Tag Archives: Hiroshima

ON THE LINE: September edition features 30 Days of Peace, Caravan of Peace, Los Alamos story and more!

Posted on September 13, 2012 | Comments Off

Compiled by Johnny Zokovitch

Each month, “On The Line” features news items and announcements from around the nation featuring Pax Christi members, local groups, regions and partners. These are gleaned from articles in local newspapers, websites, magazines, and elsewhere.

ALPENA PEACE PEOPLE PAX CHRISTI GROUP SPONSORS 30 DAYS OF PEACE: From the Alpena News – “If participants in this year’s 30 Days of Peace take anything away from attending one of the multitude of planned activities, Sister Mary Hughes hopes it is inner peace. ‘My hope is that initially it will help people as individuals to find a peace within themselves and that will be spread to their relatives, their friends and their neighbors,” Hughes said. “If we have an atmosphere of peace within our community, it will spread. It will affect the leaders we choose for local and state, and our church and civic groups. It will affect the activities in the community and promote wholesome living.” On Sept. 14, An Evening of Poetry, Readings, Blues and Jazz will be held from 7-9 at Cabin Creek Coffee in downtown Alpena. Poems and readings promoting peace will be given by representatives of the local Pax Christi, a Catholic organization that strives to create a world that reflects the peace of Christ. ‘People come to this event who never come to anything else given by LARCC or Pax Christi, so if you have different things, you get different people,’ said Hughes of the wide diversity of events planned for the entire month.” Read the whole story here: http://www.thealpenanews.com/page/content.detail/id/522591/30-Days-of-Peace-initiative-coming-up.html?nav=5042

LONG-TIME PC-FLORIDA, MICHIGAN MEMBER PASSES: In late August, we learned that long-time Pax Christi USA member and local group leader Herb Bazur had died. Herb was 88 years old. Herb was active in Pax Christi USA for many years, including his local participation with Pax Christi groups and members in Michigan, Florida and Indiana. Known for his Pax Christi USA rose tattoo, Herb was often the center of laughter and joy at the many Pax Christi gatherings he and his wife Betty attended. Herb’s family writes in his obituary, “We will work to keep alive the memory of our charismatic and colorful Herb in many ways. He would encourage us to stop and smell the flowers, love our neighbors, walk with the marginalized, vote with poor people in mind, and spread joy.” Read more about Herb here: http://paxchristiusa.org/2012/08/27/obituary-herb-bazur-long-time-pax-christi-usa-leader-age-88/

Caravan of Peace

Pax Christi Texas members participated in the Caravan of Peace in August.

PAX CHRISTI ST. CLOUD PROTESTS AT CAMP RIPLEY: From The Morrison County Record – “The exercises at Camp Ripley usually involve training soldiers and public safety agencies. But the exercises at the National Guard base Monday involved the constitutional right to free speech. A peace vigil/protest was held Monday by the Little Falls Partners for Peace and Occupy Little Falls in front of the gates of Camp Ripley. In addition to several demands, one of the group’s goals was to increase public awareness about the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), often called drones. Two factions with opposing views about war stood across from each other, both literally and figuratively, near the gates of Camp Ripley. Standing north of Highway 115 in front of Camp Ripley’s gates, members of the Little Falls Partners for Peace and Occupy Little Falls held what they termed a “peace vigil” and drone protest. About 14 in all, others were from the Brainerd Area Coalition for Peace, Women Against Military Madness from the Twin Cities, Alternatives to War, St. Cloud Occupy, Pax Christi St. Cloud and Alexandria Peace, joining the Little Falls contingent.” Read more at: http://mcrecord.com/archives/515939/exercise-at-camp-ripley-right-to-free-speech/

NCR ARTICLE ON THE PASSING OF JOSHUA CASTEEL: From NCR’s Tom Roberts – “The news, expected but dreaded, began to leak out on Facebook on Saturday night. Joshua Casteel had died earlier that day. He was 32. And the postings, which seemed endless, as well as those on the site of the Iraq Veterans Against the War and on Pax Christi USA all seemed to ache in trying to say some version of the same thing: How do we tell those who should know about this life of grace and courage, of holiness and unending search, of both consummate resolution and relentless questions? How did he fit it all into such a short time, and how do we explain that the world — the church, the state and beyond — needs to know of this life?” Read more here: http://ncronline.org/blogs/ncr-today/inspirational-soldier-turned-conscientious-objector-dies-lung-cancer-32

