Transform Now Plowshares needs you to: Write a letter, send postcards to Judge Thapar.

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http://disarmnowplowshares.wordpress.com/2013/07/07/transform-now-plowhares-needs-your-help/

TRANSFORM NOW PLOWHARES NEEDS YOUR HELP
Posted on July 7, 2013 by Subversive Peacemaker

Transform Now Plowshares needs you to:
Write a letter, send a postcard, and help others to send postcards to Judge Thapar.

Click here to view the postcard to Judge Thapar on behalf of the Transform Now Plowshares. Download it (PDF file) and take it to your local printer, get a stack of them made and take them to events and get people to sign them or just print off one copy for yourself, sign it, stamp it, and put it in the mail. We are hoping to get thousands signed and sent.

Greg Boertje-Obed, Michael Walli and Megan Rice are currently in the Irwin County Detention Facility in Ocilla, GA, awaiting their sentencing on September 23, 2013. The three were found guilty by a jury in Tennessee in May on two counts; interfering with or obstructing the national defense (sabotage) and depredation of government property. Both counts are considered violent acts and fall under the definition of “federal crimes of terrorism”

The maximum sentence that each of the three can receive is 30 years. Likely not to happen, however their sentencing guidelines which is often what judges use, can vary up to about 10 years.

At this point, the 3 have asked for their supporters and friends to write to the judge asking for justice to be brought back into their case in this sentencing phase. They are asking for downward departures from the high guidelines based on recognition that theirs was an act of nonviolence, hope, and love and NOT terrorism. There has been legal precedence for downward departures in at least 2 other plowshares cases where the defendants were convicted of “sabotage”.

The http://transformnowplowshares.wordpress.com/ blog site has posted 3 basic talking points for people to use in order to write a letter to Judge Thapar. The address for sending letters is also posted (see under “write the prisoners” tab on website). A personal letter to the judge will likely have a high impact on his discernment process.

Under the tab “write the prisoners” are 3 basic talking points for people to use in order to write a letter to Judge Thapar. The address for the where to send the letter is also there. A personal letter to the judge will likely have a high impact on his discernment process.

In order to make things even easier and in hopes of generating many letters to the judge, we have developed a postcard which has the letter and the address already written. All you need to do is sign it and put it in the mail. There is a bit of space for adding a sentence or two if you want.

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1. Text of the postcard

Dear Judge Thapar,

I write to you in concern for the Transform Now Plowshares Greg Boertje-Obed, Sister Megan Rice, and Michael Walli, who, as you heard at trial, committed an act of nonviolent civil disobedience intended to awaken the conscience of the nation, with no evidence of intent to harm anyone. I am deeply disturbed that the government insists on describing the crimes of which they were convicted as violent “terrorism”. I share your frustration that Congress would write a law which does not allow you to distinguish between peace activists and terrorists.

The three acted with a clear understanding of the illegality and immorality of nuclear weapons, and their citizen responsibilities under the Nuremberg Principles to uphold the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). The NPT is constitutionally part of the supreme law of the land, and it requires every nuclear nation to completely dismantle their nuclear arsenals.

I urge you to consider downward departure from the high sentencing guidelines for the charges of which the three were convicted. Please use your judicial discretion to bring more justice to this situation. Recognize the three are NOT violent terrorists. They are nonviolent activists who followed the words of the prophet Isaiah to beat swords into plowshares, and to build a safer, more secure world for us all.

Sincerely,