83-Year-Old Nun to Be Sentenced for Sabotage

[cbayer]

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/83-year-nun-sentenced-sabotage-22223192

NASHVILLE, Tenn. January 27, 2014 (AP)
By TRAVIS LOLLER Associated Press

An 83-year-old Catholic nun convicted in a protest and break-in at the primary U.S. storehouse for bomb-grade uranium will find out Tuesday whether she spends what could be the rest of her life in prison.

Sister Megan Rice is one of three Catholic peace activists convicted of sabotage last year after they broke into the nuclear weapons plant in Oak Ridge, Tenn. Sentencing for all three is scheduled for 9 a.m. Tuesday at U.S. District Court in Knoxville.

The government has recommended sentences of about six to nine years each for Rice, Michael Walli and Greg Boertje-Obed (bohr-CHEE' OH-bed'). It also is seeking restitution of nearly $53,000 for damage incurred when the three cut through fences and painted slogans on the outside wall of the uranium processing plant. The protesters also splattered blood and hammered on the wall.

The activists are asking for leniency. They say their actions at the Y-12 National Security Complex were symbolic and meant to draw attention to America's stockpile of nuclear weapons, which they call immoral and illegal.

more at link

[hrmjustin]

1. I hope the court is merciful.

[Politicalboi]

2. Those people should be given medals

Charge them with vandalism, and give them a fine.

[trotsky]

3. Their reasons were good, but their actions were illegal.

Depending on the attitude of the judge and whether he's sympathetic to the cause, these folks could be used to send a message.

But other than the oldest protestor's occupation though, I'm not sure I see how this story is particularly tied to religion. People of all faiths, or no faith, oppose nuclear weapons and have been arrested for protests against them.

Why it's almost as if you were trying to score "points" for something, cbayer. Odd.

[hrmjustin]

4. It is a perfectly good OP.

No points being scored.

[trotsky]

5. Yeah, I don't get the points thing either.

But it seems to be a major concern for cbayer.

[hrmjustin]

10. Then why bring it up?

[trotsky]

11. Because it's important to her?

I'm trying to understand her infatuation with referring to "points" and "teams" when responding to people. It seems to be an attempt to dismiss or trivialize their point of view. Perhaps she will clarify.

[hrmjustin]

12. I don't agree with you but go ahead.

[trotsky]

13. Ok.

And if you ever see anyone else bring up the notion of "teams" and "points," let me know, so I won't be unfairly singling her out. Thanks hrmjustin!

[Htom Sirveaux]

6. "If a religious person does something good,

it doesn't mean anything, because an atheist could have done the same. But if a religious person does something bad, that's a manifestation of the inherent corruption at the core of religion."

Would you agree with that statement?

[trotsky]

7. Nope. n/t

[Htom Sirveaux]

8. Why not? n/t

[trotsky]

9. Since you are new here, you may not have seen the multiple times I've posted this.

I don't think religion is necessary for people to be good. Nor do I think it is always to blame for bad behavior. The problem I have with religious belief is best described by blogger Greta Christina here.

[Htom Sirveaux]

14. So if it was verifiable that God existed

and wanted us to oppress women and gays, would you oppress women and gays?

[trotsky]

15. Nope, because my sense of morality does not come from a god.

Does yours?

[Htom Sirveaux]

19. Then isn't verifiability a red herring?

That article made lack of verifiability the foundation for the case against religion, but if adding verifiability wouldn't make religion alright, then there is a more fundamental issue, isn't there?

[trotsky]

20. Ah but your example did not include any sort of reason WHY the god should be obeyed.

Your example said that if a god existed and demanded something, would I do it? Just because a god exists is no reason to do what it commands.

There is a more fundamental issue here, you are right. But I don't think you are seeing it.

[Htom Sirveaux]

21. What is that more fundamental issue? n/t

[rug]

16. This is interesting: her parents were Catholic Workers.

Rice, the youngest of three girls in an Irish Roman Catholic family, was born and raised in Manhattan. Her father, Frederick W. Rice, was an obstetrician-gynecologist who taught at New York University and treated patients at several New York City hospitals. Her mother, Madeleine Newman Hooke Rice, was a Barnard College graduate who undertook graduate studies at Columbia University while her children were growing up, obtaining a Ph.D. in history and writing a dissertation on Catholic views about slavery. Frederick and Madeleine Rice were active participants in the Catholic Worker movement and considered Dorothy Day a good friend.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megan_Rice

That was 70 years ago.

[cbayer]

18. Apples fall from apple trees.

[goldent]

22. Careful, this could be perceived as a positive sidebar

and that I'm afraid would be aiding and abetting in the scoring of points

[LeftishBrit]

23. I hope the court shows some decency and common-sense