarmed protesters at Kent State University 40 years ago. We think of the murder of hundreds at Tiananmen Square when the Chinese government attempted to suppress democracy. The brutal beatings at the Pettis Bridge in Selma, Alabama during the Civil Rights struggles are another example of the might of the State brought to bear against those courageously standing against injustice. In these and so many other cases we see the power of nonviolent direct action -- which is not just refusal to engage in violent defense of rights, but also the vivid expression of the power of Truth, the willingness to sacrifice all for justice. Those who have perished in this humanitarian flotilla will join, in the annals of history, those we respect as having advanced the claims and interest of all mankind against those who, in an ultimately futile effort, try to suppress the just aspirations of humanity. We mourn the loss of these brave souls, and honor their efforts to relieve suffering. --David Finke, Mid-MO FOR Board Chair and Jeff Stack, Mid-MO FOR Coordinator 0 Comments (perma-link) Email this:
A Resolution Calling for a Moratorium on Executions in Missouri with a Concurrent Study Commission (Thank leaders with the following houses of worship & groups; consider joining them. Thank business owners for their endorsement and patronize them). -- As of 18 December 2009 Houses of Worship/Religious & Inter-faith Organizations 1. Benedictine Sisters, Social Concerns Committee 2. Church Women United of Missouri (statewide with president based in town) 3. Columbia Interfaith Council 4. Columbia Interfaith Peace Alliance 5. First Baptist Church, Board of Deacons 6. Mid-Missouri Fellowship of Reconciliation 7. Mt. Celestial Baptist Church 8. New Horizon United Methodist Church, Missions Committee 9. Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, Social Concerns Committee 10. Religious Society of Friends, Columbia Friends Meeting 11. Rock Bridge Christian Church 12. Russell Chapel Central Methodist Episcopal Church 13. Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Social Concerns Committee 14. Second Missionary Baptist Church 15. School Sisters of Notre Dame Ministering in Mid-Missouri 16. Show-Me Dharma 17. St. Francis Catholic Worker Community 18. St. Luke's United Methodist Church 19. Thomas Moore Newman Center, Social Justice Commission 20. Unitarian Universalist Church--Social Action Committee 21. Wilkes Boulevard United Methodist Church Council Businesses 22. A-1 Miller’s Small Engine 23. Alley Cat Yoga 24. Arsenic Leopard Gift Shop 25. Amazico Inc., DBA Cool Stuff 26. ASAP Plumbing 27. Axiom, an Identity Company 28. Bangkok Gardens 29. Bellman Computer Repair 30. Blackberry Exchange Clothing Shop 31. The Blue Note 32. Brighter Days Corp. Contract Painting & Window Cleaning 33. Café Berlin International 34. Clovers Natural Market 35. Coffee Zone 36. Columbia Books, Inc. 37. Columbia Daily Tribune (as reflected in an April 3, 2005 Editorial) 38. Day Care Extraordinaire 39. Dreamcatcher Boutique 40. Roy Finley Building and Development 41. Gaslight Mobile Home Park 42. Get Lost Bookshop 43. Gotcha! Theatrical Supplies & Costume Rental 44. Hairworks 45. Hinshaw Family Properties 46. The Ink Factory 47. Kassman Insurance Agency 48. Lakota Coffee Company 49. Lee Street Deli 50. Lifecycle Consultants 51. Lindsey Rentals 52. Lotus Blossom Arts 53. Lulu's Repose Bath & Body Boutique 54. Main Squeeze Restaurant 55. Mama Bessie's Dry Cleaners 56. Maude’s Vintage Clothing 57. National Pastimes Productions 58. Ninth St. Video Store on Hitt St. 59. The Peace Nook 60. Peak Roofing/Construction 61. Practice of Elizabeth Alleman, M.D. 62. Practice of N.S. Goodman, Doctor of Chiropractic 63. Pride Used Cars LLC 64. Quick-Fix Automobile Repair 65. Rebirth Landscaping 66. Root Cellar 67. Sharp End Restaurant and Bar 68. Sparky's Ice Cream Shop 69. Uprise Bakery 70. Dan Viets Law Office 71. Violet Moon Herbal Organics 72. Whizz Record Exchange 73. World Harvest International & Gourmet Foods Groups & Organizations 74. Amnesty International, Local Columbia Chapter 75. Amnesty International, Hickman High School Chapter 76. Amnesty International, University of Missouri-Columbia Chapter 77. Boone County Muleskinners 78. Cedar Creek Therapeutic Riding Center 79. Columbia MO National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Branch 80. Food Not Bombs 81. Frederick Douglass Coalition 82. Grass Roots Organizing (GRO) – based out of Columbia and Mexico 83. Green Party of Central Missouri 84. Hickman High School Global Issues Club 85. Minority Men’s Network 86. Mid-Missouri American Civil Liberties Union 87. Mid-Missouri Global Action to Prevent War 88. Mid-Missouri Peaceworks 89. Missouri Association for Social Welfare (MASW)--Central Missouri chapter 90. Missouri Rural Crisis Center 91. Missouri Symphony Society 92. Mrs. J's African-American Center and Family Institute 93. North Central Neighborhood Association 94. Ridgeway Neighborhood Association 95. UMC Catholic Student Organization 96. UMC Faculty, Staff & Students Concerned About Democracy & Public Knowledge 97. UMC Students for Progressive Action 98. UMC Students for a Free Tibet 99. Veterans for Peace— Chapter 43 (Mid-Missouri) 100.Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, Mid-MO branch If a group you are a member of, if your house of worship or your business or one you patronize-- is/aren’t on this list, call us at 573-449-4585 or log onto http://www.moratoriumnow.net to find how to have them endorse this reasonable policy measure. 0 Comments (perma-link) Email this:
