From: owner-abolition-usa-digest@lists.xmission.com (abolition-usa-digest) To: abolition-usa-digest@lists.xmission.com Subject: abolition-usa-digest V1 #35 Reply-To: abolition-usa-digest Sender: owner-abolition-usa-digest@lists.xmission.com Errors-To: owner-abolition-usa-digest@lists.xmission.com Precedence: bulk abolition-usa-digest Monday, November 2 1998 Volume 01 : Number 035 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 31 Oct 1998 07:35:52 -0500 From: Peace through Reason Subject: (abolition-usa) FWD: Re: SpaceNews: Energy / Plutonium Reply-To: renergy@lists.kz Date: Fri, 30 Oct 1998 22:42:37 -0500 (EST) From: Mark Gubrud Subject: Re: SpaceNews: Energy / Plutonium << Huge rockets will launch NASA's deep-space missions early in the next millennium, first to Europa, one of Jupiter's moons, and later to Pluto. ... power cells in the space probes will convert heat that is supplied by plutonium into electrical power. >> At the risk of being called (again) a "government scientist" or something equally ugly, I offer the following OPINION: All the concern about NASA's use of plutonium batteries has been and is a bit silly. It is a shame that (apparently former) anti-nuclear weapons activists such as Michio Kaku and Helen Caldicott have lent themselves to these antinuke reunions which are profoundly embarassing to the community that fought the nuclear power industry to a standstill and helped put the brakes on the nuclear arms race but seems to have lost its vision under the New World Order. A few pounds of plutonium, exquisitely well protected against being released into the environment in the (admittedly very possible) event of a launch accident, are a ridiculously irrelevant threat at a time when thousands of nuclear weapons remain in the inventories of the major powers, Russia teeters on the edge of chaos, the non-proliferation treaty regime is threatened with collapse, the US remains committed to a path that will result in evisceration of the ABM Treaty and deployment of space weapons, and we face a new century laden with the promise and threat of technologies many times more powerful than even those we have today. But there is apparently no appetite to take on these very serious and scary issues. Instead, it seems the old antinukers would prefer to gather in Florida to protest a symbol that probably everybody understands is of no real consequence. It is the very silliness of this gathering that makes it attractive to people. Meanwhile, the real storms are quietly brewing... Mark Gubrud _______________________________________________________________________ * Peace Through Reason - http://prop1.org - Convert the War Machines! * _______________________________________________________________________ - - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 31 Oct 1998 07:57:41 -0500 From: Carole Gallagher Subject: (abolition-usa) Operation 11th Hour - Veterans Day demonstration in Washington DC OPERATION 11th HOUR Hell, Healing and Resistance: Veterans Speak RECLAIMING ARMISTICE DAY "A profound event, in keeping with the true spirit of Armistice." - -- Veterans for Peace National Headquarters "I strongly support Operation 11th Hour. It is an exciting and important event." - -- Ramsey Clark "I endorse it wholeheartedly . . . a conscientious effort to speak truth." - -- S. Brian Willson November 11, 1998, 10 A.M. - 4 P.M. The Washington Monument, Northwest Green Constitution Avenue N.W. and 17th Street, Washington, D.C. FOR INFORMATION, call Ron Landsel at (914) 339-6680 Fax: (914) 331-7189 Join us as combat veterans of the Gulf and Vietnam wars, well-known authors, and peacemakers, Mike Boehm, John Dear, Daniel Ellsberg, Erik Gustafson, Le Ly Hayslip, Fr. Richard McSorley, Charles Miles-Sheehan, Fr. Philip Salois, Paul Walker, Howard Zinn, and many others, sharing experiences of hell, healing and resistance. Gather with us at the 60-foot "Armistice Memorial Wall." Its powerful artwork and heart-rending statistics are assembled especially for this event. Spend an hour or the day in vigil and fellowship to bring deep awareness to the true costs of valor and victim not cited on our national monuments. Ring the bells of true Armistice at 11 A.M. This day now belongs to the voices of those who struggle to understand the past as the key - for the future of our children and their planet. Enjoy Nobel Prize nominee Thich Nhat HanH's play, "The Path of Return Continues the Journey." Gain deep insight into forgiveness and under- stand why men actually fight and kill in war. Over 100 million people have died in the wars of this bloodiest century of human history. Forty-six million died in World War II, three million in Vietnam, and a million and a half in Iraq. Suicides among Vietnam veterans now exceed war casualties. In the past decade alone, two