Civil disobedience in the spirit of King

On April 4th, the anniversary of both Dr. King's 1967 "A Time to Break the Silence" speech and his assassination in Memphis one year later, 11 people reported to federal prison for actions taken in the spirit of Dr. King. Last November, in Columbus, Georgia -- a couple hours from the city of Atlanta where King's ministry was centered -- some 20,000 people gathered outside the walls of the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation to call for the closure of this infamous facility, known better as the School of the Americas.

These 11 individuals had "crossed the line" last fall, engaging in nonviolence civil disobedience against a government institution that some argue is the largest sponsor of state terrorism in the Americas. One of those individuals was a young seminary student, Le Anne Clausen of Chicago, who has traveled across the globe seeking to support peaceful alternatives to conflict. Le Anne participated in the Fellowship of Reconciliation's December 2007 civilian diplomacy delegation to Iran.

On her blog, "Journal of a Young Activist," Le Anne wrote humorous and thoughtful words last week as she prepared to serve her month-long sentence in federal prison. She also posted an interesting 10-minute video that pays tribute to the efforts of the SOA activists. If you have the time, I recommend watching it.

Another FOR member who has spent a great deal of time in jail and prison cells for his morally-based actions of resistance is John Dear, S.J. In his regular column for National Catholic Reporter last week, John recalled how as an 8-year-old child he learned the news of Dr. King's death, and its role in leading him to a life of nonviolent action for peace and justice. This latest article, "Precious Lord, Take My Hand," is a powerful piece of writing and an inspirational challenge to all of us to likewise follow in King's footsteps, as best we can.