SOAW–West News for August, 2003
1) Prisoners of Conscience Update; Fall plans.
2) GA Vigil travel and coordination; Prisoner of Conscience birthday.
School of the Americas Watch–West ~ SOAW–W
August 21, 2003
Ft. Benning, GA Vigil is Nov. 21-23, 2003A separate message concerning travel and coordination details will come soon.
San Jose Website - http://teachers.bcp.org/llauro
Los Angeles Website - www.soaw-la.org
National Website - www.soaw.orgThis edition:
Derrlyn was transfered; Fr. Roy is coming!; Daniel Ellsberg to speak; SF meeting coming up; Fr. Bill & Rep. George Miller to speak at Documentary Fundraiser; Religious Lobby Day to close the SOA/WHINSEC
1) On July 31, Derrlyn Tom was transferred from Federal Correctional Institute to Federal Prison Camp in Dublin. Rachel Montgomery, Don Haselfeld, and Derrlyn remain in prison. SOA Watch West deeply appreciates the commitment of these nonviolent activists to closing the SOA. Below is a letter from Derrlyn following her transfer, and addresses for all three SOAWW Prisoners of Conscience.
2) Fr. Roy Bourgeois to speak in Bay Area (Contra Costa) Saturday September 6, and throughout Central California Sept 4-7. Details below.3) Save the Date! October 30, Daniel Ellsberg speaks at the Unitarian Universalist Church in San Francisco, benefitting SOA Watch West. Watch this space for details.4) SOA Watch San Francisco Meeting
Thursday, September 4, 7:00 PM
Unitarian Universalist Church
Franklin at Geary
Contact Dolores Priem.5) Come hear well-known activist and former prisoner of conscience Father Bill O'Donnell, Rep. George Miller, along with Richmond High Students and their teacher Lt. Col. (ret) Buzz Sherwood, talk about the role of dissent in a democratic society.Help raise funds for Richmond High School Multimedia Academy's Student Documentary. "Not In My Name - The Making Of An Activist." Using the School of the Americas as a backdrop, the documentary will explore how a group of carefree college freshmen are transformed into committed social activists.
When: Sunday, September 14, 4:00-6:00 p.m. (refreshments provided)
Where: the home of Marilyn Langlois and Jasper Rine
400 Western Drive
Point Richmond, CA 94801Suggested Donation: $100
Funds to be used to send student filmmakers to Ft. Benning, GA, Nov. 21-24, 2003 to document USF students' roles in the protests against the School of the Americas/WHISC.Sponsored by School of the Americas Watch-Contra Costa
For further information call Marilyn at 510-232-4493 or Natalie at 925-934-0759.6) Religious Lobby Day to close the SOA/WHINSEC
Tuesday, September 23, 2003
Washington, DCThe national SOA Watch office is planning a Religious Lobby Day in DC on September 23, with dozens of religious groups, orders, and communities, converging in Washington DC, to lobby Members of Congress to close down the SOA/WHISC. The plan is to have a press event/Congressional briefing in the mid-morning and also a prayer vigil in the early evening. Lobbying visits to Congressional offices will take place all day Tuesday the 23rd, with an opening reception the evening before. If you are a member of a religious community, or know members of religious communities, please consider "crossing the line" to DC to add your voice and body to the efforts in the halls of Congress. So far, sponsors include the Leadership Conference on Women Religious, NETWORK, Pax Christi, the Maryknoll Office on Global Concerns, Sisters of St. Francis of Dubuque, Sisters of Mercy, Sisters of St. Agnes, the 8th Day Center for Justice, Sinsinawa Dominican Sisters, and more.
WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP:
1. Send a letter of endorsement to religious communities that you know, and ask them to sign on. (Prototype/copy available from DC Office, 202.234.3440)
2. Get in touch with former Prisoners of Conscience to see if they are able to come. Help them arrange meetings with their Members of Congress if they need assistance.
3. Come to DC yourself! There are lots of support tasks that need to be done, whether you are a Religious or not!
LOCAL CONTACT:
Therese Cameranesi, tmcameranesi@earthlink.netUPDATED DETAILS:
www.soaw.org/new/article.phpSPECIAL NOTE: Oakland to Washington DC/Dulles airfares are currently $99 each way. Check the web - jetblue.com or call 1.888.jetblue
Prisoner Addresses:Donald HaselfeldGreetings everyone, Happy August. By now you're all aware that I've been moved "across the street." Last Thursday I was swiftly moved from the FCI to the FPC, or camp. I had no idea it would happen so suddenly and without much notice. Needless to say, I was completely caught off guard. I didn't have much time to say goodbye to any of my friends and compañeras. I only had time to gather my belongings, change from khaki to blue and be escorted across the street to the camp. Once at camp, I found my two co-defendants, Rachel Montgomery and Ann Huntwork, to celebrate my long awaited arrival. I told them I had taken the "long way" to get here, exactly 2 months overdue.
