MLK Day

Today I attended my first-ever nonviolent demonstration (outside of Olivet's campus, anyway), with CPT in Chicago. We walked in a silent "funeral procession" from Federal Plaza to the Boeing company headquarters, to protest how Boeing has been supplying and profiting from the bombs that Israel has used to attack Gaza (and how our government allows and aids this process). (Side note: This morning I was reading about the ceasefire between Israel & Gaza, and noticed that the ratio of Palestinian deaths to Israeli deaths in the last few weeks was 100:1; of course, most of the former are civilians, the latter, soldiers.)

In our procession, some carried cardboard "coffins" (labeled: "A Father of Gaza," "A Mother of Gaza," and "A Child of Gaza"), some candles and photos, and some signs and banners (my mom's read: "Boeing bombs Kill Gazans," mine read: "Stop the Killing"). One person beat a drum (bucket) as we walked. We were escorted/followed by several Chicago police officers. We walked about seven blocks in the cold, silently carrying these testaments to the horrible deaths of innocent people, facing the inquisitive/compassionate/annoyed/confused looks/looks away/comments of Chicago pedestrians/bus riders/restaurant-goers/beggars. When we arrived at Boeing, we were denied entrance into the building, so we stood outside, laid the coffins and candles and pictures in front of the doors, recited a litany and sang songs. After a few minutes, the police informed us that, since the people at Boeing requested us to leave, we should leave the property or be arrested. At least two men were arrested; the rest of us moved to the public sidewalk and continued to sing and pray. The coffins were left on Boeing property... some of the company men came out and made sure the coffins and all the smaller items were put on the sidewalk. (Later, the police busted open one of the larger coffins and shoved the child-sized one inside, then they put it and the other one into a big police van which was then driven away.) By this time, our toes were frozen, so my mom and I headed back.

Before, during, and after all of this, at the Federal Plaza, there were songs, prayers and readings in memory of Martin Luther King, Jr. and in honor of his stance for peace and justice and against militarism, racism and materialism. It was the culmination of Camp Hope, a combined effort of many local churches and peace groups to call on President-elect (or, President tomorrow!) Obama to follow through on promises he made during his campaign by taking certain actions immediately upon being sworn into office, including: 1. Regarding Iraq, withdraw troops and cease combat operations; announce a new diplomatic initiative to bring peace to Afghanistan and Pakistan. 2. Take all nuclear weapons off hair trigger alert. 3. Close Guantanamo, eliminate military tribunals and allow detainess access to the U.S. court system. 4. Suspend deportation of immigrants and stop raids at workplaces.

Today was interesting and exciting for me. It felt good to be part of something that is much deeper and older than myself, and something that holds true hope and promise for the future: the movement of people seeking peace through nonviolent means. I am as excited as ever about my participation with CPT and my upcoming travels to Israel/Palestine. And I continue to be inspired by ordinary people past and present living out extraordinary love.

And now, just for fun and because these are awesome, I leave you with some quotes (all by King) about nonviolence:

A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual doom.

At the center of non-violence stands the principle of love.

I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality... I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word.

Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.

It is not enough to say we must not wage war. It is necessary to love peace and sacrifice for it.

Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into friend.

Nonviolence is a powerful and just weapon, which cuts without wounding and ennobles the man who wields it. It is a sword that heals.

Nonviolence means avoiding not only external physical violence but also internal violence of spirit. You not only refuse to shoot a man, but you refuse to hate him.

Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek, but a means by which we arrive at that goal.

(And my favorite:)

Nonviolence is the answer to the crucial political and moral questions of our time; the need for mankind to overcome oppression and violence without resorting to oppression and violence. Mankind must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression, and retaliation. The foundation of such a method is love.