million children have been killed in wars, and three times as many have been left permanently disabled. Let us pay true homage to that incomprehensible loss. Let us honor the living in the spirit of understanding, not denial. According to the National Coalition for the Homeless, 40% of all homeless men in the United States are veterans. Hundreds of thousands suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Approximately 100,000 Gulf War veterans are now reporting incapacitating illnesses. Our nation's young will not see these forgotten heroes in Veterans Day parades. Millions will parade to war's drums on Veterans Day in honor of those who served, yet Armistice Day (now Veterans Day) internationally commemorated the end of world conflagration which left over 20 million dead, wounded, maimed, and homeless. Since the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, 1918, nations continue warring - destroying countless lives and threatening the ecological balance of our planet. We face the 11th hour of our existence unless we respond. Come out and join with veterans to reach the conscience of our nation. Help us to commemorate our healing from, and resistance to, the hell of war, to release a force for change. WE NEED YOUR HELP. PLEASE JOIN US. TENTATIVE SCHEDULE: 10:00 - 10:15 A.M. Introductory Remarks 10:15 - 10:45 A.M. Veterans and Guests Speak 10:55 - 11:05 A.M. 11th Hour Silent Vigil 11:05 - 11:45 A.M. Keynote Speakers 12:00 - 12:45 P.M. Play: The Path of Return 1:00 - 2:45 P.M. Veterans and Guests Speak 2:45 - 3:15 P.M. Musical Performance 3:15 - 3:45 P.M. Guest Speakers 3:45 - 4:00 P.M. Closing Dedication GUEST SPEAKERS (alphabetical order) Mike Boehm, Vietnam Veteran, VAPP Heather Dean, Washington, SOA Watch John Dear, S.J., author, Executive Director, Fellowship of Reconciliation Daniel Ellsberg, Veteran, released Pentagon Papers Erik Gustafson, Desert Storm Veteran, EPICenter, Board member of National Gulf War Resources Center Daniel Hallock, Author of Hell, Healing, and Resistance: Veterans Speak Le Ly Hayslip, Founder, East Meets West Foundation, Author of "When Heaven and Earth Changed Place" Richard McSorley, S.J., World War II Prisoner of War, Georgetown University Robert Moser, Author, "The New Winter Soldiers" Jim Murphy, Educator, Vietnam Veterans Against the War, Inc. Paul Walker, President, Veterans for Peace Marvin Wingman, Arab-American Anti-Discrimination Committee Howard Zinn, Author, A People's History of the United States OPERATION 11th HOUR COALITION: Arab-American Anti-Discrimination Committee The Bruderhof Communities East Meets West Foundation The EPICenter Fellowship of Reconciliation Fredy Champagne, Viet Nam Friends John Mulligan, Vietnam Veteran, author, Shopping Cart Soldiers Maryknoll Office for Global Concern, Washington, D.C. The School of the Americas Watch Hugh Thompson, My Lai helicopter pilot awarded Soldier's Medal Veterans for Peace, National Office Vietnamese American Peace Project Vietnam Veterans Against the War, Inc. Vietnam Veterans of America Chaplains Voices in the Wilderness For information, to pledge support, or to register, call or fax: Operation 11th Hour Committee Ron Landsel 10 Hellbrook Lane Ulster Park, NY 12471 Phone: (914) 339-6680 Fax: (914) 331-7189 Media Contact: Milton O'Connell Phone: (914) 658-8351 Fax: (914) 658-3317 PLEASE DO NOT E-MAIL YOUR REQUESTS! Thank you. - - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 31 Oct 1998 18:11:46 -0500 From: Peace through Reason Subject: (abolition-usa) NucNews: Soldiers fear anthrax shots, remember radiation tests of '60s http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/1998-10/30/059l-103098-idx.html Dose of Explanation Comes With Anthrax Shots Pentagon Campaigns to Overcome Some Soldiers' Health Fears About Vaccine By Bradley Graham Washington Post Staff Writer Friday, October 30, 1998; Page A03 Lawyer Bill Boylan was never one to protest much, least of all against the federal government. So it came as something of a surprise, even to him, when he recently advised his son, a 20-year-old Navy sailor, to refuse an anthrax vaccination ordered by the Pentagon. Searching for information about the vaccine from his home in a Chicago suburb, Boylan had been alarmed by the speeches and Internet reports of a small corps of critics who have questioned the vaccine's efficacy, possible side effects and quality control at the Michigan facility where the medicine is produced. "I couldn't care less if you compromised your military benefits or GI bill or anything at all, if you decided to decline to take the shots and received a penalty as a result," Boylan wrote in an electronic mail message to his son, Dan. "I would prefer to have you home, healthy and with no ill effects of any substance which the U.S. government injects into