The American Gandhi: nuclear weapons

Saturday, September 1, 2007

First Steps At Home

Reentering Olympia after nearly five months, I find it is taking time to reconnect, bodily and psychologically. Wonderful to see my three adult children and my now six month old grandson. Some activist friends are eager to hear about the Walk, others noticed I have been gone but were unaware of my trip. I had a nice gathering the other evening with some to share the events, who said it was enjoyable. I met with Bix, who was arrested with us at Faslane, in Tacoma. We are brainstorming what's next. A walk will occur on September 11th, a Jesuit/Buddhist will share 30 years of peace activity in Cambodia next week. Last night, a friend set up a Gandhi birthday celebration on October 2nd at Traditions Fair Trade to share the Walk experience. I will also make it a celebration of my 70th birthday (October 11th). In between all this I do domestic things, weeding and harvesting, reading many insightful and troubling things, flailing about.

For those who want to acquire an up to date understanding about nuclear abolition, I want to recommend the just published NUCLEAR DISORDER OF COOPERATIVE SECURITY, U.S. Weapons of Terror, the Global Proliferation Crisis, and Paths to Peace, by Lawyers' Committee on Nuclear Policy, Western States Legal Foundation, Reaching Critical Will of the Women's International League of Peace and Freedom. For those who find it to cerebral and dry, I suggest they follow our foot steps in Foot Prints For Peace walk "Toward Nuclear Free World." I guarantee it will not be cerebral nor dry. The message will be the same.

Zia Mian highlights our context in the Forward: "Polls have also found that almost 60% of Americans did not know that a commitment to disarmament was part of the 1970 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. This is despite the fact that the United States was one of the two original sponsors and the NPT has been a central element of U.S. policy since then, especially in its dealing with third-world states with nuclear ambitions. As surprising is the finding of the scale of ignorance about which other states have nuclear weapons. Large majorities of the U.S. public know Russia and China have nuclear weapons, but more of them (55%) mistakenly think Iran has nuclear weapons than know that Britian (52%), India (51%), Israel (48%) and France (38%) actually have these weapons. The poll shows over 40% of Americans mistakenly believe Japan and Germany have nuclear weapons."

To make the lethal nature of nuclear testing more graphic, my son, Todd, emailed a CNN post, http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/08/30/btsc.chance.nukes/index.html, about the effects of USSR tests beginning in the 1950's. Besides the physical effects, the shaming and numbing of the population are traumatic. We cannot let ourselves assume the blame and silence.

Wednesday, July 11, 2007

The Village

"The Truth of Village Square" Einstein quote

Village, Truth of Village Square

Village, the crossroads of the countryside

Village, the place of exchange,

food, clothing, tools, and necessities

ideas, insights, tools, controversy

dance and song

Village, the place of exchange.

In the ideal--Truth and love shared and embraced

Truth to guide the destinies of all

In a nuclear world, truth abandoned...the nation-state finds its power

in The Bomb. The Bomb holds captive in the name of national security.

Nation-state complex...grasping the power in fear of terrorists

Nation-state complex...fear of villagers rejecting the power of the Bomb.

Nation-state complex...tied and bound by national security.

Can't let go. Can't let go.

Gandhi's ever expanding village circles

moved by power of love and responsibility.

Individuals giving themselves for the village.

Villages giving themselves for the greater good.

Truth is the guide, love is the way, taking on all burdens.

Einstein's observation:

Atoms for war, atoms for peace would be solved only in the "truth of the village spuare."

Or else. Or else by the power of nature, nature abused. Or else.

A momentary village: two Australians, one Englishman, One East Cumbrian, One Japenese, one New Zealander, three U.S. citizens,

walking, walking from theheart, walking from the heart,

seeking express truth in village square.

"Truth in Village Square"

from the heart, The American Gandhi

o7/10/07

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT
Marcus Atchison,
Faslane Media Coordinator
Cell: 780-772-7201
blog: at http://www.theamericangandhi.blogspot.com/
August 1, 2007

The American Gandhi’s Participation in the Nuclear –Free Peace Walk Concludes August 6th

(London, UK). The Foot Prints For Peace Peace Walk from Dublin to London will conclude on August 6th in London. The Walk arrives in London on August 4th for an appearance at Battersea Park from 12:30 until 1:30 PM.

August 6th events include a Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. Commemoration of the atom bombing of Hiroshima, Japan takes place in Tavistock Square from 12:00 noon to 1:00 PM. From there the Peace Walk will proceed to Parliament Square activities at 4:00 PM.

The Peace Walkers plan to deliver a powerful message to Number 19 Downing Street.

Bernie Meyer of Olympia, Washington, USA has participated in the walk as The American Gandhi since he arrived in Glasgow on May 25th. He conducted a direct action at Faslane with the Faslane 365 Campaign on May 28th. Read more about his experiences at http://www.theamericangandhi.blogspot.com/

Meyer describes his arrest at Aldermaston, nuclear weapons producer and laser facility. “…Four of us stepped into the gate road to block traffic. Three strong young folks locked hands and feet together... What a team! Police needed special pressure point tactics to separate them before arrest. Meanwhile Gandhi [Meyer] was pushed aside. They did not want to arrest him. Gandhi persisted. He was arrested after the others were hauled off. He kept coming back on the road, despite the loving solicitude of the police. We will be charged with a new law, called the By Laws, which are as vague as the US Congress Guantanamo laws (which were denied by the courts). We are now released.”

Dressed in loincloth and shawl, the 69 year old activist has walked over 700 miles with Foot Prints For Peace, visiting nuclear power and nuclear armaments bases along the way.

Stops were also made at Faslane, Coulport, Sellafield, Dundrennum Firing Range, BAE Systems, Menwith Hill, Fylingdales Ballistic Missile Early Warning Center, and Aldermaston. At Aldermaston, Gandhi was arrested again while attempting to give a message about nuclear weapons and nuclear power.

When the journey commenced, Meyer made a statement about his intentions for the long walk: he is attempting to create an awareness of the connection between: global climate change, the effects of peak oil, nuclear war-making and the plight of the poor. "Humanity is at a crossroads," said the American Gandhi.

Having made the trek, Meyer comments that his views have not changed. He says, "If anything, they have intensified." The American Gandhi believes there is much to do, and that humans are able to correct their mistakes as well as bring justice and peace to the world.