A WALK WITH MY HIGHER POWER
I pledge allegiance to our Higher Power, and the world for
which it stands, one universe, indivisible, with equality, liberty, love and
justice for all. This is the only pledge
of allegiance I recite and cherish dear to my mind, heart, and soul. Neither country nor human power shall be
recognized as more important than my God or Higher Power, for me, my Higher
Power is God, but for millions or billions of others, God may have a different
name, but is equally important and valued.
We must respect and honor all people’s beliefs. We must love the world and all living beings
upon which they all exist and interconnect with each other.
Some may automatically call me Anti-American or unpatriotic,
but if loving God, loving the whole world without exceptions is Anti-American,
then I guess I am guilty as charged. For
I love my Higher Power more than anything or anyone in this Universe. I am a very strong and devout Christian, even
though I accept many other spiritual paths to our Higher Power, including
foremost my friends the Unitarian Universalist’s of which I am an active
member. In addition, I cherish the
Catholics, the Protestants, my friends the Quakers, the Jews, Islam, Buddhism,
Hindus and most all other faiths following their Higher Power. There exist multiple paths towards our Higher
Power, but only one Higher Power, which is not the Flag, nor President Bush, or
the country in which you were born, and especially not wealth or power! We must tune into the saying, “Envision a
world of peace through loving relationships,” and most of all God Bless The
World, no exceptions!
“Isn’t it strange some people make you feel so tired inside,
your thoughts begin to shrivel up like leaves all brown and dried! But, when you’re with some other ones, it’s
stranger still to find your thoughts are thick as fireflies, all shiny in your
mind,” RACHEL FIELD.
My Higher Power lights up not only my mind, but my heart and
soul too! As Rachel Field says, with
some people, they are like fireflies, which are all shiny in your mind. I took a walk with my Higher Power for two
weeks, and joyously met several people who carried that extraordinary light and
resembles my Higher Power manifested through flesh. Initially, I drove to Chicago
with my Higher Power for a press conference and stayed with a stranger to
me. He too would be participating in
this press conference. The press
conference was being held in a small church in front of Christian Peacemaker
Teams national headquarters. J. QUINN BRISBEN is whom I spent the
evening with and together we were interviewed by a radio station. The press conference was to convey our
solidarity with the Human Shields, like FAITH
FIPPINGER of Sarasota, Florida. Hundreds of Americans went to IRAQ to help be
in solidarity with the innocent Iraqi’s with International organizations like
Voices In The Wilderness and Christian Peacemaker Teams, but were not sent
letters from the U.S. Treasury Department and Justice Department intimidating
those who went as Human Shields with hefty fines and imprisonment. The major problem here is that the U.S.
government is attempting to do selective prosecution, which touches upon tricky
constitutional questions. Those of us
who traveled to Iraq
broke U.S. Federal laws just by traveling to Iraq;
in addition, we were not allowed to spend any money there in support of their
economy. I purchased an authentic prayer
rug and 20 boxes of Dates, and then sent those boxes to Congress and the White
House as a protest against the immoral 12 years of economic sanctions. Those dates prior to the “Gulf War,” of Daddy
Bush use to supply two-thirds of the world’s supply of dates, and they tasted
much better than what comes from Turkey
or California. At this point, I must stop and give a big
THANK YOU to BARB JOHNS, who put
together those press conferences all over the U.S.
on November 14th and 15th of 2003. She indeed is an inspiration to me! Great Job, Barb!
Now, back to one of my lights of hope, Mr. BRISBEN. He and his lovely wife were fabulous hosts
during my one night stay. Quinn himself
is a poet and published author, who is a retired history teacher from the Chicago
School District. I read his book entitled, “The Significance
of the Frontier,” with a great love for poetry from a true artist. He along with his intellectual prose was a
significant light in my mind, heart and soul, while moving forward on my walk
with my Higher Power – thanks Brisben!
Onwards South to Miami,
Florida is where my Higher Power
led me on our sacred walk together. A
quote from THOMAS JEFFERSON comes to
mind as I travel down I-95 in Florida. JEFFERSON says,
“The care of human life and happiness, and not their destruction, is the first
and only legitimate object of good
government.” This is a fascinating quote,
due to the U.S.
immoral foreign and domestic policies where profit for major corporations takes
priority over the care of human life. In
fact, the free trade policies which our very own government is forcing upon all
of the America’s
have increasingly become destructive towards the care of human life and their
or our happiness is very apparent. NAFTA
caused the loss of millions of jobs in the U.S.,
Canada and Mexico
and has lowered salaries dramatically to unlivable conditions. Parents now have to get two jobs in many
cases just to survive. I guess
President’s Clinton and Bush never read Thomas Jefferson’s famous quote, or the
majority of millionaires in Congress.