you than to have you home, with benefits, and suffering illness indefinitely." Dan Boylan, a petty officer 3rd class aboard the aircraft carrier USS Eisenhower en route to the Persian Gulf, said his dad's advice reinforced his own concerns. Having decided to reject the vaccine, he now faces likely discharge from military service and joins at least 46 other service members this year who have resisted the Pentagon's inoculation plan, the first attempt to protect the entire military against a germ warfare agent. Although the refusals constitute a tiny percentage of the 96,000 troops who have begun receiving the vaccine, defense officials acknowledge a broader unease among military families about the initiative. A history of institutional recklessness or indifference, involving such publicized cases as radiation testing in the 1950s, use of Agent Orange in Vietnam in the 1960s and the still-unexplained illnesses of many veterans who served in the 1991 Persian Gulf War has eroded trust in military leaders to look out for the health of soldiers. "There's enormous distrust of government," said Lt. Gen. Ronald Blanck, the Army's surgeon general and the officer responsible for managing the inoculation program. The anthrax vaccine, licensed by the Food and Drug Administration, has been used widely in the United States since the early 1970s by veterinarians, laboratory technicians, agricultural laborers and textile workers who handle animal products that might contain the deadly anthrax bacteria. Government scientists and independent experts continue to vouch for the vaccine's safety and effectiveness. Several scientific investigations have rejected any link between the Gulf War maladies and the anti-anthrax shots administered to about 150,000 U.S. troops who served in the conflict against Iraq. Nonetheless, critics of the Pentagon's vaccination program suspect some link may exist. Their concerns were reinforced by an FDA inspection of the Michigan production plant in February that found "significant deviations" from federal standards for record-keeping and testing procedures. "My son suffered headaches and tightness in his chest after receiving his first anthrax vaccination," said Lori Greenleaf, a licensed day care provider in Colorado who has become one of the most outspoken opponents of the program. Citing the FDA report and conversations with defense officials, Greenleaf said the injections given last spring to her 22-year-old son, Eric Julius, and thousands of other service members were drawn from a batch of vaccine produced in 1993 and improperly revalidated for use this year. There are persistent questions, too, about the vaccine's effectiveness. Since battlefield anthrax cannot ethically be tested on people, much of the evidence about the vaccine's ability to protect troops is indirect. Moreover, reports this year that the Russians had developed both a multi-strain blend and a genetically engineered strain of anthrax have stirred scientific debate about the adequacy of the U.S. vaccine to counter all anthrax threats. In an interview, Blanck dismissed the military resisters as insignificant in number. He said most either were looking for some way out of military duty or had been deluded by misinformation about the vaccine. Defense Secretary William S. Cohen, speaking to a group of business executives, joked recently that he and his deputy, John Hamre, had received four of six required doses and "no third eye has emerged." But to reassure troops about the program, the Pentagon has mounted its own information campaign using the Internet, brochures and individual consultations. And to be doubly certain the vaccine carries no serious health risks, Blanck said he has taken the extraordinary step of ordering a close watch on 600 vaccinated Army medical personnel in Hawaii, noting any colds, headaches, lumps or other possible side effects. "We're recording everything that happens to them," the general said. Ultimately, Blanck said, the armed forces cannot tolerate opposition to the inoculations if military discipline is to be maintained. He defended the military's legal authority to use force if necessary to vaccinate service members. In at least one publicized case in June, an Army private fled Fort Stewart in Georgia after a first sergeant threatened to strap him down to receive a shot. But Blanck said it was not Pentagon policy to conduct forcible inoculations under "normal circumstances." At the same time, he made clear that any member refusing the vaccination could expect to be discharged. "They've broken their contract with their terms of service, which is to obey lawful orders," he said. Anthrax tops the U.S. government's list of biological warfare threats because it is considered the easiest germ weapon to make and use. Anthrax can be produced