King & Obama: A Tale of Two Legacies

Friends,

On January 26th the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists will announce whether the minute hand of the historic “Doomsday Clock” will be adjusted. . The Doomsday Clock is that icon of the nuclear age that, since 1947, has conveyed “how close we are to destroying our civilization with dangerous technologies of our own making.” The hands of the clock are currently at 3 Minutes to Midnight, and one can only hope they will not be set closer to that fateful hour.

Much of the world knows Dr. King as one of the great peacemakers of all time. What many people are not aware of is just how deep was King's opposition not only to war, but also to nuclear weapons.

Dr. King warned us, in his famous “World House” essay that:

When scientific power outruns spiritual power, we end up with guided missiles and misguided men.

As we consider the current and pending position of the minute hand on the Doomsday Clock in the context of Dr. King's recent birthday it is hard not to consider the stark contrast between his legacy and the legacy being created by U.S. President Barack Obama. Two Nobel Peace Prize recipients - two radically different paths.

Dr. King was an extraordinary orator. His words flowed deep from within his spiritual consciousness that was rooted in the struggles of human beings for their basic rights. They inspired people to come together in the spirit of nonviolence to build a better world. He most certainly lived out the words he spoke.

On the other hand President Obama, a prisoner of the National Security State and Military-Industrial Complex, is quite the orator, although his rhetoric has fallen far short. In his famous 2009 Prague speech Obama stated, “America's commitment to see the peace and security of a world without nuclear weapons,” and specified that the United States would “reduce the role of nuclear weapons in our national security strategy, and urge others to do the same.” Nearly seven years later these words are nothing but empty promises.

Rebuilding the infrastructure that develops, builds and maintains nuclear weapons is not "progress." Rebuilding nuclear warheads and bombs is not “progress.” Moving ahead with plans to build a new generation of ballistic missile submarines, bombers, and land based missiles is most certainly not “progress.”

As the President begins his last year in office, and with the greatest nuclear weapons modernization effort (since the end of the Cold War) underway, we must ask what legacy will he leave?

What would Dr. King say to President Obama as he approaches final year in office? I imagine him speaking of the President's two daughters and asking,"Mr. President, what legacy do you want to leave for your children Malia and Sasha, and indeed what legacy do you want to leave for all the children of the world? Mr. President, just when is our nation going to truly lead the world to peace? When will we learn to live together in this great big World House that we all share? You and I know, Mr. President, that the alternative to disarmament is the dark abyss of annihilation? So Mr. President, what legacy will it be?"

Getting back on track toward Obama's vision in his Prague speech will require extraordinary vision, engagement and decisive action. Engagement and action already face strong opposition on many levels in both the civilian and military sectors of the government and on Wall Street. The President will not be moved to lead the world toward disarmament without significant prodding from civil society.

Certainly, since the end of the Cold War, a malaise set in as people assumed the peace dividend had eradicated the nuclear menace, and so they went about business as usual. Yet, the few in control of humanity's destiny have continued to make preparations for the unspeakable.

It is time for all citizens, and not just a small percentage, to be informed about the issues surrounding nuclear weapons and how they affect all of us. It is time for citizens to step forward and become engaged in decisions that were never in their hands in the first place, but should have been. It is time to bring nuclear weapons into the center of a public dialogue and debate, and for the citizenry to make its voice heard loud and clear in the halls of The White House, Congress and the Pentagon (and beyond).

If this United States in which we live is to be a true democracy, then it is up to us as citizens to make it so. And there is no greater issue, in terms of the survival of humanity, in which we can (and must) become engaged than the abolition of nuclear weapons.

Dr. King once said that "The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice." King understood that change (at least lasting change) does not occur overnight. It is a long, hard struggle, as evidenced by every struggle for human rights throughout history.

Therein lies one major difference between Dr. King and President Obama. In his Prague speech, Obama recognized that, "This goal will not be reached quickly –- perhaps not in my lifetime." The difference is that Dr. King didn't stop working toward his goals even though he knew they may not be realized in his lifetime.

