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Some serious letters in this season of joy

Editor's note on an ethical dilemma

A reader has raised a valid question without easy answers: is it an invasion of somebody's privacy, or a slap in the face to adoptive parents, when on this page of The Panama News a letter is published by a person who was given up for adoption, or abandoned by his or her father, seeking information that would allow a meeting between estranged parent and child?

There is the danger that such requests could cause someone acute discomfort, as in a living reminder of rape or incest from long ago, or cause a crisis with a jealous spouse, or so on. But then there is also the prospect of the happy re-establishment of a familial tie broken by economic forces or social convention, years after the painful situation has ceased to apply.

There are changing mores. It is no longer socially acceptable and often no longer legal in most places for a mother, usually at the behest of parents or a fiancée or husband, to completely cut a child out of its father's life, changing the surname and blocking information about the biological parent's identity. Plus, as a practical matter we now know more about genetic traits with important health consequences, and there is the adopted child's medical interest in knowing whether she has an inherited predisposition toward breast cancer, he comes from a line of manic depressives or so on.

Then, quite frankly, I have no idea whether letters from readers searching for long-lost relatives are ever effective.

I must admit some biases I have. I generally think that international adoptions are a bad idea, because they strip poverty-stricken nations of their greatest assets (their children), because they lead societies to the unconscionable shortcut of putting their kids up for adoption rather than confronting the problems that make it difficult to raise them, because they feed an often corrupt international industry that sometimes amounts to little more than baby selling, because I don't particularly trust a system dominated by lawyers and social workers. I look at societies like Guatemala that sell babies to the American middle class and am unconvinced that the practice is on balance beneficial. Although I know that there have been problems with it, particularly with long delays for adoptions and difficulties placing kids with special needs, I think that the Panamanian system that looks first toward families and communities is a good one, and that our legal traditions that discourage international adoptions are sound. These biases lead me to hold a low level of concern for the preservation of certain adoption practices, but not a total unconcern because I realize that sometimes people have with good reasons relied upon the conventions of those practices.

The reader who raised the privacy concerns was not in fact someone who felt his or her personal affairs were intruded upon, but an advocate of the traditional US adoption system that cuts off all ties between biological parents and the child given up for adoption and prevents the grown child from looking up his or hereditary roots. But I am not so certain of my point of view as to completely blow off the concerns that were expressed. Moreover, I am not against adoption per se, nor am I so naive to think that every successful search for roots long ago severed has a happy ending.

Given all these conflicting concerns, I'd be interested to hear what you think about this ethical thicket, which affects the contents of this letters page.
 

Global call for nonviolent civil resistance to end the occupation of Iraq

We, the undersigned, invite peace-makers throughout the world to participate in an international campaign of massive, nonviolent civil resistance to stop the US-led occupation of Iraq. These actions could be organized to include both non-violent civil resistance and legal demonstrations.

The killing of tens of thousands of civilians, the wounding of perhaps 100,000 or more people, the torture and murder of prisoners in US custody --- these and other realities of the occupation are evidence of the massive state terrorism being perpetrated against the people of Iraq. At the same time, we mourn the deaths of over 2,300 soldiers of the “coalition forces,” while we denounce the lies (weapons of mass destruction, ties between Saddam Hussein and Al Qaeda) proclaimed in an effort to justify the invasion.

FIRST DATE OF INTERNATIONAL ACTIONS:

March 19-20, 2006, the third anniversary of the invasion of Iraq. The subsequent days of action are specified below.

THE ACTIONS

Some would participate in legal demonstrations while others would stage sit-ins, die-ins, and other nonviolent methods of blocking "business as usual" at government buildings or installations (including military bases and recruiting centers) or at corporate offices of war profiteers in the US, Great Britain, and other countries which are taking part in the deadly and unjust military occupation of Iraq. For these governments, "business as usual" is the business of violence, death, and exploitation.

It must be blocked and stopped by responsible citizens.

Peace-makers in countries whose governments are not at war in Iraq could consider US or British embassies, consulates, military bases, or appropriate corporate offices as sites for legal demonstrations and nonviolent civil resistance.

EXAMPLES OF POSSIBLE ACTIONS

A group could sit down in the entrance of a US or British government installation in any country, refusing to leave when the US Marines or other security agents order them to disperse. They could insist on having a meeting with the ambassador or the officer in charge of the military base, or they could wait for a clear statement from Washington, DC, or from London of the date when all their soldiers will be withdrawn from Iraq.

