On the Road to No War: End of 5-Day Journey, Civil Disobedience at Naval Station Norfolk, Part 1

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. This video 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

[ktm511]

I must say though, why show up at the gates of an opperational navy base and protest? War or no war its not going to shut down for you. LOL Your movement should be in DC. Not where the people go to work that they signed up for. I'd imagine ya'll have regular day jobs? Ive seen this group walking by Oceana for a week straight one time......and I know that one dude doesnt have a stable job.

[MosquitoMac]

There are marches, etc. in DC, ongoing. Staging something near a navy base brings the issue a little more to the forefront of people's minds: How do we create a better world? Through swords or through ploughshares?

[ktm511]

Why the heck would we disarm???? And why would we roll over for the enemy??? Get real dude. we are not goin to be peace makers for others when theres people who dont care if we live to see tomarrow. Piss off and get real. Go hug a tree.

[MosquitoMac]

We create our own reality with our thoughts, words and deeds. So reality is what you make it. If you want to live on a peaceful planet, then start thinking thoughts of love and unity, forgiveness and oneness. If you want to stay stuck on Terror Planet, then keep thinking fear, hatred and cynicism. Our lives are shaped by our minds.

[MosquitoMac]

We didn't believe in "preemptive strikes" in the Cold War. That is the Bush/Cheney legacy, attacking another country based on subjective judgments that they are a dire threat instead of any actual hostility. Attacking Iraq, which I hadn't actually mentioned, was officially a "preemptive strike" against "mushroom clouds" on the horizon, almost any day you would think to hear Rice and Cheney fear-monger, while in reality it was an Imperial war looking for an excuse to happen.

[RingSight91]

Not "fear" (yeah I remember Master Yoda's words too about it being the path to the Dark Side) but "prudence".

If fear and a "fantasy of annihilation" really did drive US defense policies, then don't you think we would have launched THE First Strike against the Soviets during the height of the Cold War?

You "see" Iraq and "perceive" what went on as a "preemptive strike" driven by some "panicked response"...In reality that is so far from the truth. Think...again.

[MosquitoMac]

Fear informs your thinking I see. Fear of the other. Fear begins the downward path to violence and hatred. This is based on the inability to see that we are all one, so instead we fear another part of ourselves, possibly launching a preemptive strike to assuage our fantasy of annihilation. But this is the right hand attacking the left hand, so that the whole body suffers. It is profound folly and now we have a world awash with weapons and war and endless suffering for millions.

[MosquitoMac]

You can call it what you want but the common vision of those who marched is a world at peace. That is not so much a "marriage of convenience" as a statement of unity of purpose.

Catholics such as St. Francis of Assisi actually approach Buddhist thinking. Catholic thinking on war and peace is not confined to one doctrine. St. Francis said let us be an instrument of your peace and sow harmony where there is discord, the idea being to prevent conflict, not decide which war is a good war.

[RingSight91]

So it's like I said, "a marriage of convenience." Word of advice, maybe it'll help your Dharma ot something, "Catholic objections to Unjust War are driven by principles very different from the Passivism espoused by those of Buddha's adherents." I'd suggest you/your pals stop listing "Our Lord" in the same placard as "Your Guide" as if they were Directors of same the Board...

[MosquitoMac]

But this was not a Catholic event, but an interfaith and inclusive to all event. I accept Buddhist principles. In Buddhism the Devil is ignorance, not an entity, although even Buddhist mythology anthropomorphizes it into demons and negative gods, but they are metaphors. Our life is shaped by our minds and suffering follows an evil thought like a cart follows an ox. If you would fight evil in the world, fight evil thoughts in your mind.