Resistance to Empire

 

“Dorothy Day taught me more than all the theologians.  She awakened me to connections I had not thought of or been instructed in, the equation of human misery and poverty and war-making.  She had a basic hope that God created the world with enough for everyone, but there was not enough for everyone and war-making.”  Daniel Berrigan, SJ

At the Catholic Worker, we practice resistance to Empire by the way we live, by acting nonviolently, by working against climate change, oppressive policies, and resistance to warmaking.

The way we live: we have solar panels on our house, we try to use less electricity.  We try to conserve water. These are small efforts in comparison to the extreme climate problems we face.  We work without pay, we live under a taxable income. We don’t charge people for any help or items we can give them.

Nonviolent vigil at Lockheed Martin. We are joined by students and faculty at Notre Dame de Namur University.

We try to live nonviolently, being nonviolent with each other, with the earth, and with all others. More, we believe that the people whom we don’t know, across the world, who are being killed by US weapons, are our brothers and sisters, and we don’t think that  military intervention and killing creates a solution to any problem.

Near us in Sunnyvale is a facility of Lockheed Martin, where the D-5 missile is made. This D-5 missile is deployed in Trident submarines, and the missile carries 4-6 nuclear warheads.

Join us September 26, 2014 as we join others in hundreds of cities around the US as part of Campaign Nonviolence. “Campaign Nonviolence is a long-term movement to build a culture of peace by mainstreaming active nonviolence—and by joining with people, organizations, and movements everywhere in the long-term nonviolent struggle to abolish war, end poverty, reverse climate change, and challenge all violence.” See their webpage to find out more.

We will be joined by Kathy Kelly, just back from Afghanistan, and Sherri Maurin, just back from Jeju Island.

Here are some pictures of our Good Friday witness in 2013.

We believe that our faith calls us to live nonviolently and resist the building, deployment, and use or threat of use of nuclear weapons.