Easter Sunday, April 4th, 2021
3rd Anniversary of the Kings Bay Plowshares Action.

– July 7th, 2017 – Treaty on the Prohibition of nuclear Weapons. Deeply concerned about the catastrophic humanitarian consequences that would result from any use of nuclear weapons, and recognizing the consequent need to completely eliminate such weapons, which remains the only way to guarantee that nuclear weapons are never used again under any circumstances…

– United States of America v. Martha Hennessy – “you are therefore found guilty on all counts as charged for conspiracy, destruction of naval property, depredation of government property, and trespass.”

 Declaration filed September 2018 – Martha Hennessy:
I believe that planning and providing for war violates the Catholic Social Teachings that “peace is a value and universal duty founded on a rational and moral social order rooted in God himself.” As Christians we are called to peacemaking as directed by the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5: 1-12), and to declare that war is a “defeat to humanity.” The compendium of the Social Doctrine of the church, Chapter II, “The Promotion of Peace,” paragraphs 488 through 515 speaks clearly to the obligation of people of the Catholic faith to work for peace…

 At trial – direct exam – The Court
“Remember, I’ve excluded illegality as a defense. I’m afraid you’re going to lead this jury to believe that that’s somehow a legal defense, her belief, and it can explain the context of her actions, but you’re turning this into a trial about nuclear weaponry.”

 At trial – cross examination –
Prosecution: And you’re aware that all of those items (hammers, blood) are capable of damaging property. For example, the lock had to be cut in the first instance to gain entry to the base, right?

Defendant: My definition of property could be further clarified.

Prosecution: I am curious, what is your definition of property?

Defendant: That which is for the common good of all, proper to mankind.

–At trial – John 18: 19 – 21

The high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and about his doctrine.

Jesus answered him, “I have spoken publicly to the world. I have always taught in a synagogue or in the temple area where all the Jews gather, and in secret I have said nothing. Why ask me? Ask those who heard what I said to them. They know what I said.”

– Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons

Stressing the role of public conscience in the furthering of the principles of humanity as evidenced by the call for the total elimination of nuclear weapons, and recognizing the efforts to that end undertaken by the United Nations, the International Red Cross, and Red Crescent movement, other international and regional organizations, non-governmental organizations, religious leaders, parliamentarians, academics, and the Hibakusha. Hare agreed (italics) as follows:

– Steve Kelly (co-defendant – presentencing Declaration)

“I assert the innocence of the Kings Bay Plowshares. But this statement is my own declaration. Both my conscientious objection and my Religious Freedom Restoration Act testimony are attempts to fulfill the mandate of the Nuremberg Accords. This witness has me confronting and engaged with the ominicidal policies of the U.S. government. Recourse to appeal is futile, pathetic, and dangerous because all the judiciary’s rulings preclude our jury from hearing any defense.”

– Sentencing Character Witness Mary Yelenick –
–
“Do this,” Jesus directed, “in memory of me.” And Martha did. In a deeply symbolic, sacramental action, blood was spilled at the Kings Bay nuclear weapons naval facility in the hope that the sight of that blood would be a wake-up call, and a stark reminder, of the blood that once coursed through the veins of the hundreds of thousands of moms, dads, and children killed (and still being harmed through radiation damage) by our nation’s nuclear weapons in Hiroshima, and in Nagasaki, and in the course of our nation’s nuclear testing in the Marshall Islands and elsewhere in the South Pacific.

 On appeal –

After performing the religious, sacramental acts, Hennessy and her co-defendants waited to be apprehended. Hennessy was cooperative and peaceful upon arrest. Shortly afterwards, the base Public Affairs officer, Scott Bassett, released a statement to the Washington Post that the actors posed “no threat to military personnel, no threat to any military artifact or submarine.”

 Easter Proclamation
O truly blessed night, worthy alone to know the time and hour when Christ rose from the underworld! This is the night of which it is written: “The night shall be as bright as day, dazzling is the night for me, and full of gladness.”

The sanctifying power of this night dispels wickedness, washes faults away, restores innocence to the fallen, and joy to mourners, drives out hatred, fastens concord, and brings down the mighty.
–Article 1 – Prohibitions
1. Each State party undertakes never under any circumstances to:
(a) Develop, test, produce, manufacture, otherwise acquire, possess, or stockpile nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices
(d) Use or threaten to use nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices;
(g) Allow any stationing, installation or deployment of any nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices in its territory or at any place under its jurisdiction or control.

 Federal Bureau of Prisons Mission Statement
It is the mission of the Federal Bureau of Prisons to protect society by confining offenders in the controlled environment of prison and community-based facilities that are safe, humane, cost efficient, and appropriately secure, and that provide work and other self-improving opportunities to assist offenders in becoming law-abiding citizens.

–Pope Francis in Iraq

The serious sin of hypocrisy…death destruction and ruin…as a penitent, asking forgiveness from heaven and from my brothers and sisters…those outside interests uninterested in the local population…divide and conquer…War, by allocating resources to the acquisition of weapons and military power, diverts these resources from vital social needs, such as the support of families, health care and education…It is madness, it is madness to destroy houses, bridges, factories and hospitals, to kill people and annihilate resources, instead of building human and economic relationships. It is a kind of folly to which we cannot resign ourselves: war can never be considered normal…Hostility, extremism and violence are not born of a religious heart: They are betrayals of religion.