Street Spirit Volume 20, No. 9 September 2014 Donation: $1.00 A publication of the American Friends Service Committee JUSTICE NEWS & HOMELESS BLUES IN THE B AY A REA A Quaker’s Ceaseless Quest for a World Without War by Terry Messman uring a long lifetime spent working for peace and social justice, David DHartsough has shown an uncanny instinct for being in the right place at the right time. One can almost trace the mod- ern history of nonviolent movements in America by following the trail of his acts of resistance over the past 60 years. His life has been an unbroken series of sit-ins for civil rights, seagoing blockades of munitions ships sailing for Vietnam, land blockades of trains carrying bombs to El Salvador, arrests at the Diablo nuclear reac- tor and the Livermore nuclear weapons lab, Occupy movement marches, and interna- tional acts of peacemaking in Russia, Nicaragua, Kosovo, Iran and Palestine. It all began at the very dawn of the Freedom Movement when the teenaged Hartsough met Martin Luther King and Ralph David Abernathy at a church in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1956 as the min- isters were organizing the bus boycott at the birth of the civil rights struggle. Next, while at Howard University, Hartsough was involved in some of the first “Where have all the flowers gone?” David Hartsough is arrested by police in San Francisco for blocking Photo credit: sit-ins to integrate restaurants in Arlington, Market Street in an act of civil disobedience in resistance to the U.S. invasion of Iraq. Karl Mondon Virginia — white-hot confrontations that were violently attacked by white suprema- that gained international attention after when a munitions train ran over Willson, Diablo Canyon nuclear reactor. When the cists and the American Nazi Party. activists in small boats sailed directly into severing his legs and fracturing his skull. anti-nuclear power movement evolved into Just as Hartsough was present at Dr. the path of the USS Nitro. When seven Two months later, in November 1987, a movement against nuclear weapons, he King’s first campaign in Alabama, he also sailors jumped overboard to join the peace Concord police broke Hartsough’s arm was arrested repeatedly at Livermore Lab. was arrested for taking part in the slain civil flotilla’s resistance to the Vietnam War, it while violently removing him from those During a massive uprising in Kosovo, rights leader’s very last campaign, the Poor made headlines across the country. same tracks where he was blocking a train. he was arrested for conducting nonviolent People’s Campaign in 1968. He was standing right next to his friend Hartsough also was arrested in one of trainings, and the jailing of U.S. activists During the Vietnam War, Hartsough Brian Willson during a blockade of the most momentous anti-nuclear actions in helped organize a seagoing Peace Blockade weapons shipments to Central America, our nation’s history, the blockade of the See Quaker’s Quest for A World page 6 Young Artists Take a Stand for Prisoners’ Rights “Here at Youth Spirit Artworks, I’m trying to incorporate what I think freedom means in my art, as well as trying to spread the awareness of how people are taking others’ freedom away.” — Julia Tello, Youth Spirit Artworks by Lydia Gans cerated, and, when they are released, stig- matizing them with a felony record that his autumn, Californians will have makes them permanently disadvantaged in the opportunity to vote for a ballot seeking a decent living. proposition that promises to bring a T Passage of Proposition 47 can make a degree of fairness to the criminal justice significant difference in their lives. The system. Proposition 47, Reduced Penalties importance of this speaks to at-risk youth for Some Crimes Initiative, would reduce in our own community. Youth Spirit the penalties for most nonviolent crimes Artworks (YSA) is an interfaith art train- from felonies to misdemeanors. ing program dedicated to empowering and Furthermore, the significant amount of providing job training to homeless and money that would be saved by keeping low-income young people, ages 16 to 25. many minor offenders out of prison is YSA is located in a large studio space designated for mental health and sub- on Alcatraz Avenue in Berkeley. Here the stance abuse treatment, for programs to young people create art that they can sell, help young people most at risk of drop- for example the individually designed tote ping out of school, and for services for bags they’re currently selling at Berkeley victims of crime. Bowl. They also create art for the commu- Among the crimes that would be sen- nity, including some beautiful murals. tenced as misdemeanors instead of felonies From time to time, the young artists have are drug possession, shoplifting and petty exhibits in local venues. theft no greater than $950. It is these crimes It is through their art that many of the that are currently keeping inordinately large Young artists Alasia Ayler, Brianna Pierce and Vernon Neely display Lydia Gans numbers of poor and minority people incar- photo See Youth Spirit Artworks page 16 their artistic statement: “You ain't gotta be in jail to be doing time.” 2 S TREET S PIRIT September 2014 West Grand Hotel Sued by City of Oakland

“This is the worst housing con- dition I have ever encountered in my practice, and the level of tenant abuse is obscene. I com- mend the City of Oakland for taking this place down.” — Oakland attorney Andrew Wolff by Lynda Carson akland City Attorney Barbara Parker filed a lawsuit against the West Grand Hotel due to O“unsafe, inhumane living con- ditions.” The hotel, located at 641 W. Grand Avenue in Oakland, is a single room occupancy (SRO) hotel, primarily for low-income and disabled tenants The West Grand Hotel is owned by Oakland JMO LLC, a Georgia company not licensed to do business in California, according to the Oakland City Attorney. According to the Oakland City Attorney, the lawsuit filed in Alameda County Superior Court on August 4 asked the court to declare the West Grand Hotel a public nuisance and to shut it down for a one-year period. The suit also seeks damages for years of unpaid Rent Program service fees and asks for substantial civil penalties and The West Grand Hotel has been sued by the Oakland City Attorney for slum conditions and dangerous code violations. damages from the owners. The lawsuit asks the court to appoint a JMO LLC, Omid Razi, Richard Spitler code violations throughout the building. receiver to take control of the hotel, relo- and Mi Hwa Spitler own or manage the Oakland JMO LLC was incorporated I Like Blight cate the tenants and make necessary West Grand Hotel. in Georgia in May 24, 2012, only two by Carol Denney repairs, with the owners responsible for Omid Razi has a personal injury law weeks before the company bought the I like blight all costs. The lawsuit also asks the court office in Beverly Hills called the Razi Law West Grand. However, the principal where the rent is low to order the owners to live at the West Group. Numerous websites list Richard address for the corporation is 8383 where the music’s hot Grand Hotel until the nuisance is abated. Spitler as the manager of the hotel, and Wilshire Blvd, Suite 450, in Beverly and the street’s a show The lawsuit was filed against the West according to Advanced Back Ground Hills. The Razi Law Group’s main office and you can’t predict Grand Hotel and its owners for failing to Checks, Mi Hwa Spitler resides in San is located at 8383 Wilshire Blvd, Suite any page you turn abate building code violations, failure to Leandro, and is also known as Mi Pitler. 610, Beverly Hills, CA 90211. The firm and the shadows cry pay rent program service fees, violation of Also, the lawsuit charges that the com- also has office locations in Carlsbad, and the echoes burn hotel, motel, and rooming house operating pany that owns the West Grand Hotel, Sacramento, Palo Alto, San Francisco, and the kids run wild standards, violation of hotel rates and reg- Oakland JMO LLC, is a corporation orga- San Jose, and in Oakland at 1300 Clay and the trains go by istration requirements. In addition, the nized in the State of Georgia, and is cur- Street, Suite 600. and there is no style City of Oakland charges that the hotel is a rently not in good standing, and is not Attorney Andrew Wolff can be reached at and the papers fly drug nuisance in the neighborhood. licensed to do business in California. 510/834-3300. and you can’t be seen In essence, the City of Oakland is According to the Oakland City Lynda Carson may be reached at ten- ‘cause it’s so intense alleging that the owners of the hotel are Attorney: “For years, the West Grand [email protected] and it’s hard to love slumlords, and some of the residents and Hotel at 641 West Grand Avenue has but it all makes sense their friends at the hotel are involved in been a nuisance to the neighborhood and a The Homeless and the pressure’s fierce drug-related activities. danger to the dozens of people who live by Claire J. Baker ‘cause they want that juice The suit describes extremely hazardous there. The property has long been a center but it’s all on fire and filthy conditions at the hotel and of drug activity, including sales, storage might not slip through and it won’t kick loose “extensive violation of numerous fire and and distribution of cocaine and heroin. the social and and it can’t be bought building codes.” Also, the suit charges the Since April 2013, Oakland police have economic safety net and it can’t be sold hotel owners and managers with allowing arrested at least 23 people for drug sales if the net didn't have and it’s all it’s got heroin, cocaine and other illegal drugs to and other drug crimes connected to the so many invisible and it’s never old be sold in and around the hotel. property, and officers have recovered holes. Or the net was I love blight As of 7:35 p.m. on August 11, the firearms and large amounts of drugs pack- not made so flimsy ‘cause they walk right by phone number for the hotel was no longer aged for sale inside the building.” from the Get-Go! not a thing to see in service. No one was available for com- There is no mention in the lawsuit that not a thing to buy ment. The West Grand Hotel was still the owners or managers of the hotel have no appointments here occupied on August 12, and tenants could been arrested for allowing the alleged BANG! BOOM! no lunch at two be seen coming and going from the hotel, criminal activity to occur on their property by Claire J. Baker ‘cause it’s cheap and rough and a man could be seen sitting at the at the hotel. Having served & survived and black and blue front desk. However, a sign in the front of It appears that the poor people residing a country's premeditated war — and they walk real fast the building said “No Visitors,” and the at the hotel are being demonized by the (legalized murder & mayhem) with their bags clutched tight front door was locked. City of Oakland, and are being displaced survivors may face: and their keys held hard Oakland Attorney Andrew Wolff has from their housing, and possibly from PTSD, in the bright blue light clients at the hotel and said: “This is the West Oakland — which the City and divorce papers, worst housing condition I have ever wealthy developers want to gentrify under and it all makes sense a dissolved family, encountered in my practice, and the level the West Oakland Specific Plan (WOSP). as the moon goes numb loss of limb(s) or mind; of tenant abuse is obscene. I commend the At the time the lawsuit was filed they’re ashamed they went social maladjustment, City of Oakland for taking this place against the West Grand Hotel, the City of but they all took some survival guilt — down.” Oakland simply claimed that dozens of and it was so good all post-war tickets Wolff added, “I have clients at the people lived there as tenants or occupants, and it was so right for the embattled land hotel and we intend to prosecute our case but there is no mention in the lawsuit as to and it was so wrong of homelessness where to the fullest extent of the law against the how many tenants they are actually talk- on a perfect night no one wins, because owners. I hope the city settles with these ing about. Nor does the lawsuit mention and they don’t look back to survive takes people so they not only pay a fine, and how many rooms are in the single room ‘cause they might get caught special skills for which relocate the tenants, but also agree not to occupancy hotel, where people share bath- in the undertow one is not trained. own rental property in Oakland again.” rooms throughout the building. of perfumed rot Omid Razi, Richard Spitler and Mi According to knowledgeable sources, Good people, and love and death Hwa Spitler also were named in the law- the occupants of the hotel have been resid- where are we going and hate and heart suit as defendants. According to the suit, ing in dangerous, slum-like conditions, and with war after war and steam and spit the City of Oakland believes that Oakland the lawsuit alleges that there are numerous after war? and fire and art September 2014 S TREET S PIRIT 3 United Nations Committee Condemns the Criminalization of Homelessness in the U.S.

The art of Art Hazelwood reminds us that homeless people have human rights, yet their constitutional rights are constantly violated by political officials and the police. by Jeremy Rosen, NLCHP following a two-day review of U.S. gov- NLCHP, was in Geneva for the hearings to intensify efforts to find solutions for the ernment compliance with the International and stated, “The Committee’s review also homeless in accordance with human rights WASHINGTON, D.C. — The United Convention on the Elimination of All addressed the broader criminalization of standards; and (c) Offer incentives to Nations Committee on the Elimination of Forms of Racial Discrimination, a treaty race, highlighted by recent protests in decriminalize homelessness, including Racial Discrimination in Geneva today ratified by the U.S. government in 1994. Ferguson, Missouri, around the killing of financial support to local authorities that stated it is “concerned at the high number The National Law Center on Michael Brown. Because homelessness implement alternatives to criminalization, of homeless persons, who are dispropor- Homelessness & Poverty (NLCHP), disparately affects racial minorities, and and withdrawing funding from local author- tionately from racial and ethnic minorities which had submitted a report to the U.N. because homeless persons are often more ities that criminalize homelessness.” ... and at the criminalization of homeless- Committee as part of the review process, visible on the streets, this often com- ness through laws that prohibit activities The National Law Center on Homelessness applauded the Committee’s findings. pounds their profiling and ill-treatment by & Poverty is a national organization providing such as loitering, camping, begging, and “Criminally punishing people simply police. Until the U.S. reduces racial dis- legal and legislative advocacy, advocacy train- lying in public spaces.” for having no legal place continues to put parities in housing, we’re going to contin- ing, public education, and impact litigation. The U.N. Committee called upon the the U.S. on the wrong foot on the interna- ue to see them in criminal justice, and U.S. government to take corrective action. tional stage,” said Maria Foscarinis, vice versa.” The Committee further included criminal- NLCHP Executive Director. Echoing the recommendations of the Street Spirit ization of homelessness in a short list of The organization issued a major report U.N Human Rights Committee in March, Street Spirit is published by American topics it wants the United States to “provide on the criminalization of homelessness in the U.N. Committee on the Elimination of Friends Service Committee. The ven- detailed information in its next periodic July, and litigates to challenge the practice. Racial Discrimination called on the U.S. to: dor program is run by J.C. Orton. report on concrete measures taken to imple- “We welcome the Committee’s Concluding “(a) Abolish laws and policies making ment these recommendations.” The U.S. Observations and call on our government to homelessness a crime; (b) Ensure close Editor, Layout: Terry Messman government’s next report is due in 2017. take swift action to solve homelessness cooperation among all relevant stakehold- Web designer: Jesse Clarke The U.N. Committee’s statement is with homes, not jails and prisons.” ers, including social, health, law enforce- part of its Concluding Recommendations, Jeremy Rosen, Director of Advocacy at ment and justice professionals at all levels Contributors: Jack Bragen, Lynda Carson, Claire J. Baker, Carol Denney, Lydia Gans, David Hartsough, Art A Republican’s Sojourn on the Street Hazelwood, Karl Mondon, National Law Center on Homelessness and stock market does if you’re on the street. ing a job, since their wages are so low and Poverty, Steve Pleich, Jeremy Rosen How much good does a roaring But Kashkari managed, at the other their rents are so high that they can’t stock market do if you’re living end of his experiment, to disturb not one cover even minimal living expenses, All works copyrighted by the authors. of his free market, pro-growth, anti-regu- which may have introduced him to differ- on the street and sleeping in a lation Republican principles, including ent thoughts about rent control and the The views expressed in Street Spirit arti- park? Ask Neel Kashkari, GOP cutting Social Security and Medicare, minimum wage. cles are those of the individual authors, candidate for governor. overturning the Patient Protection and Kashkari’s personal wealth, at only not necessarily those of the AFSC. Affordable Care Act (also known as around $5 million, is not impressive by Obamacare), weakening collective bar- Republican standards. But it does move by Carol Denney Street Spirit welcomes submissions of gaining, as well as promoting fracking him out of the arena most of us know articles, poems, photos and art. eel Kashkari, Republican candi- and off-short drilling for an oil-based well: the scramble just to stay ahead of Contact: Terry Messman date for governor, spent an economy, policies which may well be bills and obligations, watching the sunset Street Spirit, 65 Ninth Street, Nimpressive seven days sleeping related to the drought currently drying up of dreams we once had for our communi- San Francisco, CA 94103 on park benches and in parking lots trying farm jobs in Fresno. ties, our children, and ourselves as our E-mail: [email protected] and failing to find work in Fresno. After If he’d stuck with it a little longer, if libraries and schools scud along with min- Web: http://www.thestreetspirit.org his fifth day on the streets, he concluded he’d committed to six months or a year of imal funding, our after-school programs that all he needed was a job. job search, as most of us have had to do, are put on hiatus, our arts institutions “I asked myself: What would solve my or used his “free-market” Republican con- sadly compete against each other for Contact Street Spirit problems? Food stamps? Welfare? An nections to insert himself into a low-paid dwindling support. increased minimum wage? No. I needed a retail position while looking for a “good” Let’s respectfully applaud Kashkari’s Vendor Coordinator job. Period.” — Neel Kashkari, Wall job, he would have learned a lot more. week on the streets of Fresno. Let’s The Street Spirit vendor program is Street Journal, July 31, 2014 He would have learned that the tattered encourage him to donate at least one of managed by J.C. Orton. If you have Kashkari’s sojourn illuminated a few safety net for which he has such disdain his millions to the Poverello House shelter questions about the vendor program, issues for him, such as the short radius of needs more, rather than less, funding. He in Fresno. And let’s encourage him to please e-mail J.C. Orton at noscw@sbc- job opportunities for people who need would have learned that a large ratio of continue his experiment, so that his values global.net or call his cell phone at (510) meals from a shelter, exactly how far $40 low-wage workers need that safety net have a more realistic opportunity to get 684-1892. J.C. Orton, P.O. Box 13468, will take you, and how little good a roaring and qualify for food stamps despite hav- some traction in a very real world. Berkeley, CA 94712-4468. 