#91381-020 Beta Qtrs.
Federal Prison Camp
3705 W. Farm Road
Lompoc, CA 93436-2756Rachel Montgomery -- #91367-020
Federal Prison Camp - Dublin
5675 8th Street - Camp Parks
Dublin, CA 94568Derrlyn Tom -- #91362-020
Federal Prison Camp - Dublin
5675 8th Street - Camp Parks
Dublin, CA 94568
I received this letter (to be passed on to you all) this week. [This introduction was written by Karen Zapata] As you'll see, Derrlyn has an amazing perspective because of her experiences at Dublin prison. It's amazing what this place will do to a person. When we went to visit her 2 weeks ago, right after her move to camp, she spent 10 minutes standing between 2 doors, one going out of the barracks area and one opening into the visiting room. She couldn't bring herself to open the door into the visitors room, and she stood in there until she gave up and exited the door she'd just come through and asked the guards how they'd know out there that she was waiting to be let in. "Walk through the door!" they told her. She said you never touched a doorknob at FCI. Derrlyn's been there just 2 months, imagine what this does to women (and men) who are there years and year. Anyway, the following is word from Derrlyn:
I want to thank each and every one of you who helped me get here. Thank you for educating others about the School of the Americas, thank you all for your letters and thank you for keeping me in your thoughts and prayers.
Now that I've been here a little over a week, I must say the transition has been very, very hard. Learning to navigate the FCI was a bit easier because of how often we were "locked in"; the limited movement there did keep us out of trouble. The contact with women who were looking for trouble in my case was minimal; I learned to stay out of their way. Here in the FPC, because it's so much smaller ("only" 200 women) and we have so much more freedom of movement, it's easier and more frequent to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Until I know more of the women here, I feel more threatened. And because the majority of the women here are white, they also look at me differently.
I miss my sisters of color in the FCI, the young immigrant women who shared their stories with me. Even with my wonderful co-defendants, Ann and Rachel, I have fewer sisters here, fewer in solidarity.
For me, this transition and adjustment will take a long time. Of course it's still prison. We're reminded of this - not by prison bars (there aren't any, we live in army barracks or dormitories) or strip searches (they still happen here but less frequently), but we know we're in prison by the constant denial of basic human rights and dignity. As my mother commented, these women are decent women and she even ventured to walk up and chat with a couple of them. Many of them made bad choices or a minor mistake. I am reminded at how those with a background of privilege (here in the camp, but extremely rare in the FCI) will pay their dues (like myself) and return to their lives. When I look across the street to the FCI, I know my compañeras can never return to their lives, or their children. They will serve their time, pay their dues, and eventually be deported. Where is the justice in upholding these unjust laws?
--Derrlyn
Fr. Roy Bourgeois, MM. September 2003 Itinerary
Thursday 9/4 - Modesto Peace Life Center: Contact Michael Napp, (209) 526-9588, or Dan Onirao, (209) 526-5436.
Our Lady of Fatima Church, 505 West Granger, Modesto Public Forum, 7 p.m. - 9 p.m.Friday 9/5 - Peace Fresno: Contact Ken Hudson, 559-487-2515, or Peace Fresno at (559) 487-2515
KNXT Studio, Channel 49, 1550 N. Fresno St., Fresno (on the grounds of the Diocese of Fresno) with Jim Grant. Television interview (taped), 1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.
KFCF 88.1 FM Free Speech Radio (Pacifica), 1449 N. Wishon Ave., s/w corner of Wishon and Pine, Fresno.
Live show with Vic Bedoian, 3:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Mennonite Community Church, 5015 E. Olive (at Willow), Fresno Public Forum, 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.Saturday 9/6 - Bay Area: Contact Natalie Russell, SOAW - Contra Costa, (925) 934-0759 or
Peace Luthern Church, 3201 Camino Tassajara, Danville
Public Forum, 2 p.m. - 4 p.m.
St. Bonaventure Church, 5562 Clayton Rd., Concord
Mass, 5 p.m. - 6 p.m.
