Baltimore Activist Alert - August 20 - September 22, 2015

18] Challenge Ben Cardin to vote for the Iran deal – Aug. 20

19] An occupation by the workers – Aug. 20         

20] Book talk THE COLOR OF FOOD – Aug. 20

21] Peace vigil at the White House– Aug. 21

22] Black Lives Matter Vigil – Aug. 21

23] Monthly Social Justice Gathering – Aug. 21

24] Ballroom Dancing – Aug. 21

25] Estate Sale of Howard Ehrlich’s effects – Aug. 22 & 23

26] Compassion & Choices Baltimore Action Team meeting – Aug. 22

27] West Chester peace vigil – Aug. 22

28] Climate chaos, poverty & war actions – Sept. 22

29] Sign up with Washington Peace Center

30] Join Fund Our Communities

31] Donate books, videos, DVDs and records

32] Do you need any book shelves?

33] Join Global Zero campaign

34] Join Peace Park Antinuclear Vigil

18] – Peace Action, Peace Action Montgomery, Maryland United for Peace and Justice,  Code Pink and  Baltimore Pledge of Resistance are involved in MD Voters Urge Sen. Ben Cardin to Support Iran Deal.  Vigils will be Held at four Cardin Offices, and 5,572 Petitions will be Delivered on Thurs., Aug. 20. Contact Jean Athey, 301-570-0923 or jeanathey@verizon.net, or Max Obuszewski, 727-543-3227 or mobuszewski at Verizon dot net.

Community members will hold street demonstrations at three of Sen. Cardin’s regional offices and at his Capitol Hill office on the same day.  These voters will urge Sen. Cardin to support the nuclear agreement with Iran.  A petition supporting the deal and urging members of Congress to vote for it will be delivered to staff at the Rockville office, listing 5,572 signatures of MD residents

A delegation will go to 100 S. Charles St., Tower 1, Suite 1710, Baltimore 21201, at 4 PM, followed by a demonstration from 4:30 to 5:30 PM.  Gatherings will also happen at

451 Hungerford Drive, Suite 230, Rockville 20850 at noon; 10201 Martin Luther King Jr.

Highway, Suite 210, Bowie 20720, at 4 PM; and 509 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20510, at noon. Marylanders from across the state are mobilizing to encourage their Congressional representatives to support the negotiated deal with Iran. The deal will restrict Iran’s ability to develop a nuclear bomb and will likely prevent another war.

The petition signatures were collected at StopWarWithIran.com since the announcement of the Iran nuclear deal by a broad coalition of progressive groups, including CREDO, MoveOn.org Civic Action, Win Without War, Campaign for America’s Future, Daily Kos, Democracy for America, Demand Progress, USAction, Peace Action, Peace Action West, The Nation, United for Peace and Justice, Progressive Democrats of America, CODEPINK, Council for a Livable World, Just Foreign Policy, Left Action, NIAC Action, The Other 98%, RH Reality Check, RootsAction, Women’s Action for New Directions, and Watchdog.net. Activists have also made more than 49,000 phone calls to Democrats in Congress through the StopWarWithIran.com website since the deal was announced. Go to http://peaceactionmc.org.

19] – Come to the Potter's House, 1658 Columbia Rd. NW, WDC, on Thurs., Aug. 20 at 6:30 PM for a live videoconference with the workers of the MadyGraf print factory of Buenos Aires, Argentina, occupied and run under worker control since 2014. Contact Robert B <rob.bel1905@gmail.com>.

20] – Natasha Bowens presents her book "The Color of Food: Stories of Race, Resilience and Farming" on Thurs., Aug. 20 at 7:30 PM @ Red Emma's Bookstore Coffeehouse, 30 W. North Ave., Baltimore 21201,  Bowens will do a storytelling session and talk about race, culture and community in the food movement. She will be joined by local Black farmers who inspire her work and will share their stories and insight into the Baltimore food movement.  The event is co-sponsored by Baltimore Activating Solidarity Economies. Call 443-602-7585.  Go to http://www.redemmas.org. 

21] – On Fri., Aug. 21 from noon to 1 PM, join the Dorothy Day Catholic Worker in a vigil urging the powers that be to abolish war and torture, to disarm all weapons, to end indefinite detention, to close Guantanamo, to establish justice for all and help create the Beloved Community! The vigil takes place at the White House on Pennsylvania Ave. NW.  Contact Art @ artlaffin@hotmail.com or at 202-360-6416.

22] – There is usually a silent peace vigil on Fridays, from 5 to 6 PM, sponsored by Homewood Friends and Stony Run Meetings, outside the Homewood Friends Meetinghouse, 3107 N. Charles St.  The next scheduled vigil is on Aug. 21. Black Lives Matter. 

23] – On Fri., Aug. 21 at 6 PM @ Red Emma's Bookstore Coffeehouse, 30 W. North Ave., Baltimore 21201,  come together for a Monthly Social Justice Gathering.  This is a monthly social justice networking event that will allow for the community building that so many of us look to achieve. Mix, mingle, and network with other local activists and nation builders. Each month a different organization representing a variety of areas of social justice will come and present who they are, what they do, and how you can get involved. Optional donations will be collected each month for presenting organizations to show the strength that we have with our own resources! Come and finally meet your social media community face to face! Bring cards, flyers, a friend, and a smile! This is hosted by Qiara Butler who can be reached at qiarabutler at  gmail.com. Call 443-602-7585.  Go to http://www.redemmas.org. 