PAX CHRISTI NEW MEXICO REMEMBERS HIROSHIMA: From The Santa Fe Reporter – “Members of various activist organizations and local residents against nuclear weapons gathered in Ashley Pond in Los Alamos on Sunday. The rally, which was mainly organized by Pax Christi New Mexico and lasted all afternoon, celebrated the 67th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima during World War II. Dozens of framed pictures of victims and information about the bombing’s aftereffects were scattered around the area to pay homage to the victims. Organizers also established a live stream of the 8:15 am annual bell ringing in Hiroshima, Japan, the precise time the bomb was dropped in 1945. Father John Dear, an Christian anti-nuke activist nominated by Desmond Tutu for the Nobel Peace Prize, called the atomic bomb ‘the biggest sin’ and Los Alamos as its birthplace. ‘We gather here to repent that greatest sin,’ he told the crowd. Read the whole article here: http://www.sfreporter.com/santafe/blog-3714-los-alamos-remembers-hiroshima.html

Proetest at Los Alamos

Pax Chrsti New Mexico members Fr. John Dear and Bud Ryan at the Hiroshima Day event at Los Alamos.

PAX CRISTI MICHIGAN SUPPORTS SCHOOL SALE TO MUSLIM ORGANIZATION: From The Detroit News – “An interfaith coalition plans to demonstrate its support Tuesday night for the sale of a school building owned Farmington Public Schools to a Muslim organization. The sale last year of the former Eagle Elementary School in West Bloomfield for $1.1 million has drawn protests from groups alleging the district showed undue favor to the buyer, the Islamic Cultural Association, which plans to open a school there. Taking ‘a stand against Islamophobia,’ coalition members plan to attend the West Bloomfield Township Planning Commission meeting, which is at 7:30 p.m. The commission is expected to consider issues related to the Islamic group’s construction plans for the site. Coalition members include Jewish Voice for Peace-Detroit, Pax Christi-Michigan, Detroit Meeting of Friends, Michigan Unitarian Universalist Social Justice Network, Unitarian Universalists for Justice in the Middle East, Michigan Coalition for Human Rights, Pointes for Peace and Michigan Coalition for Human Rights. Read more at: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20120814/METRO02/208140446/Controversy-surrounds-sale-school-W-Bloomfield-Muslim-group?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CFRONTPAGE

Upcoming or Ongoing Events:

Sept. 15 – Regional Dialogue in Atlanta, GA: http://paxchristiusa.org/programs/regional-dialogues-2012-13/

Sept. 21 – International Day of Peace: http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs090/1011223557022/archive/1110865699008.html

Sept. 22 – Pax Christi South Dakota Conference with Sr. Helen Prejean: http://presentationsisters.org/vocation-outreach/events/Pax_Flyer_September_2012.pdf

Sept. 29 – Pax Christi Richmond with the Catholic Diocesan Office of Justice and Peace and the Office for Black Catholics will co-sponsor the Slave Trail Walk. Contact Mike at mike.jackman@capitalone.com for more information.

Sept. 29 – Pax Christi Minnesota State Assembly with Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer: http://www.paxchristimn.org/2012/08/18/jack-nelson-pallmeyer-to-headline-minnesota-peace-assembly/

Sept. 29 – Regional Dialogue in Illinois: http://paxchristiusa.org/programs/regional-dialogues-2012-13/

Oct. 20-21 – Pax Christi Florida’s Fall Assembly and Regional Dialogue: http://paxchristiflorida.org/events/

Oct. 27 – Pax Christi Massachusetts Regional Dialogue: http://paxchristiusa.org/programs/regional-dialogues-2012-13/

Quicklinks:

