Archives: July 2010
Thu Jul 29, 2010
IOW Travels to Kansas City to "Close It, Clean It, Don't Repeat It!"
The Mice Will Play
Soy beans have given way
to busy yellow bees.
Beans plowed under as
Cats go round and round,
pushing and packing good earth,
clearing the way for a new generation,
for the planting of sanctioned terror,
a second round of readiness,
to threaten all generations.
The merry band of specks,
like mice file into a field,
meandering toward the Cats,
sowing wildflowers as they go.
Through deep mud they trod
into the forward path of one Cat.
and securely surround it.
One speck detains another Cat
and the worker bees fall silent
across the field’s expanse.
While the Cats are waylaid,
the mice will play.
And for a portion of minutes,
the only movement
across this piece of earth is
the silent sprouting of wildflowers.
Bill Ramsey, Kansas City
August 16, 2010
"Activists arrested at Kansas City nuclear weapons facility"
By Joshua J. McElwee-National Catholic Reporter
Singing choruses of “we shall not be moved” while
scattering sunflower seeds, 14 activists were arrested here Aug. 16
after blocking an earth moving vehicle on the site of a proposed
nuclear weapons manufacturing facility.
The acts of civil disobedience came at the end of a three-day
conference which drew peace activists here from around the nation. The
efforts were aimed at building awareness of and resistance to the
construction of the weapons plant, which will replace an existing
plant here.
The new plant, which will make non-nuclear parts for nuclear weapons,
is set to be the nation’s first new major nuclear weapons production
facility in 32 years.
To see the whole article: http://ncronline.org/news/peace/catholic-activists-arrested-kansas-city-nuclear-weapons-facility
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Tue Jul 13, 2010
3 Months After BP Spill, Choose a Side: People or Polluters?
On July 20th, concerned citizens from across Missouri gathered at Senator Claire McCaskill’s office to mark the three-month anniversary of the BP oil disaster and to remind Senator McCaskill that we cannot afford to wait 50 years to transition to a clean energy future. Speaking directly to her, Will Fischer of Climate Action St. Louis demanded that she, “In the wake of continued inaction, cross the line and stand with people, not polluters. To move towards a clean energy future, we demand that you reject campaign contributions from dirty energy corporations, work to switch federal subsidies from polluting fossil fuels to renewable technologies, and support an end to offshore drilling.”
Activists dressed as oil and coal executives presented a large check signed by BP, Peabody, and other dirty energy companies to highlight the influence of dirty energy money in politics. In recognition of the ongoing devastation in the gulf, demonstrators performed an oil “spill-in,” blocking traffic for 10 minutes, and then asked the Senator to choose a side.
The coalition that staged the event included Climate Action St. Louis, Missourians Organizing for Reform and Empowerment, Missouri Student Environmental Coalition, St. Louis Instead of War Coalition, Student Sierra Coalition, Washington University Climate Justice Alliance, Green Action, 1Sky, Labadie Environmental Organization, and the Catholic Action Network.
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