Volume 25, Number 1    April 2003

 

Nine CTA members join SOA Watch Prisoners of Conscience

"Our voices may be drowned out by the upcoming unholy war in Iraq, but still we must speak. We answer to a Higher Authority."

J.C. Orton, 54, of Berkeley, Calif. husband, father, Catholic Worker activist and CTA member, spoke those words at his trial in January. He and eight other CTA members are among the "SOA 86" - protesters arrested for civil disobedience at the School of the Americas at Fort Benning, Ga., last November. All have been convicted and sentenced, most of them to federal prison terms.

Sentenced to six months in federal prison:
1. Joyce Ellwanger, 65, Milwaukee. Previously arrested, she violated a "ban and bar" order in 2002.
2. Mercy Sr. Moira Kenny, 56, McAllen Tex., a paralegal with the United Farm Workers.
Sentenced to three months in federal prison:
3. Judith Kelly, 57, Arlington, Va. Peace Corps in Peru and Paraguay. Peace witness in Chiapas, Guatemala, El Salvador and Haiti.
4. Holy Child Sr. Mary Hamilton, 52, of Rosemont, Pa. Worked in Chile seven years.
5. Sinsinawa Dominican Sr. Kathy Long, 54, of the 8th Day Center for Justice, Chicago. 6. Evalee "Lee" Mickey, 67, Mt. Pleasant, Ia. Retired farmer/homemaker. Five children, 15 grandchildren. Habitat for Humanity, parish social action committee.
7. J.C. Orton.

Others sentenced:
8. Thomas Cleary, 74, Richmond, Va. In frail health. Given six months home confinement. Father of three sons, a retired probation officer, he is a former Jesuit who served in Belize and Honduras.
9. Retired Providence Sr. Rita Gerardot, St. Mary of the Woods, Ind. Twelve months probation and 500 hours of community service.

To write letters of support and solidarity to the prisoners, watch for their addresses to be posted at www.soaw.org

April Mobilization in D.C.
SOA Watch and other Latin America solidarity groups hold their usual spring mobilization April 10-15 in Washington. www.LASolidarity.org

Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) and 49 co-sponsors have introduced HR 1258, a House bill to close SOA. Ask your Congressperson to co-sponsor it. Details at www.soaw.org