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Sr. Jackie Hudson, OP Epistle 7 Winter 2004 - 2005 |
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May this New Year find you blessed in many ways! !
We
all have celebrated many special days this late winter - so I send each of you
Season's Greetings in many languages as received on a card this Christmas.
I send my gratitude for the messages too numerous to count, for my
birthday, Thanksgiving, Advent and Christmas.
This has been a very deep
spiritual journey for me as well as educational. I have spoken before of the
deep peace I've experienced. Recently, I spent a few anxious days before
realizing that I was out of the NOW moment and into the future. A future made
uncertain by the refusal of the Seattle probation office to allow me to return
home to Bremerton, Washington.
Carol, Ardeth and I were sentenced to
prison time, court assessments, restitution payment and three years of
supervised release last April (2003). We have refused to pay money to this
morally bereft government which presently spends over ONE BILLION dollars a day
to slaughter or in planning the slaughter of millions of innocent persons. I am
complicit enough by claiming citizenship in this nation.
We were
convicted of sabotage/ "injury, interference and obstruction of national defense
materials and national defense premises and property". The amount of damage
claimed was never substantiated, yet we are expected to pay the amount declared
by the government. In actuality we fulfilled our civic duty and responsibility
by calling this U.S. government to accountability for its own lawlessness as the
Nuremberg Principles and our own U.S. Constitution calls for. We are not
criminals. The U.S. government officials are the ones engaging in criminal
activity.
I have been subjected to several restrictions during my
imprisonment because of refusing payment of these court ordered fees and now am
restricted from returning home. This refusal to pay will be a violation of the
terms of my supervised release which means I most likely will face a return to
prison - who knows?!?!?
There will be some of you who might say - "it's
not worth more prison time" - "let me help with this payment." I respond, by
asking that you honor the mutual decision made by the three of us not to pay
this money.
As an alternative, I would suggest that you make an offering
of time, funds or items to the peace group or charity of your choice, estimate
the dollar value and send this information (not the money) to Sue Ablao by
e-mail or regular mail - see address below. These will be tallied and offered to
the judge when taken back to court in lieu of restitution/assessment
payment.
I will also submit my time sheets, recording my slave labor
hours while imprisoned for which I was paid the grand sum of eight cents ($0.08)
per hour. Our prison system is the "legitiment slavery of the 21st century."
Enough on me...
One comment on November 2nd - What a sad commentary that
the choice of the President of the United States of America was based by many on
which candidate would be the BEST WARRIOR!! The one positive action that I heard
in the aftermath was to organize boycotts of the sponsors of the right wing
secular and religious media. This may put a dent in the apparatus and stop some
of the sound bites that infiltrate our apathetic society.
A more
long-term activity is to become aware of and lobby for the U.N. Millenium
Development Goals (MDG), signed by 189 governments in September of 2000. This
common global agenda to be achieved by 2015 is as follows:
Halve extreme
poverty and hunger
Achieve universal primary education
Empower women and
promote equality between women and men
Reduce under-5 mortality by
two-thirds
Reduce maternal mortality by three quarters
Reverse the spread
of diseases, especially HIV/AIDS and malaria
Ensure environmental
sustainability
Develop a global partnership for development, with targets for
aid trade and debt relief
To date, progress on this agenda has been
minimal. There will be an evaluation by he U.N. General Assembly in 2005.
Suggestion from the Maryknoll Office of Global oncerns: Contact the U.S. State
Department and remind them of their pledges to he MDG. U.S. Department of State,
2201 C Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20520 or vw.state.gov
Another
worldwide activity declared by the U.N. in 2000 is to honor the Decade of
Nonviolence and Peace on behalf of the world's children. (2000 - 2010) Let us
together demand a peace agenda, education, health care and housing for the true
inocents of the world. In this will be true security.
Risks worth taking
on - ARE WE UP TO IT?
With much love and gratitude,
Jackie
P.S. My "out date" from Victorville is Friday, March 4,
2005.
My next "epistle" will be from home, giving an update on the court's
next move.
For Alternative Restitution Payment - send your account to Sue
Ablao at:
3495 Dyes Inlet Rd NW, Bremerton WA 98312 or
sablaol@yahoo.com
IF YOU LOVE
You might quiet the whole world for a
second
if you pray.
And if you love, if you
really love,
our guns
will
wilt.
