Text Fwd: 4 Catholic Peace Activist called to Omaha Fed Court for Aug 9th line crossing at STRATCOM

Mark Kenney - Aug 9, 2011

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* Text and image informed by Frank Cordaro on Feb. 9, 2011

Previous posting: Four Catholic Peace Activist (91 yr, 83 yr, 81 yr and 53 yr) Cross the Line at STRATCOM Aug 9, 2010
http://groups.google.com/group/offitt-list-one/browse_thread/thread/79d2c2aff901ba82/dd48566dc14c3b32?lnk=gst&q=mark+kenney#dd48566dc14c3b32
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“Our Faith is in the crucified Lord and no one else. No one who
believes in Jesus can ever justify the possession or use of any
nuclear weapons. Wars are never an option for a follower of Jesus in
solving human conflicts.” Mark Kenney - Aug 9, 2010 holding a
processional crucifix just before crossing the line at STRATCOM,
Offutt AFB (see attached photo)

The four Catholic Peace Activists who cross the line at Offutt AFB
last Aug 9th have been called to Fed Court in Omaha NE. Two of the
activist, Peg Gallaher (91yr) and Charlie Wolford (83 yr) have
contacted the Air Force Jag Officer assigned to this case and are
working on plea agreements that will not lead to jail. Fr Jack
McCaslin (81) has been in the hospital and is recovering from illness
and has yet to decide what he will do.

Mark Kenney is electing to go to court on Friday Feb. 25 at 2 p.m.
before Fed. Magistrate Judge Thomas D. Thalken. Mark has served a 30
day, 45 day and two six month sentences from prior Offutt line
crossings. Judge Thalken sentenced him to the two six month sentences.
Mark has no reason to expect the judge not to sentence him to six
months again. Mark is a long time volunteer and friend of the Omaha CW
community

Below are links to a Youtube clip & a Flickr photo slide show from the
Aug 9th line crossing. Plus a copy of a statement Mark wrote upon
finding out about being charged in this case.

I am sure Mark would appreciate hearing from folks and having folks in
the court room on Feb 25th. You can contact Mark Kenney at 402 598
2403 markfpeter@gmail.com

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8 Minute Youtube clip of statements at the line and the line crossing.
The four Catholic peace activist in their own words. A MOST SEE!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XG8A_V8IeoQ


Flickr Slide Show of Aug 6-9, 2010 STRATCOM Vigil and Line Crossing
http://www.flickr.com/photos/frank_cordaro_and_the_dm_catholic_worker/sets/72157624580510523/

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Mark Kenney
Date: Tue, Feb 8, 2011 at 7:49 AM
Subject: Mark Kenney's statement of faith regarding August action at Offutt AFB

Since my time in the military, I have struggled with living out my
Christian witness in a world dominated by weapons of war and mass
destruction. I wish I could say my witness was more consistent.

Like many Americans, the 9/11 bombings in New York, city gave me great
pause. Pope John Paul II had certainly made his feelings known, as to
the lack of validity of our going to war in the light of the Just War
theory.. But the silence of the pulpits of the Catholic church on the
issue seemed deafening to me.

I searched other churches through bible studies and services, and
found the same thing. Most pulpits were treading very lightly around
the message of the Sermon on the Mount. After all, Don't we know
better?. Isn't our military the righteous one here? Isn't our cause
Just? The Old Testament, Davidical idea that we can practice living
out god's message and teachings while engaging our enemies in war, was
back on track. The New Testament, Constantinian idea of making the
world safe for the practice of Christianity, through war and conquest,
was making a great comeback.

Nothing of this reality seemed scriptural to me. After all, didn't
Isaiah and Hosea and Zachariah seem to be sensing their current system
was certainly in want of something? Weren't they dreaming and
prophesying of a new reality to come? Didn't Mathew and Paul and the
early apostles and evangelists seem to be saying that Jesus was the
culmination of this desired prophetic reality sought for so many
generations? Certainly John thought so.

In the end, I have no choice but to accept the revelations of the
early prophets, the early evangelists, and the teachings, and life,
and death, and resurrection of Jesus, whom I willingly proclaim as the
promised messiah. No other power or principality holds a candle to
this.

While I recognize that I am a flawed and sinful man, I can not stand
idly by and watch the powers and principalities that be, butcher the
Good News of Jesus the Christ, through slanted interpretations to
false and violent, church driven theologies of acceptable violence,
militarism, and war.

If I am guilty of anything, it's that I desire to hold onto my faith
in Jesus the Christ more than I wish to hold onto the the manufactured
myth of the American Dream. If I am guilty of anything, it's that I
fear God more than I fear the courts.

For these reasons, I do what I do. For these reasons I will try to
accept as faithfully as I can whatever the courts or society have in
store for me. I have nothing further to say on the matter.

In Peace,
Mark Kenney
402 598 2403
markfpeter@gmail.com

Google Groups "STRATCom / Offutt AFB List" group