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Where I am and my setencing statement


Hello blog-readers! I have not written here for a while. These are tough economic times, and Matthew and are trying to cope with them on a very personal level. I continue to job search for something full-time with a decent salary, but I am glad to have returned to CCHS for now. My own circumstances and feelings about the state of things in our country has lead me to decide to basically quit being an activist-organizer (for free) within the peace and justice movement. Those who continue to carry a lionshare of the load for this movement have my respect. I do not regret any of my actions for peace and justice, but I realize now is the time to start a new chapter in my life.

Here is my sentencing statement in the Kerry case involving Ellen, Eve and myself:

Good morning Judge Liebowitz.

On May 21st, Eve Tetaz, Ellen Barfield, Steve Mihalis and I spoke during a senate foreign relations committee hearing. We provided public testimony. Public witness. Nothing more. Nothing less. We believe it is part of our obligations as citizens to be active participants in our democracy and voice our concerns when it is necessary. Myself, I quoted Senator John Kerry's own 1971 anti-war warning to him. I wanted to remind him of who he was as a young man disillusioned with a tragic and misdirected war he had been embroiled in. I wanted to plead with John Kerry to help end this tragic and misdirected war which has now gone on twice as long as World War II for our nation. We were nonviolent, and there were no victims. We were trying to prevent the continued victimization of innocent Afghans at the hands of our own military might.

I work as an archivist with the Chevy Chase Historical Society. I have a master's degree in library and information science from Catholic University of America where I completed my coursework in 2008 with a 3.93 GPA.

I do not have children of my own, but I do have two nephews and one niece, and I hope for a more peaceful and just world for them when they become adults. They are the main reasons I became involved in the peace and justice movement five years ago, because I believed hope alone was not sufficient. This month, President Obama announced 30,000 more troops will be sent to Afghanistan and tens of billions of dollars more, in addition to what is already being spent on this tragic and misdirected war, will be wasted. This is folly and harmful to our own country where more than half of our tax dollars are spent on past, present and future military expenditures. Obama argues that this is a just war. I disagree. It is a war based on revenge and aggressive domination.

We are people of conscience. We believe in improving our communities, our nation and the world. We are also responsible individuals and we stand before you today to accept our sentence. Thank you.

Comments

Anonymous said…
$550 in fines! Geez, that's a week's worth of food in your house!!
PeteinDC said…
It's a little more than a month in our 1 bedroom apartment. My partner works 28 hours a week at Starbucks now. I also am working part-time.

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