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Who is my neighbor (USA)?
an article by Blog of Transform Now Plowshares
"An elderly Catholic nun and two other peace
activists have been convicted of breaking into a
key U.S. nuclear weapons facility and defacing the
property. . . The trio cut through security fences
and spray-painted nonviolent messages on a
building that houses hundreds of tons of highly
enriched uranium, the material used in the making
of atomic weapons. Federal prosecutors said the
trio's actions caused thousands of dollars in
damage, and forced operations at the Y-12 complex
to shut down for two weeks.
- Voice of America
Transform Now Plowshares
click on photo to enlarge
Dear friends,
First, the facts. Greg, Megan, and Michael were
found guilty today (May 9) of both counts brought
against them — sabotage and depredation of
government property — and they were remanded from
the courtroom as we sang them rounds of “Rejoice
in the Lord Always,” and “Vine and Fig Tree.” The
prosecution has stated that the defendants stand
convicted of a “crime of violence”; if this is the
case, law requires that they remain in prison
until sentencing. They will spend the night in
jail, and we will return to the courtroom tomorrow
at 9:00 to see what the judge will decide.
In light of these heavy facts, it might seem
irrelevant to share with you the evidence
presented today in the courtroom. But truth-
telling deserves to be celebrated — even if the
jury wasn’t swayed, glimmers of truth did make
their way into courtroom, thanks to the sharp
minds and firm convictions of the defendants and
their lawyers. Such good news should be shared.
A lot of evidence was presented today: Francis
finished his questioning of Megan and the
government cross-examined her. Michael, Col. Ann
Wright, and Greg were also questioned and cross-
examined, and lastly the judge read the jury
instructions and allowed closing arguments before
sending the jury out to deliberate.
Greg’s testimony came after the afternoon break,
and in a way it tied together much of what had
been said all day. He called to our attention the
story of the Good Samaritan stopping to help an
injured man on the road to Jericho. We see people
on the roadside lying wounded, and our job is to
do something to stop the violence and help the
victims. Greg outlined the violence that we are
obligated to stop in our world today: the United
States is the only country to have over 700
military bases all over the world; we are the only
nation that uses drones to kill people around the
world; and we use nuclear weapons to threaten
people around the world, weapons whose very
manufacturing causes sickness and death.
(This article is continued in the discussionboard)
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(The following is continued from the main article listed above.)
Jesus tells the parable of the Good Samaritan
because someone has asked him, “Who is my
neighbor?” The answer to this question is a major
point of disagreement between the defense and the
prosecution. “Do you consider yourself an
American?” the government prosecutor asked Sister
Megan Rice. “I believe I am a citizen of the
world,” answered Sister Megan. “Boundaries are
arbitrary.” The prosecutor went on to ask if
Sister Megan had ever protested nuclear weapons by
traveling to nuclear powers other than the United
States. She responded that national borders are
arbitrary lines; each and every human life on the
planet is threatened by the use of nuclear
weapons. Michael too was asked where he
considered home. “I am a citizen of heaven and I
travel here and there,” he replied. We are all
citizens of heaven first; this loyalty takes
precedence over any national allegiance we might
have.
Greg cited a second story too, after the parable:
the story of the Emperor’s New Clothes. . ...more.
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