[Peace-discuss] Fwd: [SRRTAC-L:14539] Baptist peace banner confiscated under USA PATRIOT Act.

Tue Aug 3 10:00:52 CDT 2004

Another outrage against civil liberties.

>X-Sender: willett at mail.infotogo.net@mail.infotogo.net
>Date: Tue, 03 Aug 2004 10:30:20 -0400
>To: SRRT Action Council <srrtac-l at ala.org>
>From: Charles Willett <willett at liblib.com>
>Subject: [SRRTAC-L:14539] Baptist peace banner confiscated under USA 
>PATRIOT Act.
>Reply-To: srrtac-l at ala.org
>Sender: owner-srrtac-l at ala.org
>
>This was forwarded to me by a local peace group.  The original is 
>from the Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America.   The attachment 
>repeats the text below.
>
>Charles Willett
>
>----Original Message----
>Greetings all!
>
>Below please find a recent example of denial of civil rights via the
>so-called Patriot Act.
>
>Every year, Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America creates a new banner
>for their peace camp, designed with the logo of the theme for the year in
>question.  The new banner is hung front and center where they gather for
>worship during peace camp and the other banners elsewhere on the walls.
>
>They've had 20 years of existence and 19 years of peace camps. We should
>have 19 banners, but don't.   This year's banner, "The Stones Will Cry
>Out," is in the hands of U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft's minions at
>the Chicago Terminal Security Authority.
>
>Best,
>efia
>
>Franklyn Busby, BPFNA member and one of the musical leaders at this year's
>peace camp, was bringing our new banner with him by plane from Chicago to
>Baltimore and thence to Towson University where we were having peace camp.
>Franklyn packed the banner with luggage that he checked. There was no
>dowel rod that could have been considered a weapon. (When Dan Trabue and I
>went to NYC in Feb. 2003 to march against the planned war with Iraq,
>bringing with us the banner of Kentucky Baptist Peacemakers--which has
>been at our church since the state chapter of BPFNA went inactive--it was
>nearly confiscated repeatedly by NY police because they said the dowel rod
>by which we were carrying the banner could be used as a weapon.)
>
>When Franklyn Busby arrived in Baltimore, the luggage containing the
>banner did not show up in baggage claim. Thinking that it was simply a
>case of luggage getting on the wrong plane, he called Chicago's Midway
>Airport to let them know the problem and get them to send the bag on the
>next plane--very thankful that he had some clothing in his carry-on bag.
>
>Franklyn was informed that our banner and his luggage was being held by
>TSA as a potential security threat and that he was to show up at their
>Midway offices this coming Tuesday (27 July 2004) for a hearing as to
>whether the banner will be returned or destroyed. (Potentially, they could
>also decide to hold Franklyn without bail, lawyer, etc., under the
>mis-named "U.S.A. PATRIOT Act.") When Franklyn tried to find out over the
>phone just what about our banner TSA found so threatening, the man on the
>other end of the phone cursed him and threatened to put the banner in a
>shredder without waiting for a hearing if Franklyn didn't just shut up and
>do as he was told without asking impertinent questions! (Can you say,
>"police state?") I hope BPFNA provides Franklyn with an attorney for his
>interview on Tuesday.
>
>I hope this story completely outrages all of you on the list. If you are a
>U.S. citizen, here's what to do with your outrage: Write/call/email (all
>of the above) the following: Atty. Gen. John Ashcroft, your U.S.
>Representative and both your Senators; your local newspaper(s), radio
>stations, TV stations, church papers, etc., demanding a full
>investigation, the return of our banner (unharmed), and a full and public
>apology to both Franklyn Busby and our organization. BPFNA members who are
>Canadian, Mexican, Puerto Rican, or Cuban also have a stake in this. It's
>your banner, too. Write your respective governments and their ambassadors
>to the USA and demand the same--make an international incident out of
>this! Put this story on the internet. We cannot let this go unanswered!
>They cannot get away with unilaterally deciding that either Franklyn or
>the BPFNA are "terrorist" or abusing our human rights and citizenship
>rights! If you are a part of this list but are not a BPFNA member (maybe
>not even Baptist), you also have a stake in this and I urge you to take
>action, too. Not to make too much of the analogy with the early days of
>Nazi Germany, but remember the lesson that the Lutheran minister Martin
>Niemoeller drew from those days: No one spoke up for the trade unionists,
>Communists, mentally disabled, and Jews in their turn until there was no
>one left to speak up for anyone. (Rough paraphrase.) If they come for the
>Baptist peacemakers today, your group will be next or very soon afterward.
>
>The picture of the banner is here:
>http://www.bpfna.org/summerconference/index.html
>
>Grace and peace,
>Michael
>
>Michael Westmoreland-White
>Outreach Coordinator
>Every Church a Peace Church
>http://www.ecapc.org/
>
>
>"Peace is not the product of terror or fear. Peace is not the silence of
>cemeteries. Peace is not the silent result of violent repression. Peace is
>the generous, tranquil contribution of all to the good of all. Peace is
>dynamism. Peace is generosity. It is right and it is duty."
>
>Oscar Romero
>
>
>FYI:  Passage containing the words "The Stones Will Cry Out" is located in
>Luke 19:37-40 (the following is from the New American Standard Bible):
>
>  37 As soon as He was approaching, near the descent of the Mount of
>Olives, the whole crowd of the disciples began to praise God joyfully
>with a loud voice for all the miracles which they had seen, 38 shouting:
>"BLESSED IS THE KING WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD; Peace in heaven
>and glory in the highest!" 39 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to
>Him, "Teacher, rebuke Your disciples." 40 But Jesus answered, "I tell
>you, if these become silent, the stones will cry out!"
>
>For Earth!  Peace and U.S. Regime Change in 2004,
>Debra
>@}->->---
>
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-- 

Al Kagan
African Studies Bibliographer and Professor of Library Administration
Africana Unit, Room 328
University of Illinois Library
1408 W. Gregory Drive
Urbana, IL 61801, USA

tel. 217-333-6519
fax. 217-333-2214
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