in a dry form that can be stored and ground into tiny particles. When inhaled, the particles cause severe pneumonia and death within a week. Although no country is known to have released the bacteria on a battlefield, the Pentagon has raised new alarms about the prospect of biological attack from a host of hostile states and terrorist groups. In particular, U.S. officials have called attention to Iraqi attempts to stockpile anthrax supplies and estimate that at least 10 countries can develop germ weapons. While the vaccine has existed for many years, more is known about its ability to protect against cutaneous anthrax, the usually nonlethal form that attacks the skin, than about anthrax that is inhaled, the form that would threaten troops in battle. The only time the vaccine has been tested against anthrax inhaled by humans was among mill workers in the late 1950s and early 1960s, but that test population was not large enough to be statistically meaningful. Studies using guinea pigs have shown the vaccine defending only 20 percent of the population against airborne anthrax spores. Tests with rhesus monkeys, which are more similar to humans, were more encouraging, showing a protection rate of 95 percent. "What they've done is stretch the use of the vaccine against a more sophisticated form of exposure, without clear evidence it will work," said Tod Ensign, an attorney with Citizen Soldier, an advocacy group in New York. Defense officials acknowledge a better vaccine is possible given modern methods of purifying the protein component on which the medicine is based. But they insist that administering some vaccine, particularly one already in use for years, is better than leaving troops entirely defenseless against an anthrax attack. Relying only on antibiotics or antiserum to treat battlefield victims would not be feasible, government experts say. As for any new strains of anthrax that might appear, defense officials remain confident the U.S. vaccine will prove comprehensive because, they note, it is based on a single protein component of the anthrax bacillus common to all natural strains. Regarding possible side effects, Blanck reported 11 cases this year of adverse reactions to the vaccine, including fever, itching and fatigue -- far fewer, he said, than occur with other commonly administered vaccines for tetanus, typhoid and whooping cough. Blanck also said the production deficiencies cited by the FDA had been resolved. "All were answered satisfactorily, and the FDA has verified the safe and effective production of the vaccine," he said. The production facility is the sole plant for making the U.S. vaccine. It remains closed for renovation and expansion following its sale this year by the state of Michigan to a private group, BioPort Corp., headed by retired Adm. William J. Crowe, former Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman. In the meantime, the Pentagon is drawing on a stockpile of about 7 million doses, intending eventually to inoculate all 2.4 million active-duty and reserve personnel. - ---------- Concerned about depleted uranium and Gulf War vets? > Date: Tue, 20 Oct 1998 17:15:39 -0400 From: Tara Thornton Subject: depleted uranium listserve Dear Friends, The Military Toxics Project (MTP) has recently set up a Listserve for depletd uranium. Anyone wishing to subscribe to the DU listserve type in the TO: du-list-subscribe@makelist.com and in the body of the text write "subscribe" (no ""). You should receive a message to confirm. If there are any problems contact MTP at mtpdu@ime.net. Thanks, Tara Thornton > - ----------------------- - - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 31 Oct 1998 22:14:22 EST From: DavidMcR@aol.com Subject: (abolition-usa) a report from Seattle Friends, I think all of us wonder "how do we reach the grassroots". I'm sending on a post from John Reese which is a very good example of that - a report of the trip by bus from Seattle to Washington DC for the October 19th action. (That post will come - or should come - directly after this brief note. I'm forwarding it as soon as I've sent this). Peace, David McReynolds - - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 31 Oct 1998 22:15:37 EST From: DavidMcR@aol.com Subject: (abolition-usa) DWOP In a message dated 10/31/98 1:25:49 AM Eastern Standard Time, can@drizzle.