No Drones: Lars explains the upside down American flag

On Saturday, Novemeber 10, 2012, Lars Prip and myself, David Soumis,
held the Vietnam era burial flag on the square during the Farmer's Market.
This video is of Lars explaining the flag and what we're doing.

Credit for the video goes to Voice Newspaper Blog.

Thanks Bill. Great job
http://madisonvoices.com/

STOP THE DRONES --- END THE WARS

Related posts

Has the time come for Pennsylvanians to volunteer this potent symbol to be adopted once again ... as a symbol of liberation from the tyranny of drone killings and drone surveillance?

(See Time for Liberation ... from Drones? )

Last Farmer's Market 2012 - Drone over Madison

LJ Prip, Brad Geyer, Steve Books, and I, members of Veterans for Peace,  spent a very good day on the capitol square in Madison Wisconsin today. The weather was gorgeous ... sun came out, the wind was gusting and blowing the oak leaves all around with many more floating down from the trees.

There were quite a few people attending the very last outdoor farmer's market for the year. We had the drone out and our signs. We got out the Vietnam War era burial flag with a Zinn quote on it,
“There is no flag large enough to cover the shame of killing innocent people.”
and held it upside down as a distress signal... informing the passerbys that the USA is in distress..in crisis.

LJ Prip and David Soumis at the Farmers Market - Madison Wisconsin

There were the usual grimaces of people, especially older people, which could not accept we were holding the flag upside down. One 22 year veteran stopped and was pretty upset with us, but did state he was in the military to defend our right to speak out. He expressed his total disdain for what we were doing, rather vehemently.  I salute him for understanding that freedom of speech is important to this country. He disagreed with our flag display, but we shook hands and he walked on.

Overall, the crowd was very positive to us today. We had a lot of folks stop and give thanks to us, that we were standing out there informing and educating people on what our government is doing in our name. The wars, the use of drones in killing people, and so forth. There were hugs, a lot of peace signs, and even more thumbs up.

We also had a special visitor later in the day, Brian Terrell , who has been doing a LOT of work against the use of drones (serious understatement). He is here to do a talk at The Fountain, 122 State Street, in Madison at 8PM Sunday evening. Please try to stop by.

Brian was arrested at Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri during an attempt, on behalf of a larger group of protestors, to deliver an "indictment" to Brigadier General Scott A. Vander Hamm, the base's commander. Their indictment charged the chain of command, from President Obama to General Vander Hamm to the drone crews at Whiteman, "with the following crimes; extrajudicial killings, violation of due process, wars of aggression, violation of national sovereignty, and the killing of innocent civilians." It noted the fact that "extrajudicial targeted killings by the use of unmanned aircraft drones by the United States of America are intentional, premeditated and deliberate use of lethal force in violation of US and international human rights law" and demanded that these crimes immediately cease. http://mrzine.monthlyreview.org/2012/terrell120612.html

(left to right) Mark Kenney, Brian Terrell, and Ron Faust outside the courthouse on June 6. Photo by Marc Saviano

Brian, along with retired minister Ron Faust went to court. Both were found guilty of “trespassing”. Brian sentenced to 6 months in federal prison. Faust was sentenced to five years of probation, while Terrell received the maximum sentence. A third protester, Mark Kenney of Omaha, Nebraska is serving a four-month sentence after pleading guilty in June to trespassing. His sentence begins on November 30.

Here is Brian’s sentencing statement:
http://truth-out.org/news/item/12081-nonviolent-protester-of-drone-wars-sentenced-to-federal-prison

Madison: Talk by Brian Terrell on Drone Warfare

Sunday, November 11, 2012 8:00pm
The Fountain
122 State Street, Madison, Wisconsin

Brian Terrell is a Wisconsin native who lives in Iowa who is a peace activist of many years. He is scheduled to report to a federal prison on November 30 to begin a six month sentence as a result of his nonviolent protests against assassinations and murder conducted by remotely controlled drones from bases in the United States. He has traveled to Afghanistan and met with victims of drone attacks. He is aco-coordinator of Voices for Creative Nonviolence, and a Catholic Worker.


This is on of a series of events where Brian Terrell will talk about the need to end U.S. drone killings. See also:

Chicago, IL: Doing Time for Peace: Resistance, Family, and Community An Evening With Rosalie Riegle and Brian Terrell
Columbia, MO: Terrell at Wm. Woods, Mizzou: Ground the Drones!

Madison: "Care for a drone with that fresh produce?"

The video produced by David Soumis, of Veterans for Peace (VFP) Chapter 25 (Madison, WI) and producer of VFP Peace Time on WYOU TV Madison, about his group's anti-drones outreach to people at the local Farmer's Market, makes for must-see TV.