Jackie's Epistle 6 - Fall 2004
" . . . is it possible to befriend our dying and live into it, trusting that we have nothing to fear?"I chose this quote to represent my dear friend friend Jackie as she prepared herself, her family and friends for her approaching death. She found it possible to befriend her dying and was gifted with a peaceful death surrounded by family, our sisters and friends. Thank you for your prayers and expressions of sympathy at the death of my friend of over 50 years, Shortly after Jackie's death, I received word of the death if the a great peacemaker and resister, Helen Casey. She truly inspired us with her actions, her words and her courtroom statements. So many of us have been blessed with the presence of Jackie and Helen in our lives. It was so encouraging to receive the reports of August actions on land and sea around the globe. There is truly a widespread call for peaceful solutions to conflicts and an end to all war. Next up is the week of actions calling for a peaceful use of space. Check this web page for more information: www.space4peace.org. October 2nd is Adopt a Silo Day. For more information go to www.rmjc.org. My spirit is with each of you as you act for a non-nuclear future. We have received the government attorney's response to our appeal. A three judge panel will hear oral arguments on October 1st in Denver. A decision will come at a future date. Speaking of dates, my release date is listed as March 6, 2005. No one works in "discharge" on the weekends so I am anticipating a March 4th release. Three years of supervised released will follow a convienent way for the court to attempt to extend control beyond the guidelines for incarceration. I am trying not to spend too much time thinking about the above right now. The present moment presents it's own demands as I struggle to deal with my own inner violence. The opportunity to grow in nonviolence presents itself daily in the person of the most abusive guard I've ever encountered. Not physical he wouldn't dare, His greeting when he was reassigned to the FPC was, " Daddy's back!" Many opportunities to practice the gospel message of love and forgiveness. But this is all so minor when we consider Iraq, Afghanistan, Sudan, Hati, etc, etc. and the overall effect of US empire building and domination of land, air, sea and space. I think often of the quote Frieda Berrigan used as she received the Pax Christi award in New York this last June:
Our Greatest Gift by Henri Nowen
"We have assumed the name peacemaker name but we have been, by and large, unwilling to pay any significant price. And because we want peace with half a life and half a heart and will, the war will, of course, continues because the waging of war, by it's very nature, is total but the waging of peace, by our own cowardice, os partial . . . We cry peace and we cry peace but there is not peace. The is no peace because the cost of making peace is at least as costly as making war, at least as exigent, at least as disruptive, at least as liable to bring disgrace, prison and death in it's wake.In fewer words, if you want to be truly Christian, a follower of Christ, " you had better look good on wood" (a quote I heard from Phil Berrigan.) To what degree are we willing to place ourselves in Harms way to achieve peace? What next step are we willing to take as violence surrounds us on so many fronts? Violence presents it's self right outside our fence. The former housing area and airstrip at Georges Air Force base is being used for "urban environment" training. . .preparing the troops before sending them to Iraq. KPFK, an independent Pacifica Radio station out of Los Angeles, is my main source of news. They recently ran an 8 week series on prisons. I recommend the web page: www.criticalresistance.org. The seventh in the series debunked the myth of surrounding the need for prisons. The prison system is beyond reforming. The soul of our nation demands the abolishment of this primitive enslavement of our citizens. Recent statistics:
No Bars to Manhood Daniel Berrigan SJ
Incarceration rates: 1950 Russia under Stalin 1,423 per 100,000 population
2004 US under George Bush 2,298 per 100,000 population
Increase in US prison guards 2000 270,000 2004 476,000Billions of dollars continue to pour into this evil system as homelessness, insufficient health care and education continue to wreak havoc on the multitudes. The website mentioned will put you in touch with the National Organization of Crirical Resistance. Their goal is the abolition of prisons. On a lighter note, my exposure to life's offerings have expanded due to incarceration. Michigan jails introduced me to Fruit Loops and now Victorville has added Coco Puffs! Both provide an occasional "sugar snack." I take this opportunity again to express my gratitude for so many thoughtful acts on your part. My sister-in-law Evelyn, has completed her chemo and and begins intensive radiation treatment now. To date she has suffered no severe reactions to the treatment. We are all extremely grateful. Financial support continues so that Sue Ablao can care for my temporal needs as well as mailing these epistles. If you wish to receive these by e-mail contact Sue at sablao1@yahoo.com or contact Sue at 3495 Dyes Inlet, Bremerton, WA 98312 .For donations to the appeal fund contact Bill Sulzman at PO Box 915, Colorado Springs CO 80901. There is so much to challenge our complacency these days. May we all use energies toward achieving a more loving world. Always grateful, I promise my prayers and good wishes to each of you. MAY THE NONVIOLENT REVOLUTION COME! Love, Jackie Jackie's address is:
Jackie Hudson #08808-039
FPC Victorville
PO Box 5100
Adelanto, CA 92301
May 2004
Jackie Hudson's Epistle Five From Victorville
My apologies for being so tardy in writing but I am now a "working woman ." I began reporting to the library for afternoon duty in March. It cuts into my day terribly!! Warm/hot days and cool evenings have begun. We celebrate springtime and new life. Easter preceded by Holy Week brought days of wonderful ritual. I thank those of you who carried me on your Good Friday Via Crucis. You all were in my heart as I walked the compound that day. My prayers were at varies spots where Jesus is daily crucified on these premises the warehousing of bodies in the various housing units, the criminal lack of medical care both in and outside the clinic, the dehumanizing "power over" by those in administration, lack of nutritional food in the cafeteria, etc, etc. Other Good Fridays of life the death of Bishop Ken Utner, friends and family dealing with cancer, new arrivals at prisons around the globe… But always after good Friday comes Resurrection the new life of Amos Philip (born to Molly and Jerry Mechtenberg Berrigan), the release of Mordici Vannunu, Mother's Day actions at the Bangor, Washington Trident Submarine Base and the Elf site in Wisconsin, other actions around the nation and the world calling for the end of the occupation of Iraq, just solutions in Palestine and Afghanistan as well as other "hot spots" around the world, women heading home after months and years of incarceration, wonderful weekend visits, the return of the hummingbirds…. An update on Frieda (80 years old) She has been assigned to AM Food Service by the camp administrator, not by the person in charge of work assignments. When the women converged on him for an explanation he said he had "nothing to do with it", picked up his briefcase, and headed out. So goes life in the gulag. Speaking of gulag a friend received an article on the Russian gulags of the 50's and 60's. It showed an aerial view of the complex. It looked remarkably similar to the isolated desert setting of Victorville. In Russia as here, prisoners did all the manual labor and worked for the government. So many similarities and yet we hear little condemnation of the US version. Instead we hear of "coddling" of prisoners from folks who have never experienced the system. The latest figures show that 701 of every 100,000 US citizens are currently in prisons. The news is filled with the inhumane treatment of Iraqi prisoners. Truly an atrocity. Folks in this country refuse to acknowledge that this is commonplace in our own jails and prisons. Prisoners are considered "property of the US Government" literally! Disrespect, dehumanization, humiliation are all part of the prison process. The horrible brutalization suffered by our "war on terrorism" prisoners is not commonplace here at Victorville. This is a minimum-security facility. There are no bars or barbed wire to keep us here rather it is the 3-5 years for escape that keeps us in place. After a visit, we are routinely stripped searched, forced to squat and cough, open our mouths, wag our tongues, showing nostrils and ears, bowing heads while running our fingers thru our hair. It is supposed to be random but is used for punishment also. So many of our military police and "contractors" rotate from or back into the US prison/jail environment so why should we be should we be surprised. This seems to be acceptable behavior within each system. Prisoners, wherever they are, are property, not human beings, all the more so if they are "different". …And we continue to ask, "Why do they hate us so?" When will we wake up!! It is encouraging that the mainstream media has picked up the atrocities being perpetuated in our name. Now it is up to us to demand change. Our case has now reached the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver, CO. Our dedicated attorneys have narrowed the appeal to three issues:1. The trail court's definition of "national defense" and "national defense materials" was unconstitutionally broad and vague.
