August 23, 2004 Dear Friends, I want to offer sincere thanks to all of you who responded so generously to Howard Zinn’s recent letter. Your contribu- MUSTE tions have helped us meet the urgent News from the A.J. Muste Memorial Institute demands put on the A.J. Muste Memorial Institute’s resources by the current crisis. As Howard pointed out in his letter, we cannot expect the presidential election to bring social justice and peace. At the Muste NOTES Institute, we are preparing for beyond VOL. 12, NUMBER 1 FALL 2004 November, to step up our support of the grassroots movement as it faces new chal- lenges in opposing war and injustice. As A.J Goes to South Vietnam the “Stop the Merchants of Death” cam- paign makes clear (see profile on page 2), In April 1966, President Lyndon With all that going on, A.J. decided a companies like Halliburton, Bechtel, and Johnson was building up American pacifist team should visit Saigon to Lockheed Martin have the power and moti- forces in South Vietnam and expanding “know more first hand” about the vation to keep endless war on the agenda, the war at an alarming rate. At the same Vietnamese and initiate dialogue with time, the peace movement in this coun- regardless of who is in the White House. U.S. personnel in Vietnam. He also try was finally showing the increasing wanted to stage an act of protest so the If you haven’t contributed lately, please vitality and strength that would lead to Vietnamese would know that some do so now. This month we are reprinting massive antiwar protests within two Americans did not support the war. A.J. several of our Essay Series pamphlets, years. A.J. Muste—then 81 years old and entered South Vietnam on April 15, including the Spanish-language Martin supposedly long into retirement—was accompanied by Barbara Deming, Luther King pamphlet, this time incorpo- at the center of all this activity. William Davidon, Brad Lyttle, Karl rating a never-before-published Spanish After addressing one of the first Meyer and others. translation of King’s famous speech at major demonstrations against the war At first, authorities paid little atten- Riverside Church against the Vietnam war. in December 1964, A.J. followed up tion to the delegation, which spent the You can use the envelope enclosed with with a public “speak out” on the steps week meeting with American AID our last appeal to send in your donation, or of the Pentagon on June 16, 1965. Next workers, the press, Buddhist monks, go to our website at www.ajmuste.org and he organized a three-day “Assembly of Catholic priests and students. A.J. and click on the JustGive “button” at the top of Unrepresented People” in Washington his associates soon learned that virtually the main page. Join us now to turn back the in August that culminated with a sit-in no one wanted the U.S. to stay in at the Capitol where 350 people were Vietnam. Even if they did not support tide of war and militarism. arrested. On the heels of this action, the National Liberation Front (the “Viet A.J. was instrumental in creating the Cong”), there was a universal sense that In peace, Fifth Avenue Peace Parade Committee, the Vietnamese should be left to resolve which brought out over 25,000 people the situation themselves. They also came on October 15, and organized another to realize that, contrary to the informa- Murray Rosenblith large demonstration in Central Park in tion reported in the U.S., there was very Executive Director March 1966. continued on page 2 While politicians convene in Boston and New York this summer, September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows is making a dramatic statement of solidarity with the victims of ter- rorism, violence and war around the world. From July 26 through September 2, Peaceful Tomorrows members are walking from the Democratic National Convention in Boston to the Republican National Convention in New York, pulling a 1,400-pound granite memorial PHOTO FROM WWW.STONEWALK.ORG FROM PHOTO honoring “Unknown Civilians Killed in War.” In the photo, walkers push the memo- rial en route from Mendon to Milville, Massachusetts, on August 3rd. The Muste Institute supported “Stonewalk 2004” with a $1,000 grant to Peaceful Tomorrows in April of this year. For more photos, press coverage and daily reports from Stonewalk 2004, see the website at www.stonewalk.org. 2 • Muste Notes Vol. 12/No. 1 Grantee Profile: David Dellinger Stop the Merchants of Death! Memorial The Muste Institute granted $1,500 to ground in Iraq—houses bulldozed, fam- There will be a public memorial the War Resisters League (WRL) in April of ilies kidnapped by US soldiers—people service in New York City to cele- this year for outreach and publicity for the are just stunned. And amazed, when brate the life of longtime nonviolent “Stop the Merchants of Death” campaign. they learn about the massive nonviolent activist David Dellinger on This article is by G. Simon Harak, WRL’s protests in Iraq. Here in the US, people Saturday, October 23 at 6:30pm. The Anti-Militarism Coordinator. tell me, we never hear how widespread event, which is being organized by nonviolent resistance is among Iraqis. David’s family and friends, will In my work with the national “Stop For that, we can thank the corporate take place at the Cathedral of St. the Merchants of Death” campaign, I media. General Electric (GE), for exam- John the Divine at 112th Street and have spoken to dozens of audiences— ple, owns the NBC television network. Amsterdam Avenue in Manhattan. students, activists and faith groups— And GE this year will manufacture $2.8 The Muste Institute is sponsoring about the role of corporations in making billion worth of weapons for the US gov- the event. Tax-deductible contribu- war for profit. Yes, ernment. Those women and men on the tions in Dave’s honor should be you heard right: NBC nightly news are not working to made out to A.J. Muste Memorial these companies defend our first amendment rights— Institute and sent to our office at 339 do not just profit they are working to make money for a Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012, from war. With weapons manufacturer. So they’re cer- earmarked for the “Dellinger their vast influ- tainly not going to report on the Memorial Fund.” ence, they make struggles and successes of nonviolent wars for profit, movements. Because they’re required by in effect com- corporate interests to “sell” people on the these folks, we have an action plan to mandeering the need for more and more weapons. And if help them start organizing in their com- U.S. military for they don’t do a good job of it, they’ll be munities. corporate takeovers of entire countries. fired. So the media coverage on NBC If you wish to join the “Stop the War profiteers influence government becomes advertising for the war. Merchants of Death” campaign as an decisions on what weapons systems to After the shock comes anger. Some organizer or a speaker, or you want a buy, what countries to invade, and what are angry at me for saying it, because speaker to address your group, contact lands to occupy. Campaign contributions they don’t want to believe we aren’t me—G. Simon Harak—at 212-228-0450, create a “revolving door” between poli- really fighting for democracy and free- ext. 104, or [email protected]. For tics and the business of war profiteering. dom. Others are angry because they more information about the campaign, The first reaction from audiences finally understand the responsibility of go to the “programs” section of WRL’s when I explain all this is shock. When I the corporations in all this bloodshed, website at warresisters.org. show people what’s happening on the and they want to put an end to it. For —G. Simon Harak South Vietnam in early 1967, for the final trip of his life.) continued from page 1 On April 21, the day they were told they had to leave, A.J. and the others little support for the South Vietnamese decided they would try one last time to government among the people. demonstrate at the U.S. Embassy. They Near the end of the week, the group gathered up signs and leaflets and headed was picked up by the police and told off on foot. After being stopped several their visas were expiring and they times by security police, A.J. and the rest would have to leave. First, authorities were gently picked up and loaded into PHOTO:ARCHIVES MUSTE INSTITUTE let them hold a press conference at police vans. Driven to the airport, they Saigon City Hall. Before reporters could were held in a detention room for several ask any questions, a group of “stu- hours and put on a plane out of the coun- dents” began shouting at the pacifists try. They returned on April 24 to Kennedy and throwing eggs and tomatoes at airport in New York, where A.J. held a them. Later, one of the young men who well-attended press conference and said disrupted the press conference came to he felt the trip had accomplished its pur- A.J. and admitted that they were secu- pose. Despite his frail health, A.J. rity agents and had been instructed to returned from this trip with renewed Barbara Deming and A. J. Muste in detention break things up.