Got my banner for space week!

Our dear friend Ken Jones, formerly residing and teaching college in Portland, Maine, is now living just outside of Asheville, North Carolina.  He sent this photo with the words - "Got my banner!"

He is planning to work the streets of Asheville during Keep Space for Peace Week in early October.  Ken has signed up for the following:

·       Asheville, North Carolina (Oct 5-12) Each day during the week, members of the local chapter of Veterans for Peace will vigil and conduct a walkabout downtown for an hour carrying the No to NATO banner and passing out flyers. 

Ken came to Maine last June and was arrested with us at the 'christening' protest of another Aegis destroyer at Bath Iron Works when 22 of us were taken into custody for blocking buses and vans when General Dynamics/BIW were ferrying people into the ceremony to give 'the blessing of Jesus' to another killing warship.  Out of those arrested that day nine of us chose not to pay the $60 bail commissioner fee so we spent two nights in the county jail.  Ken was my cellmate.  

The banner Ken is holding was created by Global Network board member Will Griffin.  During space week a similar one will be held in Toronto outside the NATO Association of Canada office by fellow Global Network board member Tamara Lorincz.  

Will, Ken and I went to Jeju Island, South Korea a few years back to join the annual Grand March for Life & Peace around the island organized by the people from Gangjeong village where the U.S. forced the construction of a Navy base in the 500-year old fishing and farming village that has negatively up-ended life in that small community.  It was a hot August journey around the beautiful island and one of the best experiences I can ever recall, walking with hundreds of Korean men, women and tireless children for peace.

Ken and I have many things in common.  He comes from Baltimore, Maryland and I was born near there.  We were both catchers in our years playing organized baseball.  We first met at a protest in Portland many years ago and noticed that we both had made identical protest signs - same words - which I sadly can't now recall what they were.  We are both cherished friends of the Nipponzan Buddhist Monk Utsumi and Nun Denise who are building a peace pagoda in the Smokey Mountains.  Ken is a frequent volunteer in that wondrous project.

We were born to be brothers in the struggle for certain.

Thank you and keep on steppin' dear friend Ken.

Bruce