2. The record is devoid of evidence establishing the requisite specific intent to commit the crime of sabotage (which, in fact, the judge and the prosecutor both repeated said they were not charged with!! sa)
3. A "good faith" defense should have been part of the jury instructions. No date has yet been set for a hearing and I expect the decision will not affect us personally but anticipate that it will provide material for similar actions in the future. Blessings and many thanks to Anabel, Susan, Scott, Walter and Cliff for all your labors on our behalf. In reply to your offers of support financial help for mailings, telephone and basic needs can be sent to Sue Ablao, 3495 Dyes Inlet Rd. NW, Bremerton, WA 98312. Sue sees that my monthly needs are covered. Occasionally a piece of stationary, blank card or stamp slips in unnoticed but they are not allowed. Our letters are now being posted on the web: www.jonahhouse.org. and www.gzcenter.org. Another great site with information on weapons in space is www.space4peace.org . Some items of interest: "Excluding civilian and military retirement, veterans benefits, medical care and environmental clean up cost, the US Federal debt approximately $7 TRILLION. That's $24,000 annually for every man woman and child in the US! David Walker, Comptroller General of the US April 4, 2004 "The US military is present in 120 of the 191 recognized countries in the world. Testimony given before the Armed Services Committee, May 4, 2004 "Estimated 1998 spending on all US weapons and weapons related programs was $35 BILLION, 1 Million. US Weapons Cost Study Project. "Vaccinations for 10 Million children world wide would be $310 Million. This equals the cost of 6 Trident II Missiles. Ground Zero Center for Nonviolent Action. "On a different note: An adult male panda does an average of 8 handstands daily! Harpers Index I am extremely grateful to each of you for your continued love, support and prayers. The inner peace I continue to experience is miraculous, truly a gift. These experiences have brought me to a deeper realization of living in the moment. The past is gone, the future is yet to come we have only this moment and this moment makes life possible. In carrying the Burden of Knowledge, may we each find ourselves doing our best to provide a world that all can live in as one people, relishing the new life each moment affords. My love to all, Jackie
PATRIOTISM IS THE LAST REFUGE OF THE SCROUNDEL Samuel Johnson
January 19, 2004
Sue forwarded this petition for the release of Jackie, Carol and Ardeth:
PETITION TO RELEASE FROM PRISON SISTERS ARDETH PLATTE, CAROL GILBERT AND JACKIE HUDSON
Dear President Bush: We the undersigned request the immediate pardon and release of three Grand Rapids Dominican nuns currently serving time in Federal Prisons. Sr.Ardeth Platte,OP, 10857-039, age 67, is serving a 41 month sentence at FCI Danbury CT, Sr.Carol Gilbert, OP, 10856-039, age 56, is serving a 33 month sentence at RI FPC Alderson WV and Sr.Jacqueline Hudson, OP, 08808-039, age 69 is serving a 30 month sentence at FPC Victorville CA. including 3 years of supervised release Their "crime": non-violently and symbolically exposing and inspecting a first strike 330 kiloton (20x Hiroshima) Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile. They found this weapon of mass extermination on high-alert, ready to be unleashed within 15 minutes of your order in Greeley, Colorado. We know that you are aware that because of its vast and uncontrollable heat, blast and radiation, any use of even one Minuteman III would be a grotesque war crime or genocide. As you know too, any such threat or use of a Minuteman III missile is universally illegal and criminal because it is a threat against all humanity. We trust that you also agree that the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty requires all countries to pursue open, non-violent declaration, inspection and disarmament one weapon at a time in order to effectively end highly dangerous nuclear proliferation. The Nuns pointed out these facts and law asserting that as citizens in a free society we have a basic right to non-violently or symbolically expose threat or commission of war crimes by our own government. Instead of being honored or dismissed, the Nuns were charged with two felonies sabotage and depredation of property over $1000 for lowering 32 feet of fence (worth $200) and placing crosses on the 120 ton missile cover, which did no harm of any kind. They were convicted because of an absurdly unfair criminal trial in which they were prevented from raising any defense evidence about the constitutional limits to your war powers, the laws of war which positively prohibit any threat or use of a weapon of mass extermination or the grim realities of the Minuteman III all directly relevant to elements of the crimes charged. The case is legally ripe for appeal. You can eliminate the need for further litigation in this matter by ordering the pardon and release of these religious women who have spent their lives in the pursuit of justice and peace and in educating people about the moral and legal obligation for complete non-violent nuclear disarmament. It should be noted that these women are highly respected both in this country and abroad. On October 12, 2003 they received the NUCLEAR-FREE FUTURE AWARD from Munich, Germany. Releasing the Nuns now is the just and humanitarian thing to do. Thank you. Go to this web site to view other signers names and to sign yourself: November 2, 2003 Friends, Jackie asked that I send this letter out to family and friends as soon as possible. I was able to visit her 3 weeks ago. She looked well and we pretty much talked nonstop for two days. It was wonderful to have a "face to face with her... with no glass between us :o) She has also gotten a visit from her longtime friend,Jackie Bennett. S. Carmel Crimmins was going to visit last week but the fires in So. California prevented that. If any one would like to send a donation to Jackie's support fund, you can send a check made out to me, Sue Ablao and send it to our home at 3495 Dyes Inlet NW, Bremerton, WA 98312. Jackie's birthday is November 19. Her second birthday in jail/prison. Thank you all for your support.Peace, Sue October 15, 2003 Dear