Bishop Thomas Gumbleton, founding Bishop-President of Pax Christi USA, was featured in the Albany Times Union … Many thanks to all of the Pax Christi regions and groups who took out an ad in the Momentum 2012 program booklet. See videos, listen to the speeches and see photos from the event on the PCUSA website … PC Metro DC-Baltimore member Jean Stokan wrote the article, “U.S. Elections: The Whole World is Watching” for the Intercommunity Peace and Justice newsletter … The Archbishop of Abuja, Nigeria, John Onaiyekan has been named Pax Christi International’s 2012 Peace Laureate … At the August 6th remembrance of the bombing of Hiroshima, Japan in WWII at the Quaker Meeting House in West Hartford,CT, PC-Hartford member Kate McLoughlin was a featured speaker … Pax Christi International Co-President Marie Dennis has a series running on the PCUSA website on civil discourse during this election year … Pax Christi Massachusetts board member and PCUSA Ambassador of Peace Nancy Small reflected on the 9/11 anniversary in this blog post … The Pax Christi USA-produced film on Haiti was chosen for another film festival … Heather Brouillet Navarro of PC-St. Louis, Sr. Esther Pineda of PC-Salinas (KS) and historian David O’Brien were elected to the National Council … See more local and regional updates in the summer edition of The Peace Current …

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Posted in Calendar, Local Group News, News, On The Line, Regional Dialogues, Regional Events, Regional News

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CARE FOR CREATION: Why Bill McKibben is the new Noah

Posted on August 20, 2012 | Comments Off

Rose Marie Bergerby Rose Marie Berger

Bill McKibben is a good guy.

He’s a Sunday school teacher. He’s funny and a little shy. But he’s got a bigproblem.

He just got a job from God — and it’s not an easy one. It seems to me that Bill’s been tapped to be the new Noah to our faithless generation.  It’s his job to warn us that we have “grieved the Lord in his heart” and that the flood waters will rise again if we don’t get back to working within our “original contract” and reverse climate change.

Remember the Bill Cosby skit about Noah and the Ark? Noah’s neighbors didn’t think much of him, and Noah himself didn’t know what he was doing half the time. But he had a job to do, and cubit by cubit, two by two, he did it.

Bill’s like that…

You can read this entire article by clicking here.

Rose Marie Berger is an award-winning religion journalist, author, public speaker, poet, and Catholic who specializes in writing about spirituality and art, social justice, war and peace. You can read her blog here.

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Posted in Berger, Blog, Bread for the Journey, Care for Creation

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NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT: Ken Burns got it wrong on Hiroshima, Nagasaki

Posted on August 10, 2012 | 2 Comments

Bud Ryanby Bud Ryan
Pax Christi New Mexico Co-coordinator

Like many people I first became aware of Ken Burns from his marvelous documentary The Civil War. It is a film that I have watched with wonder five or six times since it first aired and I still feel I learn something new each time I’ve watched it. As a rabid Baseball fan I was also intrigued by his Baseball documentary. I have also greatly admired his two latest documentaries Prohibition and National Parks, but where I think Mr. Burns got it wrong was with his World war II documentary The War.

Ken Burns has never been one to shy away from controversy in his films, nor share more info about our history than we ever learned in school. In The War he doesn’t run from telling the story of the Japanese Internment Camps, the segregated military or the hardships that Afro-Americans suffered by trying to get jobs at ship building centers like Mobile Alabama. We are shown the irony of fighting for freedom so people don’t have to live under the yoke of Nazi Germany and Imperialist Japan on the one hand, but denying it to our own citizens on the other. By shining a light on these inconsistencies the film bumps up directly against the patriotic way that most Americans view World war II. In fact for some, you could say the role of the U.S. in that war has taken on almost a sacred mission to restore freedom to subjugated people around the world.

