Vietnam vet chooses jail over fine

[chasqui]

Vietnam vet chooses jail over fine
06.09.2003 <18:10>

 
PORTSMOUTH - Boisterous shouts of "Shame! Shame! Shame!" were aimed at a Portsmouth District Court judge on Tuesday when she ruled Paul Pat Morse guilty of disorderly conduct.
Morse’s appearance in court stemmed from an incident in April in which he lay in the street blocking traffic in Market Square as a protest to the war in Iraq.
After the verdict was announced, Morse was given until noon to pay a $240 fine, which he told the judge was feasible, but which he refused to pay because of his frustration with the court.
Morse, a Vietnam veteran, was instead transported to jail, where he will be held in contempt of court for 12 days for what he called his nonviolent campaign to educate others "of the illegal and unjust policies of our government," he said.
On April 11, Morse, along with a half dozen other peace activists, barricaded and blocked traffic during commuting hours on a Friday night until Portsmouth Police Patrolman Peter Sheldon asked the protesters to clear the street.
According to Sheldon, all the protesters except for Morse followed his request. After a second appeal from Sheldon failed to bring Morse to his feet, the officer placed him under arrest on a charge of disorderly conduct for not obeying an officer.
"I acted with lawful authority to prevent a greater harm," Morse said, explaining that he felt international law was being violated by the U.S. government and it was his responsibility to bring the issue to light.
Part of what Morse considered illegal was the use of depleted uranium munitions by the U.S. military in Iraq, which Morse called a war crime.
Judge Sharon DeVries asked Morse to show the connection between his lying in the street and his concerns about the uranium.
"That doesn’t apply in this process," DeVries said. "This is as irrelevant as bringing in a history lesson on Australia."

http://www1.iraqwar.ru/iraq-read_article.php?articleId=18403?=en

[Brucey]

1. Cause trouble!

When your government is acting immorally and crazy, it is important that you cause trouble that doesn't physically harm anyone. Civil disobedience is important because it shows people that there are costs and consequences to immoral actions. It is right and necessary that this illegal and immoral war cost Americans a great deal. The more they must spend, the more time they lose, the more trouble they endure, the better.

[wtmusic]

2. Whether civil disobedience has any direct positive effect

is debatable. It tends to piss off most people who don't care or who support the war, so what does that achieve?

The indirect positive effect is the news coverage, and sometimes it's the only way to get press. This story wouldn't have made news if the guy had just paid his fine.

[Brucey]

3. yes

Yes, the news coverage is one asset, but making the public pay for their sins encourages them to change. They may be pissed off, but in the long run they will change so as to stop the bleeding. The Viet Nam war was supported by many, but the constant barrage by protesters disturbed people enough, and cost them time and money, to the point that they despised the war and wanted it over. Going to jail, even being arrested, puts a strain on the immoral system, and that's good. Americans need to suffer when they do things wrong so they will stop doing it.

[wtmusic]

4. Don't agree

that 'making the public pay' has any positive effect whatsoever.

It wasn't the cost of time and money from protests that made the public despise the Vietnam war, but the cost in lives and tax dollars.

[Brucey]

5. but,

Yes, you are partially right I think. But tax dollars can be spent in many ways... being arrested, having demonstrations, etc. cost tax money for police, judges, etc. This strains the budget. Which is good. I think. But, I will rethink this issue.

[are_we_united_yet]

9. I absolutely disagree with you.

I believe it was a combination in the case of a vietnam war. The protests focused attention on the war as well as making politicians uncomfortable.

Civil disobedience does "piss" people off to be sure.

It also motivates those who are on the fence or feel strongly but are silent, to potentially take the next step. That next step may not be protest in the form of C.D., but instead a letter to a Congressman or finacial support to an appropriate candidate.

Finally, it lets people know they are not alone.

'Making the public pay' ultimately becomes a problem for Government leaders if it is sustained long enough and great enough volume.

[Sick of Bullshit]

6. Obviously, this ignorant judge has never read Thoreau

who protested the Mexican War by not paying his taxes and was sent to jail (albeit for just a day) as a result.

[Brucey]

7. And his reason was...

When his friend Ralph Waldo Emerson asked him why he was in jail, Thoreau replied, "Why are you out of jail?"

[maxanne]

8. Pat comes by it naturally

his mother is a long time peace activist, who served jail time this year at age 82. I'm proud to say I've been arrested with Macy Morse on more than one occasion, back when we were opposing NH's nuclear power plant.

A lot of peace activists did what they could, in their small cities and towns. Anti war demonstrations weren't just the big ones in Boston, NY City, or DC. That's what Pat is part of - a network of people who vigil, ceaselessly - every single year - no matter what is going on in the world.


http://www.portlandphoenix.com/features/other_stories/multi1/documents/02976063.asp