If those doing civil resistance are not able to enter US or British property, they could sit down on the street or sidewalk in front of the building or base, or they could lie down in a "die-in" representing the victims of the war. In any case those involved in civil resistance might be carried out of the building or away from the entrance and arrested by the police.

We invite people to think of other creative forms of civil resistance and to share these ideas with us so that we can pass them along to others. (For instance, people in the US might consider the local offices of their US Senators and Representatives among the potential sites for non-violent action.)

All of this could happen in the presence of the mass media and in conjunction with a large legal demonstration very close to the same site.

The impact of these actions on public opinion, the mass media, and governments would come from their sheer quantity and geographical diversity, on the same day, as well as from the clarity of their message and the disciplined nonviolence of the tactics. As this invitation spreads through the internet and other media, we expect that hundreds of actions could be held in scores of countries around the world, all with the same purpose --- to demand an end to the military occupation of Iraq.

A SUSTAINED, GROWING CAMPAIGN

The second INTERNATIONAL DAY OF NON-VIOLENT CIVIL RESISTANCE TO END THE MILITARY OCCUPATION OF IRAQ will be May 1, May Day, the International Day of the Worker --- an occasion for massive demonstrations all over the world where working class struggle is celebrated and kept alive. The impact of the war on the poor and working class of the world could be emphasized.

The third INTERNATIONAL DAY OF NON-VIOLENT CIVIL RESISTANCE TO END THE MILITARY OCCUPATION OF IRAQ will be August 9, 2006, the 61st anniversary of the US nuclear bombing of Nagasaki, Japan --- to demand an end to US proliferation of nuclear weapons of mass destruction and an end to the US state terrrorism in Iraq.

The fourth INTERNATIONAL DAY OF NON-VIOLENT CIVIL RESISTANCE TO END THE MILITARY OCCUPATION OF IRAQ will be September 11, 2006, the 5th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attack on the US --- to commemorate and deplore that horrible act of violence and to denounce the terrorist violence which the US government is inflicting on Iraq under the false pretense of the "war on terrorism."

If necessary, we will continue with the INTERNATIONAL DAYS OF NON-VIOLENT CIVIL RESISTANCE TO END THE MILITARY OCCUPATION OF IRAQ. The fifth could be on December 10, 2006, International Human Rights Day. (The Day itself, December 10, falls on a Sunday, which would be appropriate for legal demonstrations. Groups doing civil resistance or civil disobedience actions at government installations may choose Monday, December 11, when these offices will be open. This is similar to the situation of March 19-20.)

PATH TO ACTION

If you are interested in discussing this proposal with us, please contact: dm@aglobalcall.org (It is possible that by making this initial contact you may be putting yourself in some legal jeopardy.)

If you express interest in implementing this proposal, our Coordinating Committee could put you in touch with others from your country, region, or city who have also expressed interest to explore possibilities for collaboration.

We would be willing to support the local grass-roots organizing efforts according to the needs of the individuals and groups in these areas.

Contact us if you would like any guidance or assistance. As we develop our contact list, we will send out update information and other information to assist you and your group in the planning of your actions.

The Number One message of every action would be: END THE MILITARY OCCUPATION OF IRAQ. This emphasis must be clear if the many actions in many places are to have a profound impact on the public and governments. Local or national organizers may wish to present one or two related issues or demands, with the main focus staying on ENDING THE MILITARY OCCUPATION OF IRAQ.

Our Coordinating Committee will send out a brief sample statement which

could be used with each action. Groups are free to express their demands

and motivations in religious language or not, as they see fit.

SPREADING THE WORD

We ask individuals, groups, and organizations around the globe to endorse this Call and to send it out to their mailing lists and to the media. Groups which are not committed to participating in the actions of civil resistance could simply transmit our Call.

We hope that this global call will be a part of a sustained grass-roots campaign to end the military occupation of Iraq. Through our Coordinating Committee, we would be happy to support grass-roots efforts to this end and to work with others in organizing nonviolent civil resistance around the world.

Some persons and organizations may choose to organize legal demonstrations (without any component of civil resistance) on the days we have proposed. We would request that they inform us of the legal demonstration they are planning, and that they inform their local media. We will also inform international media about the actions planned.

As for those who are planning civil resistance in their locality, if you are proposing this publicly prior to your action, please inform your local or national media and please let us know so that we can inform the international media.

If you are not making this public before your action, please inform us as soon as the action takes place so that we can report it as one of many actions in various parts of the world.

Thanks for your kind consideration of this proposal.