What has happened to happiness for the majority of hard working
Americans?
Now, our arrogant President wants to destroy the millions of
poor and middle-class, innocent and beautiful people throughout Latin
America with the free trade agreement called, FTAA. We may as well throw out our Constitution and
Bill of Rights, because our modern Presidents in this USA
have not been following the spirit or letter of the law according to our
Founding Fathers – that is a fact, not an opinion! In September of this year I wrote a letter to
our U.S. Trade Representative, Ambassador ROBERT
P. ZOELLICK. This is what I said; the
present rules that govern international trade have been written largely by the
world’s wealthiest governments and corporations, and serve to primarily further
their own interests, rather than the common good of all humanity, as Thomas
Jefferson called for 200 years ago. The
effects of these rules on poverty reduction are not even being monitored. While world trade is generating more and more
profit than ever seen before in history, according to UNICEF every year, 6
million children die before their fifth birthday, because of chronic hunger and
related diseases. In my opinion, this is
highly unacceptable, an immoral scandal and crime against humanity and our
Higher Power! Furthermore, international
trade rules should protect the interests of the weakest, poor, oppressed and
most vulnerable. They should be helping
to truly reduce poverty, which would lead to true lasting peace in areas of
death and violence. Try practicing FAIR
trade, rather than free trade, fair trade is the only moral and holy
alternative. Thomas Jefferson would
agree!
While driving with my window opened to Deerfield Beach,
where I would be staying four nights with my good friend, JOHN BARBER, I was thanking my
Higher Power for the excellent warm and sunny day in the 80’s. I had left the bitter cold of Iowa,
and felt truly grateful for this walk with my Higher Power. Possibly, I thought maybe I would be
fortunate enough to visit one of the most beautiful places in the United
States – CORKSCREW SWAMP SANCTUARY, a preserve protected by the National
Audubon Society.
I met John Barber in February of this year in IRAQ;
we were both on a peace delegation with Christian Peacemaker Teams. Talk about a light in my mind, heart and soul,
this unique and special man automatically started spreading his peaceful soul
with me. His meditations and new
insights that were not Christian was refreshing and invigorating. Yet, he among others still complained about
my loud snoring – sorry guys! Now, I was
extremely lucky to meet and visit with his better half, Nancy. She radiated a shine and glow that not many
people have in life – she is definitely a wondrous heart in this world. I fell in love with her right on the spot –
look out John, but putting all kidding aside, Nancy
is a beautiful woman!
After a few days of recovering from the long car drive,
which literally knocks me out because of my Fibromyalgia health condition, I
prayed long and hard for my next step on this walk with my Higher Power. Of course the obvious stared me straight in
the face. I must, along with thousands
of other peaceful and non-violent protesters go to the Free Trade of the
Americas Ministerial meeting being held in Miami. So, I summoned up the courage to combat the
traffic and observe an army of police officers.
I’ve never seen that many cops in all my life, actually they looked like
Robocop’s with all their gear on ready to kill!
Unfortunately, there were a few minor incidents from people that were
not associated with the peaceful, non-violent protesters. But, as Rachel Field says, there are some
people who want to make you shrivel up like leaves so brown and dried. The minority of violent protesters and the
police almost made my happy thoughts shrivel up and die, but then I began
talking to the Steel Workers and AFL-CIO, who brought joy and light to my
heart. They were average, hard-working
Americans who are afraid of losing their jobs.
They would tell me real stories about their families, the mortgage
payments and car payments, and how very difficult it is to live in America
even with a fairly decent paying job.
They were not just there for themselves, but also for the poor and most
vulnerable in our society who could not afford to travel to Miami. They carried with them the hopes and dreams
of most good Americans, who just want to work and take care of their families
and share in the wealth that corporations are making hands over fists of
unprecedented profits.
But, I am outraged by the systemic violation of
constitutional and human rights by the police under the direction of Miami Police Chief John Timoney and with the
approval of the Miami-Dade government officials. Peaceful protesters exercising their
constitutional rights of free speech and assembly were attacked with tear gas,
pepper spray, batons, tasers and rubber bullets. Individuals were harassed, detained and
searched simply for walking down the street, I would not have believed it if I
hadn’t of seen it with my very own eyes – it’s the honest to God truth. It was like some stupid, violent movie the
new Governor of California would have done.