David gives an excellent overview of the whole drones problem. Moreover, as a colleague from VFP in Indiana commented:

It's interesting how there so many people shown in this video, and most walk nonchalantly by, completely ignoring the drone model and the signs. Reminds me of Harrington's "The Other America," in which he notes that most people will walk around poor people panhandling, even crossing the street to avoid seeing them. What is it that scares people off so much when we attempt to educate them, in this case, on the disastrous effects of drone warfare. Maybe if we had a sign saying "free donuts," or "free concert tickets" Or perhaps we dressed up in our Sunday finest? Or more creative street theater? A band, perhaps? Would that draw people in? Or have the American people been so brainwashed that they don't desire any new information?

David Soumis comments:

The walk by is one of the most interesting things. We see it every day that we display the drone. Majority of people do not see it. They are so tied up into themselves, I think. A lot of people sort of glance over, but then avert their eyes very fast. There are whispers between people as they try to hide the fact they are drawn to look but just can’t.

There are, however, other exciting things that happen. For instance, one afternoon, a mother , father, and young daughter were walking by. The parents looked straight ahead, however, the daughter, about 14, was looking over out of the corner of her eye.... as they walked past, the daughter looked at me and smiled, then flipped the peace sign kind of out of sight of her parents. That is HOPE brothers and sisters . . . !

Please watch the whole video, "Veterans for Peace: Chapter 25 -- STOP THE DRONES", on Youtube, and share it widely!


. . . and check out the pictures of the die-in to protest the use of weaponized drones by the United States done a couple of months back by David and colleagues in Madison!

Why Do They Hate Us?

Meet Pat Chaffee: November 8 talk in Racine!

This is one of a series of report-backs being done all over the country by participants in the Code Pink peace delegation to Pakistan.

by Pat Chaffee
Racine, Wisconsin

Azkar wanted to tell his story. He approached Paki Wieland, one of the Code Pink peace delegates mingling with the crowd of Pakistani and international journalists in the large hall of the Islamabad Marriot Hotel. Paki switched on her voice recorder. I drew closer to listen.

“My young cousin,” said Azkar, “was a civil engineer. He was helping to build up our country.” Embittered against the United States and NATO for the carnage caused by drones, he joined the militants. Azkar’s cousin knew these people. They were his friends and neighbors. They were teachers, mothers, masons, goatherds. “He trained for two or three years to be a suicide bomber. He blew himself up. Such a loss for Pakistan.”

Paki and I tried to enter into his grief. Of course, in no real way could we do this. How could we understand the anger and hopeless desperation that drives a promising young man to take innocent lives as well as his own, in hope that his action will somehow stop hellfire missiles? How could we understand the sadness and anger of a cousin mourning his deep personal loss as well as the loss for his country?

We could, and did, tell Azhar that we agreed that the U.S. drone attacks are illegal, immoral, and inhumane. We could, and did, tell him that we were two of a thirty-four U.S. citizens who came to Pakistan on behalf of hundreds of thousands of other U.S. citizens who oppose our government’s drone warfare.

We thanked Azkar for sharing his story, and joined the crowd settling down for the press conference, called by Imran Kahn, candidate for Prime Minister, to promote the Peace March—actually a caravan—from Islamabad to Waziristan to call attention to the murder of innocent civilians by drone strikes. In question after question, journalists focused on security aspects of the March. Did the participants have police escort? What were the possibilities of attack? What were the precautions against an assault against Imran?

The last word, however went to Laureen Booth, a featured journalist at the conference. Laureen shamed the other journalists with her passionate plea: “Please do not focus on the security of participants.” The March was to focus on security of the innocent people in target areas. The purpose of this March was to end drone warfare.”


Patricia Chaffee earned her Ph.D. in English from Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. She has taught as Associate Professor at Stillman College in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, is a published poet, and has published in literary journals and social justice magazines. Currently, she is a reader/editor for a book manuscript and in the past she has edited articles for the U.S. Government.

See the related post, "Body Pieces" by Pat Chaffee, on the Awake to Drones website.

This is one of a series of report-backs being done all over the country by participants in the Code Pink peace delegation to Pakistan. See also:

My visits to Pakistan and Kurdistan by JoAnne Lingle from Indianapolis on the Indiana Drones Project website.

For additional photos of the Pakistan trip, see the Code Pink delegation photo site.

Racine Nov 8: Sr Pat Chaffee on her Pakistan Trip and "Why You Should Be Against Drones"

Why You Should Be Against Drones:
Sr Pat Chaffee reports on her October visit to Pakistan as part of a Code Pink delegation

Date: Thursday 8 November
Time: 6:30 pm Reception, 7:00 pm Presentation
Location: Cup of Hope Coffee Shop, 507 6th Street, Racine

Patricia Chaffee earned her Ph.D. in English from Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. She has taught as Associate Professor at Stillman College in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, is a published poet, and has published in literary journals and social justice magazines. Currently, she is a reader/editor for a book manuscript and in the past she has edited articles for the U.S. Government.