I did not initially watch The War when it aired on PBS because of the way our actions in that war have taken on this sacred persona. I have come to believe because of my own Spirituality as a follower of the Nonviolent Jesus Christ, whom Gandhi called the greatest practitioner of Nonviolence in the history of the world, that ALL wars are wrong. I later bought a copy of the film and was very pleased as I watched the episodes unfold and Mr. Burns told the stories that would somewhat tarnish this sacred cow. He also showed the stark reality of the war by following several individuals and the horrifying times they lived in because of the war, and that despite the so-called glory that too many associate with combat, the real aspects of war are suffering and death. I also hoped that I might catch a glimpse of my Dad who was a medic in the wake of D-Day. As I watched in the back of my mind I was apprehensive to see the last chapter of this story, the dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which were supposedly needed to end the war, wondering how Mr. Burns would tell that part of the story.

My apprehension was because I knew that the reasons for dropping the atomic bombs were probably the most sacrosanct of all the stories from World war II. I knew from reading Gar Alperovitz’s book, The Decision To Use The Atomic Bomb, and from work on the documentary about nuclear weapons that I had made along with Stuart Overbey called The Forgotten Bomb (visit http://forgottenbomb.com to view the trailer), that it was a total fallacy that we had to use those weapons to win the war and that they had saved a million lives, including many Japanese. If anything, waiting to use the atomic bombs cost American lives. Having broken the Japanese codes we knew they were trying to surrender through the Soviet Union and the only thing they were requesting was the safety of the Emperor. When President Truman heard of the successful Trinity test of the first atomic bomb on July 16, 1945 he again insisted that Japan surrender “unconditionally”, and as the Emperor was seen as a god in Japan the war continued on to its horrific conclusion. So the question we should ask ourselves – how many U.S. soldiers died from when we first heard that Japan was looking to surrender until the official “unconditional” surrender on August 15th?

Unfortunately my apprehension proved to be warranted as Ken Burns took the company line regarding the dropping of the bombs. He had several stories from GIs who were horrified about the potential of having to invade the Japanese homeland, and who sincerely felt that the dropping of those atomic bombs saved their lives. But those are assumptions not based on the facts. In our film we have a clip of President Truman recounting his view of World war II and he says that the U.S. had planned to keep the Emperor all along as a means of controlling the Japanese people.

In The Forgotten Bomb we interview Ivan Olrich from the Federation of American Scientists, an organization that was started by many of the Manhattan Project scientists who attempted to get a petition to President Truman asking that there be a demonstration of the bomb for the Japanese high command before it was dropped on any city. Unfortunately the petition never got to Truman and there was no mention of this incident in The War. Mr. Olrich goes on to say that many people believe that the real reason for the dropping of the bombs was to impress the Soviets so they would not get out of line when the war came to an end.

Mr. Burns would certainly not be breaking new ground by putting any of these stories in his film. For the 50th anniversary of Hiroshima, Peter Jennings of ABC News produced a documentary with many of these stories in it prompted by the controversary over displaying the Enola Gaye at the Smithsonian. Many Veterans did not want to deviate from the myth regarding the bombings. Mr. Jennings saw the irony in the fact that one of the things these vets had fought for in the war, the truth, was being buried.

I hope that Mr. Burns will continue for many years to produce and direct documentaries of the quality of Not For Ourselves Alone: The Story of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony, which shine a light on our American story that is to often given short shrift in the history textbooks that we use in school. I also hope that like he did with Baseball he will add an addendum to The War so he will at least tell the other side of the atomic story and let his viewers make their own decision about whether we needed to drop the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki to win the war as Mr. Jennings did. This information is not only an important part of our own history, but of world history as well, as the atomic age started with those bombings. Can this story be told based on what some World war II Vets, who were certainly not privy to any of the intelligence of that time, and who thought that in an invasion of Japan they would lose their lives? Vets, who like the rest of us, have been propagandized into believing the bombs actually “saved” a million lives.

Bud Ryan is the co-coordinator of Pax Christi New Mexico and a filmmaker. His most recent film is The Forgotten Bomb.

