82 year old nun about to be sentenced as a terrorist

This looks just plain crazy in my eyes. When the heck have non-violent anti-nuclear peace protesters become terrorists. Three peace terrorists trespass on Oak Ridge Y-12 nuclear weapons production facility. They cut through some fences and spayed slogans on the wall and sung peace songs until they where arrested.

Acts of peaceful protest are not terrorists. Granted they broke the law and should face the consequences of there actions. But it should be noted activism plays an integral and important role in a free democratic system. We have right to challenge and protest on peaceful terms. No one should be given the power to take that away.

The USA was founded on acts of massive disobedience. Without such action it would not exist today. It looks like the politicians and law makers have forgotten their cultural heritage.

In just ten months, the United States managed to transform an 82 year-old Catholic nun and two pacifists from non-violent anti-nuclear peace protestors accused of misdemeanor trespassing into federal felons convicted of violent crimes of terrorism. Now in jail awaiting sentencing for their acts at an Oak Ridge, TN nuclear weapons production facility, their story should chill every person concerned about dissent in the US.

www.commondreams.org...


From left, Greg Boertje-Obed, Sister Megan Rice, and Michael Walli. (Photo: Saul Young/News Sentinel)

The signs indicate that unauthorized entry, a misdemeanor, is punishable by up to 1 year in prison and a $100,000 fine.

link...

Wow, from this to being sentenced as terrorists? That's pretty extreme if you ask me considering these people are obviously not.

I think they just want to make examples of these peaceful activists, slap them with the maximum sentence they can. Poor Megan Rice, 82 years old and will probably spend the rest of her days in prison.

When a Government can no longer distinguish between civil protest and terrorism? We don't have a Government as much as a Kingdom we're merely the subjects in. Absolute rulers see protest as a threat. As they should. Democratic leaders in a free nation have and should see protest as the people's way of expressing, with strength, the level of discontent.

Which do we have? I think this speaks volumes to answering that question.

The government also successfully moved to strip the three from presenting any defenses or testimony about the harmful effects of nuclear weapons.   The U.S. Attorney’s office filed a document they called “Motion to Preclude Defendants from Introducing Evidence in Support of Certain Justification Defenses.”  In this motion, the U.S. asked the court to bar the peace protestors from being allowed to put on any evidence regarding the illegality of nuclear weapons, the immorality of nuclear weapons, international law, or religious, moral or political beliefs regarding nuclear weapons, the Nuremberg principles developed after WWII, First Amendment protections, necessity or US policy regarding nuclear weapons.

Rice, Boertje-Obed, and Walli argued against the motion. But, despite powerful testimony by former U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark, a declaration from an internationally renowned physician and others, the Court ruled against defendants.

Doesn't sound like a very fair trial.

The fact that these protestors were able to gain entry, uncontested, to what is supposed to be a highly secure facility is no doubt a large embarrassment to those tasked with guarding it. Charging them with inflated crimes would seem to be the punishment for such embarrassment.

Shameful.

reply to post by purplemer


Another source from the area - Oak Ridge Today

This is one of those rare instances where media and non media sites are talking about the same story with the same facts.

The Prosecutor in this case should be disbarred and removed for prosecutorial misconduct. I could see a possible terror charge if their intent was to try and infiltrate and gain access to material inside, or pave the way for someone else to gain access.

Since that did not occur, the charges and possible punishment far exceed the criminal act. Ironically enough, with it being a nuclear site, im amazed the three were not shot and killed. If security staff did not deem them an imminent threat, then I dont see how they can support a terrorism style charge.

reply to post by purplemer

She's being sentenced as a saboteur (saboteuse?), which is what she is. She sabotaged the security of a uranium enrichment plant by cutting holes in the fences, while carrying out a conspiracy to alter US nuclear weapons policy. Under Chapter 105 of Title 18, that's sabotage. She was not charged with terrorism, and I haven't found a direct quote, in context, from the court regarding terrorism.

Everyone has a Constitutional right "peaceably to assemble." But you don't have a right to damage and evade the security of a US government nuclear facility and assemble on their property, then repaint their property and pour blood on it. That's not a peaceable assembly. It's criminal.

These three knew that, of course. The entire point of their exercise was to make the government arrest them. That's always the point of these look-at-me stunts. If they go free, nothing lost. If they go to jail, they make the government look mean and spend their last few years playing mahjong in a Federal Bureau of Prisons retirement home. It's a no-lose scenario.

Originally posted by Dominar

The signs indicate that unauthorized entry, a misdemeanor, is punishable by up to 1 year in prison and a $100,000 fine.

link...

Wow, from this to being sentenced as terrorists? That's pretty extreme if you ask me considering these people are obviously not.

I think they just want to make examples of these peaceful activists, slap them with the maximum sentence they can. Poor Megan Rice, 82 years old and will probably spend the rest of her days in prison.

Unfortunately our government sees us all as terrorists. Anyone that does not subscribe to the governments ideas and beliefs are labelled as disedents, conspiracy theorists, or now even terrorists.