For more information: Dick Kinch
262/764-9968 or racinepeace@yahoo.com


This is one of a series of report-backs being done all over the country by participants in the Code Pink peace delegation to Pakistan. See also:

My visits to Pakistan and Kurdistan by JoAnne Lingle from Indianapolis on the Indiana Drones Project website.
October 29 at Penn: Living Under Drones! Report from Pakistan on the No Drones Pennysylvania website.

For additional photos of the Pakistan trip, see the Code Pink delegation photo site.

Putting the Drones on Trial in Wisconsin

Dear Friends,

What a day in Mauston! Yesterday the seven of us (Don Timmerman, Roberta Thurstin, and Joyce Ellwanger of Milwaukee, Libby Pappalardo of Crystal Lake, IL, and Mary Beth Schlagheck, Bonnie Block, and myself from the Madison area) arrested at Camp Williams/Volk Field last April were in Mauston for a plea hearing. We were joined by a good number of cohorts in support.

We were arrested by the Juneau County Sheriff just inside the gates of the base on April 24 after peacefully walking onto the base to hand deliver a letter to base commander, Col. Gary Ebben. We have been vigiling at the base monthly since December 2011, and sending letters to Col. Ebben stating our urgent concern about the training they are doing in operating Shadow drones. Our letters have been ignored and so on April 24 we decided to try to hand deliver a letter. We were arrested, handcuffed, and transported to Mauston, the county seat of Juneau County. There we were processed and charged with criminal disorderly conduct and released.

Yesterday we had a plea hearing scheduled, and so we decided to take the day in Mauston to publicize what is happening a few miles down the road at Camp Williams/Volk Field.

Joyce, Mary Beth, Bonnie, and I had the privilege of talking to a group of students at the high school in the morning. We shared our stories about why we engage in acts of civil resistance, and specifically why we are concerned about the training for drone warfare occurring at the base. Though there were a lot of kids who had connections to people who worked at the base, they listened attentively to what we had to say.

We went directly from the high school to the courthouse annex for our plea hearing. There we met up with our co-defendants, along with activists who came to support us, including many from the Madison Raging Grannies.

When the first one of us was called before Judge Roemer, the Juneau County District Attorney, Clifford Burdon, told the judge that he wanted to reduce the charge from criminal disorderly conduct to an ordinance violation that we had resisted or obstructed a police officer. This was an interesting twist because six weeks earlier we each had a phone conference with Mr. Burdon offering to reduce the charge to an ordinance violation if we agreed to plead guilty and pay a fine. We all refused at the time because we wanted to plead not guilty and go to trial.

After a few minutes to confer with each other, the seven of decided that we would accept this lesser charge, plead not guilty, and file for a jury trial, paying $36 divided between the seven of us.

We went back into the courtroom and told Judge Roemer what we wanted to do. He had each of us come up individually and dismissed the charge of disorderly conduct and told us we would be reissued a citation for the ordinance violation. We would then have to return to court for a plea hearing for that charge.

There are more steps and more appearances in the process in Juneau County than I have ever experienced in any other court. When I appeared before the judge I asked him if we could do the plea hearing over the phone because of travel considerations. After conferring with a courtroom officer Judge Roemer said we could enter a not guilty plea via fax.

Now we will wait to get our citations with the ordinance violation mailed to us, and honestly I would not be surprised if they just dropped the whole thing at this point.

After court we vigiled and handed out leaflets near the courthouse and the Raging Grannies sang several songs. Lars brought the model drone which always attracts a lot of attention. However, there is almost no foot traffic in downtown Mauston so we moved to a strip mall with a large grocery store and a K-Mart. There we were able to hand out more leaflets.

In the evening we had a panel and discussion at the public library. Fifteen people attended. Mary Beth, Bonnie, and I each gave a presentation and then there was a very good discussion. Most of the people there were from the Juneau County peace group and supportive.

So, it was a very good and a very long day in Mauston and I got back home in Madison at 11:00 pm. We were able to raise the issue to a lot of people of what is happening right down the road and it felt like a productive day.

Peace,

Joy

Raging Grannies Wow Fighting Bob Fest Crowd with Anti-Drones Song

The audience at the annual gathering of Wisconsin progressives -- the Fighting Bob Fest -- leaped to their feet to photograph the die-in that accompanied the Raging Grannies' rendition of "Drones in the Sky" on Saturday, September 15, at the Alliant Energy Center arena.


