Ithaca protesters describe actions (threw blood on flag, recruiting center)

Ithaca Journal ^ | Originally published Tuesday, April 15, 2003 | By DANIEL BURNS, PETER DEMOTT, CLARE GRADY, TERESA GRADY

[Behind Liberal Lines]

On Monday, March 17, St. Patrick's Day, four of us from the Ithaca Catholic Worker Community -- Peter De Mott, who served in both the Marines and the Army including a year in Vietnam as a Marine, Clare and Teresa Grady and Daniel Burns -- went to the Army-Marine Recruiting Center in an act of nonviolent civil resistance to war making. We read the following statement and poured blood around the entrance to the center, including on the flag, to call attention to the horror of war. It may seem strange. You may wonder -- why did they have to pour blood, why on the flag? We will try to explain by offering the statement that we brought with us on March 17 to the recruiting center.

[Behind Liberal Lines]

A follow up to the story posted here.

Ithaca is the City of Evil.

[Behind Liberal Lines]

City of Evil. Bump

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[NativeNewYorker]

These idiots keep doing and saying the same thing over and over again, like a cross between Ground Hog Day and Woodstock.

What is most dispiriting is not their childish repetition, but that the local daily newspaper deems their antics worthy of ongoing coverage.

[mvpel]

18 USC 2388 - Activities affecting armed forces during war

(a) Whoever, when the United States is at war, willfully makes or conveys false reports or false statements with intent to interfere with the operation or success of the military or naval forces of the United States or to promote the success of its enemies; or

Whoever, when the United States is at war, willfully causes or attempts to cause insubordination, disloyalty, mutiny, or refusal of duty, in the military or naval forces of the United States, or willfully obstructs the recruiting or enlistment service of the United States, to the injury of the service or the United States, or attempts to do so -

Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both.

[judgeandjury]

Or, more to the point, how would we feel if other countries invaded the U.S. with an eye towards taking control of our oil and other natural resources?

How would we feel? Would that be before or after we crushed the invading country's army?

[mass55th]

If they used real blood, they may be committing a violation of health laws and should be arrested.

[nukethepeaceniks]

Exactly what I was going to say. It's a biohazard and should be tested for disease and treated as a possible bioterror incident. Oh, I forgot, this type gets preferrential treatment.

[butynbranes2]

Sounds to me like there members of the "Plowshare" organization; the one Martin Sheen belongs to and supports.

Someone needs to tell these Catholic fanatics that their supporters (liberals and radical anti-war, peaceniks) are mostly aetheist and despise any reference to God and religion (although Paganism is acceptable).

[Dialup Llama]

These organizations like Jesus as the Lamb, but they fail to answer why his robe is stained red in Revelation?

[nukethepeaceniks]

The references to St. Patrick's quotes and Eucharist amaze me. Neither are from inspired scripture, but they give them equal value to the inspired word. What we have here is a total lack of respect for authority.

[Scothia]

Someone needs to tell these Catholic fanatics that their supporters (liberals and radical anti-war, peaceniks) are mostly aetheist and despise any reference to God and religion (although Paganism is acceptable).

I knew the two Grady women and Mott when I lived in Ithaca; we were neighbors and belonged to the same home school co-op. They were very sweet (as long as we didn't discuss anything we disagreed on) and sincere in their deeply-held beliefs. However, they are sincerely warped in their reasoning. The Gradys have been around Ithaca for many years. Left-wing activism is part of their DNA; they are more Ithaca than Ithaca. Peter Mott came into the Grady clan by marriage. Daniel Burns is, if I'm not mistaken, related (brother?) to the Burns Sisters, local big-frog-in-a-little-pond folk/rad musicians.

On March 17, while the Gradys were pouring blood on the recruitment center door, I was preparing to travel back to Ithaca from where I live in California. I had to bury my son Jeremy who died on the 16th after falling from one of the many gorges around Ithaca while hiking. He was an incredible, godly man who gave his life to make The City of Evil less so. In that, he succeeded. Hundreds of people showed up to pay tribute to him. Despite being on dialysis three times a week, he courageously spent himself living for others without complaining about the hell he had to undergo. He gave, gave, gave to people all around him--not just with money, but with time and action. During the week, dozens and dozens of people told us how their lives had been transformed because of our son!

Jeremy never took welfare money despite his chronic health concerns (other than the Medicare required to pay for dialysis, and for which he had to pay premiums) but worked hard, paying his own rent and bills. It wouldn't have been right to live on disability, he told us. He believed in justice and was not suckered in by "the spirit of Ithaca". He knew that true justice, like true freedom, must be maintained by the ever-vigilant. He stood up to wrong whenever and wherever he saw it, dynamically living out his faith. He made a difference.

On March 22nd, right outside the doors of the Women's Community Building where we had the memorial service, an antiwar protest was in full uproar. Meanwhile, inside, a stream of people came up front to tell how Jeremy had impacted their lives. I glanced out and saw bedraggled, angry denizens of the city he lived in and loved, despite all its weirdness. I couldn't help but contrast them to my son, of whom I am so proud. He couldn't get into the military because of the dialysis. But in his own way, Jeremy fought "the Battle of Ithaca" and came out victorious.

Yes, Ithaca can be called The City of Evil. Tragically misguided people, thinking they are serving humanity and even God, do violent acts of sedition there. Goodness and honor are twisted and squelched there. The righteous are shouted down and persecuted in every corner. Yet, as chokingly dark as the darkness gets, the light of truth still blazes forth through lives like my son Jeremy's.

He is gone now but there are others like him, even in Ithaca. We talk about moving back there ourselves someday, if I can brave that hideous climate again. Just to make a stand.

I think I owe that to Jeremy.

(Note: double-posted to related thread))

[Luna]

Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah...It's America who is the bad guy...blah, blah, blah, blah, blah...blood is neat...blah, blah, blah, blah, blah...war is always wrong and never solves anything...blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah...killing is always wrong...blah, blah, blah, blah, blah...

[Publicus]

"These idiots keep doing and saying the same thing over and over again, like a cross between Ground Hog Day and Woodstock. What is most dispiriting is not their childish repetition, but that the local daily newspaper deems their antics worthy of ongoing coverage."

The individuals who run the Ithaca Journal CONCEAL criminal acts committed by certain individuals and their cronies!

These sleazy Ithaca parasites are NOW angling to get their hands on taxpayer- i.e. YOUR- money to fund kickbacks to themselves via a proposed construction project that is not even commercially viable in its own right.

They are also ignoring the property's owners objections to the scam.

Have you seen the situation involving poor Tom Pine posted in Activism?

[Publicus]

You can be absolutely guaranteed that the local DA in Ithaca will do nothing- he is a friend of the perpetrators.

If you really care about this, contact your local United States Attorney's office and demand they investigate this issue, as well as, the other criminal activities that CONTINUE to fester in Ithaca- i.e. embezzlement of over $2,000,000 from a widow's accounts by certain accountants, lawyers, and county "judge" involved, as well as, the use of taxpayer- i.e. YOUR- monies to fund kickbacks with construction scams. INSIST on ACTION before it is too late.

[Publicus]

You have our sympathies and may Jeremy rest in peace now.

If you really care about drawing the line and refusing to allow the demented, corrupt tyrants to ruin an otherwise beautiful community, look up the postings detailing poor Tom Pine's plight in Activism thread and contact your local US Attorney's office and demand they take action to stop the criminal activities. Local and state levels have known ALL ABOUT the illegal acts and have done nothing because they are friends of the pepetrators so the crimes are indeed a Federal case now.

[NativeNewYorker]

I know. I know.

We have a similar parasite class with broadsheet promotion here in Gotham.