Songs: Solidarity Singers
Video: "Guns and Greed" SOA Watch efforts to close SOA (20 min.)
Other Prisoners of Conscience invited: Tom Mehedi, Bob Call, and Michael Ring.
What to bring: If your last name starts from A-I bring a main dish; from J-L bring a bread or crackers cheese, dip; M-S bring a salad; T-Z bring a dessert. Bring a portion to serve about six+ people. Soda and juice will be provided.)
As you may know, Ed Lewinson, was sentenced to 90 days in jail and fined $500 a few weeks ago for participating in a civil disobedience action to close the School of the Americas at Fort Benning, GA. He was part of a group of SOA-11 who crossed over onto the base without permission last November. Any day now he will receive notice to report to do his time.
This is Ed Lewinson's fourth year crossing the line, the first three years, they refused to prosecute him because he was blind. As a blind person, Ed feels that he has the same right as anyone else to make his views known, to protest, and to take the consequences.
A long-time Peace Activist, Ed is on the Board of NJ Peace Action, a member of People's Organization for Progress, a member of the South Orange Lion's Club and a member of the NJ Affiliate of the National Federation of the Blind. He is also a volunteer at the International Action Center in New York and has been to Cuba with the IFCO Pastor's for Peace Cuba Caravan.
We want to support Ed in his action to close the SOA and give him a big send-off so he knows he has the support of people across NJ before he reports to jail. We want Ed to know every day he is in jail that he is not alone, and that we will be out here continuing the work to close the SOA.
See this page of the SOA-Watch website for actions you can take in solidarity with prisoners of conscience, like Ed:
http://www.soaw.org/article.php?id=129
Others from New Jersey who have crossed the line at Fort Benning to demand that the School of the America's be closed, and who have also done time as prisoners of conscience have been invited to the potluck in support of Ed. These include: Tom Mahedi, Bob Call and Michael Ring.
As mentioned above, we will show a short film: "Guns and Greed" so those who attend the potluck can learn about the SOA-Watch's efforts to close the military training facility that has sent thousands of military personnel to "wage war against their own people" throughout South America in support of brutal dictators. For more information about SOA-Watch, see the excerpt at the end of this message and the website www.soaw.org
Ed asks that all donations in support of him be sent directly to SOA-Watch for on-going efforts to close the School of the Americas. People can bring checks to the potluck, or send them directly to SOA-Watch:
School of the Americas Watch
PO Box 4566
Washington, DC 20017
202-234 3440
info@soaw.org
We hope to see you on February 22nd, at 6:30 p.m.
Terri Suess
tsuess05@yahoo.com
For more info on this event contact Terri directly at email above.