We, as citizens, must remind President Obama that he needs to change course and be in this for the long haul - for the sake of his children and all the children of the world. And – We must do it now!

So - Happy Birthday Martin. May our gift to you be our commitment to a nonviolent world free of the scourges of war and nuclear weapons.

Peace,

Leonard

King's Legacy!!! Obama's Legacy???

Friends,

Today is the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. - just one day after The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists announced that the Doomsday Clock will stay at five minutes to midnight (at least for now).

Much of the world knows Dr. King as one of the great peacemakers of all time.  What many people are not aware of is just how deep was King's opposition not only to war, but also to nuclear weapons.

I wrote about this earlier in January in a tribute to Dr. King's legacy.  I will not say more about that here except to say that the following quote speaks volumes to the depth of King's understanding of the taproot of violence so deep in the tortured soul of the national security state.

When scientific power outruns spiritual power, we end up with guided missiles and misguided men.

As we consider the position of the minute hand on the Doomsday Clock in the context of Dr. King's birthday it is hard not to consider the contrast between the legacy he left and the one being created by U.S. President Barack Obama.  Two Nobel Peace Prize recipients - two radically different paths.

Dr. King was an extraordinary orator.  His words flowed deep from within his spiritual consciousness that was rooted in the struggles of human beings for their basic rights.  He lived out the words he spoke.

On the other hand President Obama, a prisoner of the National Security State and Military-Industrial Complex, is quite the orator, although his rhetoric falls far short.  As yesterday's open letter from The Bulletin reminds the President, "In 2009 you stood in Hradcany Square and boldly stated: 'America's commitment to see the peace and security of a world without nuclear weapons,' and you specified that the United States will 'reduce the role of nuclear weapons in our national security strategy, and urge others to do the same.'"  Four years later these words seem like empty promises.

The authors of the letter to Obama were correct to state that "we see progress," a few positive steps need to be viewed in a total context.  Rebuilding the infrastructure that develops, builds and maintains nuclear weapons is not "progress."  Rebuilding nuclear warheads and bombs is not progress.  Moving ahead with plans to build a new generation of ballistic missile submarines is not progress.

As the letter stated, "2012 was a year of unrealized opportunity..."  And now the President is about to embark on another four years in office.  What path will he take?  What legacy will he leave?

What would Dr. King say to President Obama as he approaches the eve of another four years?  I imagine him speaking of the President's two daughters and asking,"Mr. President, what legacy do you want to leave for your children Malia and Sasha, and indeed what legacy do you want to leave for all the children of the world?  Mr. President, just when is our nation going to truly lead the world to peace?  When will we learn to live together in this great big World House that we all share?  You and I know, Mr. President, that the alternative to disarmament is the abyss of annihilation?  So Mr. President, what legacy will it be?"

The letter from The Bulletin is a positive model for moving forward, and its authors stated that "we see 2013 as a year for vision and engagement."  They further stated that "decisive action can make the world safer."

Indeed, to get back on track toward Obama's vision in his Prague speech it will require both vision, engagement AND decisive action.  Beyond vision, engagement and action already face strong opposition on many levels in both the civilian and military sectors of the government and on Wall Street.  The President will NOT be moved to lead the world toward disarmament without significant prodding beyond the letter from The Bulletin.

As the letter stated in the first sentence, "2012 was a year in which the problems of the world pressed forward, but too many of its citizens stood back."  Indeed, the vast majority of the nation (and the rest of the world) stood back while the few in control of humanity's destiny continued to make preparations for the unspeakable.

It is time for all citizens, and not just a small percentage, to be informed about the issues surrounding nuclear weapons and how they affect all of us.  It is time for citizens to step forward and become engaged in decisions that were never in their hands in the first place, but should have been.  It is time to bring nuclear weapons into the center of a public dialogue and debate, and for the citizenry to make its voice heard loud and clear in the halls of The White House, Congress and the Pentagon.