4 S TREET S PIRIT September 2014 Predatory Psychotherapists from Outer Space Science fiction by Jack Bragen he group of 25 or so mentally disabled people sat at a table in the lunchroom and ate pizza Twith great ardor. Some of them, probably without realizing it, grunted while eating. It was a Friday, and in another hour or so, during “talk therapy,” half of the “clients” would doze off. The lunchroom had childlike arts and crafts pinned to the walls, and on the long table was a large jug of water with orange slices — one of the counselors had decid- ed to get fancy. Jonathan Smith hated the therapy venue. He was an intelligent man and believed he was being treated as an idiot. And today was Jonathan’s day for indi- vidual therapy. John had only a poor memory of the talk sessions and suspected he was being hypnotized. Today, John’s therapist probed more intently. The psychoanalyst had an agen- Janice Williams, the therapist, had been told to use an intelligence bobbing unit during da. Jonathan had been found to be too the session. Janice’s commander, who went by a number and not a name — Alpha intelligent. Janice Williams, the therapist, had been told to use an intelligence bob- Centauri aliens didn’t use names — had ordered John’s intelligence reduced. bing unit during the session. Janice’s commander, who went by a number and started reading an article in the magazine Jonathan began to escalate. “How dare Jonathan. He concluded that his would-be not a name — Alpha Centauri aliens he held. He wondered why his psychiatrist you use intimidation as a part of psy- attackers of the previous day were not didn’t use names — had ordered John’s hadn’t yet called him in for his appoint- chotherapy?” going to try filing a false report. The tele- intelligence reduced. ment. And then, the therapist, Janice It was going well. In another few min- phone pole that had been hit had a moder- Jonathan lived with his elderly mother, Williams, stepped into the waiting room, utes, Janice would be justified in sum- ate-sized chunk of wood missing, and and when he got home that day, she knew flanked by two beefy male subordinates. moning a couple of her thugs to subdue now stood with a bit of a slant. something was amiss. “Are you reading that article?” she the unruly mental health client. Janice did not immediately call “Why are you acting like a simpleton?” asked. But then Janice’s pager made a sound. Jonathan into her office. The interstellar she asked. “You’re supposed to be smart.” Jonathan worried. He had shown intel- This particular pager could only receive law enforcement aliens from Sirius had “My therapist did something to me.” ligence by the mere act of reading a maga- messages sent by off-planet beings. She issued her a warning. She put in a phone John’s reply oddly didn’t carry any emo- zine. He replied, “I was just looking at the retrieved it from her waist and looked at call to cancel usage of the thugs whom tion. And his manner was uncharacteristi- pictures.” Jonathan put a finger up his the display. Law enforcement officials she had sent after Jonathan. She hoped the cally zombie-like. nose and then showed Janice a space illus- from Sirius were contacting her. aliens from Sirius would not find her Jonathan’s mother, Melissa, put an tration in the magazine. He managed to Janice said, “I have to take this call. actions too improper. upright index finger in front of Jonathan’s grin stupidly. We will have to continue tomorrow.” Jonathan was unsure of whether he face. “Keep your eyes on this.” She Miss Williams spoke under her breath Jonathan replied, “Gladly. And can I get would get more hard-knuckle handling moved her finger back and forth, up and to her subordinates. “False alarm, you can contact information of your supervisor?” from staff, but felt that he needed to prove down, and in circles. Soon, her son was in go back.” Janice and her two thugs exited I’m tired of this smart-ass human that he wasn’t trying to evade treatment. hypnosis. “Do you remember who you the room. beast, she thought. “I’ll get that to you in Mental health law as well as the structure are?” she asked him. Invaders from Alpha Centauri were our next meeting. This call is urgent. You of the mental health system took a dim “I’m a mentally ill idiot, like the rest.” smaller-framed than most humans, and can go home.” view on “noncompliance.” He paused. He was perplexed. “Why am I wore suits that disguised them as human “Bye. I’ll be looking for a lawyer.” He hadn’t yet looked for a lawyer but an idiot now?” beings. They periodically needed to get out Jonathan stormed out of the office and intended to do so. The day was oddly “It is as I had feared. Your mental of their suits, as it was quite tedious to wear walked out to his car. John looked at his uneventful, and Jonathan relaxed a little bit. health specialists have an ulterior agen- them, and their skin needed to be aired out. wristwatch. It was five-thirty and the *** da.” She sat back in her hard-backed chair The mental health clinic had a basement, parking lot of the mental health clinic was Janice had a meeting with the represen- in front of John, who was on the living which had been built in the 1950s as a fall- vacant except for his vehicle. tative from Sirius, and it had to be done room sofa. “I’m going to try to reactivate out shelter by the previous owners of the When he was about to pull onto the on an invisible spacecraft in orbit. Sirius your higher functions, but now your intel- building. Mental health consumers were not street, a car whizzed past him at a good aliens, due to their form being radically ligence must be kept hidden. Your life permitted into the room. clip, and Jonathan barely hit his brakes on different from earthlings, could not be dis- may depend on it.” Janice Williams was assistant director time. The vehicle blasted an extra loud guised as human. The conversation went Jonathan’s deceased father had been an of Red Bird Mental Health Clinic. She horn. Jonathan turned his head and saw like this: astronomer, and had passed away under also wasn’t born on Planet Earth. When that the vehicle was turning around and “My understanding is that Earth mysterious circumstances. Since then, she shed herself of the suit intended to was soon to be headed back toward him. resources and Earth beasts were catego- Melissa had been an avid reader on the make her look like an earthling, she Without time to think, Jonathan pulled rized as permissible to harvest,” said subject of alien intelligence. At some became a bony, grotesque, scaly creature out of the driveway and onto the street. Janice, the Alpha Centauri alien. “The point, she had abruptly stopped the activi- who would be considered repulsive by a He steered in the direction of the oncom- Jonathan beast is creating too much ty and could not be made to talk about it. human, but to an Alpha Centauri resident ing car, expecting to pass it on the right. inconvenience. We should be allowed to Melissa said, “Tomorrow when you go would seem quite attractive. The driver of that vehicle decided to play bob his intelligence like the rest.” back, keep that mouth shut. If they dis- Janice was oddly obsessed with “chicken” and got in a direct path toward The representative from Sirius said, cover that your faculties have been Jonathan. She was determined that he not Jonathan. In a rush of rage, Jonathan “We’ve looked at the data from Jonathan, restored, they will probably try something be successful in life, as it would set a bad punched his accelerator, realizing also and we think he might be usable to us more drastic.” precedent and it would affect her reputa- that his vehicle was bigger, for a moment instead. He appears to have a good mind, ***** tion as a great spoiler. not caring that this action would probably and we might want to put that to our Jonathan sat in the waiting room of the Janice sat in her office, a cramped room put him in legal jeopardy. usage, or at least breed him.” mental health clinic. The wall had a poster at the very top of the remodeled Victorian Jonathan floored the gas pedal and Janice replied, “We could take a sperm with a picture of a teddy bear wearing a house. She cradled a cup of tea, which was accelerated toward the harassing vehicle. sample.” She paused. “Isn’t he more of a clown hat. The caption read, “I just want universally appealing even while wearing The oncoming car, at the last moment, threat than he is worth?” to be taken seriously.” Jonathan was the awkward suit that made her look like an swerved, barely missing Jonathan, and it The Sirius representative said, “If too offended every time he sat in the waiting earthling. Across from her sat Jonathan, and collided with a telephone pole. Jonathan much docility is bred into the species you room and saw the poster. he seemed to be staring at her, studying her. briskly proceeded home, and didn’t bother stand the risk of creatures that won’t be He picked up a magazine. At that Of course, he could not know. to phone police about the incident. He able to pick up a spoon to even feed them- point, Jonathan realized that the surveil- “Tell me about your father,” Janice assumed that his attackers would not want selves.” lance camera in the waiting room had said. It was a session of psychoanalysis, police attention, either. “That still doesn’t eliminate getting a swiveled to point at him. and it was useful for reducing intelli- The following day at the mental health sperm sample and being rid of him.” The mental health building was a reno- gence. The areas of the brain that were treatment center, Jonathan waited an extra “Doing that would be illegal if you take vated, Victorian-era, two-story house. activated when Jonathan worked to long time in the parking lot, with his car the circumstances into account. Policy dic- Cameras and microphones had been answer a question could be pinpointed idling, so that he could park his car where tates that someone of Jonathan’s character- installed in all parts of it. Presumably, and targeted with the equipment. it would be visible through the large glass istics must be allowed to continue.” someone in an observation room some- “My father is none of your business,” front window of the clinic. John was in a The Alpha Centaurian said, “Do not where was looking at all of the images Jonathan replied. more alerted mode, one that had the poten- repeat this to anyone: I intend to deal with from the cameras. “It was merely a question. Are you tial of snowballing into full paranoia. this man.” Janice’s tone was quite threat- Jonathan tried to be nonchalant, and being compliant with your medication?” There were no police coming to get See Predatory Psychotherapists page 5 September 2014 S TREET S PIRIT 5 Gimme Shelter! by Steve Pleich “Oh, a storm is threat’ning My very life today If I don’t get some shelter Oh yeah, I’m gonna fade away.” — Mick Jagger-Keith Richards Beginning at the federal level and affecting almost every effort to support people experiencing homelessness, the “housing first” model has become the mantra for the new “best practices” approach to creating positive outcomes for the homeless community. Notwithstanding my belief that the best practices approach is simply lazy arith- A homeless man sleeps on the sidewalk in Santa Cruz. Almost no thought is being given to all those left without shelter. metic when applied to a homeless popula- tion that is widely divergent in so many respects, I have serious questions about According to the 2013 Homeless Census and Survey, there are approximately 3,500 men, whether “housing first” is the best, most women and children unsheltered in Santa Cruz County every night. That number is practicable option. I think it is not and I’ll openly acknowledged by the census takers themselves to be underestimated by as much as tell you why. In Santa Cruz, we have an institutional 50 percent! Yet, in the entire county there are fewer than 700 shelter beds available. group wrestling with a best practices- based program called “Smart Solutions” giving voice to this systemic problem. ner, 180/180, has housed 200 individuals rather is solely driven by political will. to homelessness. This group, which Homeless people themselves have been during the past two-and-a-half years. A Indeed, existing law favors the establish- includes civic leaders, faith community consistently vocal on the issue. fine thing, but what of the other 95 per- ment of a “shelter” first model. members, local homeless services agency Every Monday night, Calvary cent of people experiencing homelessness Senate Bill 2 is a California statute representatives and large nonprofit public Episcopal Church in Santa Cruz, known who don’t even qualify for such a pro- enacted in 2008 that provides for designat- benefit organization stakeholders, is advo- by all as the “Red Church,” hosts a cof- gram and yet have a continuing, nightly ed zoning for emergency shelters. But more cating for a “housing first” model as an feehouse and meal for between 125 and need for safe shelter? than that, it provides that any property or answer to the challenge of sheltering our 200 members of our local homeless com- Here’s my point. The finite financial site in a community may be so designated if many unhoused residents. munity. I help out as a server and we resources available to programs created to there is “insufficient shelter space” for the However, in my view, this approach is often speak of the need for shelter and the shelter people experiencing homelessness total number of people experiencing home- impractical in that it all but ignores the lack of real housing. are almost entirely being devoted to “hous- lessness in that community. present reality of our local housing market One comment I hear often is: “I’ve ing” them. Where are the programs that In Santa Cruz and Santa Cruz County, and, worst of all, is seemingly heedless to been on the waiting list for Section 8 build shelter space capacity to accommo- that means that walk-up or armory-style the size, character and complexity of our housing for months and don’t know if I’ll date the vast majority of our homeless pop- emergency shelters can be established local homeless community. ever get housing.” ulation? Where are the year-round “walk- anywhere in the city or county without According to the 2013 Homeless Another comment: “Even if I get my up” shelters? Where are the armory-style government approval because (and here’s Census and Survey, there are approxi- voucher, landlords in Santa Cruz don’t shelters? Where are the designated family where the arithmetic is not lazy), we have mately 3,500 men, women and children want to rent to a person like me.” shelters? Where are the Safe Spaces less than 700 emergency shelter beds to unsheltered in Santa Cruz County every And another: “Housing? You’ve got to Recreational Vehicle Parking Programs for serve a population of 3,500. night. As an aside, that number is openly be kidding. I’m just trying to find some the vehicularly housed? Where are the In our homeless community, there is a acknowledged by the census takers them- shelter at night.” Sanctuary-style villages that could provide “storm threatening their very lives” every selves to be underestimated by as much as And one more: “All the money they transitional shelter for those needing a tem- day. And although many members of 50 percent! say they are spending on housing. What porary starting point for re-entry into the mainstream society wish they would sim- Yet, in the entire county there are about some shelter space?” employment market? ply “fade away,” we must not waiver in fewer than 700 emergency shelter beds These comments are not in the least These options are being ignored, or at the humanitarian effort to recognize their available — and of these, less than 200 unusual and reflect the frustration that per- the very least discounted out of hand. And presence and support their needs. can be accurately described as “emer- meates the homeless experience in this this is precisely why “housing first” mod- There are many men and women of gency” short-term shelter spaces. regard. Yet the glaring lack of safe, avail- els are structurally unsound. They do not, good will who believe that a “housing In this landscape, advocating for hous- able, nightly shelter receives scant consider- and cannot, differentiate between the var- first” model is the best hope for doing just ing first while ignoring the vast, crushing ation when “smart solutions” are so singu- ied and distinct needs of individual groups that and my words here should not be need for simple, safe shelter space is like larly focused on a “housing first” model. within the homeless community. taken to demean those good-faith efforts. advocating for a “rehabilitation first” And here let me draw the critical dis- Not every person experiencing home- But in our national rush to house we model for those suffering from drug tinction between “shelter” and “housing.” lessness wants to be “housed.” Many must not abandon the vision of creating addiction in the absence of any existing Even the most ambitious housing pro- would welcome a safe shelter space but safe shelter space as a fundamental part of programs for that purpose. grams, such as the 100,000 Homes are not prepared to assume the responsi- a holistic approach to creating positive Simply leaving the most vulnerable to Campaign, can only hope to successfully bility that housing imposes. And here I outcomes for people experiencing home- their own devices is not only foolish as house even a fraction of our HUD-defined hasten to add that the overarching prefer- lessness. policy, it is inhumane in practice. And it chronically homeless population. ence for a housing first model is not borne Steve Pleich is an advocate with the Santa is not just advocates like myself who are In Santa Cruz, the local campaign part- of statutory or resource restriction, but Cruz Homeless Persons Advocacy Project.