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Posted in Blog, Bread for the Journey, Nuclear Disarmament, Peacemakers, Ryan

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NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT: The bells of Hiroshima, in Los Alamos

Posted on August 9, 2012 | 1 Comment

Rev. John Dear, S.J.by Rev. John Dear, S.J.
Pax Christi USA Ambassador of Peace

A hundred and fifty of us gathered on Sunday night, Aug. 5, at Ashley Pond in Los Alamos, New Mexico, at the exact spot where long ago the Hiroshima Bomb was built. Right at 5:15 p.m — 8:15 a.m. Monday morning, Aug. 6 in Japan — we heard live, thanks to the wonders of the Internet, the ringing of the Peace Bell in Hiroshima.

It was deeply moving. Each year, thousands gather in Hiroshima in Peace Park to commemorate the 1945 U.S. atomic bombing with a ceremony and the ringing of the giant Peace Bell. But here we were, standing in Los Alamos where the bomb was made, listening live over our sound system to the deep sound of the bell in Hiroshima. For once, people in Hiroshima and Los Alamos were connected in commemorating the U.S. bombing. It was a holy moment.

After we heard the solemn bell several times, all hundred and fifty of us processed in silence two by two up Trinity Boulevard toward Oppenheimer Way and the main entrance of LANL, the Nuclear Weapons Laboratories.

At 5:45 p.m. precisely, we each donned sackcloth and poured ashes on the sidewalk and sat down in strict silence, using this ancient biblical symbol of “sackcloth and ashes” to “repent of the mortal sin of nuclear weapons and beg the God of peace for the gift of disarmament.”

We sat in contemplative prayer for thirty minutes. Cars passed by. Clouds hung overhead. And you could hear a pin drop….

To read the entire article, click here.

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Posted in Ambassadors of Peace, Blog, Bread for the Journey, Dear, Nonviolence, Nuclear Disarmament, Prayer, Sharing Wisdom

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NAGASAKI DAY: Transfiguration, a poem by Martha Keys Barker

Posted on August 9, 2012 | Comments Off

Behold Nagasaki, Hiroshima
their mountains splendid with atomic fire
their peoples transfigured
by atomic blast,
their survivors
writhing in the valley
begging some splendid Christ
to touch and make whole.

Behold the radiant Bomb:
defying the law
Behold, and be struck dumb
by unspeakable terror.

Feast of Disfiguration borne not of the mountain’s vision
but of dumb demons refusing to see in other—
sister and brother
seeing only
enemy
building always walls
to keep the other out . . .

“Now there are only two ways to walk:
Toward the radiance of the transfigured Christ
or the radiance of the Bomb.”……
towards the radiance that glorifies,
or the radiance that vaporizes.

“This day I set before you life and death, a blessing and a curse:
Choose this day
whom you will serve.”

(Thanks to Pax Christi Florida for sending this poem.)

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Posted in Nuclear Disarmament, Prayer, Reflection

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ON THE LINE: August edition features Hiroshima Day actions, PC members supporting the Sisters, and more!

Posted on August 8, 2012 | 2 Comments

Compiled by Johnny Zokovitch

Each month, “On The Line” features news items and announcements from around the nation featuring Pax Christi members, local groups, regions and partners. These are gleaned from articles in local newspapers, websites, magazines, and elsewhere.

HIROSHIMA DAY WITNESS: Numerous Pax Christi local groups from around the nation participated in events, prayer services, and public actions to commemorate the first atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima 67 years ago. Here is a sampling of what groups did: Pax Christi New Mexico members hosted their annual “Sack Cloth and Ashes” vigil at Los Alamos. Pax Christi Metro New York hosted prayer, talk, and a public witness to express opposition to nuclear weapons with historian David Watt providing a historical critique of the bombings and Leila Zand, Middle East Program Director from Fellowship of Reconciliation, sharing a contemporary look at the nuclear threat with Iran. Pax Christi Metro D.C.-Baltimore members joined others at the Pentagon where members of the Atlantic Life Community were arrested for nonviolent action. Pax Christi-St. Maurice Church in S. Florida held a special evening of remembrance that included speakers and Japanese drumming. Members of Pax Christi Rochester (MN) lit peace lanterns to illuminate the threat of nuclear war. Pax Christi of Pomona Valley (CA) sponsored a peace vigil.

