MEETING NOTES FOR PEOPLE FOR PEACE, JUSTICE, AND HEALING

People for Peace, Justice and Healing met on October 9, 2010, at 10:00 a.m. at Associated Ministries. Present for check-in: Carl, Mark, Colleen, Karen H., Rob, Sheila, Sol, and Karen K.

AGENDA

1. TREASURER'S REPORT: Karen H.
PPJH bank balance: $1,979.38.

2. DEBRIEF FROM FRIDAY'S ARRAIGNMENT (Karen H.)
In U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington in Tacoma on Fri., Oct. 8, 2010, Father Bill "Bix" Bichsel, 82, of Tacoma, Sister Anne Montgomery, 83, of Redwood City, California, Susan Crane, 65, of Baltimore, Maryland, Lynne M. Greenwald, 61, of Bremerton, and Father Steve Kelly, 61, of Oakland, California, were arraigned in Federal court on charges of conspiracy, trespass, destruction of property on a naval installation, and depredation of government property.  Chief Magistrate Judge Karen L. Strombom presided.  Each of the defendants faces up to ten years in prison (or more if consecutive sentences were imposed) and a $250,000 fine if convicted.  The charges stem from a Nov. 2, 2009, Plowshares action at Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor. About 70 people attended a rally in front of the courthouse before the arraignment (which made the police who were there because of Vice President Joe Biden's visit to Tacoma the same day very nervous), and about 30 of them were able to get into the packed courtroom to see the arraignment, which lasted about two hours. All defendants pleaded guilty. The trial is scheduled to begin at 9:00 a.m. on Dec. 7, 2010 in the United States District Court, Western District of Washington at Tacoma.  A pre-trial conference date is set for November 22, 2010.  All defendants are representing themselves, refusing the court's offer of legal counsel.  Back-up counsel was appointed by the court anyway. The defendants are presently free -- no bail was imposed. See here and here for more information on the case.

3. NEXT SATURDAY'S MEETING -- SAT., OCT. 16, 2010 (All)
Exceptionally, the 10:00 a.m. meeting on Sat., Oct. 16, 2010, will be held not at Associated Ministries but at Le Donut, 1317 S. 11th Ave. in Tacoma.  Carl will post a note on the door in the morning prior to the meeting.

INFORMED COMMENT

1. MEDICAL CLOTHING (Rob)
Clothing specially adapted to medical needs is available from SCOTTEVEST.

2. GREEN SCHOOLS (Sarah)
Karen K.'s school is participating in the King County Green Schools Project, which aims to "initiate and expand waste reduction and recycling practices and other conservation actions, involve the whole school community in environmental stewardship, and operate environmentally efficient and responsible facilities."

3. NEW MANIMAL HOUSE ALBUM (Rob)
On Nov. 4, 2010, the Portland band Manimal House will release a new album entitled "Body Rock." Manimal House features Jon Ramm-Gramenz on trombone, not to mention "the devastating Reyna Mallare on lead vocals."

ANNOUNCEMENTS

1. UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES (Sol)
C. Rosalind Bell's "Under the Circumstances," directed by Scott Campbell, will wrap up its run at Tacoma Little Theater, 210 N. "I" St., Tacoma, with performances on Sat., Oct. 9, at 7:30 p.m. and on Sun., Oct. 10, at 2:00 p.m. "Excellent. Very timely and very personal about what divides us." --Sol Riou.

2. DIGGING DEEPER (Mark)
Coming up for the UFPCC book group Digging Deeper, which meets at the Mandolin on Monday evenings: on Oct. 13, 2010, Len Colodny and Tom Shachtman, *The Forty Years War: The Rise and Fall of the Neocons, from Nixon to Obama* (Harper, 2009). Discussion led by Dave Dittemore. On Oct. 18 & 25, 2010, two book by Dave Grossman on the stress of combat and killing: (1) Dave Grossman, On Killing: The Psychological Cost of Learning to Kill in War and Society (Little, Brown, 1995; Back Bay Books paperback, 2009). and Dave Grossman and Loren W. Christensen, On Combat: The Psychology and Physiology of Deadly Conflict in War, 3rd ed. (Warrior Science Publications, 2008; originally published in 2004.

Respectfully submitted,
Mark