the last page to make some notes. scaly skin was visible. Janice sat in her “How did you get such a good dis- chair, apparently immobilized; this was Predatory Psychotherapists guise?” said Jonathan. not a reaction that a human being would from page 4 office on the top floor of the clinic, the Janice froze. If Jonathan could convince have. The arm of Janice’s costume dan- converted Victorian house. She intended anyone of Janice’s off-planet origin, it gled below, separated from her actual rep- ening, and it implied possible retaliation to put John “in his place” once and for all. would spell big trouble for her and the rest tilian arm. Janice sat in her chair, trem- through the one avenue of hostilities that Another type of intelligence-bobbing of the Alpha Centaurians. Janice, because bled, and wailed. John was baffled that Alpha Centauri still had available. device was on Janice’s desk, disguised as she wasn’t from Earth, didn’t realize that no this “thing” took no action. “I wasn’t here,” said the Sirius creature. a pencil sharpener. It relied on normal human being would ordinarily con- Suppressing an urge to retch, John *** microwaves to produce brain damage, and sider the possibility that Jonathan could be reached around Janice’s desk to press her Jonathan sat again in the living room it had a large, obtrusive button on top, correct and non-delusional. panic button, which would summon secu- and was hypnotized by his mother. which did not look like a normal part of a Janice was about to hit the button on rity people who presumably were human. “Young man, we must take action to pencil sharpener. the brain-damaging device. It baffled her “The jig is up,” said Jonathan. Loud deal with these extraterrestrials. They have Jonathan sat next to Janice’s desk and that she was hesitating. Did she feel bad footsteps were audible from the nearby begun to infiltrate more organizations and said, “I know your secret.” for the young human? staircase. Soon, human beings would real- probably are planning to take over the gov- “Are you having delusions about Jonathan moved lightning fast, and ize that they had been infiltrated by Alpha ernment. This will require bravery...” And extraterrestrials again? It hasn’t been in produced a large pocketknife and made a Centauri creatures, and this discovery she repeated: “You are fearless.” your chart for a few years.” Janice was flip- large slash in Janice’s arm before she would bring the possibility of interstellar *** ping through the pages of Jonathan’s four- could react to defend herself. Instead of war. Janice summoned Jonathan into her inch thick treatment chart, and paused on blood gushing from the wound, green 6 S TREET S PIRIT September 2014

A Quaker’s Quest for a World Without War from page 1 created an international uproar. In all these campaigns and many more, he seemed to be guided as if by the hands of destiny to to be present at some of the most epochal movements for social change. QUAKERS IN THE OVAL OFFICE Perhaps the most striking case of serendipity occurred when Hartsough, at the age of 22, ended up in the Oval Office with a Quaker delegation that urged President John F. Kennedy to take imme- diate actions for disarmament and world peace. Hartsough also took the same mes- sage of peace to the Kremlin as the United States and Soviet Union stood on the very brink of nuclear war. Quakers have a long and remarkable history of speaking truth to power. In his recent book JFK and the Unspeakable, peace activist and theologian James Douglass described the significant impact that John F. Kennedy’s meeting with six Quakers in May 1, 1962, in the Oval A sit-in challenges segregation at People’s Drug Store in Arlington, Virginia, in June 1960. David is seated on the far right. Office had on the president. Hartsough called himself “the token CHALLENGING JFK TO PEACE RACE dent at Howard University, he studied for the Freedom Rides when buses were young guy” on a six-person Quaker delega- “I encouraged Kennedy to challenge a year abroad in East and West Berlin. burning up and people were being beaten tion that met with President Kennedy to the Russians to a peace race,” Hartsough “At that time,” he said, “the United for riding them,” Hartsough said. “So they discuss world peace and nuclear disarma- said. “Instead of having an arms race States and the Soviet Union were threat- really challenged us, saying, ‘You call ment at a time when the threat of nuclear where one side builds an atomic bomb, so ening to blow each other off the map and yourselves a democracy, but why is your war had reached an historic high point. the other side gets an atomic bomb, and kill hundreds of millions of people in a country doing this stuff?’” The others invited to the Oval Office then the first side gets a hydrogen bomb. nuclear war because we had so dehuman- THE QUIXOTIC QUAKER VERSUS THE ized ‘the other.’ They were no longer made up a who’s who of prominent Quaker So why not try to go in the other direc- PENTAGON AND KREMLIN human beings. They were enemies. peace advocates: Ed Snyder and Samuel tion, towards disarmament.” A month after his meeting with “We had psyched ourselves up in our Levering, executive secretary and chairper- Kennedy’s thoughtful response placed Kennedy, Hartsough was arrested for anti-communist crusade. And the Soviet son, respectively, of the Friends Committee some of the responsibility back on the holding a prayer vigil in front of the Union had taken a similar stand against on National Legislation; Henry Cadbury, a shoulders of peace activists. He said the White House calling for an end to nuclear the capitalist, imperialist, American war- professor at Harvard Divinity School and idea of a peace race was a very interesting weapons testing. His sign said, “Bomb mongers. So Berlin was the one place in the chairperson of the American Friends concept. But he added, “If you guys are Tests Kill People,” and he was jailed in the world where I could study both in the Service Committee; Dorothy Hutchinson, serious about us moving in that direction, Washington, D.C. Communist world and the Western world, president of the U.S. section of the the military is very strong, so you are Later that summer, he was in Russia, and get a deeper understanding into what Women’s International League for Peace going to have to build a powerful move- and realized nobody was going to chal- both sides were saying.” and Freedom; and George Willoughby, ment to help me make that decision.” lenge the Russian bomb tests. So Again, a fateful sense of timing landed who had sailed on the Golden Rule into the The president’s secretary came in after Hartsough and a fellow student carried the him in Berlin in 1961, the year that the nuclear testing area in the Pacific. 25 minutes and said, “Mr. President, your exact same message to Red Square, hold- Berlin Wall was built, a time of rising ten- In an interview with Street Spirit, next appointment is here.” Kennedy said, ing a sign saying, in Russian, “Bomb sion and perilous confrontation between Hartsough described his meeting with “Tell them to wait, I’m learning some- Tests Kill People.” the United States and the Soviet Union. JFK. “Kennedy met with us in his office, thing from these Quakers.” They stood in a silent vigil holding the sitting in his rocking chair next to the fire- All six members of the Quaker delega- CAMPING IN THE SOVIET UNION sign right next to the Kremlin and the place, and we sat around him, and he lis- tion were highly impressed by Kennedy’s Hartsough had learned that was it per- Lenin mausoleum. People would come up tened to us. We told him there was a listening with an open mind to the radical missible to go camping in the Soviet and say, “Why are you against our peace- nuclear submarine that was to be named antiwar values of the delegation, and his Union, and it only cost two dollars per ful bombs?” And, “Go back to the United the William Penn, and that was totally evident sincerity in understanding the day for the visa and the permission to States and demonstrate there.” unacceptable.” urgent need to work for world peace. camp. As Hartsough and four other stu- Hartsough replied, “We did demon- Penn, the founder of Pennsylvania, “I think most important to me was, dents started off on the road between strate in the United States, and they told was a Quaker and a pacifist. Naming a first, that he listened,” Hartsough said. Berlin and Moscow, he said, “all of a sud- us to go demonstrate in Russia!” nuclear submarine the William Penn is “He wasn’t just pontificating as if he was den tanks and trucks full of soldiers were Then the Soviet police came and told exactly the same as naming a battleship the president and we were lowly peons. headed toward Berlin to help build the them it was illegal to demonstrate against the USS Gandhi or a jet bomber the St. And, second, we were speaking truth to Berlin Wall.” their “peaceful bombs” and they could get Francis of Assisi. power in the White House, and Kennedy He had studied Russia in college and 20 years in prison. “We told the police we Hartsough said, “Kennedy just grinned wasn’t just rejecting it as hogwash.” seized the opportunity to “get to know the had been arrested a month ago in front of and told us, ‘I’ll see that it doesn’t hap- Kennedy only had 18 more months to Russian people — these people we were the White House for offering the same pen.’ ” The president was as good as his live from the time of this meeting to his threatening to bomb off the face of the message,” Hartsough said. word, and the nuclear-armed submarine assassination in November 1963. In that earth.” His group spent about a month on a The police left, saying they had to talk was not named after the Quaker pacifist. short time, he stopped atmospheric 6,000-mile trip through Russia and the with their superiors about what to do. They Then, the delegation proceeded to make nuclear weapons testing, de-escalated the Ukraine. They camped out and were invited were not arrested, but Russian officials even more utopian requests on the presi- Cuban missile crisis instead of pushing into people’s homes for meals. One of their decided not to let Hartsough back in Russia dent. “At that time, in China, there was a the button to unleash nuclear weapons on guides spoke fluent Russian, so they had in- for 26 years. “For 26 years, I was persona drought and many people were dying,” the Soviet Union, took important steps to depth conversations with people in their non grata — until Gorbachev,” he said. Hartsough explained. “China was, of stop the escalation of a nuclear confronta- homes, churches and farming villages. The first time I met David Hartsough course, our arch-enemy then, in addition to tion in Berlin, and made the decision to Hartsough took two more groups of 18 was in February 1982, right after many of Russia. And the United States was spend- bring U.S. advisers out of Vietnam. students into Russia in the next two years. us were arrested at Livermore Laboratory ing millions of dollars to store food in grain Hartsough said that Kennedy had run He wrote an AFSC booklet about the trip in the first major act of civil disobedience siloes. So we suggested giving food to for president as a Cold Warrior, and his called Backyard Russia: Getting to Know at the nuclear weapons facility. A photo China.” growing awareness of the need for peace the Russian People. He said, “When you on the front page of that day’s Livermore Kennedy said, “You mean feeding the and disarmament was a hopeful sign. get to know the people as human beings, newspaper showed Hartsough being enemy?’ Hartsough said, “As Jim Douglass, I it’s even more difficult to think about dragged away by the police in handcuffs. The delegation said, “Yes, that’s exact- think, would agree, our meeting may have bombing their homes and their families.” First impressions are interesting. The ly what we mean.” The Quaker team helped plant some seeds about taking Yet he was dismayed to find that the photo showed a man in a sports coat with reminded the Catholic JFK that uncondi- steps for peace later in his presidency. But Russian people’s view of the United short hair, glasses and a conservative tional love and feeding the poor went to I think it was the Cuban missile crisis that States was distorted with the same Cold appearance. Yet he had gone limp and the heart of the New Testament. really scared the daylights out of him and War propaganda he had heard at home. refused to cooperate with the cop arresting Then, they addressed the terribly Khrushchev, and helped Kennedy decide “ They had the same kind of mentality him. Somehow, he looked like the quin- urgent concern that had brought them to to take the courageous steps for peace he that Americans had. They had been fed tessential Quaker, once again in handcuffs meet with the president as the world faced did in the latter part of his presidency.” propaganda also, and saw their nuclear as Quaker dissenters so often were. the very real possibility of nuclear war. True to his Quaker beliefs in speaking bombs as peaceful bombs.” David’s father, Ray Hartsough, was a They asked Kennedy to stop nuclear test- truth to power, the young David Some questions that the Russian peo- congregational minister who had refused ing and to move the nation away from the Hartsough spoke out for disarmament on ple asked about the United States really growing threat of nuclear disaster. both sides of the Cold War. While a stu- struck home. “We were in Russia during See Quaker’s Quest for A World page 7 September 2014 S TREET S PIRIT 7

A Quaker’s Quest for a World Without War from page 6 to become a chaplain or be involved in the U.S. military. Ray Hartsough went to Gaza with the AFSC and the United Nations in 1949, and spent nine months going through the battle lines and bring- ing food, medicine and tents to refugees. This made a deep impression on 8- year-old David. “He was willing to put his own life on the line for people he had never met,” he said of his father. Hartsough’s father became a Quaker and began working with the AFSC, and David got to know the “amazing people” his father brought to their home — civil rights activists Ralph David Abernathy and Bayard Rustin, and Quaker activists Steve Cary and Clarence Pickett. David also became a Quaker at age 13, and he has been a Quaker his entire adult life. His wife, Jan Hartsough, a dedicated activist on food and hunger issues, is also a Quaker. Both David and Jan are peace and justice activists who worked with the AFSC for nearly two decades. Quakers are a very tiny denomination in the United States — as tiny as leaven. Yet David and friends come to the aid of Brian Willson just after he was run over by a muntions train at Concord, Sept. 1, 1987. they have had a major impact on peace and justice movements, out of all proportion to trainings to prepare Witness for Peace peace activists in South Korea and joined States to smithereens, and 30 years later their numbers. Quakers have been an inte- teams on peacemaking missions to priests and nuns on Jeju Island protesting they came to the U.S., I can’t imagine we’d gral part of the movement to abolish slav- Nicaragua, and then spent several months the construction of a massive military be inviting them into our homes, and be so ery, the Underground Railroad, the suffrage in Nicaragua with their volunteers. base at the port of Gangjeong by nonvio- friendly and open with them.” movement to win the right to vote for He helped form the Peace Navy that lently blocking bulldozers and cement It is a small miracle, this friendliness women, the civil rights movement, the anti- joined longshoremen in blocking the trucks. [See “A Journey of Peace in Korea from the citizens of a country that the war movement, the Sanctuary movement, unloading of South African cargo ships in and Vietnam” on pp. 6-7 of this issue.] U.S. targeted with saturation bombing, the anti-nuclear movement, and the prison the anti-apartheid movement. He conduct- COMING HOME TO VIETNAM napalm and anti-personnel weapons. reform movement. ed nonviolence trainings for the Abalone The word “Friend” is synonymous He then spent two weeks in Vietnam Quakers have been such a central part of Alliance, and he worked with Native with the word “Quaker.” It seems fitting as part of a Veterans for Peace delegation so many campaigns for peace and justice, it Americans in the Four Corners area of the that a Friend from North America would hosted by a group of American Vietnam is hard to believe that there are only an esti- Southwest and at DQ University when it find friends in Vietnam — a country that veterans living in Vietnam. mated 87,000 Quakers in the United States. was threatened with closure. he had always steadfastly refused to Hartsough had been arrested many By comparison, there are 75 million Another apple seed that Hartsough believe was an enemy. times during the war for acts of resistance Catholics, 13.5 million Lutherans and 8 planted was the creation of AFSC’s to the massacres, bombings and battlefield million Methodists in the U.S. Homeless Organizing Project, a program atrocities. He also was a full-time lobbyist I asked what being a lifelong Quaker that organized many years of housing hired by the Friends Committee on has meant to him. He explained that takeovers and civil disobedience, and National Legislation to try to stop the Quakers try to speak out for justice and began publishing Street Spirit in 1995. Vietnam War in the 1960s. His work was peace in the world, both as individuals The Nonviolent Movement Building to lobby Congress and interact with peace and through the organizations they have Program launched the homeless program, groups around the country. Hartsough and created, including the Friends Committee Hartsough explained, to “challenge our other Quakers had been arrested week for National Legislation (FCNL), the society’s inhumanity and neglect of after week for reading the names of the American Friends Service Committee homeless people, challenging the govern- war dead to the U.S. Congress. (AFSC) and their denominational body, ments that criminalized homeless people.” When I asked what it felt like to finally the Religious Society of Friends. My past 30 years of work on homeless travel to Vietnam for the first time after “Quakers believe that all people are issues — along with all of the housing spending so many years of his life organiz- created by God,” he said. “We’re all chil- takovers and arrests and the entire 20-year ing to end the war, he called it a profoundly dren of God, so we are brothers and sis- history of Street Spirit — is only one of emotional homecoming. “In a way, it was ters. So we have a responsibility to one the innumerable projects that Hartsough just like coming home,” he said. Yet, he another if someone is hungry or in prison has catalyzed, just one of the many apple was coming home to a place he had never or in a war zone. Quakers try to live by seeds he has planted along the way. even visited before this year. their values and beliefs: love and compas- A QUIXOTIC QUAKER He explained, “I had put in so many sion and caring for one another, and for Hartsough was only 14 when he orga- hours every day when I was a Quaker lob- the planet and the environment.” nized his first nonviolent protest at a Nike byist trying to help members of Congress It is a central article of faith to seek missile plant. Now, 60 years later, he and the American people understand the justice for homeless and hungry people, remains as actively involved as ever. reality of what that war was doing to the Waging Peace: Global Adventures of a and for prisoners and refugees. And it is Many people begin their lives as idealists people of Vietnam. I was arrested and Lifelong Activist crucial to alleviate the suffering caused by or radicals, but as the years pass by, they jailed a number of times for trying to pre- by David Hartsough warfare. “The causes of war are national- become more moderate, more “reason- vent the bombs and weapons from being Published by PM Press, 272 pages ism and greed and imperialism and we able,” often even more conservative. sent to Vietnam, and to stop the horren- November 2014 have a responsibility to address those By contrast, David Hartsough remains, dous war the United States was inflicting Available on Amazon.com causes of war,” Hartsough said. more than ever, the utopian believer in on them. But I had never been there. JOHNNY APPLESEED global peace and economic justice for all. “So it was like coming home to get to The metaphor that best explains for me His latest campaign is called A World know the Vietnamese people. Here is my David Hartsough the life path of David Hartsough is Beyond War, and it is perhaps the most family that I really cared deeply about, Bay Area Book Readings Johnny Appleseed. Like Johnny quixotic and utopian campaign of all. It but I had never met them. And the friend- Appleseed, he has planted many seeds, dreams the impossible dream of a world liness and the openness of the Vietnamese Sunday, November 2, 1 p.m and catalyzed many movements and that has abolished war. people was so deeply moving to me.” San Francisco Friends Center social justice campaigns, and then he “Imagine all the people living life in It was hard to fathom the friendliness 65 Ninth Street moves on over the next horizon to plant peace,” as John Lennon sang. and humanity he found in a land ravaged San Francisco more seeds of peace. World Beyond War is just such a dar- by U.S. bombs and where the toxic after- Sunday, November 9, 7 p.m. His uncanny ability to be at the right ing attempt to imagine a world at peace, effects of Agent Orange have created an Berkeley Unitarian Universalist place at the right time is a source of and then organize for the creation of such epidemic of human suffering. 