On the Road to No War: End of 5-Day Journey, Civil Disobedience at Naval Station Norfolk, Part 2

From June 22 thru June 26 the Norfolk Catholic Worker, Norfolk OffBase, a GI Coffee House in Norfolk, Virginia, as well as the Jonah House out of Baltimore, several Mennonites from Virginia and Pennsylvania and various local peace and justice activists have carried out a challenging witness to peace action called "On the Road to No War: A Walk for Disarmament from Camp Peary to Naval Station Norfolk."

The walk has covered over 50 miles and stops at 13 military and military/industrial complex installations in the Hampton Roads, Virginia area, often under searing heat. Participants have walked believing nonviolence is the true force that can transform our world filled with war, violence, and hatred, into one of justice and peace, where every human need is met. They believe that beating swords into plowshares is the key to personal, national, and global security.

As a final act of commitment to this vision, two individuals, Russell and Glenn, took it upon themselves to be arrested at Naval Station Norfolk by trespassing into the traffic lanes. These three videos (YouTube won't accept them spliced together) shows the vigil circle, prayers and act of disobedience leading to arrest.

The walk has been a call:

1) for an end to the preparation, legitimization, and execution of all war

2) for our nation to be an example of disarmament for the world

3) for nonviolent solutions to conflicts

4) for the conversion of our war-based economy to one based on meeting human needs and environmental protection.

Those who have walked sought to share their vision of a peaceful United States coexisting in a peaceful world with the community in general and passersby and military personnel they have crossed paths with, believing that the journey will take us all a step closer to disarming our hearts and our nation, as well as the world as the message of swords into plowshares spreads everywhere.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Civil Disobedience
• Swords to Plowshares
• Study War No More

[MosquitoMac]

By the way, you are very naive if you think the Pentagon doesn't influence policy. They propagandize constantly and spin facts to proselytize their perspective, definitely trying to shape public opinion. The small army of retired Pentagon officials who ended up in the media as "news analysts" all but assured we would attack Iraq, on what turned out to be total lies. The Pentagon also has a vast PR/propaganda machine around the world, meant, they admit, to purposely sway foreign citizens.

[RingSight91]

"Those who beat their swords into plowshares will end up plowing for those who did not." - Anonymous

And at the risk of sounding rhetorical, why picket at military installations? By sounding a call to "Disarm" to those "entrusted/designated" by the State to actually "be Armed", are you formenting rebellion, or simply mutiny [among the ranks]?

Contrary to your imagination, "The military does not decide nor incite Policy, merely enacts it." Picket somewhere else [*hint, hint*].