FOR News July 2008Help Halt Missouri’s Planned Executionof Dennis Skillicorn on Aug. 27 The Missouri Supreme Court on 26 July “authorized” state officials to execute Dennis Skillicorn on 27 August—despite having just days earlier stayed then rescheduled the execution of John Middleton. Both executions could also indefinitely be delayed, depending on the outcome of a lawsuit (explained below in the next entry on the FOR website). We hope for the best, but urge concerned citizens to prepare for the worst-- Missouri continuing with its serial murdering, after nearly three years of no executions. Please keep free the evening of 26 Aug. The Mid-MO FOR will convene a Vigil for Life that evening (see below for details and for other actions) unless we learn by 12 noon that day the execution has definitely been stayed. Call 573-449-4585, check this website and Missourians to Abolish the Death Penalty www.moabolition.org <http://www.moabolition.org> for further updates, calls to action and sites around the state of other gatherings affirming life/opposing state murder. There’s no doubt both that Dennis Skillicorn joined two other men in a cross-country crime spree in 1994 and that he did not kill Richard Drummond. Still he was sentenced to death, as was Allen Nicklasson, the admitted triggerman. Drummond had stopped his car near Kingdom City to give a ride to the two men and Tim DeGraffenreid who were stranded with their broken-down car. Nicklasson pulled a gun on Drummond, forcing him to drive west, Skillicorn remained in the car when the gunman walked Drummond 1/4 mile away and shot him. DeGraffenreid received a life sentence for 2nd degree murder, more in line with what Skillicorn should have gotten. We deplore the violence the men committed and mourn with Drummond’s loved ones, his violent death. We also urge the violence to end without cycling into a state killing. Besides his human right to life, Skillicorn has been sincerely remorseful for his part in the crimes while contributing to better our world from prison. The past five years he’s been editor of Compassion (log on at www.compassionondeathrow.org), a national magazine featuring writings by “death row” prisoners, which has raised tens of thousands of dollars in scholarships for people who have had loved ones murdered. He also has worked for several years in the Potosi prison’s hospice program caring for terminally-ill inmates. Skillicorn, in a letter to Christians about the death penalty, writes, “Under the law of Grace, we are clearly to do unto others as we would have them do unto us. The revenge cycle is like a boomerang that cannot be thrown without cost to the thrower. The cycle can only be broken by forgiveness. We must rise above revenge and examine our motives. Are we trying to please men, or God?” Let us serve humanity and the Creation and help spare the life of Dennis Skillicorn. Take Action * Attend a Vigil for Life 5:00-600 pm, Tuesday, 26 August, Boone County Courthouse, Walnut St. Columbia (unless we learn by 12 noon that day the execution has definitely been stayed). For future updates, check out this website periodically and www.moabolition.org, the website of Missourians to Abolish the Death Penalty (vigils would also take place in a least a half dozen other Missouri communities); * Contact the Board of Probation and Parole In a letter, urge the Board members to recommend Gov. Matt Blunt grant clemency, at least commuting his death sentence to life. Please note that Mr. Skillicorn was not the triggerman by all accounts; that he has been genuinely remorseful for his role in the crimes and rehabilitated; has been an effective facilitator for restorative justice and contributing member of society even while incarcerated. Mail to: MO Dept. of Corrections/Board of Probation and Parole; 1511 Christy Dr., Jefferson City MO 65101 or fax 573-751-8501 * Contact Gov. Matt Blunt Urge him to commute Mr. Skillicorn’s death sentence to “life” for reasons similar to those noted above. Write: Gov. Blunt, Room 216, Capitol Building, Jefferson City MO 65101. Fax: 573-751-1595; Phone: 573-751-3222; or e-mail mogov@mail.state.mo.us. John Middleton’s 30 July Execution Halted; Lawsuit Challenges Lethal Injection The Missouri Supreme Court stayed the execution of John Middleton, a week before he was set to be killed during the opening minutes of 30 July-- reissuing a warrant for his execution, instead for 17 September. And in a separate development, prisoners and their advocates filed a lawsuit, Thursday in Cole County Court challenging Missouri’s lethal injection protocol, hopefully delaying for months, if not years, his and all state killings in