Many people had their personal property confiscated and/or destroyed by
the “fascist” police state present in Miami. Legal observers, clearly identified as such
by the neon green hats, were harassed and arrested too. Individuals reported being beaten by
Miami-Dade police officers. After
surrounding and arresting individuals without provocation, police subjected
detainees to intimidation, harassment and in some cases beatings and sexual
assault inside the Miami-Dade jails, as well as denying some demonstrators
basic rights such as access phones and to their attorneys for two days.
In light of these illegal and outrageous civil liberties
violations, it is only reasonable that all charges against the protestors must
be dropped! Let us pray for these
victims of police brutality and immoral behavior. Contact Public Citizen on the internet to see
how you can help make a difference.
“People think that unless they can devote themselves like
Mother Theresa, they will not make a difference; and this is not true. One person reaching out to one person can
make an incredible difference, both in the life of the one being touched, and
those that he/she touches,” ALFONSO WYATT.
Everyone can make a difference. You don’t have to be a Mother Theresa,
Dorothy Day or Martin Luther King. Just
be yourself, but support those organizations and individuals who are out in the
“war zones” of life battling immoral actions and evil government policies. Put mouth along with your wallet – be
generous, and give of all your substance, not just your excess, like the old
woman in the New Testament when she gave of her last coin. But, if you are dirt poor, pray and meditate
for all the Mother Theresa’s out there working for true peace and restorative
justice.
Mr. Wyatt is right, that one person can touch one person and
make a huge difference. I attended a
Call To Action conference in Milwaukee
six years ago when I first moved to Burlington,
Iowa.
One of the supercharged speakers who I met was a man by the name of REV. ROY BOURGEOIS, Founder of the SOA
Watch. Talk about another, lit up like
the fire of the Higher Power, Roy is a holy, dedicated man on a mission to
close down a Terrorist-Training school right here on American soil – that’s a
fact, undisputed by any reasonable, faith-filled, moral person. When I heard him speak, he woke me up from my
slumber and ignorance on this vital issue of our time. Then, I informed people who informed yet more
people, and together one person at a time we’ve made slow, yet noticeable
change in the right direction. Now, I’ve
taken my walk with my Higher Power to Columbus,
Georgia, home of Ft.
Benning military base, which is
home to the murderous and infamous School
of Americas, a terrorist-training
school for Latin American military officers, who go back to their countries and
have been found guilty of thousands of killings of innocent civilians.
On November 16,
1989, six Jesuit priests, their housekeeper, and her
fifteen-year-old daughter were massacred at the Jesuit
University in El
Salvador.
A U.S. Congressional Task Force, headed by the late Rep. Joseph Moakley,
investigated the massacre and reported that those responsible were trained at
the U.S. Army School of the Americas (SOA) at Ft. Benning,
Georgia. Research has revealed a story that was not
very complicated for U.S.
citizens to understand. It is about
nasty men with guns and a combat school that has trained over 60,000 soldiers
from Latin America in commando operations, psychological
warfare, torture, rape, and counter-insurgency techniques, like I witnessed in
May in Colombia,
which is all paid for by U.S.
taxpayers. A matter of fact, Colombia
has the most military officers being trained at our very own terrorist
operation right now. Then, these very
same soldiers return to their home countries, as I said previously, with the
necessary new, immoral skills to defend a socio-economic system that keeps a
small elite extremely wealthy and the vast majority very poor. Substantial documentation by human rights
organizations and by the United Nations makes it quite clear; U.S.
policies and U.S.
training of troops from Central America contributed
significantly to awful episodes of torture, assassinations and other human
rights abuses in the region. Even
President Clinton gave a hollow apology to the Guatemalans before leaving
office, yet over his eight years in office did absolutely nothing to get the
SOA or by its new name, the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security
Cooperation to shut down its highly immoral activities.
What we as people who follow a Higher Power, and not always
manmade laws must do is to start connecting issues and movements, articulate
clearly and compellingly alternative visions, and develop concrete strategies
for social change embodied through creative non-violent action. Determining answers will require us to enter
and understand diverse forums and issues, from militarization and repression in
Colombia to the rules and rule makers inside the World Trade Organization, from
the Free Trade Area of the Americas to the Western Hemispheric Institute for
Security Cooperation (SOA), from the corridors of the International Monetary
Fund and World Bank to the self-serving and destructive promoters of the
military-industrial-congressional complex that benefits from destructive wars
in Iraq and Colombia and destabilizing missile defense systems and mini-nukes.