= com writes: << Subj:=09 DWOP Date:=0910/31/98 1:25:49 AM Eastern Standard Time From:=09can@drizzle.com (John Reese) Sender:=09owner-wrll@scn.org To:=09can@drizzle.com Here is a copy of an article that I have written for NACC's newsletter ab= out the bus and the day of. John Reese On October 19, 600 to 800 protesters gathered at the Pentagon for the War Resisters League =93Day Without the Pentagon=94. Seven of those that gathered at t= he pentagon came across the country on a media bus tour organized by NACC. (see related article or just leave the bus section as is.) The Day Without the Pentagon was a national action calling for an end to militarization of our culture, major cuts in the post Cold War Pentagon budget, and fund= ing of human needs instead of the Pentagon. Over 100 local and national organizations endorsed and participated in the march and rally at the Pentagon. This was the first national march that focused on the Pentagon in over a decade. The bus left Seattle NACC on October 9th. For the send-off the Bus made = five stops in Seattle (representing the five sides of the Pentagon) to pick up people f= rom organizations promoting services - housing, health care, women's safety, street youth support, education - that would benefit from the shut down of the pentago= n. There was a rally at the Seattle Central Community College, following the bus loop through Seattle. No longer school bus yellow, sat parked outside the Real Change office (newspaper and support for Seattle's homeless) for the beginning of the loop around Seat= tle. The now sky blue bus was not fully painted yet but the sun on the bus was far brighter than the one hiding behind the clouds above us. Passengers boarded here and conti= nued our penta-stop tour of Seattle's human service organizations. We drove up to= our last stop, Seattle Central Community College, to find the Pentagon's "General Wolf" pushing aside our emcee (our favorite Seattle celebrity -and NACC staffer - Geov Parris= h). The general demanded bigger, better bombs - and more opportunities to use them. Fortunately he was surrounded by a human Pentagon with each of the five corners representing areas of human needs that we would rather have funded than t= he war machine. Those in the corners quickly moved to action, using the rope that was acting as "walls" of the pentagon to wrap up the "general" and remove him from his soapbox. The "corners" spoke up for housing, women, youth, the environment and educati= on. Sometime during this dismantling, the rain began but off to the east (towards DC) = an incredible double rainbow appeared. Was it the sun on the side of the bus? The previous night, Megan, 16, died alone on the streets of Seattle. Jel= lo and Janaea, two street youth traveling on the bus knew her. More than a statistic to them but Megan was also a victim of misdirected funding and priorities. She was a victi= m of US military actions and inactions, like so many others we lose this way. Th= is bus trip was for all those that have died and those that are dying and those that will= die due to the misplaced priorities of our pentagon spending. The bus first headed to Olympia for some last minute work and then south = to Portland for a rally at the Federal Building. The bus attracted a good bit of attenti= on as we drove through Portland. After a great dinner at the Taj Majal Restaurant hoste= d by the Oregon Community War Tax Resisters, we got on the road to Boise. In Boise, some local youth go on board and for a ride to the Capitol Building for a brief rally and pho= to ops. A half hour interview on KBOO radio in Portland was our first press coverage. On Sunday, the bus riders woke up about 100 miles north of Salt Lake City with frost on the inside of the bus windows. There was also a light frost on the groun= d but it warmed up quickly as we headed into Salt Lake City. After gathering a small cro= wd at the Federal Building, the bus meandered through Salt Lake using the bus PA to broadcast the shut it down message. Once again, the bus drew lots of attention and (perhaps not surprisingly) got a lot of thumbs up. At Liberty Park, we gave tours of= the bus, handed out literature and talked to many in the crowd of about 100 people there for the regular Sunday drum circle. The bus arrived in Boulder on Monday to meet Sachio (see related article?= ) and the group putting on the Indigenous Peoples Day Rally. Three local press people sh= owed up - KGNU, the Colorado Daily and the Boulder Weekly. About 30 people attended the rally which linked the military and a history of mistreatment of indigenous peoples around the world. Sachio rode with on the bus to Colorado Springs and then there wa= s fun march through town to Colorado College and then to Acacia Park doing great stre= et theater all the way. The Colorado Springs Gazette was on hand for interviews. The b= us passengers were then treated to a great meal at the Pikes Peak Peace and Justice Commission office. On Tuesday, in Kansas City, Kansas, there was an early morning crowd of a= bout 20 for banner holding at a busy intersection and then more tours of the bus. Th= e local FOX affiliate filmed us and the Pacifica station and a weekly paper did interviews. Doing a demo with a group as supportive as the Kansas City