If this United States in which we live is to be a democracy, then it is up to us as citizens to make it so.  And there is no greater issue, in terms of the survival of humanity, in which we can (and must) become engaged.

Dr. King once said that "The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice."  King understood that change (at least lasting change) does not occur overnight.  It is a long, hard struggle, as evidenced by every struggle for human rights throughout history.

Therein lies one major difference between Dr. King and President Obama.  Obama, in his Prague speech, recognized that "This goal will not be reached quickly –- perhaps not in my lifetime."  The difference is that Dr. King didn't stop working toward a goal even though he knew it may not be realized in his lifetime.  We, as citizens, must remind President Obama that he needs to be in this for the long haul - for the sake of his children and all the children of the world.

Happy Birthday Martin.  May our gift to you on this day be our commitment to a nonviolent world free of the scourges of war and nuclear weapons.

In Peace,

Leonard

(Nuclear) Bombs or Bread: Who Decides???

In a response to recent "threats" made by North Korea, the U.S. State Department said that the country should "tend to the needs of its citizens rather than boasting about its missiles,"

I don't know of many people who would argue that the people of North Korea would be better served by their "leaders" if they were to spend less on their military - especially on nuclear weapons - and spend more on the true needs of its people.

That being said, isn't it the duty of every government - especially one that is supposed to be "of the people, by the people, for the people" (thanks to Abe Lincoln for the reminder) - to "tend to the needs of its citizens?"

As the State Department spokeswoman was going on about North Korea's (nuclear) missile ambitions, the U.S. Air Force was continuing its preparations for the test launch of a Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile scheduled for November 13th from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.

Of course this is only a test launch, so the missile will carry a "dummy" warhead. If it was one of the 450 Minuteman III missiles sitting in silos scattered around the U.S. on alert and ready to launch in short order on the President's command it would be carrying a thermonuclear warhead of up to 475 kilotons!

But these are not the only missiles that the U.S. has deployed every day. A number of the 14 Trident (Ohio class) ballistic missile submarines patrol the world's oceans carrying the Trident II D-5 ballistic missile. Each Trident sub carries 24 missiles, each currently armed with four thermonuclear warheads, each warhead with a yield of 100 or 475 kilotons. They are also on alert, ready to launch on command.

Current U.S. Navy plans call for construction of 12 new submarines that will carry the current Trident missile. The existing W-76 (100 kiloton) warheads for the Tridents have been undergoing a "Life Extension Program." In this program the warheads undergo a "refurbishment" process in which they are improved.

So what does all this have to do with North Korea or taking care of the needs of our nation's citizens??? Well, the design, construction, operation and maintenance of the nation's nuclear infrastructure has cost trillions of taxpayer dollars since the beginning of the nuclear age. Just the construction of the 12 new submarines I mentioned will cost $99 billion or more (according to the Congressional Budget Office); and with operations and maintenance - $350 billion over the fleet's lifetime.

And it is not only North Korea that has hungry citizens. According to Feeding America, "In the United States, more than one out of five children lives in a household with food insecurity, which means they do not always know where they will find their next meal. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), 16.7 million children under 18 in the United States live in this condition – unable to consistently access nutritious and adequate amounts of food necessary for a healthy life." And that's just "children." 

The overarching questions beneath this issue are - What kind of security is our continuing pursuit of nuclear weapons and their use as a tool of foreign policy providing the people of the U.S., or the rest of the world for that matter? What message(s) does our continuing testing of missiles, refurbishing of weapons, building new nuclear weapons facilities, and planning new nuclear weapons delivery vehicles (eg., submarines) send to countries like North Korea? And, is it even conscionable on any level to spend hundreds of billions on nuclear weapons when so many people cannot afford food, shelter, education and health care???

So long as those in charge (whether in a totalitarian state or declared democracy) continue to be rooted in fear, blinded by power and beholden to special interests, they will also be blind to the needs of the people. 