Together, we must challenge core economic, environmental,
and political injustices that undermine the well-being of communities and
ecosystems worldwide, like the Boreal Forests of Northern Canada that are
destroying the indigenous people’s way of life.
All these diverse movements and organizations, including my very own God
Bless The World, need to address pressing issues of lost labor rights, the
myriad of sweat shops, environmental stress hugely enormous, the growing economic
inequality, deadly debt and the power of the rich to exploit it for their own
purposes, and the erosion of democracy and true freedom due to corporate
influence and power. Yet, the main
connecting thread in all these movements and issues is the destructive,
corporate-led U.S.
foreign policy that must be challenged and changed. Much depends on each of us joining with
others and doing what we can.
Collectively, our movements have the potential and the responsibility to
change Immoral U.S. Foreign Policy and to demonstrate the power of active
non-violence to fuel a politics of protest, vision, and activism that can
revitalize our nation’s democracy.
After several months of discernment and prayer with my
Higher Power, I was leaning heavily towards crossing the line for my third time
at Ft. Benning. I knew as a third time repeat offender for
trespassing on military property that most likely I would spend six months in
Federal Prison. But, I said to my God
that God’s Will be fulfilled, not mine.
My full intentions, upon packing up my little, humble Geo was to be a
vendor promoting God Bless The World and Christian Peacemaker Teams
material. On Saturday of the rally which
drew over 10,000 people in attendance, I sold my calendars and t-shirts at my
cost, so I sold out by 5:00 in the
evening. I talked with a great number of
faith-filled people throughout the day, and even ran into some old
friends. Many of them without even
knowing it were Angels to me – full of the spirit of our Higher Power. It was duly a gloriously happy day for the
light shone among all the people and how they all pierced my heart those two
days of celebration outside the gates of Ft.
Benning. Sunday came so quickly, but I awoke with my
Higher Power calling out to me to take the next step – to do civil disobedience
and to follow my faith according to Jesus, my only true hero in my life! The love of my Higher Power instilled some
“foolish courage”, because I do not look at myself of worthy to follow in Jesus
of Nazareth’s footsteps, but I know beyond a shadow of doubt that Christ too
was walking with me that Sunday morning when 45 other brave bodies crossed over
along side people like KATHY KELLY
(Nobel Peace Prize Nominee three times) of Voices In The Wilderness, Priests,
Nuns, College Professors and students.
These were definitely holy people, as we all carried our white crosses
and laid them along the fence of Ft. Benning
in remembrance of those died in Latin America by the
cruel, inhumane and brutal graduates of the SOA/WHISC. God forgive those at the SOA for they know
not what evils they are perpetuating throughout the world – they are
brainwashed by patriotic fervor of flag and country, similar to Hitler. And, yes Hitler is the perfect analogy, it
may not be the Jews being murdered in the millions, nowadays it’s only the
poor, yet who speaks up for them, who will give them a rich nation in which to
call home, not the U.S.
or Europe.
Over the years, seventy-two women and men in the movement
have sacrificed their lives and freedom, just like soldiers in Afghanistan
and Iraq, yet
they do not get paid or are supported by the masses of our society like the
soldiers. Those 72 courageous, brave and
morally upright faith-filled people are not welcomed home with news coverage on
television; some as myself are not even welcomed home by family and friends
either. It is a lonely road too few
follow, but they do have the highest authority in the universe on their side
and in my opinion, having God as my leader rather than George W. Bush is by far
the greatest “welcome home” into this world, created out of love, compassion,
and forgiveness, NOT hatred, violence and war like the immoral actions of this
great land we call America, and its present leader in the White House. I do not seek fame or fortune; I only seek
truth, love and true justice, NOT Ashcroft’s crazy idea of justice. I pray for the 45 gorgeous people who will
look into another misguided, brainwashed and ignorant man’s eyes on January 26th, 2004 – Judge
G. MALLON FAIRCLOTH. The very same man who sent an innocent
88-year-old nun from Iowa to six months prison, and a 67-year-old LEE MICKEY from Mt. Pleasant, Iowa to
one month of Federal prison for protesting against murder in our name and with
our money. It is obvious this Judge is
bought and paid for by the corrupt military monster, and that his only loyalty
is to man’s immoral laws, and his Higher Power is greed and vengeance against
people practicing their democratic rights and their faith by following God. Judge Faircloth – I forgive you!