folks was great. In S= t Louis the bus drove through the McDonnell Douglas complex which certainly garnered a lo= t of looks. Mira with AFSC hosted us so everyone could shower and eat. The bus arrived in Chicago about 4 AM on Wednesday. When the bus riders = got to the Federal Building for the noon demonstration and began handing out flyers = a federal protective service person stated that permit was required for any type of demonstration - including handing out flyers! After some dialogue with him about the constitution the leafleters were informed that their building rules are above the constitution. To play their game, a permit to speak freely was requested. Meanwhile, leafletin= g and banners holding went on off federal property on the portion of the sidewalk that = city property. Surprisingly the Chicago police didn=92t come to demand a permit to be o= n their sidewalk. When the federal officer brought down the permit he explained that the demonstrators were denied the right to perform a skit. So, holding signs/banners and leafleting occurred on federal property and the skit on city property. Thanks to th= e Eighth Day Center for Justice, there was a good crowd and with lots of people taking flyers. It was great to have it downtown in an area with lots of people around. The bus got plenty of attention as it circled around town with, one of the drivers, blasting out messages about pentagon greed and the need to fund human needs. The skit went great (its debut) and the caravaners hurriedly packed up for South Bend. In South Bend the bus was parked directly in front of the recruiting cent= ers - - army, navy, airforce and marines. All were there at least until the bus arriv= ed! Just as it pulled up, the army recruiting center shut their blinds, locked the doors= and left. The navy and airforce soon did the same. What are they afraid of? The marin= es risked the caravaners presence and toughed it out. They seemed to enjoy the skit a= nd laughed with the crowd from the comfort of their office. The day before the South Ben= d Tribune carried a story about the coming protest and they showed up to take photo= s of the event which went in the next day=92s edition. A local TV station (FOX channel = 4) interviewed one bus passenger and took lots of footage. Thanks to Michiana War Resis= ters League for dinner and helping with the turnout and the press. Kent, our last stop before Annapolis, went well. A crowd of about 50 students listened to speakers. Marine recruiters were on campus at the time one speaker addressed getting recruiters off campus. The May 4th Task Force also spoke about their eff= orts to close off parking spaces where some activities occurred on May 4th, 1970, when = four students were killed and nine wounded by the National Guard. The bus riders went= by the memorial after the rally. There was one reporter from the Akron Beacon Journal, one from the campus TV station and one from the campus daily newspaper (Kent Stater). Thursday=92s (October 15th) Beacon Journal also had a small story with an announcement of the rally. There were also follow-up stories in the Akron Beacon Journal= and the Kent Stater. Sue Jeffers and the May 4th Task Force helped with the Kent even= t. The positive response that the bus has got was amazing as it carried the message to the interstate, truck stops, and cities. Driving through the cities and town= s, there were a lot of thumbs up and only a rare negative response. Not that this is a scientific poll, but it seems like most people the caravaners came in contact with as they crossed the U.S. would be happy if the Day Without the Pentagon dragged on for the n= ext hundred years or so. Thanks to NACC's many friends and supporters that helped ma= ke the Day Without the Pentagon bus tour a success. stops at 14 locations along the = way generated enthusiasm and visibility for the bus and the idea of closing the Pentago= n down. DWOP: An early morning action started the days events. Twenty one people were carried away by Metro Police for allegedly trying to block Defense Department workers fro= m entering the Pentagon at the Pentagon Metrostation. They were released in about two h= ours and were later able to attend the rally at the Pentagon. For most of the crowd, the day began at 9:00 a.m. at Arlington National Cemetery. Here affinity groups continued to meet (some had formed the previous night) an= d Bread and Puppets prepared their giant cranes to lead the way. Signs, banners and other props were made ready for the one mile march to the Pentagon. At 10 A.M. the c= rowd of 600 or so began their march to the Pentagon. Escorted by dozens of police the c= rowd created quite the spectacle for commuters and the media. The rally began at 11 AM with speakers and music at the river side of the Pentagon. Some of