1924 Cedar (at Bonita) amazement to me. As the director of a world. More than 4,000 people have “It was my country that had dropped Berkeley AFSC’s Nonviolent Movement Building signed its Declaration of Peace, pledging millions of tons of bombs and Agent Program for nearly two decades, David to work nonviolently to end all wars. Orange, and the unexploded ordnance from Come meet author and activist David worked to help form the Pledge of “You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m that war is still killing their children now,” Hartsough. David will read from his Resistance and Nuremberg Action Group not the only one,” Lennon reminded us. he said. “Yet, their humanity to us, as new book Waging Peace: Global to oppose U.S. military intervention in Hartsough recently returned from a trip Americans, was just mind-boggling. If Adventures of a Lifelong Activist, and Central America. He did the nonviolence to Southeast Asia in April. He met with some other country had bombed the United discuss his adventures in peacemaking. 8 S TREET S PIRIT September 2014 Milestones on a Lifelong Path of Nonviolence The Street Spirit Interview with David Hartsough Interview by Terry Messman Street Spirit: Looking back at a life- time of nonviolent activism, can you remember the first person who helped set your life on this path? David Hartsough: Gandhi. My par- ents gave me Gandhi’s book, All Men Are Brothers, on my 14th or 15th birthday. And Martin Luther King who I met when I was 15. Spirit: Why was Gandhi’s All Men Are Brothers such an inspiration? Hartsough: Because he said that non- violence is the most powerful force in the world, and he believed that, and he prac- ticed it. His entire life was made up of his experiments with nonviolence, his experi- ments with truth. He took nonviolence from being kind of a moral, theological, philosophical idea, and showed it could be a means of struggle to liberate a country. That was a great model for me that nonviolence is not just morally superior to killing people, but was a more effective way of liberating people. Also, his belief that all people are children of God. We are all one. We’re not black versus white, David Hartsough demonstrates in Moscow’s Red Square against Soviet nuclear weapons testing. Soviet police threatened him Americans versus Russians, good guys with 20 years in prison for the protest. Hartsough had just been arrested at the White House for protesting U.S. nuclear tests. versus bad guys. We’re all brothers and sisters. I took that seriously and that’s of the bus boycott.] white church involved in the bus boycott. we mobilize it, to totally transform this what I believe. When he brought Ralph to our home in Martin Luther King introduced me and country.” He believed that, and he was Pennsylvania, Ralph told us this was the my brother Paul to the whole group. He able to help inspire other people to believe Spirit: What was your first involve- first time he had ever dined in a white said, “These young boys have come down that and act on that belief. ment in a social-change movement as a home. He was telling us about the boycott, from Pennsylvania to see our struggle and young activist? Spirit: King really was a prophet — a and Ralph said to my dad, “Why don’t you support us.” That was quite amazing, Hartsough: When I was 14, there was gift from God who delivered the ultimate bring your boys down to Montgomery?” although I had no idea in 1956 that he was a Nike missile site near where I lived in challenge to the powers that be. What can So during spring vacation of 1956, going to become this extraordinary figure Philadelphia. This was when people were we learn today from his example in build- that’s what we did. We saw up front the who was going to help transform America. hiding under their desks in school or ing a movement to overcome injustice? injustice and the oppression people faced. going into air raid shelters to try to be safe Spirit: You got to meet my all-time Hartsough: Well, first, like Gandhi, he On the way there, we stopped at Koinonia when we had a nuclear war — which is heroes — the people who launched the was taking the idea of nonviolence and community, an inter-racial community in absolutely ridiculous. So I organized other bus boycott, and triggered the entire really making that an effective means of Georgia, and in the room where we slept, young people to have a vigil at this Nike Freedom Movement. What else do you struggle. King looked at the system of there was a bullet hole in the wall from a missile site over Thanksgiving. We fasted remember about meeting Dr. King? segregation and horrendous injustice in week earlier. That’s the way people were and we walked around with our picket Hartsough: Well, he seemed older to the United States, and applied the theory treating folks who were living inter-racial- signs in front of the place, and that’s me, but he was really very young. He was and practice of nonviolence in the strug- ly. So that was my introduction. where my FBI record started. 26 or 27. He was very congenial, even gle for the liberation of black people in Then Ralph took us around though we were just these young kids the United States. Spirit: How do you know that? Montgomery, and we saw one of the from out of town. He showed us his Many Americans now do not really Hartsough: I got my FBI records back churches that had just been bombed, and understanding and support and welcoming understand how destructive it was that in in the 1970s. The records said: “David the pews were all in splinters, and the and friendliness. the mid-1950s, at the time of the Hartsough, son of Ray Hartsough, orga- cross was hanging on its side. But people I think, even at that time, the other pas- Montgomery bus boycott, black people nized a vigil at the Nike missile site.” were getting up an hour earlier to walk to tors were realizing that this guy was a gift could not ride on the buses, could not work every day, and people had caught a Spirit: That is despicable. They didn’t from God. And the way he was conduct- drink at water fountains or go in the bath- vision of a world that could be very differ- have anything better to do than investi- ing the meeting, it wasn’t a rush job, like, rooms, and could not stay in the motels. ent and were willing to struggle nonvio- gate a kid who is concerned about peace “I know just what to do.” Instead, he was Children could not play in the parks. If lently. And they supported each other. and nuclear war. Why did you get gathering the ideas and suggestions and you tried to register to vote in some of the We went to the prayer services that involved at such a young age? concerns from everybody, and then help- deep Southern states, you could get happened every night. We saw the car Hartsough: Well, the American ing them find a solution, and helping to lynched or fired from your job or find a pools, and we saw the police arresting Friends Service Committee, at that time, build that movement to be the effective burning cross in front of your house. people for having an “illegal transporta- had programs and seminars for high movement that it became. The United States talks about terrorism tion system,” just for giving people rides. school students in Washington, D.C., and now, but black people in the South experi- But people found the courage to face that Spirit: When we visited King’s first in New York at the United Nations. My enced a lot of terrorism from a very early violence and oppression. church, Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in dad was working with the AFSC and with age, starting back centuries ago and into Montgomery, a couple years ago, I saw the people running these seminars where I Spirit: When you witnessed the racism the 1900s and through the 1960s. the impact that visit had on you. What did met other young people from around the and violence people faced simply for So, in the face of that terror, and in the it mean to find yourself walking inside country that shared the vision of working organizing a bus boycott, what affect did face of all that fear and injustice and King’s church again, an entire lifetime for a just and peaceful world. That felt that have on you at age 15? hatred and discrimination, Martin Luther after you had first visited it in your youth? very empowering to me that I wasn’t Hartsough: Well, it was much more King helped people in the South find the Hartsough: I remembered how inspired alone, and nourished my young heart that than just reading Gandhi. This was a form courage and the determination to struggle I had been at the very beginning, inspired this is what I wanted to do with my life. of struggle where a whole community of nonviolently. I experienced that in by this man and this movement, and then people supported each other in working Alabama in the spring of 1956 during the Spirit: How in the world were you for- seeing it develop into a powerful movement toward a vision of justice. They did not Montgomery bus boycott. It just really tunate enough to wind up in Montgomery, that helped transform this country. That give up and were willing to suffer for it. challenged me to the core that nonvio- Alabama, during the bus boycott? You movement not only challenged racial injus- Even when their churches were bombed, lence and the method that King was using were there at the very birthplace of the tice, but challenged militarism and poverty they still maintained their love and nonvi- in Montgomery was a method that could civil rights movement. and economic injustice. And I was some olence and human dignity. be used to help transform this country. I Hartsough: My dad worked at AFSC part of that, and I took part in the Poor was also inspired by the gunshot fired into as the Peace Education secretary, and he Spirit: What a gift that was for a People’s Campaign. the Koinonia house in Americus, Georgia. would take people like A.J. Muste and young person to be around Ralph David But my feelings had changed from Bayard Rustin speaking at churches all Abernathy at the very beginning of the being inspired to now feeling reverence Spirit: Why in the world would a gun- across the Northeast. He would often struggle for civil rights. Did you also meet for this man’s life and the struggle that he shot in the house you’re in inspire you? bring those speakers back to our home Martin Luther King on this trip? had given important leadership to, even Hartsough: Well, it showed how deep afterwards. So during the Montgomery Hartsough: Yes, we met Martin being willing to risk his own life to help the system of injustice and racism is in bus boycott, my dad organized speaking Luther King and came to a meeting of the transform this country. I remembered this country. They were willing to shoot tours for Ralph David Abernathy. Montgomery Improvement Association, something King had said once in a church into a house where they didn’t know the [Abernathy was a close associate of which was essentially made up of the pas- basement where there were 35 people. He people, but those people believed in inte- Martin Luther King, Jr. and an organizer tors of all the black churches and one said, “We have the power in this room, if See Interview with David Hartsough page 9 September 2014 S TREET S PIRIT 9 Interview with David Hartsough from page 8 gration and brotherhood. They were say- ing that they were not going to live by the Southern mores that we must be separate. So partly inspired by King and the Koinonia inter-racial community, and partly inspired by Bayard Rustin, I decid- ed to go to Howard University, which was an all-black university at that time. Spirit: How did Bayard Rustin influ- ence you? Hartsough: I got to know Bayard when I was a young kid. He was a man with a vision. He’d been in federal prison for two years as a conscientious objector during World War II. He was the person that, perhaps more than anybody else, influenced Martin Luther King to deepen his understanding and his practice of non- violence in the struggle for justice. He was a good strategic thinker, always very clear, and lived by his principles. Bayard was black, he was a pacifist, he was gay, and he was a Quaker — just Protesters kneel in prayer and block the road into Livermore Laboratory in resistance to the nuclear weapons designed there. about everything where society could say, want the publicity. So we actually ended Hartsough: About 12. Some friendly Quakers started reading the names of the “Well, those are second-class citizens, and up sitting there for two days, and it was media people got us out of there alive. war dead every Wednesday to the un-American” [laughing]. He was all of the most challenging two days of my life. Their cars were right outside the door. Congress, and they were arrested for doing those things, and he was proud of it. When we crossed the bridge back into that. I was arrested at these protests. After Spirit: What happened? And did the He understood the importance of build- Washington, D.C., it was like entering the about four weeks of being arrested, I went American Nazi Party ever get involved? ing a broad-based, powerful movement. He freedom land, and getting away from all to Rep. George Brown from Southern Hartsough: People came out and organized the famous March on that. We literally shook in our boots for California. He was a very good person. would spit at us in the face. They put lit Washington in August of 1963, bringing the next six days at the idea of having to [Editor’s Note: Rep. George Brown, a cigarettes down our shirts, and others together the largest demonstration that had find the courage to go back and do that Democrat from L.A., was a Quaker and a punched us in the stomach, sometimes so ever happened at that point in Washington. again. On the sixth day, we got a phone strong advocate of civil rights and peace.] hard that we would fall on the floor, and And I could actually talk to Bayard call that the religious and community I said, “George, we’re reading the then they would kick us. Rustin at key times in my life as a young leaders had met. They went and talked names of the war dead at the Congress The American Nazi Party did come kid when I was wondering if I should go with the business leaders and had gotten a and they just throw us in jail. Is there any- with signs saying, “Is We or Is We Ain’t in this direction or in that direction. commitment that within 10 days, the eat- thing you can do to help us?” Equals,” and a picture of an ape. They Spirit: What did attending Howard ing facilities would be opened (desegre- He was a typical-looking Congressman were yelling white supremacist nonsense University mean to you? gated) in Arlington. And they were! with a big cigar, and he sat back in his and telling us to go back to Russia. Each Hartsough: I really felt it was a step swivel chair and said, “Yeah, I’m going to time we were attacked we would try to Spirit: This sounds like it was a major towards integration. My dad actually join you. And I’ll write a letter to every respond in a nonviolent, peaceful way. It turning point in your life. Was it? knew the president and vice-president of member of Congress telling them that I’m was very difficult. Hartsough: At the age of 20, this was Howard, both of whom were friends of joining you and inviting them to join you.” the most important lesson of my whole life. Gandhi. Mordecai Johnson, the president Spirit: Given that much violence and He wrote the letter, and the next day, we of Howard, was a very close friend of hostility, your very lives were in danger. Spirit: How would you describe the had four members of Congress reading the Gandhi. William Stuart Nelson, the vice- Hartsough: Towards the end of the lesson you learned? names of the war dead on the front steps of president, also was a student of Gandhi, second day, I was reading from the Hartsough: When you see an injustice the Capitol. So when we were all arrested, and he taught my first class on nonvio- Sermon on the Mount: love your enemies or violence or something terribly wrong, the congressmen kept reading the names of lence at Howard Divinity School. and do good to those who hate you. A guy you can curse the television set or the the war dead because they had congression- came up behind me and said, “You president. Cursing the television doesn’t al immunity. They got through the whole Spirit: How did you get involved in [expletive], if you don’t get out of the help very much. But instead, you can find 40,000 names of American war dead, or civil rights sit-ins while at Howard? store in two seconds, I will stab this some other people that share your vision whatever it was at that point. Hartsough: I started at Howard in the through your heart.” of a just society, and who are committed Within a week or two, Look Magazine fall of 1959. In February 1960, when four His face had the most terrible look of to nonviolence in addressing that injus- had a picture of every American that had students sat down at the Woolworth’s in hatred I’ve ever seen, and in his hand was tice, and have the courage to change it. been killed in Vietnam. And then people Greensboro, North Carolina, we at Howard a switchblade, a half-inch from my heart. Those are the alternatives we have. We in the peace movement were reading the University felt we should do something. So I realized I had two seconds to decide can do nothing. We can get depressed and names of the war dead all over the coun- immediately after the four students were if I really believed in nonviolence. But we let the world go to hell. Or we can find try, at federal buildings and at post arrested in Greensboro, we started picketing had had a lot of practice for these kinds of others that share that vision and commit- offices, inspired by what we had done. It at the Woolworth’s store near Howard. situations. So I looked him in the eye and ment and work with them. So, to me, that was a small step to try to help build that We did some research and found that I said, “Friend, do what you believe is was a life-changing experience, and that’s movement. Our actions gave courage to everything in Maryland and Virginia was right, but I’ll still try to love you.” the reason I’ve been involved in nonvio- Congress people and then other congres- segregated. Even African ambassadors to It was quite miraculous. His face had lent movements and actions ever since. sional representatives became involved. the United Nations traveling on the main been contorted with hatred, but his jaw Many of the people that were part of highway in Maryland could not eat at the Spirit: While you were working began to drop and the hand holding his these demonstrations in Virginia and segregated restaurants. So we decided we against the Vietnam War for FCNL, knife began to drop to his side — and he Maryland became key people in SNCC, would sit in at lunch counters in Maryland Martin Luther King began speaking about left the store. To me, at the age of 20, that and were part of the Freedom Rides to challenge the segregation laws. the need to resist racism, militarism and was a pretty powerful experience. where the bus riders were beaten and Usually within a very short time, they poverty simultaneously, a vision that cul- Nonviolence is not just