ustxtxb_obs_1997_11_07_50_00021-00000_000.pdf

IMAGINE CRUISING DOWN THE AUTOBAHN WITH 256 HP UNDER THE HOOD, TOP DOWN, FIFTH GEAR, ENGINE WIDE OPEN, SCENERY A BLUR. THAT’S THE FEEL OF INTERNET ACCESS THROUGH THE NEW EDEN MATRIX. taGt7 wait? ea_1\(4e a_ test 6iv..e. DIAL-UP ISDN ACCESS FOR JUST $18.50/MONTH FULLY DIGITAL PRI PHONE LINES WIDE OPEN CAPACITY TECH SUPPORT WITH A PULSE The Eden Matrix www.eden.com 106 E. SIXTH STREET, SUITE 210 AUSTIN, TX 78701 VOICE: 512.478.9900 FAX: 512.478.9934 7,ct_e’ yq_teae Subscribe to the Texas Observer 307 W. 7th St Austin, TX 78701 email: [email protected] openly against the school. Bishop McCarthy [John McCarthy of Austin] is a sign of hope for us. He’s among the handful that saw the light amidst the darkness. Were he joined by other bishops, this handful of bishops could try to influence their brother bishops by simply saying “Comrades, brothers, you’ve gotta look at this issue. It’s a simple issue, it’s about death. It’s about suffering. It’s about killing. It’s about rape. You’ve gotta speak out on this. You’ve gotta speak out.” Right now, their silence is bringing nothing but disrespect and anger really. This comes up in about every talk I give: “What about the Catholic Bishops?” November the 16th we are going to have a thousand people from around the countrysome from Austinwho are going to be joining us at the main gate of Fort Benning. We gather there every November 16, to commemorate the anniversary of the death of the six Jesuits and the two women. Are you going to get arrested? Yes, I’m crossing the line. Two years ago in our big gathering, thirteen of us crossed the line and reenacted the massacre. We went to prison. A seventy-two-year-old Ursuline nun, Vietnam vets, clergy. We were a crosssection of people. Last year 500 gathered and sixty crossed the line and entered Fort Benning. This November the 16th we’re going to have a thousand people there. We’re asking for local solidarity actions. On that day perhaps, going before the federal building. Or that week, gathering signatures, getting a delegation to go to a congressional office. Writing letters, making phone calls. Very important, the videos, a good resource to help educate. This video, School of Assassins, should be scooped up by a teacher, priest, nun, or for family or coworkers. It’s inexpensive, share it with friends and talk about it. It’s not a long video. It gives you the essence of the issue. Write to your member of Congress. What we’ve learned actually is that they do listen. These guys are hard to break down but a lot of them have changed. OK, 1993: 174-256. That was with a Democratic Congress. When Congress came under Republican control, Joe Kennedy said, “Guys, it’s all over.” He didn’t really think we could gain all those votes. Why did we gain all those votes? Individuals, grassroots people work ing on their representatives. Right now we’ve got the first ever Senate bill, the Durbin bill \(Senator Richard Durbin from the closing of the school. But we have to write our senators to work on them. We’ve been concentrating on our representatives. We have still pending the Kennedy Bill. Those two bills are pending. And we see a lot of hope in those bills. They stopped the funding in the Farm-Aid Appropriations Bill. That vote sent a strong message. President Clinton came with “Whack!”a lineitem veto. Call [Congress’] 800 number and tive. Especially since President Clinton supports the school. [On November 16] we’re going to have a procession of eight coffins after the memorial service, a silent funeral procession, and we’re going to the headquarters of the School of the Americas. And behind the coffins will be people, two abreast, with white crosses bearing the names of the eight Jesuits. Some will cross the line. What will that mean for you? I’ll probably go back to prison. It’s a misdemeanor; I think the maximum is six months. Unless “Maximum Bob” tries to hit me with repeat offender, but I don’t think he’ll try to do this. I went to prison for fourteen months. Then six months this last time. So now you’re going to go back. The Jesuit who was among our group who was arrested and also imprisoned, Bill Bichsela Jesuit priest from Tacoma, Washington, who’s been with us from the beginningbefore the sentencing of the thirteen of us, he said: “Your Honor, you can send us to prison. You cannot silence us though, and we will speak from prison.” He also said: “When we get out of prison, we are coming back and many many more people will arrive at the gates of Fort Benning in greater numbers every year.” The school will close because more and more people will come every year. Roy Bourgeois was interviewed in Austin on October 4 by Jeanne Goka, a teacher at St. Michael’s Catholic School. The interview was edited for length. SOA Watch in NOVEMBER 7, 1997 THE TEXAS OBSERVER 21