Before crossing over the line in the red soil of Georgia,
I ran into another fantastic buddy of mine, who I also met in IRAQ
with the Christian Peacemaker Teams delegation last February before Crusader
Bush broke all international laws and our Higher Power’s laws by killing
thousands of innocent Iraqis. This man’s
life was literally changed for the better due to the uplifting and sad
experiences in Iraq. He is a retired businessman of some good
financial means. He never bothered
himself with this peace and justice stuff, just as most church-going Catholics
in the U.S. When he returned home to the States after two
earthshaking weeks in Iraq,
he found himself transformed. He started
an affiliate chapter of Pax Christi in Western
New York State,
which is a Catholic Peace and Justice international organization, and his
chapter grew rapidly under his leadership.
He is an amazing man in his 70’s, even though he doesn’t look a day over
50. He has three-times the amount of
energy than I have myself. He became my savior
at the SOA/WHISC! I can’t say enough
thank and kudos to him. He’s like this
big good bear, like my father, because both of them are twice my size, but I am
a small, puny man myself. He gave me the
biggest hug that I’ve had in months. He
even paid my $1,000 bond to get me out of the “luxurious hotel”, the Muscogee
County Jail, a horrid place not befitting of animals. My “big daddy” friend is BILL MARX of Buffalo, New
York. What a
great saint!
Anyways, as I crossed over that line onto what I believe the
taxpayers own, not the military, as well as my God created, which I know God
did not create any lands to be places of legalized killing, I kept repeating to
myself “I love you, my God, I love you”.
Immediately, I was pushed down on my knees and handcuffed with plastic
tie cuffs. We were then forcibly placed
on a military bus and transported to another part of the huge base in some
empty hangar. It was there that our
bodies were searched; it was humiliating and physically painful. This one nasty soldier said shut up and
spread your legs as he manhandled inappropriately and violently. Several times his hand forcefully hit my
testicles and pulled on my penis, even when I yelled that it hurt. He only told me to remain quiet; I said I
would if he leaves my genitals alone. I
am sorry God, but that angry soldier was an asshole for treating me that way,
but I forgive him now and pray for his transformation. Then, I sat across from another soldier, who
processed me on the computer and handed me a permanent ban letter to ever again
enter onto Ft. Benning. Next, they led me to U.S. Federal Marshals,
who put me and the others in these arm, waist and leg chain shackles. I kind of laughed at the Marshal and stated I
thought this was ridiculous for peaceful protesters. He quickly responded this was procedure for
transporting criminals. I said, “how are
we criminals since we did this for God?
The Marshal said, “if you believed in God, you wouldn’t be here
now’. I was shocked to hear such an
ignorant statement and said, “Have you not read the Gospels according to Jesus’
life and message for the world? Then, he
just grunted like a macho-Neanderthal.
Afterwards, we were transported to my favorite place, the Muscogee
County Jail, where I was subjected to a third body search. They insist you take off your socks and underwear
in a place that is colder than your local hospital. They hand me a large pair of pants that is
much larger than my waist, thanks to the female bulldog guard, so for the next
two days I have to walk around holding my pants with one hand so they don’t
fall down. This must be their “Southern
Hospitality” I hear about in their lame tourist commercials for Georgia. Unfortunately, much of the South is still the
South of the old, immoral days with slaves and all. Don’t even mention the food, because I
wouldn’t even feed it to my dog, Black Jack.
This was the worse food I’ve ever tasted in my life. Even homeless shelters and food pantries have
more decent food befitting of the respect of all human life regardless of the
circumstances. There was no TV, radio,
books or magazines, just cold, freezing walls with no privacy whatsoever. It’s a small portrait of hell on earth. What terrible people that works there
too. All I remember doing was praying
for all these people. But, the
comradeship among us men was great and the discussions lively and funny at
times. This was my experience, to date,
stay tuned for more in the future!
This walk with my Higher Power was tremendous! One person at a time will change the world
for the better that is all that our Higher Power expects of all of us. Fax or email Congress to close down the
SOA/WHISC forever! Do your part and
financially support others in the peace and justice movement. Join an organization. Pray!
If you are interested in learning more about the SOA/WHISC, purchase
author Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer’s book entitled, “School of Assassins, Guns, Greed
and Globalization,” by Orbis Books, which you can purchase from Amazon.com,
Orbis books directly or any bookstore can order it for you as well. Log onto the SOA Watch website or God Bless
The World for its link at www.godblesstheworld.us
Personally, I am not even remotely close to great people
like Mother Theresa or Gandhi, but I take small steps with great love as Mother
Theresa herself once said. “ I don’t do any great
thing; I do small things with great love,” MOTHER
THERESA.
GOD BLESS THE WORLD!