Kathy Kelly, Founder of Voices in the Wilderness, Imprisoned

On March 29, 2004, a magistrate in Madison, WI decided to tag an extra month onto the sentences already imposed on Kathy Kelly and Rev. Jerry Zawada, OMF. This means that both have to "self report" to federal prison on April 6. Kathy and Gerry were tried along with six others who crossed a line onto two feet of government grass at Project ELF, in northern Wisconsin, on Mothers Day in May 2003.

The ELF site houses an Extremely Low Frequency tower used by the US Military to command the launch of nuclear missles from Trident submarines. It's primary use would have been in the event of of a US nuclear weapons attack. However, during the recent "shock and awe" campaign against Iraq, the ELF site was used to "fast track" launches of Tomahawk Cruise missiles that bombed Iraq. Both Kathy and Jerry testified to the judge that since they were both in Iraq during the massive bombing campaign that began on March 20th, 2003, they felt a particular responsibility to help close the ELF Project because they had personally witnessed the lethal and brutal civilian suffering that Tomahawk Cruise missiles caused when civilian homes, shopping centres and roadways were bombed.

Corporate media outlets on the otherhand, choose to report with reporters in-bed-with military units or report from carefully scripted Pentagon releases showing missles with a video game image. There were no imbedded corporate reports alongside Kathy and other brave anti-war and global justice activists showing the horrific reality of the aftermath of these "video game" bombs.

Kathy will be imprisoned at Pekin, IL, FCI (Federal Correction Institute). her release date will be August 6th, 2004,- Heroshima Day and the anniversary of the date that sanctions were imposed on Iraq in 1990, under the Clinton administration. Jerry, who faces a seven month sentence, will be imprisoned at Oxford, WI FCI: his release date is November 22, 2004. Both Kathy and Jerry had been previously sentenced to prison time (three months and six months respectively) for crossing the line at School of the Americas. They will not be able to recieve mail Bureau of Prisons assigns them numbers. At that point information will be circulated obout how to write them along with regulations on what they can recieve. Until then Kathy and Jerry encourage supporters to:

1. Call the Capitol Swithboard and ask elected representatives to close the School of the Americas/WHISC. The number is 202-224-3121
2. Visit http://www.soaw.org to learn more about the School of the Americas
visit http://nukewatch.com to learn more about Project ELF
3. Visit http://vitw.org/archives/000042.html to read Kathy's reflections about going to prison, entitled "crossing lines".
4 Contact local prisoner support groups to learn of prisoners in your area.
5. Visit http://petitiononline.com/know0001/petition.html online petition to free Ardeth Platte, Carol Gilbert and jackie Hudson, three Roman Catholic sisters imprisoned for two-3 1/2 years for symbolic acts of disarmament at a nuclear missile silo in rural Colorado. These sisters sound very much like our very own, home grown Minnesotan Sisters McDonald. Read more about them at http://vitw.org/archives/000033.html

Kathy can be reached in Chicago, before departure on April 6th at 773-784-8065 kathy (at) vitw.org jerry is in Burlington, WI 262-763-3600 jerryzawada (at) peoplepc.com

The source for this story originated almost in it's intirety from the Ireland Indy media Site.
From the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Pioneer Press, WCCO, KSTP, NBC, CBS, CNN, NPR, FOX. This story and stories like it remain almost completely censored by corporate media. Not that there are not journalist's who are aware of this story, far from it. These journalists with integrity are not being allowed to air or print this and other related stories. If indeed local and national corporate media had indeed had the integrity and objectivity to report from not just the "imbedded" journalist and Pentagon officials but also included reports from brave indivuals like Kathy Kelly then perhaps public opinion could have been different.

Given recent events in Fallujah and elsewhere, perhaps most Americans would have a deeper understanding of "why they hate us". Or better yet Americans, having been given the full objective facts may have not agreed to the Iraqi misadventure in the first place. Even further, Americans may have not agreeded to US officials like Rumsfeld or Bush Sr supporting the "Butcher of Baghdad" or other thugs like him in the first place.

Which yet again leads us to a stunning conclusion. That a media, owned and operated by corporate powers cannot be trusted to disseminate truth to the American people. If those who own media have lied, manipulated and covered up to us in regards to Iraq, Haiti, Venezuala, Iran etc etc then what else could they be covering up or lying about. Can they be trusted at all or are they simply a tool of corporate interests, promoting the corporate agenda. From promoting the Iraq war to benefit Shell Oil, British Petroleum and Halliburton to covering up the reality of the US engineered coup in Haiti to aid the WTO and sweatshop clothing manufactures to the Coup in Guatamala aiding Dole Fruit Manufacturers to the coup installing the Shaw of Iran to aid the petroleum industry.

Have the editorial staff of those in the corporate media shut out those dissenting voices of a brutal and immoral US Foreign policy, thereby depriving the American public of views and perspective of those intelligent and articulate "Voices in the Wilderness"?

Are the owners and operators of corporate media simply 'victims of the free market pressures' are are they indeed complicit in aiding, abeiting and promoting a brutal and immoral US Foreign policy while silencing the voices of dissent to these policies?

Corporate Media, Corporate War, I think you know where I stand on that question.
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Wheels of Justice Update
Since July 2003, the Wheels of Justice Tour brought eyewitness accounts to war and occupation in Iraq and Palestine to communities across America. In the 17,000 journey they have visited 18 states bringing first-hand realities who would otherwise have no access to this type of information.. The fully decorated and remodelled bus brings speakers and resources, lifting the fog of dis-information and empowering hundreds to act.
But the old engine has given up. Options to replace the vintage 1976 bus are underway. Please donate generously so that they can get back on the road. Please visit http://justicewheels.org for more information and where you can make a donation.
Also read Ceylon Mooneys My Five days Away From The Office, an update and recounting of being on tour at http://justicewheels.org/archives/000072.html