No "enemy" will ever be defeated by the use of nuclear weapons.  Instead, the result will be unimaginable death and suffering (on both sides of any nuclear exchange).  Martin Luther King Jr. summed up the potential when he said (and it rings as true today as it did a half century ago):

In our day of space vehicles and guided ballistic missiles, the choice is either nonviolence or nonexistence.

Indeed, it is time for all those who should represent the interests of the people to do just that.  War is not the answer, and war fought with nuclear weapons is unconscionable.  Disarmament will not come easy, but if all leaders of the nuclear powers (starting with the U.S. and Russia) do not begin a sincere effort toward that worthy goal we will continue down a dangerous path that will lead to no good end. 

Beyond the question of bombs or bread, it is truly a matter of nonviolence or nonexistence.

###

For a good look at U.S. nuclear weapons spending check out Exploding Budgets, by Joe Cirincione, at Time.com: http://nation.time.com/2012/10/10/exploding-budgets/ 

Honoring Dr. King - Keeping the Prophetic Voice Alive

Friends,

I honored the memory of Martin Luther King Jr. on Saturday, January 16, 2010 by gathering with other peacemakers at the site of one of the largest concentrations of nuclear weapons anywhere in the world.  We were there to speak truth to power.  Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor, according to a 2006 report by the Natural Resources Defense Council, has 2,364 nuclear warheads, or approximately 24 percent of the entire U.S. nuclear arsenal.  The base is home to Trident, the U.S. Navy's first strike nuclear weapons system.  Members and supporters of Ground Zero Center for Nonviolent Action held a vigil and nonviolent direct action honoring the memory of Dr. King, much of which has been conveniently lost (or perhaps sanitized) by our nation by and large; the memory of a powerful anti-war prophet is seldom welcomed (and conveniently forgotten) in the land of hubris and violence.

Dr. Gary Kohls, in a recent email, reminded me of the reason for that memory loss; he quoted Dr. King:

As I have walked among the desperate, rejected and angry young men, I have told them that Molotov cocktails and rifles would not solve their problems. I have tried to offer them my deepest compassion while maintaining my conviction that social change comes most meaningfully through nonviolent action. But, they asked, what about Vietnam? They asked if our own nation wasn’t using massive doses of violence to solve its problems, to bring about the changes it wanted. Their questions hit home, and I knew that I could never again raise my voice against the violence of the oppressed in the ghettos without having first spoken clearly to the greatest purveyor of violence in the world today – my own government.

Gary also shared a column by Carl Wendell Hines:

“Now That He Is Safely Dead”

Now that he is safely dead let us praise him,

build monuments to his glory,

sing hosannas to his name.

Dead men make such convenient heroes.

They cannot rise to challenge the images

we would fashion from their lives.

And besides,

it is easier to build monuments

than to make a better world.

Our challenge going forward is for each of us to find our prophetic voice and go out into a hostile world declaring King's "eternal hostility to poverty, racism, and militarism."  With knowledge and the powerful tools of nonviolence we can, with the support of other like-minded people, shine the light of truth for all to see.  In the case of nuclear weapons, there is much truth that needs to be dredged out of the depths of the darkness (where governments prefer it to rest).

We can do it through participation in direct action (like the vigil and nonviolent direct action at Bangor last Saturday).  We can do it through our participation in organizations like the Campaign for a Nuclear Weapons Free Future and the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation (to mention just a couple).  We can do it by directly engaging our elected officials.  We can do it by educating our families, friends and co-workers.

Ridding the world of nuclear weapons which (if ever used again) would be the most "massive" of the "massive doses of violence", which the U.S. uses "to solve its problems" is one of the most pressing issues facing humankind.  As we approach the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference (May 2010) we have much work to do.  Right now we need to pressure President Obama to approach the NPT Review Conference with the strong conviction that he claimed in his now famous Prague speech. 

Please sign the PeaceActionWest Petition calling for negotiations to eliminate nuclear weapons, and help President Obama make good on his promises.  He is hearing plenty from the nuclear weapons complex and his military advisors, the ones Dr. King once referred to as "misguided men" (see photo).  Now Obama needs to hear from the people (all of whom are threatened by the presence and proliferation of nuclear weapons) who understand the dangers of our continued reliance on nuclear weapons.  May each of us find our prophetic voice, and in doing so keep the memory of the prophets of peace alive.