a morally supe- buses got burned up, and the Mississippi would close the lunch counter and call the minated in the Poor People’s Campaign. rior way of relating to people, but it’s Summer voter registration drive. So we police, and we would be arrested, put in Were you involved with the Poor People’s probably the only thing I could have done were all cutting our teeth during these handcuffs and taken to jail. We’d spend Campaign while at FCNL? and come out alive. first sit-ins. the weekend singing freedom songs in Hartsough: I had followed the civil But then we did something even more jail, go to court Monday morning and go Spirit: King and other civil rights rights movement very closely, of course. challenging. There were about 500 people back to class on Monday. leaders began speaking out against the When King got the Nobel Peace Prize, he outside the store with rocks who were American Nazi Party leader George Vietnam War in the mid-1960s. Didn’t stopped in Washington, D.C., on the way threatening violence. We went to the front Lincoln Rockwell lived in northern you also become deeply involved in the back from Norway and met with President door and read a statement that we’d writ- Virginia and was threatening violence to anti-war movement at this time? Johnson. He said, “Mr. President, we need ten appealing to the religious and commu- anybody who challenged the segregation Hartsough: I was doing peacemaking a voting rights bill.” nity leaders in Arlington, Virginia, to use laws there. In June 1960, we decided we work in my job with the Friends The president essentially said, “I agree their influence to integrate all the eating had to challenge that law in Virginia. Committee on National Legislation with you Dr. King, but we just passed the facilities in Arlington. And this is the hard We did some additional nonviolence (FCNL). Starting in the mid-1960s, FCNL civil rights bill, and you’ve got to wait. part: We said that if nothing changes, training, then went to the People’s Drug asked me to be their lobbyist to try to stop It’s going to take a few more years.” we’d be back in a week. Store, a chain store. We sat down at the the Vietnam War. My work was to inter- So King didn’t waste any more time in lunch counter and it was closed immedi- Spirit: You were surrounded by hun- act with Congress and interact with peace Washington. He went south and helped ately. The owner refused to serve us, but dreds of hostile people. How many of you movements around the country, including organize the voting rights campaign. That didn’t have us arrested because he didn’t were actually doing the sit-in? the Vietnam Moratorium. See Interview with David Hartsough page 10 10 S TREET S PIRIT September 2014 Interview with David Hartsough from page 9 mobilized the conscience of the nation and within several months, we had a vot- ing rights bill. Here I was a lobbyist in Washington, but that taught me that real change doesn’t come from the top down - it comes from the bottom up. Because of that, I was even more inspired by King and the power of nonvi- olent movements. So when he had the vision of the Poor People’s Campaign, my paying job was still lobbying to try to end the war. But on weekends, I had offered to do nonviolent trainings of people that were going to participate in the Poor People’s Campaign. Also, we were build- ing the shacks, the shanties where poor people would live in Washington, D.C. Spirit: Amazing! You actually helped build the wooden shacks that made up Resurrection City? Hartsough: Yes, on the weekends we built the shacks with plywood and two- by-fours. We actually were building them on the grounds of a church on the edge of David Hartsough (left) and Dorothy Granada (right) block the first truck with munitions headed for El Salvador as part of town, and then they were all going to be Nuremberg Actions at Concord Naval Weapons Station, June 1987. taken by truck to the Capitol. Capitol — and then we were arrested. you and what did it mean to the country? ships transporting weapons to Vietnam. When the organizing for the Poor And what effect did King’s assassination Hartsough: Around Christmas in People’s Campaign began, King was Spirit: What role did Steve Cary play have on this vision? 1971, a season when we’re thinking about speaking quite often at gatherings where in getting Quakers to abandon their own Hartsough: Well, in the Poor People’s the life of Jesus and his teaching to love hundreds of people would come from all conference to risk arrest with the Poor Campaign, Martin Luther King was call- one another and love our enemies, the over the country. It was just so very mov- People’s Campaign? ing not just for an end to segregation, and United States started a major bombing of ing. I really had a feeling that we could Hartsough: At the time, Steve Cary not just an end to the Vietnam War and Hanoi and Haiphong. So now we were transform America. was the acting executive secretary of the militarism, but a transformation of this bombing major cities with children, national American Friends Service Spirit: It seemed like the entire country so there would be economic jus- women, old people, hospitals and schools. Committee. He was just a very thoughtful, Freedom Movement had been building up tice for every human being. Many of us in Philadelphia in the courageous spokesperson who articulated to this moment — a showdown with the It was a brilliant and strategically Movement for a New Society decided that the Quaker values of reverence for every federal government to end poverty. thoughtful campaign to bring poor people we had to do something more than just get human being and courageous struggle to Hartsough: I felt this was going to from all over the country to Washington out with a sign and protest. We had to fight injustice and war and militarism. bring this country to its senses and build to camp out and nonviolently get in the somehow put our bodies between the And he walked his talk. the kind of nonviolent people’s power that way of business as usual until our govern- bombs and the men, women and children Steve Cary was the head of AFSC pro- would mean that the power structure was ment listened to the people and committed they were killing in Vietnam. grams in Europe after the Second World going to have to address these issues. itself to ending poverty and injustice, and We found that there were bombs and War when AFSC was awarded the Nobel As you know, it was a very, very rainy committed itself to developing real munitions being shipped from the Prize for its humanitarian work in post- spring and summer in 1968. So the democracy and respect for every human Leonardo Naval Weapons Station in New war Europe. Europe had been devastated shanties were often in two or three feet of being in this country. Jersey. So we scouted it out and found and AFSC got lots of Americans to go in water, and we had to build boardwalks so Unfortunately, he was assassinated that napalm, anti-personnel bombs and all and rebuild and get food to children. people wouldn’t get mired in the mud. before that could happen, but his staff and kinds of munitions were being shipped So after the mass arrests of people those of us who were left did our best to from Leonardo. We were able to recruit Spirit: So Resurrection City became from the Poor People’s Campaign, Steve try to put together the Poor People’s 26 canoes with 52 people, two in each mired in the mud, and far worse, everyone Cary led us in holding a Quaker worship Campaign. Many of us had been psycho- canoe, and we decided to go out and try to was shocked and demoralized by King’s in front of the Congress. Then we took the logically wounded by his assassination, block a ship called the USS Nitro. murder. It’s amazing that people were demands of the Poor People’s Campaign and it was nowhere near as powerful as it As we paddled out along the piers, the able to carry on with the campaign at all. to Congress, and we were all arrested and could have been if he’d been here with us. anti-personnel bombs and crates of Hartsough: Yes. But each day, a spent two weeks in jail. But I do believe that the assassin may napalm were just stacked high, ready to whole bunch of people from the Poor Spirit: Many AFSC activists and have killed King, but didn’t kill his dream be loaded onto the ships. A military People’s Campaign would go and try to Quakers worked with the civil rights and his vision of justice for all. policeman yelled at us over his loud- meet with Congress, and with people from movement through the years, so it seems For me personally, it was very impor- speaker that we would be charged with the Health, Education and Welfare fitting that they would end up in jail as tant that I didn’t stand aside and say, criminal conspiracy if we didn’t leave this Department, and with various government part of King’s last campaign. “Well, good luck to these people that are area, and could get 20 years in prison. We agencies, trying to encourage them to do Hartsough: We spent the next 14 or trying to carry out King’s last campaign.” shouted back that 20 years would be terri- what needed to be done about poverty, 15 days in the top floor of the D.C. jail, It was vital to be a part of it and to see ble, but nowhere near as bad as the death housing and jobs. together with the hundreds of people from courageous people from all over this and destruction that would be caused if They developed a list of demands and the Poor People’s Campaign from all over country, from all backgrounds and all col- these bombs reached their destination. walked from Resurrection City all the the country. In addition, there were hun- ors, standing up nonviolently and speak- And we kept paddling. way down to the Capitol grounds to deliv- dreds of people, mostly black, that had ing truth to power in the halls of Congress We were actually able to get out in er these demands to Congress, trying to been picked up off the streets in the riots and in the Justice Department and the front of the ship each day for seven days. fundamentally address the poverty and after King had been assassinated. People White House and all over Washington. On the sixth day, some of the sailors we injustice in this country. But when they were thrown in jail with very little evi- To be in jail with hundreds of these met told us it was leaving at 6:00 the next got to the Capitol grounds they were all dence of what they had done, and none of people in that nonviolent struggle was a morning. Not only the hold of the ship, arrested — hundreds of people. them had been given a chance to go to great experience for me. Some people but all the decks were stacked 20 feet high Quakers were having a conference up court. And essentially, their story had not think that the worst they can do is put you with these crates of bombs and munitions. in New Jersey at the time when they heard even gotten out to the public. in prison. Yet it is really a privilege to be We got out there the next morning, and about the arrests. They decided that this is One of the things we did after we got in prison with other people of conscience were paddling hard to stay right in front King’s last dream and vision of trans- out of jail was to share with AFSC and the who are willing to put their lives on the of the boat. As they lifted anchor, seven forming this country, and when people broader public that all of these folks had line for justice. And getting to know peo- of the sailors jumped off the ship into the nonviolently take their list of demands to been sitting in jail since April 4. And they ple across the division lines of class and ocean and then joined our blockade. Congress, they are arrested and thrown in were still in jail in June! So that was the race and economic background is very jail. So we’ve got to do something. We Spirit: Oh my God! Did they climb beginning of AFSC’s pretrial justice pro- important in strengthening our own sense can’t just be sitting around here talking. into your canoes? gram where they were really challenging that we’re all brothers and sisters, and So several people from this conference, Hartsough: They tried to, but the mili- that whole unconstitutional practice. You we’re all children of one God. It sustains including Steve Cary, one of the most tary police grabbed them and put them have a fundamental right to appear before us and strengthens our commitment for principled and courageous voices in the back on the ship. But we had called the a judge before being thrown in jail and the long struggle ahead. AFSC, went down and had a Quaker media, so the New York Times and the left to rot for months. meeting for worship at the exact place Spirit: You were involved in many national television stations were there in where people had been arrested at the Spirit: In looking back, how would you actions during the struggle to end the their helicopters. So it was on the evening Capitol grounds. They brought a list of measure the significance of the Poor Vietnam War. One action that really news, not only our blockade but also the their demands and tried to walk up to the People’s Campaign? What did it mean to stands out is the People’s Blockade of See Interview with David Hartsough page 11 September 2014 S TREET S PIRIT 11 Interview with David Hartsough from page 10 seven sailors jumping ship. The seven sailors were then jailed in the brig. The news went all across this country and around the world, and the sailors told us later that when their ship went through the Panama Canal, word about the sailors on the USS Nitro jumping ship had spread to navy and military people all over the world, and the guys on the other ships gave them fists of solidarity and peace signs. Spirit: So the ripples from this action had spread very far and very quickly. Did it spark other acts of resistance? Hartsough: My feeling was that our actions had given these Navy sailors the courage to do what they knew was right to do, and their courage, in turn, gave courage to a lot of other soldiers in the U.S. military, and that was a beginning of David Hartsough and his parents, Ray and Ruth Hartsough, before being arrested blocking a weapons train at Concord, 1988. a strengthened resistance within the armed forces to carrying out the terrible death Up in Bangor, Washington, activists and your concern about the rest of the peo- license was finally granted, nearly 2,000 and destruction in Vietnam. Our blockade actually camped out along Puget Sound at ple in the world. But we’re still a part of the people were arrested at Diablo Canyon. spread from Leonardo, New Jersey, all up a place where they could see the ships human family, and people who get killed or In 1981, the Nuclear Regulatory and down the East Coast and the West coming. They had a flotilla ready to go maimed or imprisoned in another part of Commission said this was the safest Coast of the Untied States. The national out and try to block naval ships, day or the world are also part of our family. So nuclear reactor in the world as it gave its board of the American Friends Service night. One of the guys, a very gutsy, we’re not willing to give up our values just approval for Diablo Canyon to go into Committee actually decided to support courageous fellow, got right in front of a because we have children. operation. And here were hundreds and moving ship and it actually pushed him hundreds of us sitting in jail down at and endorse the People’s Blockade and to Spirit: When were you hired as an for a quarter of a mile in his boat. Diablo Canyon feeling we’ve done every- support AFSC staff working on it. AFSC staff in San Francisco? [Editor’s note: George Walker, a Navy thing we can, and what more can we do? Hartsough: I was hired in 1973 to be Spirit: That was an incredible step vet, put his kayak right in the path of the Then somebody threw a newspaper over part of the Simple Living Program with into civil disobedience for AFSC to take. USS Joseph Merrell. The USS Merrell the fence of our exercise area, and one of my wife Jan Hartsough. Then I formed Were you part of the AFSC at this time? finally sailed right over his small kayak the engineers at the plant had gone public the AFSC Nonviolent Movement Hartsough: Yes, I was on AFSC’s and dunked Walker into Puget Sound.] that the blueprints for the seismic support Building Program in 1982. Nonviolent Training and Action Committee for the cooling systems of one of the reac- Spirit: A photo in your new book at the time. Robert Levering and several of Spirit: As an AFSC staff, how did you tors had all been put on backwards. shows you and your wife Jan Hartsough us that were part of that committee heard become involved in the massive protests So it took Pacific Gas and Electric being arrested with your two young chil- that there were also ships going from at the Diablo Canyon nuclear reactor in another couple years to retrofit all of that dren. What happened at that protest? Norfolk, Virginia. So we went to Norfolk, the late 1970s and early 1980s? and they had to spend another couple bil- Hartsough: In 1971, Quakers who and there was an aircraft carrier called the Hartsough: In the Simple Living lion dollars before it could go into opera- were very distressed about Nixon’s con- USS America that was preparing to leave Program, we were concerned that nuclear tion. That plant — built with the cooling tinuing this horrendous war in Vietnam for Vietnam. Aircraft carriers are massive. I power was promoted as a way to have systems in one of the reactors totally decided to have a Quaker meeting for had my nine-foot sailboat, so we organized endless consumerism and endless energy. wrong and totally unsafe — is what the worship in front of the White House. a blockade down there with canoes and our Nuclear Regulatory Commission called About 250 Quakers sat down on the side- Spirit: Consumerism fueled by small sailboat. the safest nuclear reactor in the world! walk in front of the White House. My radioactive plutonium. They were very uptight as the USS So we were not successful in stopping wife Jan and I and our two young chil- Hartsough: Yes, without any thought America prepared to take off for Vietnam, that plant, but I think our resistance at dren, Peter and Heidi, were sitting on the of an environmental future for our world. and the military police came and capsized Diablo Canyon and the resistance at sidewalk with all of the Quakers, and the So when the Mothers for Peace in San our canoes and sailboat. Then Navy frog- Seabrook, where AFSC also played a very police interrupted our worship service and Luis Obispo came to the American men came after us, grabbed us out of the important role, and Three Mile Island, ordered us to leave or be arrested. Friends Service Committee around 1976, water and took us on their ship. They put where Quakers were very involved, helped Nobody left, and people like Steve they were struggling to stop this nuclear us in handcuffs face down on the ship send a message to our government so that Cary, who was the associate executive sec- power plant being built in their backyard. with guys with guns pointed at us while no new nuclear reactors were licensed in retary of AFSC, were there with us. All the They had tried everything legally possible the aircraft carrier sailed out to sea. It was the United States for about 30 years. And other Quakers except my family were to stop it and the government didn’t care. a little bit scary. California passed a proposition saying no arrested. They apparently didn’t think it So they asked if we could help build a Another ship came with a water can- more nuclear power plants until they found was good publicity to arrest this family nonviolent movement to try to stop the non when all these sailors were up on the a safe way to store nuclear waste — which with young children. So here we were, sit- Diablo Canyon Power Plant from going deck of this aircraft carrier. Many of them they’ve never found. were giving us signs of support and verbal ting on the sidewalk after everyone else into operation. Our AFSC Simple Living encouragement. We thought the water had been hauled away in jail buses, and the Program decided we would support their Spirit: Abalone Alliance not only raised cannon was going to be directed against D.C. chief of police came over and struggle and help them build a statewide public consciousness about the dangers of us, but it was directed against the sailors. implored us to leave, saying that if we were movement to stop that plant. About 30 nuclear power, it also educated people