History has taught us that anytime a government has stopped serving its people and has evolved into a totalitarian state its citizens become the governments biggest enemy.

Originally posted by FurvusRexCaeli
reply to post by purplemer

 

She's being sentenced as a saboteur (saboteuse?), which is what she is. She sabotaged the security of a uranium enrichment plant by cutting holes in the fences, while carrying out a conspiracy to alter US nuclear weapons policy. Under Chapter 105 of Title 18, that's sabotage. She was not charged with terrorism, and I haven't found a direct quote, in context, from the court regarding terrorism.

Everyone has a Constitutional right "peaceably to assemble." But you don't have a right to damage and evade the security of a US government nuclear facility and assemble on their property, then repaint their property and pour blood on it. That's not a peaceable assembly. It's criminal.

These three knew that, of course. The entire point of their exercise was to make the government arrest them. That's always the point of these look-at-me stunts. If they go free, nothing lost. If they go to jail, they make the government look mean and spend their last few years playing mahjong in a Federal Bureau of Prisons retirement home. It's a no-lose scenario.

I disagree. If all it takes is a hole in the fence, that facility was not "secure" to begin with, and they merely illustrated how un-secured it was (while, admittedly, committing trespassing in the process.). If anyone should be punished for this facility's lack of security, it should be whichever incompetent boob in a uniform was tasked with said security.

I'm not saying they aren't guilty of trespassing or vandalism or whatever. But like I said-- if all it took was a few elderly folks clipping a fence, there was no real "security" at this place to start with, and they merely pointed this fact out-- which I think they should be thanked for. Post 9/11 we don't allow mouthwash on airplanes, write all kinds of new laws that allow spying on US citizens and otherwise reduce freedoms, we send all kinds of troops to other countries.... and yet we leave nuclear facilities so un-guarded a few elderly people can get in simply by damaging a fence.... and that's somehow their fault?





Had that place been truly secure in the first place, as it should have been, these people wouldn't have been able to get within 100 yards of the fence without facing a couple guards and all kinds of questions.

Old "peace-nik" protestors making a statement and trespassing and defacing property---needs a fine and maybe a few days in jail--not prison.

These old folks have done us quite a favor---showing us what fascist thugs our government has become.

Those persons being charged as terrorists is wrong.
I think that the real terrorists are the people at the top running the government.
Attempted vandalism might fit better.
What they were planning on doing seems weird to me.

I'm a terrorist.
He's a terrorist.
She's a terrorist.
We're a terrorist.

Wouldn't you like to be a terrorist too ?!


Welcome to the New World Order everyone.

They look like members of the Gray Panthers. It's good to see that the law was johnny on the spot dealing with these terrorist they are worst than the KKK the Black Panthers and the Neo Nazis combined.

$20.00 bucks says they were liberal!

Second

I feel so much safer now that those three old, white, Carholic, anti-war, spray-painting, song-singing, and smiling terrorists are off the streets, don't you?

Unreal. Un. Real.

And there are posters defending these arrests?!

WHAT.

Just because there's a law there, doesn't mean it's automatically JUST.

But you're right man. These evil government-hating terrorists cut a damn hole in a fence, assembled, and sang!

Damn them freedom hatin' Commies!

Only a few days ago many thought this type of NAZI Justice was just a single incident. Would never happen again. One bad Judge....etc.

Now we have 2:

Hershberger Trial: List of Things You Can't Say and Wear Gets Bigger.

Not being allowed to mount your own defense is catching on it seems.

Farmers and Nuns...The new threat.

Peace

to be sentenced as a terrorist
become terrorists.
terrorists
terrorists.
crimes of terrorism.

Once you get past the journalistic sensationalism, has anyone got an actual reference for this "crimes of terrorism" charge?

Because I've even been to the activists own website, Transform Now Plowshares, and I cant find any.

All I see are serious charges of tresspass, property damage, etc...

Originally posted by purplemer

The USA was founded on acts of massive disobedience. Without such action it would not exist today. It looks like the politicians and law makers have forgotten their cultural heritage.

This...

This is an absolute profound and true statement! I am not American, I am a child of UK immigrants to Australia. This very fact you have highlighted says much about the state the USA is in today and what may have bearing in the future.

I'm aware this isn't very constructive to this thread, however, I wanted to express how deeply that statement has touched me.

So let me get this right:

If I dare spray paint on the wall of a nuclear facility, it's vandalism and terrorist?

But if the nuclear facility leaks nuclear waste in my water or air, that's all good and no punishments or fines will be sought?

That's way messed up.

Originally posted by purplemer
It looks like the politicians and law makers have forgotten their cultural heritage.

Factually incorrect statement however.

The nobility's cultural heritage is slave ownership and ruling their peasants with an iron fist.

I would have to say they are fulfilling their age old heritage even better than their forebearers had.

reply to post by purplemer


*SNIP*, if that makes you a terrorist, then sign me up. I wanna be on that team; not the guys making the nukes. *SNIP* them!


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