Sunday 11 September 2011

On this the 11th day of September 2011, let's remember how our nation's leaders took advantage of the tragic events of 9/11/01, 10 years ago, and capitalized on fear and shock, in order to foist upon and project upon the world an era of increased American militarism and efforts toward expanded global political and economic dominance.

May all of the victims of war rest in peace, and may we live to see a day where human beings no longer destroy each other.


Olympic Mountain View
March 2010 Seattle Washington

An Act of Nonviolent Civil Resistance

Update, it's about 1pm on Monday, and I feel super bad, because I slept through my alarm and failed to make it to the protest at Ground Zero. I guess this is proof that I need to take care of myself. I am sorry that I let down my friends, and I hope the protest went well. I will look forward to being able to participate in the future.

The following is something I intended to publish earlier, though I stopped it from being published after my friend called and woke me up, and I realized that I had slept through my alarm and wouldn't be able to make it to the protest in time to participate. -Berd

This post is set to self-publish at 6 am on the morning of Monday the 9th of August, which is the 65th anniversary of the atomic bombing of the Japanese city Nagasaki. I will be on the Kitsap peninsula at that time.

I am planning to participate in nonviolent civil resistance/disobedience against the immoral and illegal maintenance of nuclear weapons by my government, the United States of America, by entering the roadway in an effort to blockade passage into the base. As these Trident nuclear missile weapons system exist in a first strike capacity they are illegal under recognized legal agreements. As such, this is a big part of why I see the USA as a rogue nation.

These maintenance of these weapons furthers the American Empire, an empire which is also immoral and illegal. I call for an end to imperialism.

When I enter the roadway and risk arrest, I will do so in an effort to raise awareness about, and prevent the conduct of, an immoral and illegal military infrastructure. Either way, I enter the roadway to block traffic in a sincere effort to prevent harm, to save lives, and to give voice to the vision of a world that is based on mutual respect and reciprocity, rather than conquest and domination.

I will carry a statement similar to the following, when I enter the roadway.

Peace,
Berd

By peacefully entering the roadway in front of the Gate to the Naval Submarine Base Kitsap-Bangor, on Monday the 9th of August 2010, I take meaningful action in nonviolent civil resistance to the immoral and illegal actions of my government. I resist the maintenance of weapons of mass destruction.

I act against bullying.

I act against imperialism.

I act against aggression.

And I call for change.

I call for peace. I call for respect for the rights of all people, all around the world, the rights of whom are denied by the policies of my government, of the USA. People deserve to live in peace, and to be free from the fear of the threat of nuclear war.

By taking action to resist, and risking arrest for doing so, I stand for a world that is much different than the one we have now. I stand for a benign world that is altruistic, a world that seeks to serve life and to meet the needs of all people.

I stand and voice my desire for a day when people don't feel the need to wield power over others, whether they do so in order to feel safe themselves or for other reasons.

I have a message for the soldiers, sailors, and other military personnel of the US military: I want to be your friend. I mean that sincerely. From where I stand, I see the government as a guilty partner, an abuser, and an enabler of tremendous abuses.

I believe that we have that in common, that we are essentially victims here, the victims of an abusive society, one that is enabled and perpetuated by the government of the United States of America.

What I want is for you, and for all people, to have meaningful work that is enjoyable, and constructive. I want you and all people to have economic security, without weapons, and violence, bullying and belligerence.

I want to be happy, and I want you to be happy. I want happiness and joy for all people.

So here I stand: a witness to the annihilation, 65 years ago today, of the residents of the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. May it be that such atrocities never happen again—to anyone.

For the immediate abolition of all nuclear weapons!

Sincerely,

Robert Friend Weber (Berd) Whitlock

Chalmers Johnson: High-Ranking U.S. Military Officers Treated Like Royalty

Had a great discussion at book club tonight about nonviolent communication (language,) nonviolence as a cultural alternative, the prospects for empathy, kindness, compassion for creating a better world.

I also described a movie that I saw in fourth grade. In the movie it rained all the time, except for a two hour window every year. The two hour window was known well in advance, and in the movie, which was set in an elementary school, all the students and teachers were very excited and looking forward to the annual two hours of sunshine (because in the film, all the flowers would bloom in that very short window.)

When the day came, some mean students locked up one of their peers in a closet, so that she was unable to venture outside and run in the sunshine through fields of flowers.

I felt very sad for the poor child, a victim of bullying. I wonder how other people interpreted the film. Maybe that it is better to be strong than weak, better to be a bully than to risk being bullied?...

Personally, I think the path to peace is through trust, honesty, openness, truth, and vulnerability...

There are so many reasons to believe in the transformative power of love and compassion, and cooperation - rather than fear, hate, and violence, and domination...

The following is an interview with Chalmers Johnson that mentions how U.S. military generals get treated like royalty:

Military Evil

Viewer be advised: This is very graphic and highly disturbing material.

No Donkey! No Elephant!

No Donkey, No Elephant

"No" to bi-partisan support for U.S. international policies.

Policies of dominance and aggression, and exploitation of overseas material and labor resources are wrong - these policies are harmful and violent!

If the U.S.A. wants to counteract "extremist" opposition - then the people of the U.S. will need to take a look at the extremely abusive economic policies that have their roots in U.S. policies and practices.

No to Abusive Economic Policies!

View Larger: No Donkey, No Elephant

We Must Face Our Discomfort

Having the courage for own up to feelings of discomfort in the presence of injustice and wrong-doing, and not to back away, or escape the uncomfortable sensation is crucial to the development of a healthier and better society:

by Robert Jensen
...
For people with privilege in an unjust world -- whether it’s men in relation to women, the setter-colonizer in relation to indigenous peoples, white people in relation to people of color, the rich in relation to working and poor people, or U.S. citizens in relation to the country’s domination of the rest of the world -- it’s imperative that we invite into our worlds those on the other side of that privilege, not to make us feel good but precisely to challenge us to have the courage to feel uncomfortable.

If we can’t do that, there is little hope for the world -- and no hope for our own souls.

Here's a link: http://dissidentvoice.org/Dec06/Jensen12.htm