24] – There is an opportunity to participate in ballroom dancing, usually every Friday of the month, in the JHU ROTC Bldg. at  8 PM.  Turn south on San Martin Dr. from the intersection of Univ. Parkway and 39th St.  Drive on campus by taking the third left turn. The next dance will be Aug. 21. Call Dave Greene at 410-599-3725.

25] – Consider purchasing items formerly belonging to Howard Ehrlich: books, furniture, personal items and more on Sat., Aug. 22 and Sun., Aug. 23 from 10 AM to 5 PM at 2743 Maryland Avenue, Baltimore 21218.   NO EARLY BIRDS!! Call 410-444-1023.  Proceeds after expenses will benefit the Nicaraguan Cultural Alliance.

ITEMS STILL AVAILABLE INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING (AND MORE): cookbooks (many ethnic), books for wine and beer aficionados; books on sociology, social psychology, social anarchism; also a few on self-help, home and garden, fiction, Nordic Track ski exercise machine with arm weight pulls, large black gas stove, Hotpoint, about 3 years old, 4 burners and oven & broiler, king-size bed, almost-new mattress, with headboard/ shelving which can be sold separately, large refrigerator in good condition - Kenmore Coldspot, 2005, two (2) wine racks - one all metal with a 12-bottle capacity, one wood and metal with a 42-bottle capacity, two (2) window air conditioners in good working order, two-seat couch, muted green & gold stripes, large plywood conference table (or use it for ping pong!), large office desk with 3 drawers on left, 2 on right (one is for files), four (4) smaller desks, one or two with 3 drawers on each side, one with 2 shallow drawers at top, one with 2 drawers on each side, six (6) office files - one with 2 file drawers, two with 4, and three with 5; all for letter-size files, IKEA-type wardrobe, wood finish with translucent panels on the front - one foot broken, folding steel table (wood-finish top), about 70" L, 27" D, 27" H, queen-size mattress, pioneer piece of equipment, looks like a reel-to-reel recorder (? needs further assessment), cupboard, suitable for any room - about 3' H, 6' W, 2 side doors with interior shelves, 2 middle glass doors also with interior shelves, bookshelves of various sizes, both steel and wood, numerous chairs for office, dining room, and kitchen, several chests of drawers, varying sizes, IKEA-type narrow shelves, about 6' tall, suitable for bathroom, kitchen table, sewing machine stand/cabinet, typewriter table, card table, two end tables with shelves underneath; one of these is on wheels, three-speed oscillating white floor fan, modern-looking table lamp, electric floor polisher, two rotating brushes, toaster which also poaches eggs on the side, lightweight aluminum folding table, and more!

26] – Compassion & Choices Baltimore Action Team will hold a Meeting on Sat., Aug. 22 from 10 to 11 AM at the office of the Baltimore Ethical Society, 306 W. Franklin St., Baltimore.  RSVP to http://www.meetup.com/bmorethical/events/224393368/?a=wc1a.2_gnl&gj=wc1a.2_e&rv=wc1a.2_e. 

27] –  Each Saturday, 11 AM – 1 PM, Chester County Peace Movement holds a peace vigil in West Chester in front of the Chester County Courthouse, High & Market Sts. Go to www.ccpeace.org. Email ccpeacemovement@aol.com. 

28] -- The National Campaign for Nonviolent Resistance is planning an action on September 22 in the D.C. area. We will gather at 10 AM in Rep. Paul Ryan’s office to challenge him that the wars must end, that Mother Earth must be saved and that we must eliminate income inequality. We will occupy Rep. Paul Ryan’s office.

After delivering a letter and speaking with staff members, we will next gather for a rally in Murrow Park, before arriving at 1 PM at the White House.  There we will try to deliver a letter to the White House, raise the same issues and risk arrest. Let Max know if you can join us in D.C. for this action. Call 410-366-1637 or email mobuszewski at verizon.net.

29] -- The Washington Peace Center has a progressive calendar & activist alert! Consider signing up to receive its weekly email: info@washingtonpeacecenter.org.

30] -- Fund Our Communities campaign is a grass roots movement to get support from local organizations and communities to work together with their local and state elected officials to pressure Congresspersons and senators to join with former Congresspersons Barney Frank and Ron Paul, who have endorsed a 25% cut to the federal military budget.  Bring home the savings to state and county governments to meet the local needs which are under tremendous budget pressures.  Go to www.OurFunds.org. 

31] -- If you would like to get rid of books, videos, DVDs or records, contact Max at 410-366-1637 or mobuszewski at verizon.net.

32] -- Can you use any book shelves? Contact Max at 410-366-1637 or mobuszewski at verizon.net.

33] -- Join an extraordinary global campaign for the elimination of nuclear weapons: http://www.globalzero.org/sign-declaration. A growing group of leaders around the world is calling for the elimination of nuclear weapons and a majority of the global public agrees.  This is an historic window of opportunity.  With momentum already building in favor of Zero, a major show of support from people around the world could tip the balance. When it comes to nuclear weapons, one is one too many.

34] – A Peace Park Antinuclear Vigil takes place every day in Lafayette Park, 1601 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, 24 hours a day, since June 3, 1981. Go to http://prop1.org; call 202-682-4282.

Donations can be sent to the Baltimore Nonviolence Center, 325 E. 25th St., Baltimore, MD 21218.  Ph: 410-366-1637; Email: mobuszewski [at] verizon.net. Go to http://baltimorenonviolencecenter.blogspot.com/.

"One is called to live nonviolently, even if the change one works for seems impossible. It may or may not be possible to turn the US around through nonviolent revolution. But one thing favors such an attempt: the total inability of violence to change anything for the better" - Daniel Berrigan