Organizing Notes

Bruce Gagnon is coordinator of the Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space. He offers his own reflections on organizing and the state of America's declining empire....

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Location: Brunswick, ME, United States

The collapsing US military & economic empire is making Washington & NATO even more dangerous. US could not beat the Taliban but thinks it can take on China-Russia-Iran...a sign of psychopathology for sure. We must all do more to help stop this western corporate arrogance that puts the future generations lives in despair. @BruceKGagnon

Thursday, August 01, 2013

MAINE DRONE PEACE WALK


Just thought I'd give you a brief update on plans for the October 10-19 drone walk.  Please note dates on your calendar.

Maine Drone Walk in October

Japanese Buddhist nun Jun-san from the order Nipponzan Myohoji (Grafton, NY) has agreed to lead our drone peace walk in Maine in October and will bring 4-5 others from Japan with her.  It is likely that a few from the Nipponzan Myohoji temple in Western Massachusetts will join us as well.  One Veterans for Peace member from New Jersey is also coming.

For several months some of us worked with the ACLU in Maine on a bill in the state legislature to make police have warrants before they can do surveillance with drones.  The bill passed the legislature with an addition that would allow the testing of "weaponized" drones in Maine.  Gov. LePage vetoed the bill.  We intend to stay on this issue here in Maine.

Presque Isle is trying to turn their airport into a military drone test center.  (They are also in the running to be the East Coast host for a ground-based "missile defense" launch site.) The Attorney General calls drones an "economic driver" in Maine. 

The Maine Bring Our War $$ Home Campaign, with support from Maine Veterans for Peace, have decided to organize a peace walk to begin on October 10 (during annual Keep Space for Peace Week) from Caribou to Presque Isle (about 20 miles).  We'd then shuttle south to Bangor and walk from there stopping in several communities before ending the walk on Oct 19 at the state capital in Augusta.  Since Oct 19 is a Saturday we'd request that people join us that last day to walk to the capital for an anti-drone rally. 

We've decided to call the walk "Preserve our Privacy: No Drone Spying in Maine."  We know that many conservatives/libertarians in Maine are against drones because of the privacy issue.  We intend to reach out to them as well.

Some ideas for messages on the walk include: Drones over Maine Watching You; We've Got our Eyes on You; One Nation Under Surveillance.

We will have a big need for a van/pick-up truck to help transport people and gear with us so please keep that in mind.

Please let us know if you have any interest in joining us for a day or more on the walk.

More as we roll on.

Tentative Walk Schedule

  • October 10 (Thursday) Begin in Limestone (former Loring AFB) and walk to Caribou (hope for program that night - more contacts needed in this area)
  • Oct 11  Walk to Presque Isle (hope for program that night)
  • Oct 12  Drive to Bangor and walk into city and have program that night
  • Oct 13  Walk toward Skowhegan (need to drive some part of the day) with program that night
  • Oct 14  Walk to Norridgewock
  • Oct 15  Walk to Farmington with program that night
  • Oct 16  Walk to Waterville with program that night
  • Oct 17  Walk to Belgrade
  • Oct 18  Walk to Augusta
  • Oct 19 (Saturday)  Walk last mile to state capital for rally - urge folks to join us from around state

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