Family and Friends, Greetings from Victorville!! Many thanks for your wonderful letters of love and support. I have not done too well keeping up with my end of the correspondence. Thanks to those who have sent your e-mail address to Sue Ablao at sablao1@yahoo.com so that my limited budget allows me to keep you updated. I am adjusting slowly but surely to desert living. Mornings and evenings are very comfortable but as afternoon wears on it is very hot. I have seen so many beautiful sunsets, in fact last nights was spectacular. I have never been so fortunate to witness daily sunsets nor the moon cycles. Mars is still very visible but moving farther and farther away. There are two hummingbirds that dash from flowering bush to flowering tree making me grateful for God's creation. This prison is located on the former George Air Force Base. We are living on top of a toxic dump so I have been purchasing some of my drinking water. Local water is used for cooking and bathing however. The water has been cleared for industrial use - whatever that means! It is amazing how many, who have written, know exactly where Victorville is. Guess there are not too many towns in the desert between L.A. and Las Vegas. It stands out as an oasis. The seven prisons in the area no doubt helped increase the population from 40,000 in 1990 to 72,000 in 2000. I'm sure the residents see us as their job security. We are blessed with an excellent, though long winded Catholic Chaplain. He is truly a human being in his contact with us. There are approximately 25 women who regularly attend Sunday evening mass. I have experienced my first "Team Meeting" with two case managers and my counselor. This initial meeting is a chance to ask any questions and according to the BOP policy book and opportunity to receive "assistance" in setting up a schedule of classes and a payment plan to cover the court assessment ($200.00) and restitution ordered by the court. The meeting began with my counselor telling me that I would pay $25.00 per month toward my court assessment and restitution -sign here to OK the withdrawal! Needless to say, I refused -SO -I am now on "Refusal Status". Consequences have to do with my housing assignment, future furlough and half-way house assignment. These present no problem, but limited commissary spending may pinch a bit. The women have been wonderful in making arrangements to cover my needs so I'm not too concerned at this point. The three of us have been ordered to pay $3,080.04 in restitution to the government for damages (escalated by the Air Force) at the missile site. It is impossible for any of us to pay one penny to a government which would destiit for the "kill chain." The Team then told me to take a "Victim Impact Class". I laughed at the thought of this government being a "victim" of our action. At present I have no assigned job though the camp administrator told me that "this is a work camp". The majority of the women here have been transferred from Dublin, CA and Phoenix, AZ to assure that the maximum security prison for 2,000 men will be ready to open by March 2004. It has been truly slave labor -pick axes to loosen desert terrain so that landscaping can be done -raking manure so that grass can be planted for soccer and baseball fields -raking rocks -painting cells -lugging matresses, etc. etc. Unicor (a nation-wide prison industry) has been building humvees and army trailers. These are the highest paying jobs so there is a waiting list for employment. Basically, there are too many women for the jobs available here so many women are not being paid the normal wage of twelve cents an hour. Health care in the facility is horrendous. The Physician Assistant in charge told me that this is not a place to become ill. She tries desperately to keep up but runs into many brick walls with the administration.The most difficult part of being here is listening to the tragic stories of so many women. Many who had such trust in the court system that they refused to plead guilty to false charges and went to trial where they experienced severe sentencing for con- spiracy charges which are nearly impossible to defend yourself against.Actually, there is not one woman here that you would hesitate to invite into your home. If we were not all "in green" it would look like any gathering of women in "Anywhere USA". Imprisoning vast numbers of our population is big business and I fear, part of empire building! A recent issue (I believe-October) of Sojourners magazine has two excellent articles: Dangerous Religion George W. Bush's theology of empire. by Jim Wallis and The Project for a New American Empire by Duane Shank. If you cannot buy the magazine, check it out on the internet. An other interesting web site to check out is: Project for a New American Century this should be able to be located on a "google search". We acted in Colorado twice, specifically because it is the home of the "kill chain". The Air Force Space Command just celebrated its 21st anniversary. The following is an excerpt from a speech given at Peterson AFB on September 22,2003 by General Lance Lord, Air Force Space Command Commander:
"We have lived up to the Air Force mission statement, which was revised in 1992 to read, Defend the U.S. through control and exploitation of air and space...Our focus will remain on our ability to operate from, in and through space with combat ready forces...we must be ready to dominate any potential adversary of tomorrow with full-spectrum warfighting effects."This mission statement does not make me feel secure but rather more fearful for our future as a nation. It is a task for the informed to undertake the task of stopping this nation's drive toward such a future of exploitation and domination. May we each find the role we can play in this effort.I will stop here and wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving. May your lives be blessed, may the Light guide you on your journey toward a peace-filled planet. Much love, Jackie P.S. If you are planning to be in the Victorville area it would be great to see you. The process for approval to visit can take up to a month, so... the first step is to write me and ask for a form to be mailed to you. I am allowed to have 20 names on my visiting list at anyone time.
