M a r k D i l l e y

FYI:
Sent: Wednesday, April 05, 2006 7:01 PM
Subject: Another Civil Disobedience Case in Detroit

Please forward indiscriminately.

This morning the case of Ron Dale (age 72) was tried in Detroit on a change of venue from a civil resistance in D.C. in September of 2005. Ron Dale was arrested for temporarily blocking one of the entrances to the Pentagon. He pleaded guilty, was fined $50 and had to pay $25 for the change of venue (from DC to Detroit). After sentencing, he was allowed to read the statement below. The judge was visibly impressed and a bit choked up as the court adjourned. Here is the statement of Ron Dale:

Federal Court 4/5/06

Thank you, Your Honor, for allowing me to explain the reasons why I am standing before you. I did my action of civil resistance at the Pentagon because I was required to do it; it was a matter of obligation, it was a duty, it was a necessity.

The reason I was morally and legally obliged to do what I did stems from two conditions of my life. Everyone in this room shares the first condition and that is that I am a U.S. citizen. A large majority here shares the second condition; namely, I am also a Christian. Either one of these, being a citizen or being a Christian is a justifiable reason for my action at the Pentagon..

FIRST: My being a U.S citizen means that whatever my government does or anytime it acts, it does so in my name.
I am responsible. When the government wages an unprovoked, pre-emptive aggressive, illegal and immoral war on Iraq - condemned by international law and the highest religious authorities - it does so in my name and I am obliged to say: NO, NOT IN MY NAME.

When it sets up a detention facility in Guantanamo - condemned by the whole world I am obliged to say: NO, NOT IN
MY NAME.

When it does torture, when many die in its custody I am obliged to say: NO, NOT IN MY NAME.

When it kidnaps people off the streets in various countries
around the world and furtively transports them to torture facilities at secret locations in lands that allow torture I
am obliged to say: NO, NOT IN MY NAME.

Your Honor, basic morality, International Law, even our own
Constitution since it requires adherence to all ratified treaties, put upon me a most serious obligation to say no to all of this. Treaties the U.S. has signed validate international law that holds each citizen (me as the primary case today) accountable for the crimes committed by the country of that citizen. They place a most serious obligation on me to say: NO, NOT IN MY NAME.

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