Peace,

Leonard  

Note:  The photograph was taken during the January 16, 2010 vigil and direct action at the main gate, Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor.  Demonstrators were ordered to remain within the designated free speech zone designated by cones and yellow "crime scene" tape.  The real crime scene is well beyond the main gate. 

Working to Restore the Beloved Community

Friends,

I celebrated the memory of Martin Luther King, Jr. on January 19th by joining my fellow nuclear abolitionists at Ground Zero Center for Nonviolent Action for our Martin Luther King Day action at the gates of the Trident nuclear submarine base in Kitsap County, Washington. Ground Zero Center has been holding these actions (since Trident came to the shores of Hood Canal in the late 70's) bearing witness to and resisting this genocidal weapons system that violates international law; one Trident submarine carries enough nuclear weapons to destroy an entire continent, killing millions, and subsequently blanket the planet with deadly radiation for centuries.

Honoring the organization's (and our individual) core values of nonviolence, we always participate in nonviolence training before each action. Led by a trainer, the group engaged in a number of exercises to prepare us to respond in a nonviolent manner to anything that might happen, whether it be angry civilians or problems with the authorities (which we have never experienced in my time with GZ).

In the days leading up to MLK Day, the Buddhist monks from Bainbridge Island, Washington led an Interfaith Peace Walk around Puget Sound from January 11th, ending at Ground Zero Center on the 18th. We were honored with their presence and witness for peace at the MLK Day action.

After the nonviolence training and action planning, the group prepared to set out for the main gate of Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor, home of the West Coast Trident nuclear submarine fleet (and over 2000 nuclear weapons). The sub base is our next-door neighbor, and it is a short walk down Clear Creek Road from GZ to the gate. After reciting the Pledge of Nonviolence we began our journey down the road on a bright, sunny day.

A variety of individuals and organizations are represented at GZ; from The Raging Grannies to Veterans for Peace, many people support the goal of abolishing Trident and all nuclear weapons, and aren't afraid to put their feet to the pavement to show their support.

But beyond the vigilers and Peacekeepers (the people who look our for everyone's safety) there are the brave souls who risk arrest in one way or another in acts of nonviolent resistance. It varies from one action to another. It may involve blocking traffic into the base or trying to cross onto the base to deliver a message to the base commander (as was done last Spring requesting a dialogue on establishing a Puget Sound Nuclear Free Zone).

On this MLK Day, a group of resisters attempted to block traffic carrying a banner with a quote from Dr. King that read, "When scientific power outruns spiritual power, we end up with guided missiles and misguided men." As they entered the roadway they were arrested by Washington State Patrol Officers. They were taken for processing and were released, and will later receive notice of their court dates.
Shortly after the arrestees were driven off for processing, the rest of the group headed back for GZ to wait for the return of the arrestees. Inside the newly built (but not yet finished) GZ house, everyone warmed up with hot chili and discussed the day's events.

Of course, you might be asking, "Why would anyone want to spend time doing what we do?" I will save that complex discussion for a subsequent post. Nuclear weapons present one of the most complex subjects of our time, and also one of the most pressing. The members of Ground Zero Center for Nonviolent Action come at it from many different angles and beliefs, but we all share one common thread - ABOLISHING TRIDENT!

So, until the day that the United States government scraps Trident, this small, but dedicated group of abolitionists will continue to stand outside the gates of Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor engaged in acts of creative nonviolence as we resist Trident. And in doing so we will be working to restore the Beloved Community, honoring Dr. King's admonition to "recapture the revolutionary spirit and go out into a sometimes hostile world declaring eternal hostility to poverty, racism, and militarism." And (of course) we will do it nonviolently!

Peace,

Leonard

Click the slideshow below twice to view the full screen version.

Click here to learn more about Ground Zero Center for Nonviolent Action.