arrested, our children would be taken away different groups from all over the state about how to build nonviolent movements. Spirit: They blasted the sailors with and put in juvenile hall. formed Abalone Alliance to stop nuclear The actions at Diablo Canyon helped build the water cannon just because they were We told him that we certainly love our power and the Diablo Canyon reactor, and an anti-nuclear movement that went on to cheering you on? children, but we also love the children of to promote alternative energy. organize opposition to nuclear weapons at Hartsough: Yes, because they were Vietnam, and we’d be happy to leave if We had about 100 people trained as Livermore Laboratory. cheering us on! Next day, the Norfolk our government commits to stopping the nonviolent trainers, and AFSC played an Hartsough: Yes, all these actions newspapers had a big photo of this massive bombing of Vietnam. He spent about half important role in helping build that move- raised a lot of public consciousness. All of aircraft carrier with our little boat in front of an hour trying to convince us to leave, and ment. AFSC published “Decision at that grew out of this movement. And it. The ship was called the USS America, so then placed us under arrest in a police car. Diablo Canyon,” a very well-researched many, many of the people that were the headlines said, “America Defeats Peace He took us to a police station in booklet about the dangers of the Diablo involved in the Diablo Canyon struggle Flotilla.” America was standing tall again! Georgetown and let us out behind the Canyon plant being built on an earthquake have continued to be involved in the They had defeated the enemy. police station — smart P.R. on his part. fault. AFSC also put together the nonvio- movement ever since. The Washington Post and AP and UPI lence training manual. The movement was Spirit: You mentioned earlier that the Spirit: A very large number of had photographs of the police chief lean- also successful in stopping the nuclear AFSC national board supported peace Abalone Alliance activists went on to help ing over our family, trying to convince us plant up in Humboldt County, and the blockades around the country? spark the Livermore Action Group in the to leave. The photo and article went out Rancho Seco plant near Sacramento. Hartsough: AFSC members in both Bay Area. Why did you decide to become across the country, so many of our friends Northern California and down in Southern Spirit: Were you arrested for civil dis- involved in the Livermore protests? sent us photos from local newspapers all California were actively involved in help- obedience during Abalone Alliance’s Hartsough: Nuclear power and across the country. Those photographs are ing organize blockades on the West Coast. campaign to shut down Diablo Canyon? nuclear weapons are very connected. It in our kids’ baby books. In the Bay Area, it was called the Carrier Hartsough: Yes, in 1977 and again in seemed to be a very logical next step in Project, an official AFSC project. The Spirit: Was it a hard decision for you 1978, I was arrested. The first year, in the struggle. Dr. John Gofman, who had AFSC board had decided it was willing to and Jan to risk arrest with two children? 1977, there were 47 people arrested, and been the head of biomedical research at commit civil disobedience and support Hartsough: I think a lot of people say the next year, more than 470 were arrest- Livermore Laboratory, was one of our nonviolent resistance to the endless that when you get married and have a fami- ed. We’d multiplied our numbers by 10 tragedy in Vietnam. ly, you have to leave your values behind, times. And then, in 1981, when the See Interview with David Hartsough page 12 12 S TREET S PIRIT September 2014 Interview with David Hartsough from page 11 speakers at our rally in San Luis Obispo against Diablo Canyon. Gofman made that connection between nuclear power and nuclear weapons, and how dangerous nuclear power was. And I had been involved in the struggle for nuclear disar- mament and the efforts to try to stop nuclear testing for all of my life. Spirit: Beginning at age 14 when you protested the Nike missile plant. Hartsough: Yes, and then when I was 18, I went on the walk from Philadelphia to the United Nations in 1958 when we asked all nations to stop nuclear weapons testing. That was the year when four Quakers risked their lives trying to sail the Golden Rule into the nuclear weapons testing area of the Pacific Ocean. That motivated many of us to walk from Philadelphia to the United Nations — about 100 miles — calling for an end The first demonstration David Hartsough ever organized was at the Nike missile site near his home in Pennsylvania. to nuclear weapons testing. When we got race found great new levels of hope. Ken Butigan to work on helping develop actions Nuremberg Actions because we to New York, we had about 500 people Hartsough: What our government the Pledge of Resistance. You and I orga- felt we were upholding not only God’s marching down the streets to the United wants us to do is to just sit back and either nized nonviolence trainings for the law, but international law: the Nuremberg Nations. At the time, it was the largest support or silently condone all of the hor- Pledge, and trained nonviolent trainers. principles. So indiscriminately killing peace protest I’d ever seen in my life rendous things they do, including devel- That played a very key role in helping innocent men, women and children in El [laughing]. It was very inspiring. oping nuclear weapons which could put influence the nonviolent spirit and tone of Salvador, Nicaragua and Guatemala are Spirit: The anti-nuclear movement an end to life on earth. Having people the actions. We funded the Pledge of crimes against humanity. And to do noth- may have started small but it would ulti- who are willing to speak out and get in the Resistance nonviolent training handbook ing in the face of those war crimes is to be mately lead to far larger demonstrations way of the arms race through blocking the and it became a manual for people all complicit in those war crimes. So we were at Livermore Lab and all over the nation. entrances at Livermore Lab is the kind of around the country. [Editor’s note: Ken upholding international law by trying to Hartsough: Livermore was the place thing we had hoped the German people Butigan and Terry Messman were mem- stop these arms shipments. that had developed the hydrogen bomb, would do during the Third Reich in Nazi bers of AFSC’s Nonviolent Movement Spirit: Why did the veterans for peace the MX warhead and the neutron bomb, Germany. They could have said, “Enough Building committee and co-authored choose the Concord base to begin uphold- which could kill all the people and leave is enough! Stop this madness!” Basta: No Mandate for War. A Pledge of ing the Nuremberg principles? the buildings intact. So I was absolutely And here at Livermore, we had thou- Resistance Handbook ] Hartsough: Concord Naval Weapons delighted when people in the Bay Area sands of people who were willing to do Spirit: How would you analyze the Station was a major shipping point for decided to begin a campaign to convert that. And this resistance was also happen- effectiveness of the Pledge of Resistance? munitions to Central America, so in 1987, the Livermore Laboratory from building ing at Los Alamos Laboratory and the Hartsough: A lot of people that were we decided Concord was the place where the next generation of nuclear weapons to Nevada Test Site, and all over Europe. A involved in the Pledge around the country we needed to hold a blockade. On June 10, doing positive peacetime research. massive movement arose in Europe and at came out of the religious community. 1987, Russ Jorgenson, Dorothy Granada, Greenham Common in resistance to Spirit: Thousands of people were Somebody in the White House said at one Wendy Kaufmann and I were arrested for Cruise and Pershing missiles. It was and arrested for blockading that holocaust point, “We could go ahead and overthrow sitting on Port Chicago highway and block- is an example of nonviolent people’s laboratory. The Livermore actions were a the Sandinista government in Nicaragua if ing the first munitions truck at Concord. power saying no to the madness that our very dramatic confrontation with the fed- it weren’t for these Christians.” Meaning We spent the weekend in jail. government was trying to inflict upon us. eral government. the Pledge of Resistance! Then people held a vigil at the Concord And that gives me hope. Hartsough: That’s right. And when We were a formidable force. Every base every single day of the entire summer. more than a thousand of us were in jail in Spirit: Many anti-nuclear activists time our government did anything to esca- Brian decided that starting on September 1, 1982, and again in 1983, the authorities soon began working with the Pledge of late these wars, they would have people 1987, he would begin a fast and block trains used fear as a means of trying to control Resistance to oppose U.S. military inter- doing sit-ins in Congressional offices, carrying munitions. He had written to the us. But I think most of us had overcome vention in Central America. What role did shutting down federal buildings, and Navy and to the press that the government that fear and we were willing to spend you play in forming the Pledge? marching in the streets, and they’d have to had a choice to either stop the arms ship- two weeks in jail or whatever it took to try Hartsough: After many of us had put hundreds of people in jail. That was a ments to arrest them and take them to jail, to help turn the arms race around. experienced the horrors of the wars in El real problem for them. or run over them. Instead of being afraid while in jail, we I think the Pledge was an example of Salvador, Nicaragua and Guatemala, we Spirit: So Navy officials had advance used that time to organize workshops and American people who were in touch with felt that we had to do something even notice that Brian and others would be sit- trainings. People shared their life stories their consciences, and were willing to put deeper to try to stop the killing. Under ting on the train tracks? and Dan Ellsberg taught us everything he their freedom on the line, and spend time Reagan’s presidency, his number-one for- Hartsough: There were three veterans knew about nuclear weapons develop- in jail if necessary, to speak out against eign policy objective was to overthrow that decided to block the trains on ment. It was a massive teach-in! I orga- the horrors that our government was the Sandinista government in Nicaragua September 1. We had an interfaith worship nized a strategy game using civilian based involved in. We desperately need that by supporting the Contras’ attacks. service and a press conference and then sent defense as a nonviolent means of defend- spirit again as we resist wars in the future. So we formed the Pledge of Resistance, a delegation to tell the Navy again that we ing a country. which organized thousands of people all Spirit: How did you become involved were going to be blocking the trains. About So we became much stronger through over the country who signed a pledge say- with Nuremberg Action Group in blocking 11:30 in the morning, after the worship ser- that time in jail. The authorities finally ing if the United States escalated the wars shipments of weapons to Central America vice, the train started moving towards us. realized that their system of intimidation in Central America, we would do nonvio- from Concord Naval Weapons Station? We had a big banner across the tracks and fear through holding us in jail was not lent direct action to protest the atrocities the Hartsough: Brian Willson, Charlie saying, “Stopping the War Starts Here: working. They decided it was a poor use U.S. government was inflicting. Liteky and members of Veterans for Peace Nuremberg Actions.” I was in front of the of their money to give us free room and For several years, we were carrying out had fasted on the steps of the U.S. Capitol group looking at the two guys on the train board to do workshops to strengthen our actions every time Congress voted more for 40 days to try to stop Congressional and I was yelling at the top of my voice: movement [laughing]. money for these wars, and when the support for the wars in Central America. “There’s people on the tracks. Stop the Spirit: We found out later that we United States blockaded the ports of Brian Willson then went on one of the vet- train!” The train actually hit my arm and were nearly bankrupting the city of Nicaragua, and when the Jesuit priests erans’ peace action teams to Nicaragua. knocked me down, just outside the tracks. Livermore because of the massive costs of were murdered and the nuns were killed When he came back, he was in tears at Instead of slowing down, the train was imprisoning thousands of people, and the in El Salvador. We would have actions what he had seen in Nicaragua. The picking up speed as it approached Brian huge court costs. where hundreds and hundreds of us would Contras had come across the border to Willson and Duncan Murphy and David Hartsough: That’s why in subsequent be arrested. Here in San Francisco, we attack communities in Nicaragua, includ- Duncombe sitting on the tracks. Duncan years, after they arrested us they would shut down the Federal Building a number ing children’s nurseries, cooperative farms and David jumped off the tracks. Brian never even bring charges because they of times during those years, and there and medical clinics. He said, “We’ve got to was sitting on the tracks with his legs realized it’s not going to stop us. were protests at federal buildings and mil- do much more to stop this.” crossed and the train ran over him. I could itary bases all over the country. Spirit: The nuclear arms race was so Spirit: The Nuremberg principles were see Brian being smashed from one side to massive, and the military-industrial com- Spirit: Your Nonviolent Movement established during the trial of Nazi lead- another and the train was grinding up his plex so powerful, that many thought resis- Building Program played a key role in ers accused of war crimes, crimes against body, with blood spurting everywhere. tance was futile. Yet those who actually supporting the Pledge in the Bay Area. humanity and crimes against peace. As the train passed by, I found one of stepped forward and resisted the arms Hartsough: Our program supported Hartsough: Yes. We called these See Interview with David Hartsough page 13 September 2014 S TREET S PIRIT 13 Interview with David Hartsough from page 12

Brian’s severed legs with a shoe and went running toward him. There was a big hole in his head, so I put my hand over the hole to try to hold the blood from gushing out. His wife of 10 days, Holly Rauen, was a midwife and had medical training and she was able to put a tourniquet around his leg to stop the blood flow. The Navy ambulance came and I said to them, “Take this man to the hospital. He’s dying.” And they said, “We’re not allowed to.” Spirit: That is so heartless. It makes you sick. They were just following orders, like the original Nuremberg defendants. Hartsough: So somebody had to run to a pay phone, and it was another 23 minutes before another ambulance came. None of us thought we’d ever see Brian alive again. He went through many hours of surgery. Bones throughout his body were broken, his skull had been fractured, and there was a big hole in his head. One leg was gone and the other Twenty thousand students in Kosovo march nonviolently toward their former university demanding the right to study there. had to be amputated. than everybody else’s lives, and we have me to know somebody with as much love I think like all other social movements, Luckily after that surgery, he was still to speak out to stop this madness — not in his heart as Brian has for all the people in order to have a chance, you have to alive. When I went to see him in the hos- just with words, but with our bodies. in the world. build a mass movement, and you have to pital, he had bandages all over his whole be willing to put your lives on the line, body, and bandages around his face so I Spirit: It can be costly to resist war Spirit: One of the most inspiring blocking the banks and challenging the could only see his eyes. He was not only crimes. The Concord police also began things I ever saw was on the 25th anniver- corporations that are stealing our democ- alive, but his commitment to nonviolence using torturous pain holds to remove non- sary of Nuremberg Actions. Brian racy. And you have to keep marching and his commitment to continuing the violent demonstrators from the tracks. returned to the Concord base to speak out even if the police say it’s illegal. struggle at Concord had intensified, if Hartsough: Yes. Three of us had our for peace, then he danced on his prosthet- And all that was happening. And the anything. We had decided to have a rally arms broken by police using pain holds in ic legs on the same railroad tracks where spirit among the people that were part of that Saturday to recommit ourselves to November of 1987 — Rev. David Wylie, he had lost his legs. that movement was absolutely over- stopping the trains and stopping the arms Jean Bakewell and I. I was kneeling on Hartsough: Governments have the whelming. It did bring together homeless shipments. I asked him if there was any- the tracks when the weapons train was power to throw us in jail and shoot at us people and students and old people and thing he’d like to say to the rally, and I approaching, and the sheriff’s deputy told and intimidate us, but they don’t have the labor unions and religious communities. I recorded his statement. me I had to get off the tracks because the power to kill our spirits, and they certain- think we had tremendous potential and I Brian said, “We have to continue this train was coming. I said, “I’ll be happy to ly didn’t kill Brian’s spirit. Our actions at hope we still do. struggle because these bombs are killing Nuremberg were an example of what peo- get off the tracks when you stop shipping people in Central America, and as soon as ple all over this country can do, and have arms to kill people.” Spirit: How do you understand the I can get out of the hospital, I’ll be back a responsibility to do, if we’re to stop our So he grabbed my arm and began swift rise and sudden fall of Occupy? there with you.” government from fighting one war after twisting it, and when it got so painful I Hartsough: I think the federal govern- We had 9,000 people out there at another, and causing misery around the had to get up and start walking with him. I ment decided it was a threat to have tens Concord the next Saturday, including world. walked about 20 feet, and he said, “This is of thousands of people marching and Jesse Jackson and Joan Baez and Rosario to make sure you get off the tracks next camping out in the parks and challenging Ortega, the wife of Daniel Ortega. Spirit: Can you remember back to time.” Then he gave my arm another twist the unjust institutions so dramatically. So We now know it was a decision in what you felt the very first time you visited and broke it. I went unconscious. they decided to come down very, very Brian in the hospital right after he was heavy on the Occupy movement. Partly, it Washington, D.C., not to stop the trains, Spirit: Didn’t the three of you win a run over by the train — but before all that had gotten to be winter and people were but to essentially scare us into stopping lawsuit that barred the police from using inspiring stuff happened with 9,000 peo- cold and wet and tired. I think it was a our actions against the war. these pain holds? ple gathering in solidarity at Concord? weakness, if you will, that we allowed Hartsough: It was not just pain holds, Spirit: Instead of stopping Nuremberg Hartsough: It was horror, especially ourselves to be intimidated by the govern- but they were breaking bones. The ACLU Actions, the Navy’s assault on Brian that first day when this had just happened. ment repression and the violent tactics by decided to sue them and it was finally set- Willson outraged people, and inspired Here we were still at the tracks, and our the police when they cleared the encamp- tled out of court because the government them to come out in more massive num- dear friend had been taken off to the hospi- ments and arrested people. didn’t want to go to trial. But they agreed bers than ever before. tal