Missouri. The suit was filed on behalf of 13 of the 14 condemned prisoners for whom the Attorney General has requested execution dates. Families of those men, clergy and legislators—Sen. Joan Bray and Rep. Connie Johnson (both of St. Louis)—all joined the civil action, contending the Department of Corrections (DOC) has been violating the state’s Administrative Procedure Act. The act requires agencies to provide notice and invite public comments about state proceedings. To date no public meetings have been convened by the DOC regarding lethal injections. John Middleton would be the first person in the state to be executed since October 2005, when Marlin Gray was lethally poisoned in the Bonne Terre prison. Middleton was convicted of murdering Alfred Pinegar, Stacy Hodge and Randy Hamilton in 1995 in northern Missouri. We with the Mid-MO FOR condemn the horrible violence Middleton committed, in connection with a methamphetamine business he ran. We mourn those deaths and the anguish felt by their loved ones. We also realize the wrongs wouldn’t be erased by his state murder—the suffering, the immorality would only be expanded, devastating the lives of others who care about him. Missouri officials have executed 66 people, 4th most of any US state; 47 men dwell under a death sentence in Missouri, at least a couple of them having strong claims of being wrongly convicted. On 28 July 2003, Joe Amrine was set free. He’s one of three men in Missouri (among 129 people nationwide) exonerated after being found wrongly convicted and sentenced to die. Earlier this month, Amrine graced Columbia, joining FOR for a news conference with state legislative candidates. Let the 5th anniversary of his freedom remind us, mistakes can and do occur. It’s a prime reason our state needs a death-penalty study with a concurrent execution moratorium NOW. To join the local effort of the Missouri moratorium campaign call 573-449-4585. ------ End of Forwarded Message 3 Comments (perma-link) Email this:
FOR Candidate Survey2008 Columbia-Area State Legislative Candidate SurveyThe Mid-MO FOR is a non-partisan group endorsing no particular candidate, encouraging all eligible citizens to vote on Aug. 5. As a pacifist group, we see it as our civic duty to inform voters of various social justice, peace and environmental perspectives of the candidates. Those of all political parties vying for the Missouri House Districts covering the Columbia area were asked to respond to five questions, choosing:
Many of these issues are difficult to answer in a single word, but we wanted to provide voters with an easy to measure comparative tool.
Missouri House Candidates
Candidates for the Missouri House 24th District and the Senate 19th District did not respond to the survey. We are grateful many candidates made their views known publicly, especially given the short notice they were given in which to reply. Other Comments by Missouri state legislative candidatesDistrict 23Cande IvesonQuestion 3-Missouri National Guard Stephen WebberQuestion 3-Missouri National Guard Question 4-Transportation of Nuclear Waste Question 5-Second Nuclear Power Plant District 25Mary StillQuestion 2-Death Penalty Abolition Questions 3-Missouri National Guard Question 4-Transportation of Nuclear Waste Question 5-Second Nuclear Power Plant 2008 Missouri Federal Candidate SurveyThe Mid-MO FOR asked candidates of all political parties seeking election to the open seat of Missouri's U.S. 9th Congressional district (covering 23-plus counties including Boone County and Columbia) to answer 12 questions, responding either: S- Support; O-Oppose or NP- No Position. Many of these issues are difficult to answer in a single word or phrase, but we wanted to provide voters a comparative tool with which to measure the candidates on various peace and justice issues. The questions:
We are grateful that two individuals took the time to respond and wish all would have replied to these critical questions of our time. Surveys were mailed to all candidates. We made at least two follow-up calls to each candidate.The Mid-MO FOR is a non-partisan group, not affiliated with any political party nor endorsing any candidate. 0 Comments (perma-link) Email this:
ArchivesMay 2003 June 2003 July 2003 August 2003 September 2003 October 2003 November 2003 December 2003 January 2004 February 2004 March 2004 April 2004 May 2004 June 2004 July 2004 September 2004 October 2004 November 2004 December 2004 February 2005 March 2005 April 2005 May 2005 June 2005 July 2005 September 2005 October 2005 November 2005 December 2005 January 2006 February 2006 March 2006 April 2006 May 2006 August 2006 December 2006 January 2007 April 2007 July 2007 December 2007 May 2008 July 2008 December 2009 June 2010 December 2010 January 2011 October 2011 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mid-Missouri Fellowship of Reconciliation |
P.O. Box 268 Columbia, Missouri 65205 |
| Questions about the Fellowship of Reconciliation? -- contact Jeff Stack at
573-449-4585 or jstack@no2death.org An appeal to conscience and purse-strings Free DHTML scripts provided by Dynamic Drive |
|