Christ the King Church, 199 Brandon Rd., Pleasant Hill
Public Forum, 7 p.m. - 8 p.m.Sunday 9/7- Sacramento & Stockton
Sacramento: Contact Denise Sewart, (916) 300-0482, SOAW - Placer County or
Trinity Cathedral, 2620 Capitol Avenue, Sacramento
Worship Services at 7:30 a.m., 9:00 a.m., 11:15 a.m.
Public Forum, 10:15 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Sacramento: Contact Terance Cantrell, (916) 492-1326
Unitarian Universalist Society of Sacramento, 2425 Sierra Blvd., Sacramento,
Public Forum, 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Stockton: Contact John Morearty, (209) 464-3326
Location to be determined
Public Forum, 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
School of the Americas Watch–West ~ SOAW–W
August 25, 2003
Ft. Benning, GA Vigil is Nov. 21-23, 2003A separate message concerning travel and coordination details will come soon.
San Jose Website - http://teachers.bcp.org/llauro
Los Angeles Website - www.soaw-la.org
National Website - www.soaw.orgThis edition:
GA VIGIL TRAVEL AND COORDINATION
PRISONER OF CONSCIENCE BIRTHDAYGA VIGIL TRAVEL AND COORDINATION:Ft. Benning, GA Vigil is Nov. 21-23, 2003
1. If you are going to the SOA Watch Vigil at Ft. Benning, GA, please communicate with the Bay Area Coordinator Brinda Govindan, 650.259.7869. She will organize information about air flights and motels so that people can cooperate in sharing expenses whenever possible.
2. J C Orton, SOAW Prisoner of Conscience released last month, is monitoring the airfare for those wanting to make reservations. Below is information on flights currently available in the low $200 range.
The first set is on American Airlines leaving from Oakland with a plane change in Fort Worth, Texas. The layover times range from 35 minutes to almost 2 hours. These round trip flights cost $227 including all taxes/fees.
The second set is on Air Trans flights leaving from San Francisco Airport. They have only one flight in each direction daily and these are nonstop. The timing of these flight is good. These round trip flights cost $213 including all taxes/fees.
At this time, the Delta flights, even with the SOA Watch 10% discount, cost more than $300 round trip.
$227 round trip on AMERICAN AIRLINES OUTBOUND from OAKLAND to ATLANTA
RETURN from ATLANTA to OAKLAND
- flight # 1319 departs 6:57 AM Nov 20 Thursday arrives 4:29 PM with 1 stop - 50 minute connection
- flight # 862 departs 8:26 AM Nov 20 Thursday arrives 5:29 PM with 1 stop - 35 minute connection
- flight # 1824 departs 10:04 AM Nov 20 Thursday arrives 8:01 PM with 1 stop - 74 minute connection
- flight # 868 departs 12:14 PM Nov 20 Thursday arrives 10:46 PM with 1 stop - 113 minute connection
- flight # 1319 departs 6:57 AM Nov 21 Friday arrives 4:29 PM with 1 stop - 50 minute connection
- flight # 862 departs 8:26 AM Nov 21 Friday arrives 6:39 PM with 1 stop - 96 minute connection
- flight # 1824 departs 10:04 AM Nov 20 Friday arrives 8:01 PM with 1 stop - 74 minute connection
- flight # 868 departs 12:14 PM Nov 21 Friday arrives 10:46 PM with 1 stop - 113 minute connection
$213 round trip on AIR TRANS AIRLINES (The route is new for this carrier and service is scheduled to begin Nov. 12.)
- flight # 1153 departs 3:49 PM Nov 23 Sunday arrives 7:38 PM with 1 stop - 39 minute connection
- flight # 809 departs 7:19 PM Nov 23 Sunday arrives 11:48 PM with 1 stop - 74 minute connection
OUTBOUND from SFO to ATLANTA
flight # 12 departs 12:20 PM Nov 20 Thursday arrives 8:05 PMRETURN from ATLANTA to SFO
flight # 11 departs 9:30 AM Nov 24 Monday arrives 11:30 AMPRISONER OF CONSCIENCE BIRTHDAY:Rachel Montgomery, Prisoner of Conscience, will celebrate her 27th birthday on Sept. 5th. She's entering her 5th month at Federal Prison Camp, and though she certainly makes the best of it, prison is a hard place to be, this month especially. Outside letters and cards are so important. Please send your birthday greetings to:
Rachel Montgomery # 91367-020
Federal Prison Camp - Dublin
5675 8th Street - Camp Parks
Dublin, CA 94568
[For archived news from previous posting,
click on: July.]