the speakers were Dave Dellinger, Daniel Ellsberg, Mandy Carter, = Pam Africa, Alan Nairn, David McReynolds, Luis Nieves-Falcon, Greg Payton, Barbara Sm= ith and Alyn Ware. Youth Peace. Performers were also there as well as lots of good mu= sic. C-span covered the entire rally as well as many other media sources. With over 300 police surrounding the Pentagon the task of shutting it dow= n would prove to be impossible. But about ten affinity groups were dedicated to doing their best to have a Day Without the Pentagon. At 1:50 PM about 200 people moved south toward a 5 foot retaining wall 100 feet from the river entrance. About 50 police to= ok up position in a line between the protestors and the Pentagon. The idea, worked out during the day, was that two affinity groups would attempt to get to the Pentagon by stai= rs on each side of the retaining wall. A third affinity group would attempt to go over t= he wall. I was with the Food Not Bombs affinity group that would try to go over th= e wall. A dozen of us sat on a ledge just below the top of the wall. The police th= en moved in to within a few feet of us and at that time it was announced that for violat= ions of international law and for it=92s role in the production of weapons of mas= s destruction, we were here to close down the Pentagon. We then stood up and attempted to = walk toward the Pentagon but were pushed back by the police. Two of us began to dive to = the ground on the pentagon side of the wall. Practicing our best nonviolent non- cooperation we were half carried half dragged down the steps to the other side of the wall. = We new the preferred tactic of the police was not to arrest us but we were determine= d to test the limits of that tactic. After 5 attempts to get through the police, two o= f us were finally arrested. The command was given by a person in a black uniform without any insignias. He was a part of one of many different police forces (soldier= s) that were there to make sure that the pentagon=92s plans of death and destruction continued. Within the next 15 minutes, four more were persistent enough to get arres= ted =96 one merely for waving a US flag upside down. It was obvious that the police = had been ordered not too make any arrests. Arrests make news and Pentagon officia= ls wanted to make this as much a non-news event as possible. Nine more protestors wer= e arrested for blocking an access road to the pentagon. Although we were all booked by = the Defense Protective Service, we were released and later found out that there would= be no charges filed. All total 36 were arrested during the daylong event - 21 taken into cust= ody early in the day at the Pentagon Metrostation station and the remaining 15, arrest= ed on charges they tried to block two other entrances to the Pentagon. About 100 had committed to risking arrest. Many others attempted to block the different entrances t= o the Pentagon but were carried or pushed out of the way even after repeated attempts to shut the Pentagon down. In spite of the reality that we did not shut the Pentagon down, for a day= we got the word out all across the country that the bloated military budget has got = to go. Combined with the media bus tour we reached thousands that would otherwis= e remain in the dark about the massive amount of money that the Pentagon drains form much needed services thus in effect weakening this country Because of this action w= e are one step closer to the dream of the day when the Pentagon will be not the symbol o= f war but a symbol of human needs met; when the $1.7 billion is spent on health care= , education, the environment, housing and jobs. - - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 01 Nov 1998 16:28:47 +1100 From: hcaldic Subject: Re: (abolition-usa) FWD: Re: SpaceNews: Energy / Plutonium Peace through Reason wrote: > > Reply-To: renergy@lists.kz > Date: Fri, 30 Oct 1998 22:42:37 -0500 (EST) > From: Mark Gubrud > Subject: Re: SpaceNews: Energy / Plutonium > > << > Huge rockets will launch NASA's deep-space missions early > in the next millennium, first to Europa, one of Jupiter's moons, > and later to Pluto. > ... > power cells in the space probes will convert heat that is > supplied by plutonium into electrical power. > >> > > At the risk of being called (again) a "government scientist" or > something equally ugly, I offer the following OPINION: > > All the concern about NASA's use of plutonium batteries has been > and is a bit silly. It is a shame that (apparently former) > anti-nuclear weapons activists such as Michio Kaku and Helen > Caldicott have lent themselves to these antinuke reunions which > are profoundly embarassing to the community that fought the nuclear > power industry to a standstill and helped put the brakes on the > nuclear arms race but seems to have