Invitation To The Continuation of Evidentiary Hearing – November 19

WHO: The Kings Bay Plowshares

WHAT: An evidentiary hearing

WHEN: November 19 at 9am

WHERE: The Federal Court 801 Gloucester StreetBrunswick, GA 31520

WHY:  On 26 September the Kings Bay Plowshares legal team filed a memo and briefings under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act that the seven were exercising their “sincerely held Catholic beliefs” when they symbolically disarmed Trident nuclear weapons, and that the government must demonstrate a “compelling state interest” for the excessive charges brought against the KBP7, or greatly reduce or dismiss those charges.

We invite you to attend the hearing where the defendants will testify and these arguments will be considered.

If you plan on attending and need lodging, please let us know either by email kingsbayplowshares@gmail.com or call 919-824-9283

The affidavits each of the 7 submitted are beautiful, moving documents stating their faithful beliefs that their actions were justified. We urge you to read here their heartfelt cries.

Below are some excerpts:

Patrick O’Neill says he has “attempted to follow the teachings of Jesus, … by challenging the 
idolatry of a human-made idol called trident. …To act against evil is the only way to understand
our faith.”

Carmen Trotta remembers as a “child of the Cold War” being “full of anxiety” at a school on the 
approach route to Kennedy Airport, that “the planes were thunderous…and the hatches would
open… and I waited for bombs to drop.” Now as an adult he knows, “Divine Providence urgently 
demands of us that we free ourselves from the age-old slavery of war.”

Elizabeth McAlister boldly affirms that “I was one of those who cut through a couple of fences 
to get to the bunkers…I joined with others and prayed for disarmed hearts that might lead us to 
disarmed lives. I as a Catholic Christian cannot bow down to these weapons.” 

Mark Colville states “When I found out that Kings Bay…housed a shrine to nuclear weapons, …to fail to expose…would be sinful on my part. These actions were all intended as a personal commitment to withdraw my complicity with the evil being done in my name at Kings Bay, and as a public call to my nation to choose life.”

Martha Hennessy relates being “taught that Catholic faith meant living one’s life with mercy, caring for the poor, seeing Christ in each other, and working to eliminate war and racism. I went to the nuclear missiles to expose them as a crime against God, humanity,  and international law.” 

Clare Grady says “Nuclear weapons eviscerate and violate the possibilities of loving God and neighbor…Nuclear weapons kill every day by their mere existence…We cannot pray for peace 
and let others drop bombs in our name…The Gospels are…full of stories where Jesus crosses a line of legality,,,to bring about healing.”

Stephen Kelly sadly notes that “Nagasaki…was for centuries a Catholic enclave…Nagasaki Catholics survived many centuries of persecution, to be instantaneously incinerated by a supposedly Christian bomber crew from a supposedly Christian nation…We felt called to provide an undeniable presence within the base,…where real humans could not deny that we were preaching the nonviolence of conversion from war-making to peaceful activity.” 

We hope many of you can attend the hearing where these arguments will be considered.