September 2, 2003: Jackie's on the move
Friends, Jackie called me tonight from Pueblo, CO. She was "called out" in Teller County Jail this afternoon at 3:15 pm. The marshals drove her to Pueblo. She was in the holding cell when she called. She was relieved to be "on the move" and that much closer to wherever she will land for the next few years. The marshals told her that Carol and Ardeth had not been called out, as far as they knew. Hopefully it will be soon for them also. The next step will be to fly to Oklahoma City from whence she will be flown to "wherever". It may be anywhere from 2 weeks to a month before she is settled in. She said to address and notes or cards to her at our home address - 3495 Dyes Inlet NW, Bremerton, WA 98312. I will send them on when I have an address. She appreciates the cards and letters folks have sent and looks forward to the time when she can answer them with a stable return address, even if it is a federal prison! ( Isn't it interesting how the things we "look forward to" change over time!) Peace,Sue
July 29, 2003 update: Sue Ablao got a call from Carol Gilbert this morning. Jackie was "called out" at 5:30 this morning and told to get her stuff together. They took her out at 6:00 AM but Carol did not know where. Anabel Dwyer, one of thier lawyers, called the Federal Marshall. She was told tht Jackie was transported to the holding cell at the federal courthouse in Denver awaiting transport but would not say where until after she is "there" (some one might try to spring her, I guess!!) Haven't heard back from Anabel yet today but will keep you posted.
July 28, 2003
Glen and Friends, Thanks so much for posting Bill's e-mail. I just got back from Denver today. In addition to the jail sentence, they were all given 3 years strictly supervised probation and $3080.04 restitution. The latter 2 are, of course, problematic. I cannot see either of those things happening. Essentially it is a five year+ sentence. Our week in Denver before the sentencing was great. The support of the community was pretty overwhelming! We went down to the War Resisters League National Conference in Colorado Springs over the weekend. Met many old friends and were happy to see lots of younger new faces. Jackie's brother and his wife and a niece, nephew and grand nephew drove out for the sentencing and we were able to spend a day up at Estes Park. The rest of the time was taken up with press and meetings with attorneys. The sentencing on Friday was pretty horrendous. Both the Judge and the Persecutor ( yes, that IS what I mean!) made blatant political statements saying that these weapons are necessary for "deterence". We have not had WW III yet, therefore that proves that nuclear weapons are necessary... for US to have!!. The judge also said that all great social changes in our history have come about BECAUSE we were willing to go to war to fight for them and that is why we need nuclear weapons! The entire court room gasped aloud at that statement! Another good one from the judge was the statement that "if these three women had tried to stop a TERRORIST for setting off a Minuteman III missile, they would not be in the court room today! " It was another day in the Kafkaesque wolrd of the "court system". Brian, Liz and Katherine Joy (and Brians parents!) came down for the news conference. My son Joe was also able to make it. They were told to "self report" August 25th but chose to start serving the sentence immediately. They were split up ( not unexpectedly)... Ardeth was sent back to Clear Creek and Carol and Jackie were taken to a small jail in Akron, CO in the north easter corner of the state. Jackie said that one of the women that was in Clear Creek with them before os now at Akkron! She was so happy to see them... gave them the lowdown on all the ins and outs of this jail! The best thing about this jail is that they are given 1 hour a day outside. The really bad thing is that visiting hours anr on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday for 1 hour only! No weekend visits! But they will only be there for 3 to 5 weeks. On Saturday, there was a presence at all 49 silo sites. No civil resistence... It was to show solidarity with the women. Family and friends went to N-8 and did the liturgy that Jackie, Carol and Ardeth did inside the fence on October 6. It was very beautiful. They are still deciding whether or not to appeal. There are at least 6 errors of law in the trial, procedural and Constutional, as well as well as in the sentencing phase. If it is decided to appeal on the substantive issues, i.e. not being informed of the charges against you, being denied ANY defense, Article 6, sec.2 on treaties, sabatge, etc., it will cost big bucks and will necessitate some major fundraising. Tonight, tho,I think I've "hit the wall". I'm exhausted! Peace, SueJuly 25, 2003
Jackie Hudson, a well-known Northwest peace activist and member of the Ground Zero Center for Nonviolent Action, in Poulsbo, Washington, was sentenced today at the Federal Courthouse in Denver for breaking into a Minuteman III nuclear missile silo in Colorado on October 6, 2002. She and two other Dominican nuns, Ardeth Platte and Carol Gilbert had poured their own blood and hammered on the silo. The prosecutor and the probation office had requested sentencing in the range of 5 to 10 years in prison. The nuns' attorney argued that the sabotage charges used to convict the nuns were too severe for what the nuns had actually done. Sr. Jackie Hudson was sentenced to 30 months in prison.Sr. Carol Gilbert was sentenced to 33 months in prison.
Sr. Ardeth Platte was sentenced to 41 months in prison. We are deeply saddened by the imprisonment of Jackie Hudson, our friend and colleague. Jackie will forever be a revered member of Ground Zero Center for Nonviolent Action. We share the loss felt by friends and members of Jonah House in Baltimore where Carol Gilbert and Ardeth Platte are members. How will these three nuns provide guidance now, while in prison, to the growing peace movement across the United States? Their actions are our inspiration. More than 650 letters from the United States and the international community have been sent to Judge Blackburn asking for compassion and justice. We will continue to work for the nuns release. The Ground Zero Center for Nonviolent Action vows to continue ongoing nonviolent direct action and presence against Trident nuclear weapons, nuclear weapons development and use, and the continuing war on Iraq and other regions in these troubled times.
Statement Before Sentencing, Jackie Hudson, OP, July 25, 2003
Well, today is the day. It holds many unknowns as regards the judgements/decisions of Judge Blackburn. Yet it holds many knowns:--the continued presence of nuclear weapons - latest figures list the U.S. ownership at 10,455.
—a president in office who has stated publically that he would use these weapons in violation of multiple treaties, charters, conventions and protocols.
—a national budget that would allow these weapons of mass extermination to be multiplied and present ones upgraded.
—millions of people world-wide who do not have sufficient food, shelter, education and health care who lead lives of survival.
—U.S. cities legislating against the homeless.
—a country where 1 in every 32 of its adults is in prison, on parole, or probation, basically a warehousing of its poor.