lost its vision under the > New World Order. A few pounds of plutonium, exquisitely well > protected against being released into the environment in the > (admittedly very possible) event of a launch accident, are a > ridiculously irrelevant threat at a time when thousands of nuclear > weapons remain in the inventories of the major powers, Russia > teeters on the edge of chaos, the non-proliferation treaty regime > is threatened with collapse, the US remains committed to a path > that will result in evisceration of the ABM Treaty and deployment > of space weapons, and we face a new century laden with the > promise and threat of technologies many times more powerful than > even those we have today. But there is apparently no appetite > to take on these very serious and scary issues. Instead, it > seems the old antinukers would prefer to gather in Florida to > protest a symbol that probably everybody understands is of no real > consequence. It is the very silliness of this gathering that > makes it attractive to people. Meanwhile, the real storms are > quietly brewing... > > Mark Gubrud > > _______________________________________________________________________ > > * Peace Through Reason - http://prop1.org - Convert the War Machines! * > _______________________________________________________________________ > > - > To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" > with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. > For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send > "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. Mark, Every issue you mentioned are of supreme importance, never to be ignored, don't worry, we are working on all of them, Helen Caldicott - - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 02 Nov 1998 11:11:34 -0500 From: Lisa Ledwidge Subject: (abolition-usa) Reminder Please vote Tuesday, November 3rd. - - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 02 Nov 1998 11:21:05 +0000 From: "Phyllis Turner Jepson/Local-Regional Coord." Subject: Re: (abolition-usa) IEER Disarmament Resource Please send a copy to: Phyllis Turner Jepson Pax Christi USA - Local/Regional Coordinator 442 33rd Street West Palm Beach, FL 33407 Many thanks. Peace, Phyllis At 09:37 AM 10/30/98 -0500, you wrote: >=================================================== > Disarmament/De-alerting Resource Available > >The Institute for Energy and Environmental Research has just released a >double issue of its newsletter, "Science for Democratic Action," which >covers many aspects of nuclear disarmament and de-alerting. > >This issue examines technical and other requirements for achieving enduring >nuclear disarmament; the role of treaties; de-alerting measures that can be >achieved before the end of 1999; and post-Cold War threats, such as >accidental nuclear war, black markets in nuclear materials, and research >that could lead to the development of pure fusion weapons. Also presented >is an extensive plan for urgent, short-term, medium-term, and long-term >disarmament measures. > >Articles in this issue: > > -Achieving Enduring Nuclear Disarmament > -De-Alerting: A First Step > -Treaties Are Not Enough > -Pure Fusion Weapons? > -The Nature of Post-Cold War Nuclear Dangers > -The South Asian Nuclear Crisis > -and more... > >You will also find regular features of IEER's newsletter, such as "Dr. >Egghead" (a guide to nuclear jargon), and the Atomic Puzzler (a chance for >you to sharpen your technical skills and have some fun doing it). > >The newsletter is free and is available from IEER. If you would like a >copy, ether reply to this message (ieer@ieer.org), or call IEER at >301-270-5500. You can also request bulk copies. This newsletter will be >posted on our website (www.ieer.org) in the next week or so. > > >************************************************************ >* Hisham Zerriffi * >* Project Scientist Phone: (301) 270-5500 * >* Institute for Energy Fax: (301) 270-3029 * >* and Environmental Research E-mail: hisham@ieer.org * >* 6935 Laurel Ave. Suite 204 Web: www.ieer.org * >* Takoma Park, MD 20912 * >************************************************************ > > >- > To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" > with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. > For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send > "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. > +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Phyllis Turner Jepson Pax Christi USA Local/Regional Coordinator paxwpb@gate.net - - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------ End of abolition-usa-digest V1 #35 ********************************** - To unsubscribe to $LIST, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe $LIST" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message.