When is Civil Disobedience Unconstitutional?

[reynaud]

Now that I've got your attention I would like to introduce you to a contemporary Jesuit writer who has a blog at ncrcafe.org/blog/1122. I offer this as a place to go to see how people who perform acts of civil disobedience attempt to help make laws just.

For a little History on the the priest, John Dear has been involved in acts of civil disobedience for civil rights and nuclear non proliferation. John is a member of several Plowshares groups who have symbolically beaten swords into plowshares by tapping hammers on the domes of missle silos and on nose cones of nuclear weapons. John's former house mate was Daniel Berrigan who has been arrested with John for as many as 75 times each. I invite anyone who is looking at religion to see if there is any support for the constitution to go visit the blog. The NCR cafe does require you to log in and has some modest terms for compliance.

I have been reading NCR off and on since 1965 when It started. One of the columns that I used to read "Religiously" was CRY Pax or Cry Peace. This column was a somewhat satyrical stap at the traditional Church.

[powers]

It is unconstitutional when it is not "peaceful." Tapping nuclear weapons with a hammer sounds a little dangerous.

I know many people disagree with my understanding of "peaceful protest" and many that I have spoken to have made the case that since the current administration does not follow the constitution then we must stretch it as well to be a voice.

It's the constitution, and I believe that it is a great document that I will follow and live under as an American.

I am not against protests, but often I feel they hurt more than help when they go beyond their boundries. Look at the posts in this forum about the Muslim protests over the Pope!

[ccgandrt]

Martin Luther King followed Ghandi's peaceful approach of resistance and accomplished more then than we are doing now... and yes, scared the sh_t of out them so much, that he was killed for the power he was gaining he his short time on earth.

[wyldberi]

Taking, and advocating, violent activity are both illegal actions.

Sitting down in a roadway with 10,000 other people and blocking traffic (otherwise known as commerce) is illegal. But does that make it unconstitutional?

Consider this: Since the intent and/or effect is to disrupt commerce, it is, constitutionally speaking, a violent action - it deprives the owners of the trucks of earnings derived from lawful commercial activities.

Most of the protests that have taken place in this country dating back to those organized against NAFTA and the WTO, and including the ones aimed at the bush regime and his pet wars, have been peaceful, and futile.

There is a peaceful form of protest that might have some effect: voluntary economic boycotts aimed at specific business interests, and general strikes where large numbers of people refuse to work.

If that fails to do the trick, it becomes the duty and responsibility of the individual citizen to oppose an unjust government by any means necessary to effect change. This is the course of action taken by the American Colonists to drive the British out of power in the Colonies. This was not peaceful protest, but I would submit it was conducted in pursuance of the liberties achieved in the Constitution. When government becomes oppresive enough, such action is, in the end, legal, because the authority exercised by government stems from the People.

[reynaud]

Recently there were over 375 actions to call attention to Declaration for Peace.
In Santa Fe, NM, nine people were arrested for acts of Civil Disobedience while Trying to get Senator Peter Domenici's signature on the declaration.
Senator Domenici apparently promised that he would work to end the U.S. war on Iraq and bring the troops home, and pursue reparations and nonviolent solutions for the Middle East. The Nine said that they wouldn't leave until they got it.
Problem is that New Mexico relies on nuclear research and development for weapons
For more information go to Common Dreams for the report, by Jesuit priest, John Dear, S.J.

www.commondreams.org/views06/1001-31.htm