and was presumably going to be dying. Fear and repression is the Achilles’ to give $50,000 to cover our medical Hartsough: Exactly. For close to three Brian and I had talked about doing that first heel of any movement, and almost all expenses. I gave my part of it to Witness years, the Nuremberg Action Group had action together, and up until that morning, I governments will use fear as a way of for Peace and Peace Brigades people blocking the trains and the trucks was planning to be on the tracks. controlling people. Unfortunately, we International. The most important part of every day. Sometimes they would have to But we had an agreement that anyone didn’t have the understanding and com- the settlement was an agreement on the arrest two busloads of us to get us off the who would block a train or truck had to go mitment to realize that was what the gov- part of the Sheriff’s Department in Contra tracks so they could run their trains and through a nonviolence training first. There ernment was doing, and not let them get Costa County not to use violence against have their war and keep killing people in were a bunch of people out at the tracks the upper hand. nonviolent demonstrators. Central America. who wanted to block a train, and I was the But I think the Occupy movement does Spirit: Brian Willson beat all the odds only person there who could do a training. Spirit: You went on several marches continue to live and those people have not and not only survived, but dedicated his So I agreed not to block that first train, but with the Occupy movement in Oakland just disappeared. Occupy people are chal- life to working for peace and justice. to do a nonviolence training and then we and San Francisco, and you also helped lenging foreclosures around the country. Hartsough: He has spent the rest of would block the next train. organize forums where the issue of nonvi- They’re still there and working in many his life acting on that belief that we’re Brian and I had been two of the people olence in Occupy was debated. On a smaller, less visible ways. I still think a really all brothers and sisters. And he was that had envisioned and planned and orga- march to the Port of Oakland, you said powerful nonviolent movement can be a very inspiring example to people all nized this. So I felt tremendous responsi- that Occupy was the most remarkable resurrected and turn this country around. over the world that there are Americans bility that I had caused this guy’s death. movement you had been involved in. Why Then, when I found him alive — and his did you think that then, and what do you Spirit: Tell me about the events that that care enough about the death and led to your working with activists in destruction that our government is causing spirits were very much alive even though think of its significance in retrospect? he was all in bandages and without his Hartsough: I think the Occupy move- Bosnia and then your arrest in Kosovo. that they’re willing to put their lives on Hartsough: In 1996, I went to Bosnia the line to try to stop it. legs — there was tremendous joy in my ment was a tremendous outpouring of heart that he had survived this. people throughout this country in resis- with the Fellowship of Reconciliation and Spirit: Hasn’t he become a hero to peo- This developed a very close kinship tance to the terrible inequality of this that was right after the shelling of ple in Nicaragua and Central America? between the two of us. I realize how, nation. Instead of a democracy of, by and Sarajevo had ended. We saw literally hun- Hartsough: Yes, to people in every day since then, Brian has had to suf- for the people, we have a plutocracy — a dreds of cemeteries all over Sarajevo, the Nicaragua and throughout Latin America, fer. He has suffered from not having his government of, by and for the rich and the capital of Bosnia, all with fresh graves and people in Israel and Palestine, and legs, and he had to suffer the physical and corporations. from that war. many other countries. He was invited to psychic pain from that train hitting him. In hundreds of cities across the United In Kosovo, more than 90 percent of the come everywhere. They wanted to meet So I’ve wanted to be supportive of him in States, people tried to stop business as people were Albanians, and they were this person who really acted on his belief every way I can. And we’re obviously usual, and demanded that our country get being ruled by less than 10 percent of the that American lives aren’t more important very, very dear friends. It’s inspiring to back to its basic values and principles. See Interview with David Hartsough page 14 14 S TREET S PIRIT September 2014

Kosovo or anywhere there was a nonvio- share their stories. Iran has not started a We have people doing the research to Interview with lent struggle to help support those folks to war with another country in 200 years. document that wars are not working and successfully challenge oppression. The United States overthrew their democ- that there are viable alternatives to war David Hartsough In the spring of 1999, the Hague ratically elected government in 1953. right now. The campaign is still in its ini- Appeal for Peace was happening in the [Editor: Iranian Prime minister tial stages. We have to do a tremendous from page 13 Netherlands where 9,000 peace activists Mohammad Mosaddegh was overthrown amount of education not only among people who were Serbs. It was an from all over the world came together to in 1953 by the United States in a coup peace people, but all the groups that could apartheid country. Many Albanians had look at how we could end war. So a num- after he nationalized Iran’s oil industry.] benefit by ending war. lost their jobs, and could not study in the ber of us who were at the Hague Appeal The U.S. also shot down a civilian air- Ending war is possible if the people of university. Instead of getting guns and committed ourselves to building a global liner and never apologized for that. We the world realize that those of us who turning to armed struggle, they were nonviolent peace force. have troops and bombers surrounding want peace are the massive majority, and choosing nonviolent means to challenge We started a two-year process of shar- their country, and yet we see them as a we have to force our governments to lis- that oppression and that apartheid regime. ing this vision with people from other threat to us. That reality motivated us to ten to us. We need to challenge our gov- So I decided to go there and I met Adem parts of the world. Then, in 2002, we held try to stop a war with Iran, and to get our ernments to stop this nonsense, and if they Demaci, who had spent 29 years in prison, our founding conference in Surajkund, nation to resolve its conflicts at the nego- don’t listen to us, we will engage in mas- very much like Nelson Mandela. He was India, outside of Delhi, and started the tiation table, not on the battlefield. sive nonviolent resistance. the head of the human rights commission Nonviolent Peaceforce, with peace Spirit: What happened on your peace Spirit: You have recently written a there. I met students that were challenging activists from 49 countries present. delegation to Israel and Palestine? book about your lifetime work for peace their exclusion from the university. I met We now have a couple hundred trained Hartsough: Scott Kennedy and I led a and justice. Can you tell us about it? political prisoners, women’s organizations international peacekeepers that can go into delegation to Israel and Palestine in 2009- Hartsough: My book is Waging Peace: and teachers. I spent a couple months with conflict areas at the invitation of local 2010. What most influenced me is that, Global Adventures of a Lifelong Activist. It them and they were all saying they were peacemakers, and help protect civilians that similar to Kosovo, there is a very broad- shares my experiences with nonviolent facing an apartheid regime. are being killed or injured in conflicts. based movement, especially in the West movements over the last 60 years. I think They told me that Kosovo was an About 80 percent of the people that die in Bank, where Palestinians have been chal- that we all need to be inspired by the stories explosion waiting to happen, and they wars and armed conflicts are civilians, lenging the wall, and challenging their of people that have been engaging in nonvi- wanted to form a more active and many of them children. We’re also there to apartheid system where they are treated as olent resistance around the world. assertive nonviolent struggle. To do that, protect human rights workers and local second-class citizens. Hopelessness is maybe our greatest they needed international people to come peacemakers whose lives are endangered. They have been resorting to nonviolent enemy. So people end up feeling disem- to Kosovo and be present with them to We have been in Sri Lanka. We’re struggle, but unfortunately, Israel has not powered, and that there’s nothing we can make it safer. They asked me to find inter- presently in Mindanao in the Philippines responded very positively to that nonviolent do to change things. In this book, I’m try- national people to come and help them where there has been a decades-long struggle. And there are also many Israelis ing to challenge that sense of hopeless- engage in nonviolent struggle. struggle between the government military that are very committed to justice for ness and powerlessness. The status quo When I went back to Kosovo with a and the Muslim community. We’re also in Palestinians, and are actually joining in wants us to believe that we’re powerless small group of American students in the South Sudan which is in tremendous weekly nonviolent demonstrations across and that we’re nobodies. spring of 1998, hundreds of thousands of upheaval right now, and we’re starting a the West Bank. It is important to try to But people in the Philippines, in people were marching in the streets — project in Burma where there are still bring this to light for the rest of the world. Liberia, in Eastern Europe, in Tunisia, in everything from young families with their some major conflicts. This is a nonviolent movement where, Egypt, and in many other parts of the babies in strollers, to old people with their Spirit: What was your role in develop- week after week, people are marching to world understand that they’re not power- canes. Yet, the massive protests barely got ing the Nonviolent Peaceforce? the walls that are separating their commu- less, and that nonviolent struggle is the any publicity in the rest of the world. Hartsough: Mel Duncan and I were nities from their fields, and they are being most effective means to challenge oppres- I began doing nonviolence trainings of seen as the cofounders of the Nonviolent tear-gassed and shot with rubber bullets. sive governments. This book shares my the students, which they had asked for, Peaceforce. We were seen as the people And there are Israelis from the religious own experiences with nonviolent move- and the next day, all five of us Americans who really took this vision and continued community called Rabbis for Human ments that have made an enormous differ- were put in prison, and we got major pub- to reach out to people all around the world Rights that are supporting them and acting ence in changing the world. licity for our arrests around the world. It to help bring this vision into being. I was in solidarity with them. Spirit: In light of your involvement in was kind of ridiculous because hundreds the strategic relations director and was Israel is using massive bombing and a countless social-change movements, what of thousands of people marching nonvio- responsible for reaching out to organiza- total blockade and locking the borders so are the three movements that you found to lently were ignored, while five interna- tions and groups all around the world. people can’t get in or out — all in an be the most inspiring? tionals who got arrested for trying to sup- We wanted the Nonviolent Peaceforce effort to try to find security. It is exactly Hartsough: I would say the Civil port these folks got all this publicity. to not just be a group of North Americans. the opposite of what is needed. The only Rights movement in this country, the Spirit: How long were you held and We wanted this to be truly a global force real peace that can be created there is a Occupy movement, and the movement what were conditions like in the jail? of people from all over the world. Both peace where there is a sense of justice, against the Vietnam War. Hartsough: We were sentenced to 10 our decision-making body and our volun- and where every person is respected for Spirit: Why do these three movements days in jail, but after the third day, there had teers on the ground are really a mixture of their religious beliefs and nationality. stand out as the most extraordinary? been so much publicity around the world people and races and nationalities from Spirit: It is fascinating to me that, Hartsough: During the movement to that they came to the jail and took us to the the whole world. after a lifetime of being involved in many end the Vietnam war, communities all Macedonian border and stamped in our Spirit: This idea seems to build on the idealistic campaigns for peace, instead of across this country — churches and labor passports that we couldn’t come back for work of groups like Witness for Peace and becoming more “practical” or “realis- unions, university and high school stu- ten years. We used the publicity to try to Peace Brigades International. tic,” you are now involved in perhaps dents, women’s groups — decided that bring attention to the nonviolent struggle in Hartsough: Yes, I started the Friends your most utopian campaign of all — a the war in Vietnam was a lie and was Kosovo and the need to support it. Peace Teams, and had worked with Peace World Beyond War. Is there any real hope killing millions of people in our name and The conditions in jail were terrible. It Brigades International and Witness for of abolishing warfare? with our tax dollars, and they were going was very cold, and there was no heat. Peace, and saw that nonviolent peace Hartsough: It’s called World Beyond to have to stop it. That same commitment They had shaved our heads. There were a teams can have a very important impact, War: A Global Movement to End All is what we have to create again in the hundred rules posted on the wall and the and we wanted to expand this. Wars. The overwhelming numbers of peo- World Beyond War movement today. first rule said: “Obey all the rules.” It was Gandhi first envisioned a Shanti Sena, ple in the world do not benefit because of The Civil Rights movement started with pretty harsh and inhumane. or nonviolent army, so this idea has been war, and are suffering because of war. one woman, Rosa Parks, in Montgomery, Then, in 1999, when some more ethnic kicking around for a long time. And it was Our governments continue this anachro- Alabama. It started with four students in cleansing had started, President Clinton very exciting to actually find the people in nistic practice of fighting wars because Greensboro, North Carolina. Both of those went on international television and said different parts of the world who wanted to that’s how they think they’ll get security. actions were sparks that ignited people all we have two choices: We can look the realize this vision of Mahatma Gandhi. We know that wars are not working. over the South, and then eventually people other way and do nothing, or we can go in Today, the United Nations and many Wars are bankrupting us. Trillions of dol- all over the country, to stop the insanity of and start bombing. From my perspective, friendly governments are beginning to lars are being wasted on wars and prepa- segregation and second-class citizenship. neither of those alternatives are accept- understand the power of nonviolent ration for wars. And that forces the gov- People put their own lives on the line to able. We had a third alternative, which peacekeeping as an alternative to armed ernments to cut funds for every social pro- create a society that could truly be called a our country and the world had refused to peacekeeping. Our hope eventually is to gram and from schools and environmental just and democratic society. Those sparks take, and that was to support the nonvio- have this seen as an alternative to war and programs and parks and homeless pro- ignited a whole movement of thousands of lent struggle. That was a terrible lost violent intervention. grams and low-income housing and pro- people willing to risk arrest and violence. opportunity. If we had done that, I think Spirit: Have you led peacemaking del- grams for the elderly and children. The Occupy movement was a real sign we had a good chance to help make that egations to countries in the Middle East? Spirit: How are peace activists build- of hope. Occupy was the most recent of transition to a more democratic society Hartsough: I have led two peace dele- ing this movement to abolish war? these movements and, again, it was happen peacefully, rather than through a gations to Iran, and one to Israel and Hartsough: We have over 4,000 peo- sparked by people at the grass roots of our horrendous war. The hatred that exists Palestine in the last four or five years. ple who have signed a Declaration of society. People saw a totally serious flaw now between people in Kosovo and the Bush called Iran part of the Axis of Evil, Peace. [This is available at www.worldbe- in our society. They saw that the govern- Serbs will last for generations. And that’s and these countries were seen as the ulti- yondwar.org.] We have 68 countries ment is really being controlled by the rich what happens in every war. mate enemies. So what we were really where people have signed the Declaration and the corporations while ignoring the Spirit: Is that what led to your work doing was just getting to know the Iranian of Peace. People who have signed this well-being of the people. We’ve got to with the Nonviolent Peaceforce? people as people. When you know people, declaration are committed to not engage take back our government for the people Hartsough: That experience was the it’s very hard to think about killing them in or support wars of any kind and to and the Occupy movement was trying to impetus to start the Nonviolent or blowing up their society. work nonviolently to end all wars. do that. It was inspiring that so many peo- Peaceforce. I realized we needed hundreds We met with members of Parliament We have committees that are working ple left their comfortable homes and went of trained, nonviolent peacekeepers — and religious leaders and all kinds of peo- on strategy, fundraising, outreach, nonvio- out on the streets and acted to get this courageous people that could go to ple in the country, and then came back to lent training, and the use of social media. country back on track. September 2014 S TREET S PIRIT 15 A Journey of Peace in Korea and Vietnam by David Hartsough recently returned from three weeks in Korea and Vietnam, countries still suf- Ifering from the ravages of war. North and South Korea are caught in the tragic Cold War mentality with a divided country imposed on them by the United States back in 1945 and solidified in 1948. Ten million families were separated by the division into North and South Korea. People in South Korea cannot phone, write or visit relatives or friends in North Korea and vice versa. One Catholic priest from South Korea I met spent three-and-a- half years in prison in South Korea for visit- ing North Korea on a peace mission. The border between North and South Korea is a battle zone where hot war could break out at any moment. The U.S. and South Korean military regularly con- duct full-scale, live-fire war games involving up to 300,000 troops simulating both defensive and offensive war, includ- ing armed war planes right up to the bor- der of North Korea. North Korea regularly makes threats of war as well. The Soviet Union is no more and it is time for the United States to ask forgive- ness of the people of South and North Korea for imposing this state of war on the two countries, sign a peace agreement with North Korea to officially end the Korean war, recognize the government of North Korea and agree to negotiate all dif- During his recent trip to Vietnam, David Hartsough met mothers and children suffering from the effects of Agent Orange. ferences at the conference table, not on the battlefield.

