Sister Megan Rice, Anti-Nuclear Protester, Charged Under Sabotage Act
Source: Huffington Post
Under cover of night on July 28, three anti-nuclear protesters snuck into a highly secretive uranium storage facility in Oak Ridge, Tenn. They splashed walls with blood and spray-painted messages of peace. In emulation of a World War II German resistance movement, they brought white roses for the guards who arrested them.
But now the three protesters, including an 82-year-old nun, are facing a new charge of sabotage. As part of an updated indictment announced on Wednesday, Greg Boertje-Obed, Michael Walli and Sister Megan Rice could spend 20 years in prison for the felony crime of injuring national-defense premises under the Sabotage Act.
"They are innocent of all these charges and feel that everything they did was legal and moral, and I think they believe that this (new charge) is ridiculous," said Bill Quigley, a law professor at Loyola University New Orleans and one of the attorneys representing the three.
The protesters, who call themselves "Transform Now Plowshares," do not deny their actions, but they argue that it is actually the federal government that committed crimes by building and maintaining nuclear weapons.
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Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/06/sister-megan-rice-anti-nuclear_n_2251611.html
jtuck004
(15,882 posts)Peace Patriot
(24,010 posts)In fact, they should be running the prisons. We'd have a lot fewer repeat offenders and a lot less violence, rape, gang warfare, guard brutality and utter misery in our prisons--the scandal of the world--if the Catholic Workers were in charge. You only have to observe the general peacefulness and skilled and quite amazing conflict resolution in a Catholic Worker soup kitchen to understand that the violence in our prison system is completely unnecessary and preventable.
The Catholic Workers place themselves between people who are in conflict, say very little and just peacefully, by being present and being courageously willing to take the blows themselves, disarm the psychology of violence.
That is what Greg Boertje-Obed, Michael Walli and Sister Megan Rice were doing with the messages of peace written in blood and paint at the Oak Ridge nuclear weapons facility, saying for all of us: No Armageddon in my name! They are willing to go to prison for this. They have put themselves in harm's way to tell us this, in a manner that they hope will disarm the psychology of violence in the larger context of our nation and the world.
Time to hammer our swords into plowshares and feed the world instead of threatening it with oblivion.
Of all the activists I have ever known, of all the intelligent and courageous people committed to peace and justice, they are the ones whom I admire the most and deeply love. They will simply never let us forget the violence that underpins our culture, our lifestyles, our consumerism, and the government and military that we no longer control. They stand peacefully against the all too prevalent heartlessness and injustice among us. They work at it day in, day out, in hospitality houses and soup kitchens, in the downtrodden communities that they set up these loving facilities within and at places of great violence such as nuclear arms installations.
They are true Christians, unlike the fake 'christians' of the right who meddle in politics in support of war, greed and oppression.
Greg Boertje-Obed, Michael Walli and Sister Megan Rice, love and prayers to you on this difficult journey! Know that your message will travel far as well.
20score
(4,769 posts)Gee, I feel safe.
wordpix
(18,652 posts)You would think a SMART US attorney would want this charge to go away, seeing as the US DOE nuclear weapons security failure is soon to be blown wide open in front page news. But no, he wants to prosecute to the full extent of the law and make this case as HUGE and well known as possible.
Talk about the dangers of loose nukes in the former Soviet Union---just look at our own.
Really looking forward to Feb., though, as this story moves to the forefront. We're about to be the world's laughingstock, again.
xocet
(3,871 posts)Matt Sledge
...
The more serious charge, which apparently came after the protesters rejected attempts by the office of US Attorney William C. Killian to reach a plea deal, adds four years to their possible sentences.
...
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/06/sister-megan-rice-anti-nuclear_n_2251611.html
By Michael Collins
Posted May 21, 2010 at midnight
WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama has nominated Jasper, Tenn., lawyer William C. Killian to become the new U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Tennessee.
The appointment, announced Thursday by the White House, is for four years and requires confirmation by the U.S. Senate.
If confirmed, Killian will replace Russ Dedrick, who has held the job for the past three years. Dedrick was appointed by former President George W. Bush, but after Obama was elected, agreed to stay on until Obama chose his replacement.
...
http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2010/may/21/obama-taps-killian-for-us-attorney-for-et/
Angry Dragon
(36,693 posts)are buildings now people??
wordpix
(18,652 posts)to me and the aging nuns, nukes are instruments of terror but to the US gov, they're "national defense"
Angry Dragon
(36,693 posts)they put words on the buildings ....... I question how that is an injury
wordpix
(18,652 posts)Angry Dragon
(36,693 posts)pscot
(21,024 posts)is seriously fucked up.
femrap
(13,418 posts)why the priests aren't out there protesting with their sisters. Alas. I hope she has a wonderful attorney lined up...I bet she does.
Downtown Hound
(12,618 posts)Oh right. None.