—and we three are threatened that we will raise the numbers of incarcerated today, for 6, 7, or 8 years. In speaking around the country people often asked, how can the U.S. court system prosecute us and manipulate a jury, to find the three of us guilty of a crime we never committed and that the prosecutor states he is not charging us with. We truthfully testified on the stand during the trial exactly what we did at Minuteman III missile silo site labeled N-8. We went to that specific silo to inspect, expose and symbolically disarm one of our 10,455 nuclear weapons and to declare it a crime scene. We went to that site to uphold the law of the United States of America as stated in the U.S. Constitution, Article 6, Section 2 which states that any and all treaties signed by the U.S. government become the supreme law of the land, superceding any and all local, state or national laws. We went to the silo because of a burden of knowledge. We have studied the various treaties declaring the threat to use or the use of nuclear weapons as illegal. I refer today to the Nuremburg Principles and the Tokyo Tribunal which our government was principally responsible for writing after WWII. They declare that:
"Individuals have international duties which transcend the national obligation of obedience. Therefore [individual citizens] have the duty to violate domestic laws to prevent crimes against peace and humanity from occurring."We brought evidence to prove that our action was legal. Two eminent International Law professors testified on the stand at our motions hearing that what we had done was legal and that we should be released from our jail cells in Clear Creek County [Jail, Georgetown, CO]. Judge Blackburn has been given ample opportunities including a post-trial motion to acquit us of both charges and has refused to do so to this point. What he will do this morning, who knows? We will enter the courtroom in silence praying for peace on this Earth and silently repeating our mantra, O God, teach us how to be peacemakers in a hostile world.
—Nuremberg War Crime Tribunal, 1950
Sentencing Statement, Sister Carol Gilbert, OP, July 25, 2003
For many months I have pondered what to say, if anything at all. St. Francis once said, preach the Gospel at all times, if necessary use words. It seems that today a few words are necessary. For the past ten months we have tried to cooperate with these courts. We have been asking since day one, what are the charges? What is Title 18, U.S. Code, Section 2155, if not sabotage? We are not saboteurs. Today, we ask no more questions. We know something is very wrong with a system that can incarcerate us for years in prison for inspecting, exposing and symbolically disarming America?s weapons of mass destruction. We know we should be acquitted for upholding the United States Constitution that declares all laws and treaties to be the supreme law of the country. Article 6, Section 2 of the United States Constitution declares this constitution and the laws of the United States which shall be made in pursuance thereof, and all treaties made, or which shall be made under the authority of the United States, shall be the supreme law of the land and the judges in every state shall be bound thereby, anything in the Constitution or Laws of any State to the contrary notwithstanding. We should be acquitted for upholding International laws which this court has deemed unnecessary, but which it is bound to enforce under Article 6, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution. It hurts to hear the prosecutor continue to call Francis Boyle a ?self-professed international law guru. We should be acquitted for upholding the highest law God's law. Judge Blackburn talked a lot about law. He didn't want this to be a political trial, but a case about law. So did we. That was our deepest hope. But, we were not the ones that turned this into a political trial nor will we make of ourselves political prisoners?that will be the prosecutor and judge. We have read in the press and in our pre-sentencing reports that the lengthy sentence is for deterrence, both for ourselves and others. But, what the government fails to recognize is that long prison sentences will only energize the movement. As a t-shirt in upstate New York reads, "You can jail the resister, but not the resistance." We will not be silenced. During our seven months in the Clear Creek Country Jail we received thousands of letters from the United States and international community, over a thousand signatures from people who stand in solidarity with us and more that 1000 letters were sent to the judge asking for compassion and justice. There have been four plowshares actions since ours, one of them in the United States. This Memorial Day, four plowshares activists enfleshed the Isaiah and Micah prophecies on the USS Philippine Sea in New York harbor during fleet week naming themselves Riverside Ploughshares. No charges were filed. No, Judge Blackburn needs no more words from us. Judge Blackburn needs no character witnesses this morning. What Judge Blackburn needs is to listen to his God. He needs to heed these words from one of my church's social justice documents, Gadium et spes. # 16."Deep within their consciences men and women discover a law which they have not laid upon themselves and which they must obey. It's voice, ever calling them to love and to do what is good and to avoid evil, tells them inwardly at the right moment: do this, shun that. For they have in their hearts a law inscribed by God. Their dignity rests, in observing the law, and by it they will be judged. Their conscience is people's most secret core and their sanctuary. There they are alone with God whose voice echoes in their depths."Tomorrow, non-violent citizens in Colorado will inspect and expose America's weapons of mass destruction, the Minuteman III, with others joining in solidarity in other states and others exposing other weapons systems at other sites. Resistance will not be deterred. You cannot silence truth. Truth will be spoken. Law will be upheld. Judge Blackburn and the prosecutor need to reflect on the story in the Acts of the Apostles of Gamaliel, Chapter 5 vv. 17-42. Gamaliel was a Pharisee, a member of the Council, and a teacher of the Law. He was highly respected by all the people. As Peter and the other apostles were taken to the Council and high-priest, Gamaliel cautioned the council not to take any action against the men. He said, "If what they have planned and done is of human origin it will disappear, but if it comes from God, you cannot possibly defeat them." Someday history will prove what we did on the early morning of October 6, 2002, inspecting, exposing and symbolically disarming a Minuteman III, a weapon of mass destruction, was legal. Until that day, I will continue being led where I would rather not go. I will continue to resist with every fiber of my being so that not one child will ever ask, "Why were you complicit?" Lastly, a few words about fear. I don't fear going to prison. I don't fear loss of freedom to move about. I don't even fear death. The fear that fills me is not having lived hard enough, deep enough and sweet enough with whatever gifts God has given me. The demons are banished by light and like the prophet Micah, this is what God asks of us, only this, "To act justly, to love tenderly, and to walk humbly with our God." There is a story told of Daniel Berrigan, Jesuit priest, prophet and friend that he was once asked to give the commencement address at a prestigious university. He stood up, walked to the podium and said, "Know where you stand and stand there" and then he sat down. My friends, Know where you stand and stand there.
