Ramblings and Reflections Newsletter 18 January/February 2005

Dear Friends,

Oh, how I wish I could write personally to everyone who sent Christmas and New Year greetings from so many countries and states on this, my third Christmas of imprisonment. Jackie, Carol and I are finally coming up from under the heaps of mail to issue formal thanks to you. I have lifted up my gratitude in prayer for you, your family and all your intentions. It is a privilege to be on this end of the messages as you share your art, poetry, words and ministries – these are seeds for my soul. I'm attempting to answer your questions in my monthly newsletters as best I can. I'm beginning to understand William Butler Yeats' words, “We can make our minds so like still water that beings gather about us, that they may see their own images and so live for a moment with a cleaner, perhaps even with a fiercer life, because of our quiet.”

Books Received

What a fantastic array of books you've sent. I'm in the midst of reading the 5 th one of this list and passing each one on to others here as completed. Thanks so much.

1. Man's Search for Meaning by Victor Frankel
2. Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen
3. Empire by Gore Vidal
4. Why People Hate America by Ziauddin Sardar and Merryl Wyn Davies
5. Mystics by Andrew Harvey
6. The Party's Over by Richard Heinberg
7. The Impossible Will Take a Little While by Paul Rogat Loeb
8. The Sunday Philosophy Club by Alexander McCall Smith
9. A Testament of Devotion by Thomas R. Kelly
10. Subscription to Earthlight

We do lots of book club discussions during meal time and gatherings.

Christmas in Prison

We had a prayerful Advent together, doing the powerful readings of the day with interpretations through the eyes and experiences of prisoners. We lit the Advent wreath candles weekly and broke forth with Christmas carols before, during and after Mass on Christmas Day. It was the liturgical season par excellence. The noontime meal was a feast, fixed with love and care.

Leading up to Christmas a large, empty dorm was reserved for volunteers to work together constructing Santa's Village. The judges gave ours the No. 1 tribute this year in a list of 13 other displays from the FCI units. Imagination and creativity used was phenomenal as the designs were all made from cardboard boxes, paper, cotton and a bit of sparkle and paint. The women covered the room with a false sky ceiling loaded with the stars at night, an airplane dropping mail into Santa's mailroom, Santa in his sleigh being drawn by reindeer. Mrs. Santa was in her candy shop, elves working in the toyshop while other elves were in a mobile classroom bus studying math and language. There was a working carrousel and a log cabin pub and restaurant. The music and lighting gave the finishing touches for the atmosphere. With first place came the award – a movie ELF for the whole unit's viewing. The Christmas season was awesome in spirit here.

Now, on we go, through 2005, a new year, new opportunities, new challenges for us and for all of you.

What About Our Appeal?

Thanks for asking. We have no word to date, but will announce it on line on our home website: www.jonahhouse.org and via newsletter when we hear from our lawyers. We feel certain that the charges should be reversed. We are also aware of the illegal and criminal practices of the government in these times:

1. Minuteman III Missiles remain on high alert and targeting, which threatens genocide, the mass extermination of children, women, men, creatures and poisoning of Earth.
2. The ongoing war and bombings in Iraq have been declared illegal by UN officials and immoral by many Church leaders.
3. Civilian deaths have been estimated at 100,000 people because of the U.S. invasion (Oct. 29, 2004 Washington Post) Fallujah numbers have not been included.
4. The torture of prisoners at Abu Ghraib and other jails and the imprisonment at Guantanamo without charges for years breaks the laws of warfare.
5. The use of depleted uranium, radioactive and deadly in the attacks on Afghanistan and Iraq are illegal.

The list goes on and on. International law does take effect in these times whether the three branches of the federal government admit it and implement the law or not. They are in collusion with the crimes being committed.

I will try to include all the good news in my next newsletter regarding acquittals in state courts when judges have accepted the defense by peacemakers using International Law. Also the decision for a plowshare action at Shannon Airport varies greatly in Ireland from the U.S. plowshare sentences. No prison time at all.

Miscellaneous

• The European Union of 25 member countries wrote to Jodi Rell, Governor of Connecticut to plead the cause of a delay or halt to the planned execution of serial murderer, Michael Ross, scheduled for January 26 th . The EU opposes capital punishment.
• Thirty thousand persons a day die from the conditions of poverty in the world. Let us picture people starving, malnourished and filled with disease.
• One hundred fifty thousand people – the estimated deaths from the tsunami catastrophe. That is 5 days of the years total who die from poverty. We have wept over this devastation, been stirred to action and rightfully so.
• The US is spending a trillion dollars every two years for its military budget for capital- intensive weaponry and destructive purposes.
• Now picture with me the use of the budget in behalf of the people in poverty and in the restoration process for Sri Lanka, Indonesia, India, etc. rather than for weapons and war. What would have more positive effect for the world? What would establish better relationships with people and nations?

International Peace Walk

In commemoration of the 60 th Anniversary of the Nuclear Bombing of Hiroshima there will be a grassroots coalition walking from Oak Ridge Tennessee to the United Nations from March 13, 2005 to May 2, 2005. Cities will be asked to join in solidarity toward the Total Abolition of Nuclear Weapons. It remains the United States blocking this effort. Contact: Jim Toren (513) 403-6698 or e-mail footprintsforpeace@fuse.net

Let us continue to breathe together for peace with justice.

Thank you God for the lives of friends:
Jim Porter, faithful peacemaker. Presente!
Agnes Mary Mansour, woman of justice and mercy. Presente!
Let us continue the struggle. Let us not grow weary or fear the darkness.

With gratitude always,

Ardeth Platte, OP #10857-039
Federal Correction Institution
33 ½ Pembroke Station
Danbury CT 06811