RESISTANCE ON JEJU ISLAND The U.S. military dropped more than eight million tons of bombs on Vietnam — more I spent most of my time in Korea on bombs than were dropped by all sides in World War II. The people of Vietnam are still Jeju Island, a beautiful island 50 miles suffering and dying from the unexploded ordnance and the Agent Orange dropped on south of the South Korean mainland Vietnam by the United States during the war. where between 30,000 and 80,000 people were assassinated back in 1948 under orders from U.S. military command. The which priests and nuns block the main Vietnam which ended 39 years ago. ple and countryside, including 15 million people of Jeju Island had strongly resisted entrance to the base. They are then carried I encountered the friendliness of the gallons of Agent Orange, to defoliate the the Japanese occupation during World off by the police when many cement Vietnamese people who welcomed us, trees and crops. There are three million War II and, along with most people in trucks are lined up trying to get onto the invited us into their homes, and have for- Vietnamese victims of Agent Orange with Korea, were looking forward to a free and base. When the police step aside after the given us for all the suffering, pain and deformed bodies and minds who are still independent nation. trucks have entered the base, the priests death our country inflicted on them in the suffering from this highly toxic chemical However, instead of a unified country, and nuns carry their chairs back to contin- American war in Vietnam, with a hope that three generations later. Agent Orange gets the United States imposed a strongly anti- ue blocking the entrance to the base — all we can live in peace with one another. into the genes and is passed from genera- communist government on South Korea. the time in deep prayer. I reflected on the horrendous suffering, tion to generation so children are still being Especially on Jeju Island, all who resisted I joined them for the last two days I pain and death caused by the war in born deformed in mind and body. a militarized and anti-communist South was on Jeju Island. After the mass each Vietnam. If the United States had abided We visited orphanages of children tragi- Korea were assassinated. day which lasts about two hours, the by the Geneva accords which ended the cally affected by Agent Orange who will Because of the anti-communist dicta- activists come and do a dance blocking French war with Vietnam in 1954 and had never be able to live a normal life. We vis- torships in power for decades after 1948, the main gate for another hour or so. allowed free elections in all of Vietnam in ited homes where children were lying on the people of Jeju Island were not allowed Some of the people acting on their con- 1956, three million Vietnamese would not the bed or floor, not able to control their to even talk about this past or they would science blocking the entrance have spent have had to die in the American war in bodies or even recognize that people were be suspected of being communist sympa- over one year in prison. Others have had Vietnam. Two million of those who died nearby. A mother or grandmother spends thizers and severely punished. heavy fines imposed on them for their acts were Vietnamese civilians. 24 hours a day with the child, loving and Only in 2003, President Roh Moo-hyun of conscience. But still the nonviolent The U.S. military dropped more than comforting them. It was almost more than apologized on behalf of the Korean govern- resistance continues. eight million tons of bombs on Vietnam our hearts could bear. ment for the massacre of the people on Jeju Some Koreans are working hard for — more bombs than were dropped by all The (American) Veterans for Peace Island in 1948. Jeju Island was then reconciliation and peace between North sides in World War II — killing, maiming Chapter 160 in Vietnam is helping sup- declared an “Island of Peace” and was also and South Korea. But the governments of and forcing people to flee their homes and port projects like Project Renew in which declared a “World Heritage Site” because the United States, South Korea and North forcing many of them to live in tunnels. In the Vietnamese are trained to safely of its coral reefs and natural beauty. Korea continue their military confronta- Quang Tri province, four tons of bombs remove or detonate bombs or other explo- But now the U.S. government has decid- tion. And now, if this base is built, there were dropped for every person in that sives found in their communities. They ed on the “pivot to Asia” and plans to move will be another very large military base in province, the equivalent of eight are also supporting the Vietnam the focus of U.S. military operations to South Korea. Concerned Americans need Hiroshima-sized atomic bombs. Friendship Village and orphanages and Asia, presumably to encircle China with to support the nonviolent movement of The people of Vietnam are still suffer- families where one or more family mem- military bases and prepare for the next war. the people on Jeju Island to stop the con- ing and dying from the unexploded ord- bers cannot work by buying them a cow The village of Gangjeong has been chosen struction of the military base there. nance and the Agent Orange dropped on or putting a roof on their home or helping as the port for a massive military base I believe that the American people Vietnam by the United States during the start enterprises that can generate income which officially will be a Korean military need to demand that our government stop war. Ten percent of the bombs dropped on for the family. base, but in reality is seen as a place for the Pax Americana way of relating to the Vietnam did not explode on impact and are Our delegation contributed $21,000 U.S. military ships to help “contain” China. rest of the world. We need to settle our still exploding in people’s back yards, in toward the orphanages and in support of Thus, the fear is that Jeju Island could differences with China, North Korea and their fields and in their communities, caus- families suffering from Agent Orange and become a focal point for a new war. all nations by negotiations at the confer- ing people of all ages, including many chil- unexploded explosives — a drop in the Since plans for the base were first ence table, not through projecting our mil- dren, to lose their limbs, eyesight or be bucket compared with the need, but it was announced seven years ago, the people of itary power through threats and the build- killed or otherwise maimed. deeply appreciated. Gangjeong have been resisting the con- ing of more military bases. An estimated 800,000 tons of unexplod- The U.S. government should take struction of the base and for the past four And now on to Vietnam. In April of this ed ordnance is still in the ground in responsibility for alleviating the suffering years, they have been nonviolently block- year, I spent two weeks in Vietnam as part Vietnam. Since the end of the war, at least and pain our war is still causing the peo- ing bulldozers and cement trucks coming of a Veterans for Peace delegation hosted 42,000 people have lost their lives and ple of Vietnam and contribute the hun- onto the base. Activists from South Korea by a group of American veterans living in another 62,000 have been injured or perma- dreds of millions of dollars necessary to (many in the Catholic church) have joined Vietnam. The focus of our visit was to learn nently disabled due to unexploded bombs. clean up both the Agent Orange and unex- in this nonviolent resistance. about how the people of Vietnam continue More than 20 million gallons of herbi- ploded ordnance and support the families Every day there is a Catholic Mass in to suffer from the American war in cides were sprayed on the Vietnamese peo- See Journey of Peace page 16 16 S TREET S PIRIT September 2014 Youth Spirit Artworks and Prop 47 from page 1 which will be flash exhibits at local malls where they will pass out literature about young people are able to express their the ballot initiative. passions and their concerns for social jus- Teacher and artist Mavedzenge tice. For some months now, they have explains, “What this project aims to do is been engaged in the subject of prisons and to make the youth reflect on what freedom all that is associated with them. means to them. So the whole concept of It all came about when J.R. Furst freedom can be looked at from a lot of dropped in at the YSA studio. Furst, age different angles, but when you consider 30, is an artist, musician, street performer the fact that some people go to jail for and writer. “Art is sort of like my salva- minor crimes such as stealing diapers, tion,” he says. then the whole question becomes: why Furst explains how he “gravitated did somebody have to steal diapers? toward letter writing” and has connected “It’s such a basic necessity and they with many pen pals. He recalls seeing the get a jail record for that. This is why we movie “Hurricane” about Ruben support Proposition 47. So within this “Hurricane” Carter, “a boxer who was project, we then question what is it that sent to prison for a murder he didn’t com- led people to be in a situation that limits mit and a young man writes to him.” their freedom, like being in prison. And it Furst says, “That stuck in my head. I all boils down to the economic situation went to this website called writeaprison- we’re living in. People of color have been er.com.” He now has five incarcerated pen subjected to less opportunity, stigmatiza- pals. One of those five, Glen Robinson, tion, police brutality. So many things have made a profound impression on him. gone on in the community that has affect- “He has a very powerful message,” ed people’s freedom.” Furst says. “From the beginning is his Mavedzenge refers to the correspon- strong desire and pledge to be of service dence with Robinson whose writings have to the community and to find a level of inspired the youth. “He writes to us about transcendence. He’s there (in jail) 24 his reflections about what life means. hours a day with the ghost of the past, but What does it mean to be on the street and the powerful part is not victimization and dealing and hustling and living a life of self-pity. He really dug deep on some crime to survive? And these reflections level of acceptance.” really have told us to look into ourselves For two years, he has been correspond- and ask what life is all about.” ing with Robinson and saving all his let- Mavedzenge recites one of his favorite Georgina Woodlaw works with Youth Spirit Artworks. She said she Lydia Gans ters. He set up a website, beyondthis- quotes from Robinson’s letters: “The loves working with color. She calls her painting, "Abstract of a Lady." photo prison.com connecting specifically with mask we wear to fool others is the same Glen Robinson, and a project he calls mask we wear to fool ourselves.” One of trying to spread the awareness of how and cold sweats when I see an enforcer of Beyond This Prison for “bringing out his the young artists at YSA, Brendon Harris, people are taking others’ freedom away.” the law. A man that is supposed to by my themes and ideas in the community and used this quotation on his painting. “When freedom comes to the mind, it savior becomes my tormentor.” creating art based on that.” According to Mavedzenge, it is impor- makes me think about the Black Panthers The art that the young people have cre- Seeking to involve young people, Furst tant for the young artists to see “these or the Civil Rights movement,” wrote ated over the summer on the YSA Beyond approached Youth Spirit Artworks with reflections from somebody who is in Zayfi RA Ashe. On another note, he said, This Prison program is impressive. Talent the project and found they were interest- prison calling out to the youth to say, ‘Do “Possessing freedom in your imagination and inspiration and a dedicated teacher ed. He brought them some of Robinson’s not walk the road I walked.’ There are helps you create things that you never have produced an exhibit that is a pleasure letters and it lit a spark with the youth. better choices to be made — no matter thought you could ever do, and in that to view and carries an important message Furst said it was very meaningful to what circumstance you are under.” process you might become an inspiration as well. Calling it Front Line Art, they see the young people of YSA respond Approaching the subject of Prop. 47 to more people.” will be taking it to 10 locations in the area intently to Robinson’s letters. “They often and incarceration from the aspect of free- Georgina Woodlaw wrote, “Freedom and distributing flyers supporting say he’s saying things that I’m experienc- dom, Mavedzenge invited the young peo- to me means free of judgment to express Proposition 47. They expect to start in ing that I didn’t have words for,” Furst ple to write short statements on “what yourself in life — not to judge people — mid-September. says. Several began their own correspon- freedom means to me.” He received some be caring, kind to one another.” Referring dence with Robinson. thoughtful and inspiring responses. We to her participation in the Beyond This To learn more about getting YSA Executive Director Sally quote a few short excerpts. Prison project, she added, “I also think the involved in Youth Spirit Artworks or Hindman and Art Director Victor Julia Tello observed that, “We cannot prison project helped me through with supporting YSA’s work to pass Prop. Mavedzenge decided that the summer truly exercise our freedom until we allow writing my dad more while he’s in jail.” 47, email shindman@youthspiritart- would be devoted to the Beyond This everyone to be free, and most important, Michael Blanco got straight to the point. works.org or call 510-282-0396. YSA Prison Project, “making art on the topic of free ourselves.” “The system we live by is flawed. That’s always needs new volunteers, including freedom and imprisonment.” It would tie She also said, “Here at Youth Spirit why 38 percent of the prison population is Board members and other volunteers! in with the campaign for Proposition 47. Artworks, I’m trying to incorporate what I Black and 21 percent of the prison popula- Also, YSA hopes you will “Like” They decided to work on “art actions,” think freedom means in my art, as well as tion is Hispanic. That’s why I get butterflies Youth Spirit Artworks on Facebook!!!”

including those who do the killing. There is this movement to end the addiction to vio- Journey of Peace in Korea and Vietnam a very high number of suicides by both lence and war which is so endemic in this from page 15 Only after enduring 30 years of hell active-duty soldiers and veterans, and the country and around the world. did he finally decide to go back to souls of all the rest of us are also wounded. I believe that 99% of the world’s peo- and victims still suffering from the war. Vietnam. Now he has gotten to know the The United States could be the most ple could benefit and feel much safer and The Vietnamese are ready to do the people of Vietnam and has found pro- loved nation in the world if we moved have a much better quality of life if we work, but need financial assistance. We found healing for himself. He said the from our Pax Americana way of relating were to end our addiction to war as a Americans have caused this tragedy. We worst decision of his life was to go to to the world to a worldview of a global means of resolving conflicts and devote have the moral responsibility to clean it up. Vietnam as a soldier and the best decision human family. We need to work for those funds to promoting a better life for It was powerful to experience Vietnam was to come back to Vietnam as a friend shared security for all people on earth and all people on the planet. in the company of U.S. veterans who had of the people of Vietnam. act on that belief by spending the hun- My experiences in Korea and Vietnam been part of the killing and destruction A bill has passed Congress allocating dreds of billions we currently spend on have only strengthened my belief that this is during the war and who are now finding $66 million to commemorate the war in wars and preparation for wars for human the path we must take if we are to survive healing from the pain of their war experi- Vietnam in 2015, the 40th anniversary of and environmental needs in the United as a species and build a world of peace and ences 40 or more years ago, through the end of the war. Many in Washington States and worldwide. justice for our children and grandchildren reaching out to the people of Vietnam hope to clean up the image of the war in We could help end world hunger, and and for all generations to come. who are still suffering from the war. Vietnam by showing that it was a “good help build schools and medical clinics in One U.S. veteran told us that after the war” and something for which Americans communities around the world. We could For more information about the strug- war, he could not live with himself or should be proud. help build a decent life for every person gle on Jeju Island, Korea, see the with anyone else, and lived as far away as After my recent trip to Vietnam, I feel on the planet. That would be a much more www.savejejunow.org website and the he could from other people — about a very strongly that we must not allow our effective means of fighting terrorism than film, “Ghosts of Jeju.” hundred miles north of Anchorage, government to clean up the image of the our present effort to find security through For more information about Vietnam Alaska. He said he worked on an oil Vietnam War. The Vietnam War was a ever more armaments, nuclear weapons and what the Veterans for Peace are pipeline by day, and was drunk or high on horrible war, as are all wars. Hopefully and military bases circling our planet. doing to help support those suffering drugs the rest of the time to escape from we will learn from history, as well as from I invite you to join many of us who are from Agent Orange and unexploded ord- the pain of his war experience. He said our religious teachings, that war is not the building a Global Movement to End All nance, see http://vfp-vn.ning.com/ there were hundreds of other veterans also answer. War does not solve conflicts, but War. Go to www.worldbeyondwar.org To find out more about the living in the backwoods of Alaska who instead sows the seeds of future wars. and sign the Declaration of Peace. Look at Movement to End All War, see were going through the same experience. War is a moral disaster for everyone, the ten-minute video and become active in www.worldbeyondwar.org.