Gary Ashbeck
Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Jonah House

Father Daniel Berrigan, S.J.
New York, NY; USA
Catholic priest, author, lecturer, peace activist

Father Roy Bourgeois, M.M.
Columbus, Georgia, USA
Catholic priest, Founder, School of the Americas Watch

Father Ernesto Cardenal
Managua, NICARAGUA
Catholic priest, poet, sculptor, former Minister of Culture of Nicaragua

Bishop Pedro Casaldáliga
Sao Felix de Araguaia, BRAZIL
Retired bishop of Catholic diocese of Sao Felix
Theologian, author

Christian Base Communities
SPAIN

Patricia Clark
Nyack, NY, USA
Executive Director, Fellowship of Reconciliation

Comité Oscar Romero de Madrid
Madrid, SPAIN

Mairead Corrigan Maguire
Belfast, NORTHERN IRELAND
1976 Nobel Peace Laureate
Co-founder of Peace People

Susan Crane
Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Jonah House

Father John Dear, S.J.
Cerrillos, New Mexico, USA
Catholic priest, peace activist, author

Rev. Richard Deats
Nyack, NY, USA
Former Executive Secretary and Fellowship Editor, Fellowship of Reconciliation

Marie Dennis
Washington, D.C., USA
Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns
Pax Christi International

Father Miguel d'Escoto, M.M.
Managua, NICARAGUA
Catholic priest, Foreign Minister of Nicaragua 1979-1990,
Proponent of Nonviolent Evangelical Insurrection against Imperialism

Xavier Dias
editor of ADHIKAR, a monthly Hindi bulletin for communities affected by mining
Ranchi, Jharkhand, INDIA

Dorothy Day Catholic Worker
Washington, D.C., USA

Jim and Shelley Douglass
Birmingham, Alabama, USA
Mary´s House Catholic Worker

Bishop Thomas Gumbleton
Detroit, Michigan, USA
Auxiliary Bishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit
Pastor of urban parish, author, lecturer, peace activist

Father G. Simon Harak, S.J.
New York, New York, USA
Catholic priest; Anti-Militarism Coordinator
War Resisters League

Jennifer Harbury and Sister Dianna Ortiz
Washington, D.C., USA
Torture Abolition and Survivors Support Coalition International

Hartford Catholic Worker Community
Hartford, CT, USA

Father Francois Houtart
Louvain la Neuve, BELGIUM
Catholic priest; Prof. Emeritus of the Catholic University of Louvain
Member of the International Council of the World Social Forum

Jonah House Community
Baltimore, Maryland, USA

Judith Kelly
Arlington, Virginia; USA
Mid-Atlantic Regional Associate, Pace e Bene Nonviolence Service
Prisoner of Conscience in Movement Against School of the Americas

Kathy Kelly
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Voices for Creative Non-Violence

Eric LeCompte
Washington, DC, USA
SOA Watch Event Coordinator

Madrid Committee of Solidarity with Black Africa
Madrid, SPAIN

Danny Malec
Voluntown, Connecticut, USA
Global Call to Action

Father Regino Martínez, S.J.
Dajabón, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
Catholic priest; Coordinator of Border Solidarity

Liz McAlister
Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Jonah House

Edel Mihm
Saarbruecken, GERMANY
Journalist

Father Uriel Molina Oliú
Managua, NICARAGUA
Catholic priest
theologian, founder and former director of Centro Antonio Valdivieso, Managua

Father Ismael Moreno, S.J.
El Progreso, Yoro, HONDURAS
Catholic priest
Director of the Reflection, Research, and Communication Team (ERIC)

Father Joseph Mulligan, S.J.
Managua, NICARAGUA
Catholic priest working with Christian Base Communities, writer, peace activist

Mary Novak
Voluntown, Connecticut, USA
Global Call to Action

Michael O'Grady, S.J.
Cambridge, Mass., USA

Adolfo Perez Esquivel
ARGENTINA
1980 Nobel Peace Laureate

Harold Pinter
London, ENGLAND
2005 Nobel Literature Laureate

Ted Schmidt
Toronto, Ont., CANADA
Editor, Catholic New Times

Ramón Sepulveda Velez
PUERTO RICO
Community Organizer

Cindy Sheehan
Berkeley, California, USA
Peace Mom – mother of Army Spc. Casey A. Sheehan, who was killed in Iraq on
April 4, 2004
Founder of Gold Star Families for Peace

Joanne Sheehan
Norwich, Connecticut, USA
Chair of War Resisters' International
War Resisters League/New England coordinator

Father Eugene Toland, M.M.
BOLIVIA

José María Vigil
PANAMA
Theologian

Dr. Stellan Vinthagen
Department of Peace and Development Research
Goteberg, SWEDEN