Hiroshima Day Action

Nonviolent action on Hiroshima Day at the museum where the Enola Gay is displayed in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Ted Majdosz)

PAX CHRISTI MICHIGAN SUPPORTS LCWR: On their website, PC-MI writes, “We are writing to assure LCWR that Pax Christi Michigan stands firmly in support of your members throughout the United States AND in absolute opposition to the Vatican decree issued against you on April 18, 2012. We are deeply saddened by the decree contents and want you to know that we stand in awe of the positions you have taken and the leadership you have given through your prophetic works over these many years. Moreover, Pax Christi Michigan is a proud signatory of the Pax Christi International letter of support which was issued just a few weeks ago, publically declaring our solidarity with LCWR in praise of your work. PCM joined other National Sections, including Pax Christi USA, and numerous PC Regional Members as signatories of this powerful letter…” To read the entire letter, click here: http://paxchristimi.wordpress.com/2012/08/04/open-letter-to-the-leadership-conference-of-women-religious-from-pax-christi-michigan/

Supporting the Sisters

Members of Pax Christi Indianapolis support women religious outside the Cathedral. (Photo courtesy of Val Fillenwarth)

WOMEN OF GOD SLIDESHOW: Former Pax Christi USA Development Director Jo Clarke has put together an excellent slideshow called “Women of God” which is now playing on the Erie Benedictines’ website. At a time when our women religious have come under Vatican criticism, this slideshow really celebrates the incredible, diverse ministries of our Sisters. Click here to see the slideshow: http://eriebenedictines.org/

PAX CHRISTI HARRISBURG (PA) LEADER PASSES: Patricia Mary Schulder “wasn’t afraid to get arrested across from the White House for protesting the Vietnam War — and did. She wasn’t afraid to hold an anti-war sign in front of the federal building in downtown Harrisburg — and did that, too. [She] believed it wasn’t enough to hope and pray for peace and justice. She also worked for it… ‘Pat made a difference in the world,’ said Mary Hertzel of Harrisburg, a fellow member of Pax Christi. ‘She came to peace vigils at noon at the Federal Building. She held posters about ending war. She always worked for peace. She also gave great Christmas parties and served delicious food. We will miss her very much.’ Read the entire story at bit.ly/NRZmB2

SUPPORT FOR JUSTICE FOR JANITORS: Dave and Peggy Atwood of Pax Christi Houston were arrested in support of the Justice for Janitors campaign. Dave also delivered a powerful letter of support to janitors organizing for their rights in that city. This is an excerpt from his message: “his is not a matter of supply and demand as some in the business world would like to say.  This is a question of basic justice.  Paying poverty wages to someone to do an essential job is just plain unjust. And so I say to the large companies who are making record profits and to their CEOs who are earning millions of dollars each year, treat these workers right!  If you do so, your company will do better and the Houston economy will benefit.  And I say to the janitors and other low-wage workers of Houston: ‘Stand your ground, my brothers and sisters!  Your cause is just and God will bless you.’” Click here to see their video in support of the campaign: http://youtu.be/PqU3yk9-7B0. Click here to see photos from the action in which Dave and Peggy were among those arrested: http://www.chron.com/business/article/Protesters-block-intersection-in-support-of-3716827.php?cmpid=emailarticle&cmpid=emailarticle

Upcoming or Ongoing Events:

July 1-August 9 – Forty Day Fast for the Truth of Gospel Nonviolence, http://lifeofanunorsister.blogspot.com/2012/07/forty-day-fast-for-truth-of-gospel.html

August 5-9 – Faith and Resistance Retreat in Washington, D.C., commemorating the nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki; contact Art Laffin at artlaffin@hotmail.com for more information

Sept. 7 – Momentum 2012 with Bishop Gumbleton, Bishop Kevin Dowling and Teacher of Peace Ruben Garcia at Trinity University in Washington, D.C., http://paxchristiusa.org/programs/momentum-2012/

Sept. 15 – Regional Dialogue in Atlanta, GA: http://paxchristiusa.org/programs/regional-dialogues-2012-13/

Sept. 21 – International Day of Peace

Sept. 29 – Pax Christi Richmond with the Catholic Diocesan Office of Justice and Peace and the Office for Black Catholics will co-sponsor the Slave Trail Walk. Contact Mike at mike.jackman@capitalone.com for more information.