Ellocution at Sentencing by Ardeth Platte, OP In front of the Federal district Court House, Denver, CO July 25, 2003
While we were at home at Jonah House, we opened our liturgy with the music, "Here I am God. Is it I God? I have heard you calling in the night. I will go, God, if you lead me. I will hold your people in my heart." We closed the liturgy with, "Be not afraid. I go before you always. Come follow Me and I will give you rest." Faith and the words of the stanzas to these hymns record key notes in my journey of life, in waging peace, led on a quest—a world without war ever again,
—an attempt to stop the crimes and sins of government in my name,
—in disarming weapons of mass destruction and stopping the merchant sales of the killing machines and technology sold to other nations,
—and calling for a design of a global economy that will assure people in the entire world all basic human necessities of food, shelter, education, and health care, etc. With a vision for disarmament, a mandate to speak truth, and a mission to halt the sinfulness, illegality and criminality being touted in my name, I march to the Drummer of my soul Who instills faith rather than fear, trust not hopelessness, and love instead of hatred and enemy relationships made through endless threats, innuendos, propaganda, and permanent warmaking. This journey has included numerous direct actions over decades: forums, vigils, lobby, processions, demonstrations, boycotts, and civil resistance in various areas of the country. Our social analysis, along with the need to unmask urgent and sometimes secretive matters, has led me into nonviolent symbolic public actions of resistance, such as:
1. Christ Lives, Disarm! Easter Sunday, 1992, entered into a nuclear bunker.
2. Weep for Children Plowshares, 1996, at the launching of the 18th Trident.
3. Gods of Metal Plowshares, 1998, on the bomb bay area of a B-52 used in Iraq.
4. Sacred Earth and Space Plowshares, 2000, on the Milstar receiver and an F-18 used in bombing Iraq.
5. Sacred Earth and Space Plowshares II, 2002, on the Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missile at N-8 (Colorado), threatened and prepared to be used. Sisters Carol, Jackie and I believe that we had a responsibility to inspect, expose, and symbolically disarm this weapon of mass destruction to avert a crime of our government and uphold the laws of the United States, not break them. Don't people claim today that the citizens of Germany should have blocked the trains carrying people to the crematoriums, dismantled the ovens, or done something to stop the mass murder of people by Hitler? How will future generations judge all of us? I find the charges in the Sacred Earth and Space Plowshares II bogus. Ours was a simple, measured, nonviolent, symbolic action wherein the liturgical rituals were crystal clear. What were the fears within the prosecutor to call for an in limine motion that silenced us on all the laws so pertinent to the threats to use the Minuteman III? What fears were within the judge to grant the silencing? Being stripped of our law defenses made the trial a farce. The elements of the charges were not substantiated beyond a reasonable doubt by the prosecutor. The jury did not recognize the ongoing change in the wording of the charges throughout the trial: from an indictment under sabotage by a grand jury, citing a specific intent to obstruct the national defense, then use of vandalism and trespass, and finally use of destruction of national defense premises recorded on the verdict form. Even the government's witnesses claimed under oath that the national defense was never jeopardized. How can a national offensive first strike weapon be launched as a national defensive weapon? Deliberation by the jury seemed brief and without researching answers to the complexities in such a serious case. Are we charged with sabotage? Yes! Isn't that the reason I face 92 to 115 months in prison? Could peacemakers lives be that expendable? Will the punitive measures taken against dissenters, enforced under the [USA] Patriot [Act] I and II be so harsh that any lawlessness on the part of government officials will go unchallenged in the future? Who will be courageous enough to reveal the lies and stop the murderous conduct in Afghanistan and Iraq? Who will demand an end to U.S. interventionism? Who will stand in behalf of the people contaminated by depleted uranium? Who will be there for prisoners illegally detained in Guantanamo? Who will teach the treaties and U.S. Constitution and who will demand the implementation by every court of the land? Who will bring nonviolence into the forefront for conflict-solving? The sentencing consequences are exaggerated; the prosecutor and probation offices' research is skewed. Why would multi-hundreds of letters and more than 1000 solidarity communications have no effect for downward departure? Why has the prosecutor's statements to the press been considered acceptable, that a long sentence for us will deter others. Four plowshare actions have been carried out since ours, one on Memorial Day on the USS Philippine Sea [New York] with the used of blood poured out on the bomb hatches and hammers used in the same symbolic way. Yet no charges were brought forth. How will we wage the struggle together to keep democracy alive, to bring our nation from its killing mode to life-giving mode, to keep the tenets of the beatitudes, commandments, and Sermon on the Mount practiced by the nation as well as by us as individuals? Tomorrow's direct action at the silos and bases to inspect, expose and demand disarmament is a bold and worthy beginning. We join you in spirit with deepest gratitude. Whatever sentence I receive today will be joyfully accepted as an offering of peace. With God's help it will not injure my spirits. In the sacred moments or years of imprisonment, I will remain with you in prayer and walk together with you for the good of humanity and creation. My love and gratitude always.
Background on Jackie, Carol and Ardeth
Fact Sheet
The story as it unfolded:
April 7, 2003 Dear Friends,
As you can see from Bill's e-mail below, Jackie,
Carol and Ardeth were all found guilty of sabotage and injury, interference
and obstruction to the defense of the US.
It was not surprising, given the decisions the judge has made over
the course of the trial; but as always it is extremely disappointing.
Another sad day for the US Constitution!
Jackie, Carol and Ardeth each addressed the jury,
thanking them for doing the best they could with the instructions
they had been given. They also said that they were sorry that the
jury had not been able to hear ALL the evidence. They then sang a
blessing to the jury when the jury left the room.
As far as we know, they will continue to be held at Georgetown until
their sentencing.