The No Drones Wisconsin drone replica had pride of place in the arena, right next to the stage and the photographs of Robert "Fighting Bob" La Follette. On a day on which many speakers wrestled with the difficulty many voters face in supporting Barack Obama, and when Green Party candidate Jill Stein's strong speech gave them a reason to consider alternatives, the issue of the current administration's drone killings was never far from people's minds. Phil Donahue, one of the featured speakers, began his remarks by saying, "I see we have the drone here today ... " and proceeded to decry the extrajudicial execution carried out by Obama and company.

"DRONES IN THE SKY"

Below are words to "Drones in the Sky," lyrics by Jan Harwood, Albuquerque Grannies, and Connie Graves, Tucson Grannies, to be sugn to the tune of "Home on the Range."

Oh give us a home
Where no Predators roam
Where no pilot-less lethal planes fly.
Where poor folks are safe! In their own living space!
And drones rain no death from the sky.

(Refrain 1)
Drones, drones in the sky
Who knows o'er which country they'll fly?
And if their bombs hit! Off target a bit!
Innocent people will die.

Oh we want a place
Where there's no space arms race
Where robotics and drones are all banned
Where no video war
Sends drones off to soar
Uncder yours or my country's command

(Refrain 2)
Eyes, eyes in the sky
Their targets can all go awry
And those in their sight! Have no chance of flight!
It's a program that we must defy.

TASTE OF DRONES PHOTO ESSAY

TASTE OF DRONES PHOTO ESSAY  

SEPTEMBER 1, 2012

On Saturday, September 1, 2012, Veterans for Peace, No Drones Wisconsin, Occupy Madison, and other area activists held a die-in to protest the use of weaponized drones by the United States.

I have assembled photos from several photographers who were present at the event.

If you know of any photos of this event, especially showing crowd reaction, please let me know....

nodroneswisconsin@gmail.com

Wisconsin Veterans Museum
photo: Wendi Kent

 American flag distress signal as anti-drones symbol
photo: Wendi Kent

Crowds at Madison Farmer's Market
photo: Nicole Desautels Schulte

 Drone strike die-in protest
photo: Leslie Amsterdam

"What if they gave a war and nobody came?"
photo: Nicole Desautels Schulte

Predator drone replica over Madison Farmer's Market
photo: Wendi Kent

"Hack a drone, save a life!"
photo: Nicole Desautels Schulte

 Drone strike die-in protest
photo: Leslie Amsterdam

 Drone strike die-in protest
photo: Wendi Kent

 Drone strike die-in protest
photo: Nicole Desautels Schulte

 Drone strike die-in protest
photo: Wendi Kent

 Drone strike die-in protest
photo: Leslie Amsterdam

 American flag distress signal as anti-drones symbol
at Wisconsin Capitol

photo: Wendi Kent

  American flag distress signal as anti-drones symbol
Drone strike die-in protest
photo: Leslie Amsterdam

The public responds to anti-drone protests
photo: Wendi Kent

 Drone strike die-in protest
photo: Wendi Kent

"When drones fly children die" -- Drone strike die-in protest
photo: Wendi Kent

Victims of "friendly fire" from drones
photo: Wendi Kent

The public responds to anti-drone protests
photo: Wendi Kent

 Drone strike die-in protest
photo: Leslie Amsterdam

Madison, Wisconsin, anti-drones protesters
photo: Leslie Amsterdam

 American flag distress signal as anti-drones symbol
at Wisconsin Capitol
 photo: Leslie Amsterdam

"When drones fly children die"
photo: Wendi Kent

"When drones fly children die"
photo: Nicole Desautels Schulte

Madison, Wisconsin, anti-drones protesters
photo: Leslie Amsterdam

"How is the war economy working for you?"
photo: Leslie Amsterdam

Veterans for Peace protest drones
photo: Nicole Desautels Schulte

"When drones fly children die"
photo: Nicole Desautels Schulte

"When drones fly children die"
photo: Nicole Desautels Schulte

Related posts

"On Saturday, November 10, 2012, Lars Prip and myself, David Soumis, held the Vietnam era burial flag on the square during the Farmer's Market. This video is of Lars explaining the flag and what we're doing."

(See No Drones: Lars explains the upside down American flag )

Navy corpsman Benjamin Rast, was killed accidentally in a Reaper drone strike in Afghanistan in April 2011; that strike also killed Marine Staff Sergeant Jeremy Smith. Benjamin Rast's father, Robert Rast, has set up a drone replica in his front yard and sits with it, telling those who stop what happened to his son.

(See A Drone Tragedy Revealed in Indiana )

Activists in San Diego held a weekend of demonstrations in solidarity with the nationwide Spring Days of Drone Action. One feature of the weekend was an evocative and powerful street theatre performance in San Diego's Balboa park, simulating a drone attack on American soil like those that have been and continue to be deadly reality in Pakistan and Yemen. Click here to stream video of the event.

(See Drone Strike Kills 7 in San Diego)