Sept. 29 – Regional Dialogue in Illinois: http://paxchristiusa.org/programs/regional-dialogues-2012-13/

Quicklinks:

PC Pacific NW member Nick Mele writes on various peace and justice topics on his blog, The Disconnect … Pax Christi Florida member Pat Mahon reflects on Hiroshima on his blog, ChristFaithPower … Pat O’Neill had his letter in support of the Transform Now Plowshares published in the Knoxville (TN) newspaper … Pax Christi El Paso is showing “The Good War and Those Who Refused to Fight It” for August … PC Metro NY Director Rosemarie Pace was quoted in a comment on the New York Daily News’ website regarding the theater attack in Aurora … Pax Christi Mariposa hosted a speech by Dan Flaming of the Economic Roundtable in July … Pax Christi members in the Bay-Area (CA) are supporting Hyatt housekeepers in their boycott of Hyatt Hotels … Pax Christi Illinois member Tom Cordaro has a series running on the PCUSA website critiquing the theology and practice of nonviolence from an anti-racist perspective … See more local and regional updates in the summer edition of The Peace Current …

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Posted in Calendar, Local Group News, News, On The Line, Regional Dialogues, Regional Events, Regional News

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HIROSHIMA DAY: Six arrested at the Pentagon on Hiroshima anniversary

Posted on August 7, 2012 | 1 Comment

Hiroshima Day action

by Art Laffin

Today, the 67th anniversary of the U.S. nuclear bombings of Hiroshima, and feast of the Transfiguration, members of the Atlantic Life Community held nonviolent actions at the Pentagon and the Enola Gay war plane which is on display at the Udvar-Hazy Air and Space museuum.

Wearing sack cloth and ashes, carrying photos of bombing victims, and holding one banner calling for repentance of the bombing and another banner which read: Why Harbor Evil Thoughts in Your Hearts? (Mt. 9:4), about 15 peacemakers held a mostly silent witness at the Pentagon. In between periods of silence we read the Transfiguration Gospel account and a short poem by Dan Berrigan, S.J. (see below), and offered a song about a Hiroshima child, “I Come and Stand.” Following the song, the group processed out of the fenced off designated protest area and six went onto the sidewalk near the Pentagon metro entrance and remained there to pray in silence. After several warnings, the six were placed under arrest and taken to a new processing site on the Pentagon grounds, formerly used as day care center. They were charged with violating a lawful order and released with a court date on Oct. 19.

At the Udvar-Hazy Museum about nine people held a solemn witness at the enshrined refurbished Enola Gay warplane to remember the victims of Hiroshima, and all victims of the nuclear age, and to call for the abolition of all nuclear weapons and war. As a banner was unfurled security personnel immediately confiscated the banner. However we were allowed to hold several photos of Hiroshima victims. We ended the witness by offering Dan’s poem “Shadow on the Rock” and singing “I Come and Stand.” We were then escorted out of the building by security as we sang “Child, Child.”

Those arrested at the Pentagon:

  • Adrea Eiland, currently at Jonah House
  • Luke Hansen, Jesuit scholastic from Wisconsin
  • Beth Brockman, popular educator and peace activist from Raleigh, NC
  • Bill Frankel-Streit, Little Flower Catholic Worker in Virginia
  • Rosemary Thompson, Executive Director, Murphy Initiative for Peace and Justice, Baltimore, MD
  • Art Laffin, Dorothy Day Catholic Worker in Washington, DC

Shadow on the Rock
by Daniel Berrigan, S.J.

At Hiroshima there’s a museum
and outside that museum there’s a rock,
and on that rock there’s a shadow.
That shadow is all that remains
of the human being who stood there on August 6, 1945
when the nuclear age began.
In the most real sense of the word,
that is the choice before us.
We shall either end war and the nuclear arms race now in this generation,
or we will become Shadows On the rock.

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Posted in Nuclear Disarmament

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