Rabbi Arthur Waskow, director
The Shalom Center
Philadelphia, Pa., USA

The Rev. Phil Wheaton
Takoma Park, Maryland, USA
Episcopal priest
Committee of Indigenous Solidarity-Zapatistas of Washington, DC

Workers' Vanguard Communities
SPAIN

Rev. Bill Wylie-Kellermann
Detroit, Michigan, USA
United Methodist pastor, writer
Seminary Consortium for Urban Pastoral Education

Father Francisco Xammar, S.J.
Tarragona, SPAIN
Catholic priest
International Christian Secretariat of Solidarity with the Peoples of
Latin America (SICSAL)

Celeste Zappala
Philadelphia, Pa., USA
Mother of Sgt Sherwood Baker, killed in action in Iraq on April 26, 2004
Member, Gold Star Families
United Methodist
 

Happy Birthday John Birch Society!

I think that during this Christmas season we should thank God for the advent of Robert Welch who had the understanding, determination, and foresight to give us the chance to defeat the tremendous satanic forces of evil destroying our hemisphere even then on December 9, 1958 when he founded The John Birch Society in a meeting on a wintry day in Indianapolis, Indiana. Much evil, death, suffering, destruction, and moral decay has come to America and our hemispheric Western Christian Civilization since then and continues at present, fueled by the "Master Conspiracy" as Mr. Welch described it. See: www.jbs.org.

I feel that what freedom we still have has been bought by the courageous efforts and sacrifices of patriots inspired by the insight, understanding, and leadership of The John Birch Society, now based in Appleton, Wisconsin, and the legacy of Robert Welch who was, I feel, the greatest historian of the 20th Century. In this Christmas Season the "Master Conspiracy" is, among other efforts, fomenting a massive attack on Christmas with the obvious goal of removing "Christ" from our Christmas celebration in their ongoing war against our Republics and civilization and we must redouble our efforts to rout this conspiracy and save our crumbling Christian Civilization. For if we fail, freedom will not be seen for another thousand years, after our untimely demise and our children condemned to the hell of darkness and slavery.

As General Douglas MacArthur once commented when observing America's appeasement of our enemies: "There is no substitute for victory." No truer words were ever spoken. Robert Welch gave us the organization to win, and we must use it.

Ed Nemechek
Landers, California

Prosecute the torture supporters, murderers and war criminals

The vice-president of the United States --- the supposed champion of liberty, free speech, the rule of law and democracy --- has openly and uncensoredly supported the use of torture. The facts are that despite the rhetoric and propaganda, unfortunately, the recent history of the United States is one of gross human rights abuse, the support of gross human rights abusing regimes, and the commission of several highly questionable and unethically and unaccountably executed wars. (How many civilians have been killed in Iraq and Afghanistan? How many defenseless conscripts massacred in “the turkey shoot?” How many people killed as a result of the sanctions? etc., etc.)

One must wonder what exactly the so-called war on terror is being fought for. In western countries free speech is being attacked, diversity of media sources and

opinions is virtually non-existent, civil liberties are being undermined, the rule of law, accountability, the right to a fair trial and the presumption of innocence are being openly ignored and abused, and the humanitarian treatment of detainees has been rescinded and shrouded in secrecy. This driving down of standards lends support and legitimacy to tyrants, dictatorships, corrupt and authoritarian regimes the world over.

At a time of global paranoia, violence, injustice and change where are the human rights and international law upholding leaders, representatives and supporters? The abolition of torture, the upholding of universal human rights and world peace and development based on international law needs real global leadership and support not this pitiful coterie of acquiescers, complicits, fellow-travellers and compradors obediently, self-deludingly and/or indifferently supporting war economies, national security state imperatives and criminal belligerents.

For every person killed and every pain inflicted, by terrorists and so-called warriors-on-terrorism alike, let it be said that these criminals shall be brought to justice and the rule of international law and human rights shall prevail without exception or equivocation.

John Finch
Surfers Paradise
Queensland, Australia

Apostrophes

Plural forms and the apostrophe (Bedford 36/Hodges'):

“A common error is to form the plural of a noun by adding "'s" to the singular form. Try to get out the habit of doing this. A trick for remembering that the apostrophe signifies the plural is that possessive means "having," and so the posessive form of the word "has" an apostrophe. How do you tell the difference in between plural and possessive? Check the meaning of the sentence.

“Does the noun simply refer to more than one thing? Or does the sentence mention something that belongs to the noun?”

Although usage has changed in recent years, some handbooks call for an apostrophe in the plural forms of numbers, letters, and words used as words.

To each his own.

Hermano Lobo, Art
Los Angeles, California