In Peace,
Sue
A special thanks to the Colorado peace community for all their support and an extra special thanks to Jossy and her daughter Tina who provided hospitality to Cathy Toby, John Hudson (Jackie's niece and nephew) and me, a computer and hugs when needed. Thank you all.
April 7, 2003
At 1 PM MST the jury in the case of Sisters Jackie Hudson, Carol Gilbert and Ardeth Platte came back with a verdict of "guilty" on both counts. At mid- morning the jury had asked for clarification from the judge and attorneys on three points in the jury instructions. Judge Blackburn as he had done throughout the trial ruled against the recommendations of the Defense team and in favor of the prosecutor's position. One question was whether Count 1 was indeed a "sabotage" charge. The judge only repeated his jury instruction on the matter not clarifying that indeed the section of the code from which the charge was drawn was entitled "sabotage" as the defense had argued. He also answered a question about whether they had to prove interference, injury and obstruction of the national defense or just one of the three. His answer was just one. He repeated the intent instruction in answer to a question about that. The jury fore woman told the press there had been a holdout juror who after 6 1/2 hours of deliberation came around after the judge's "clarifications" Walter Gerash asked for a mistrial after observing a juror leaving the deliberation room in a manner that he felt was improper. That was also denied.
There was an outcry of "kangaroo court"
when both verdicts were announced, but no one was arrested.
Sentencing is set for July 25: 10 AM for Carol Gilbert, 11 AM for
Jackie Hudson, 1 PM for Ardeth Platte. For more information
Bill Sulzman
P.O. Box 915
Colorado Springs, CO 80901
Ph 719 389 0644
APRIL 8, 2002--FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Jackie Hudson, well-known local peace activist, and two co-defendants found guilty in federal court April 7, 2003. The 3 Catholic Nuns may be sentenced up to 30 years in jail for nonviolent action at Colorado missile silo.
Contact: 719-389-0644 Colorado Springs, CO (Bill Sulzman) 206-365-7865 Seattle, WA (Glen Milner)
Top of Page
Background on Jackie, Carol and Ardeth
Jackie Hudson, a well-known Northwest peace activist and member of the Ground Zero Center for Nonviolent Action, in Poulsbo, Washington, was found guilty at the Federal Courthouse in Denver on two counts of Injury/Interference/Obstruction of the National Defense and Injury of Property of the United States. She and two co-defendants may be sentenced up to 30 years in jail and up to $500,000 in fines for a nonviolent demonstration on October 6, 2002 at a Minuteman III nuclear missile silo in Weld County, Colorado.
Jackie Hudson, 68, Carol Gilbert, 55, and Ardeth Platte, 66, are members of the Dominican order. On October 6, 2002, the three nuns cut through a security chain to enter the N-8 missile silo. All three were on the site for several hours, and, in an act of disarmament, hammered on the tracks that carry the lid of the silo to its firing position. They then poured their own blood on the tracks and the silo.
The three nuns had hoped to bring attention to the massive stockpile of weapons of mass destruction housed in Colorado. The 49 nuclear-armed missiles in Colorado have recently been refitted with W-87 nuclear warheads, each with an explosive power of 300 kilotons (approximately 25 times the size of the Hiroshima bomb).
All three have been held at Clear Creek Correction Center in Georgetown, Colorado since October 6th. The trial began on March 31 and ended on Monday, April 7, 2003. Ardeth Platte, one of the three nuns, stated of their trial, "We will bring forth the truth of the illegality of the practices that are going on right now in our government."
U.S. District Judge Robert Blackburn, in a previously released 32 page opinion, had barred the jury from hearing international law and Nuremberg defenses during the trial. At mid-morning on Monday, the jury had asked Judge Blackburn for clarifications on three points in the jury instructions. As throughout the trial, Judge Blackburn ruled against members of the defense team on the clarifications. The three nuns later addressed the jury, thanking them for doing the best they could with the instructions they had been given and the with the evidence allowed in court.
Sentencing is set for July 25, 2003; 10 am for Carol Gilbert, 11 am for Jackie Hudson and 1 pm for Ardeth Platte.
The Ground Zero Center for Nonviolent Action vows to continue ongoing nonviolent direct action and presence against Trident nuclear weapons, nuclear weapons development and use, and the war on Iraq in these troubled times.
Top of Page Fact Sheet
3 Catholic Nuns may be sentenced up to 30 years in jail for nonviolent action at Colorado missile silo.
Dominican Sisters Jackie Hudson, Carol Gilbert, and Ardeth Platte were charged with a 2 count Grand jury indictment:
Count One: Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2155
Injury/Interference/Obstruction of the National Defense of the United States. Maximum Penalty 20 years imprisonment, $250,000 fine.
Count Two: Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1361
Injury of Property of the United States. Maximum Penalty 10 years imprisonment, $250,000 fine.
The Minuteman III missile is a land-based system that has undergone continuous redesign since the 1970's to keep up with advancing technology. The Minuteman III is currently being refurbished with newer rocket boosters, more accurate satellite guidance, and the larger W-87 nuclear warhead. The missile has an 8,000 mile range, can reach its target in about 30 minutes, and can strike within 300 feet of its intended target.
The Minuteman III, because of its speed and accuracy, is considered an offensive, first strike weapon.
Jackie Hudson, 68, lives in Bremerton and is a member of the Ground Zero Center for Nonviolent Action. Prior to moving to Bremerton, she had been a teacher in Michigan.
Carol Gilbert, 55, lives in Baltimore and is a member of the Jonah House and the Atlantic Life Community. In the past she has worked as a junior high school teacher.
Ardeth Platte, 66, lives in Baltimore and is a member of the Jonah House and the Atlantic Life Community. She has been a high school teacher and principal, a City Councilwoman and Mayor Pro Tem in Saginaw, Michigan.