Honoring Martin Luther King Jr. (Our Way)

Dear Friends,

Today (January 15) is Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday. Next Monday, January 19, people all over America will celebrate Dr. King through a wide variety of activities. As I researched activities across the nation, I noticed that the vast majority (indeed, nearly every one) involved service of one sort or another - volunteering at a food bank or participating in an environmental or urban restoration project.

While it pleases me to see people doing something positive for people and our planet on such a day, there is another way to honor the memory of a person who spoke out (as one of the greatest prophets of our time) not just against racism, but also against militarism, which he found to suck the life out of everything it touched; it was as he said, "the enemy of the poor". In his Beyond Vietnam speech in 1967, Dr. King spoke out against war with great certainty. You can read more about this speech at my Subversive Peacemaking Blog.

This Monday a group of dedicated peace activists and nuclear weapons abolitionists will gather as we do every year to honor Dr. King in our unique way - in a vigil and nonviolent resistance action at the gates of Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor (just east of Seattle, Washington), home of the West Coast Trident nuclear submarine fleet, one of the largest concentrations of (and the deadliest) nuclear weapons on earth. We will honor the legacy of one of the world's great peacemakers by bearing witness to (and resisting) the nuclear weapons with which the United States threatens the world with utter devastation and extinction.

Each Trident nuclear submarine carries enough nuclear armed Trident missiles to destroy an entire continent. These Cold War ("first strike") weapons still prowl the world's ocean's, ready to launch at the president's command.

Dr. King once said that, “We still have a choice today: nonviolent coexistence or violent co-annihilation.” The members of Ground Zero Center for Nonviolent Action choose nonviolent coexistence, and reject violence and the tools of annihilation. And so, on Monday, January 19 (and throughout the year), we will stand up for peace and non-violence and call for an end to not only Trident, but all nuclear weapons.

This is how we will honor Dr. King. Won't you join us?

Peace,

Leonard

Click here for more information on Monday's vigil and a schedule of activities.

Restoring the Beloved Community

Dear Friends,

For those readers in the Puget Sound region of Washington State, I have an announcement of an event occurring on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (January 19). I will be writing more on Dr. King before then, but for now I will say that honoring his life (and legacy) means much more than praising his civil rights work. Dr. King worked for human rights, and he spoke against everything (including war) that denied people those rights.

On January 19th members and friends of Ground Zero Center for Nonviolent Action will honor Dr. King by witnessing to (and resisting) the horrors of nuclear weapons and war. You can learn more in the announcement below (and at the GZ Website). A two-sided flyer is available for downloading at Ground Zero's Website.

You can watch a You Tube video of last year's MLK Day event here.



I hope you will join us in January for this gathering of peacemakers. All are welcome in the spirit of nonviolence.

Peace,

Leonard

************************************

Restoring the Beloved Community

Honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on January 19, by standing against nuclear weapons and war! Join the Ground Zero Center for Nonviolent Action (GZ) in a vigil at the Kitsap County Fairgrounds MLK Day event in the morning, and a vigil and direct action at the gates of the Bangor Trident nuclear submarine base in the afternoon.

The day begins at 8:30 a.m. at GZ, 16159 Clear Creek Rd. NW, Poulsbo, WA 98370. At 9:15 we will carpool to the Fairgrounds, 1200 NW Fairgrounds Rd., Bremerton, WA 98311, and meet at 9:30 at the NE corner of the Fairgrounds parking lot, in front of the main entrance to the auditorium, where we will vigil for one hour, and then return to GZ. From 11:00 to 3:15 at GZ there will be nonviolence training and action planning. At 3:15 we will head for the Bangor gate(s) for vigiling and nonviolent direct action, returning to GZ at 4:30 to await the return of arrestees.

Bring sack lunch, snacks, drinking water, umbrella, warm, waterproof clothes, flashlight, sign-making materials, money to donate, peaceful spirit. For directions or more information, go to www.gzcenter.org, or contact Jackie or Sue at 360-377-2586.