An Open Letter to the Pledge of Resistance in reply to Max Obuszewski’s objection to Ron Solomon and Michael Melick using "his" email list.

A. Robert Kaufman, Organizer, City Wide Coalition
2001 N. Hilton Street
Baltimore, MD 21206
410-728-8611
January 23, 2005

An Open Letter to the Pledge of Resistance in reply to Max Obuszewski’s
objection to Ron Solomon and Michael Melick using "his" email list.
By what democratic logic shall Max object to the City Wide Coalition
e-mailing to the same people he has freely e-mailed to for years? Is there
something about CWC’s politics Max wants to protect his contacts from
knowing? Doesn’t he trust the good folks on “his” e-mail list to read what
we have to say? Or, perhaps he doesn’t want them to know what he has said
and done out of their eyesight or hearing!
Max, this may come as a huge surprise to you, but no one has to ask your
permission to use “your” e-mail list. What hubris to consider it “your”
e-mail list! Every e-mail address the Baltimore Anti-War Coalition War
gathered, we entrusted to the AFSC computer to collate and share. This is
entirely a collective e-mail list which the anti-war community has built up
through the years.
None of us ever imagined that the AFSC would selectively deny any anti-war
group the free and equal use of that list on purely sectarian grounds! You
and the AFSC have arbitrarily and arrogantly assigned yourselves the right
to privatize our collective e-mail list so that you alone can prevent
perspectives you disagree with from reaching your political harem.
We do not pretend that you purposely e-mailed to us that complete e-mail
list last December. We prefer to attribute it to divine providence.
Perhaps some god who sees all and knows all simply looked into your heart
and got good and pissed off at you.
As you well know, any recipient, who does not wish to continue receiving our
e-mails has only to request to be taken off our list. You got no say at
all!
You claim to have received “some complaints.” As of this date, of the 300
plus listings only 5 have asked to have their names removed.
We were amused by your preaching to us about the “higher standards” the
progressive community should adhere to. Was your AFSC two years ago rising
to “higher standards” when, behind the backs of many of its members, it
conspired to pack a meeting of the Baltimore Anti-War Coalition War in order
to dissolve it?
Or, perhaps, they were rising to “higher standards” when we regrouped as The
Baltimore Coalition to End War and Terrorism and asked AFSC to turn over to
us our collective e-mail list so that we could announce our regroupment
statement to our e-mail list – and they refused? It took weeks to get it to
mediation. There a face-saving compromise was agreed to; AFSC would e-mail
simple announcements of 3 or 4 of our meetings.
We have no way of knowing what, if any, less than honest e-mails you’ve sent
out rumor-mongering and slandering our efforts, in recent years – without us
having opportunity to reply.
Did you consult with your e-mail folks before you arbitrarily cut me off
your fax list?
Do they know that for some 2 years you have denied to the CWC and BCEWT our
right to have our organizer’s name or phone number in your Activist Alerts
or allow your readers to know that I was using my U.S. Senate campaign to
challenge U.S. foreign policy and sought help?
Do they know that during two public actions – one with Jews For Peace and
the other at Channel 22 – you purposely violated simple comradely etiquette
and misrepresented to the Baltimore Cable Channel 5 camera person?
Next time the Pledge of Resistance invites other groups to send
representatives to participate in a counter-inaugural, but really means
“groups other than Bob Kaufman’s,” at least have the decency and honesty to
clearly state so for all to know.
Do they know that this hateful behavior was rationalized by your statement
that “nobody should ever have to suffer the indignity of having to talk to
Bob Kaufman” – or that, “ I will never forgive Bob for getting Sally Kearsly
to give his campaign for mayor all that money that she should have given to
us”? Max knew of Sally’s donation very early in the campaign yet lent his
name to the campaign as “treasurer”! Only 3 – 4 years later did he decide
that I was the anti-Christ!
And what was his rationale for all of this divisive behavior? He claims
that, “Bob insulted my deceased mother”! How did Bob “insult” Max’s
deceased mother? I presumably referred to him, to a third party, as a Son
of a Bitch. Now I don’t honestly remember referring to that SOB as an SOB,
but in this case, I wouldn’t call the SOB a liar – just an unusually
spiteful and hateful little boy hiding his spitefulness behind his mother’s
skirts. One would have to be literally insane to interpret such an alleged
comment as “an insult to [one’s] dead mother”!
To add insult to injury, the current director of the regional AFSC, the good
Reverend Mark Lancaster, continues to approve all of this behavior because
he feels that he “must protect the peace and justice community from Bob
Kaufman”! Pitiful!
Does this make us feel safer? Personal slights, real, imagined, or
invented, should never be allowed to interfere with our strivings and
struggles for peace and justice!

P.S. The truly tragic aspect to this whole nasty business is that Max has
been a mainstay of the anti-war and anti-apartheid movements for decades.
He’s a prolific mailer and fax-er to those he believes deserving. He gets
his well reasoned letters published in The Sun. He’s paid his dues in
arrests and jail time – (long exceeding mine). With his brains and drive he
probably could be living very comfortably by now had he chosen a less
relevant path. He is tirelessly married to the movement.
However, he negates all these positive contribution through his crusade to
prevent other honest anti-war advocates from contributing their optimum
potential.
He must be made to stop this service to our enemy – our ruling class.
The AFSC must be made to be true to its original principles.
Peace and freedom activists must make this happen.


ADDENDUM

Now, insofar as Pledge’s other e-mail spokesperson, Maria Allwine goes, she
goes too far.
In response to her earlier misdirected, personally hateful and literally
ignorant diatribe against me – Michael Melick not wanting to embarrass her,
and being a gentleman, declined to mention her by name in his e-mail
response.
Her nakedly, venomous response to Michael’s e-mail deserves no such
consideration from myself.
I have no idea who this woman could be.
I have no idea why I have become the target of her entirely non-political,
misdirected cause for unhappiness.
I am, however, disappointed that other members and friends of Pledge haven’t
differentiated themselves from Maria’s and Max’s divisive and extremely
un-Catholic and un-Quaker personal attacks.
Whatever happened to “hating the sin, but loving the sinner”? Why are we
hearing such violent, hurtful rantings from “pacifists”?
Using the same kind of illogic and injustice, she now attacks Ron Solomon as
akin to Kaufman in his presumed “dishonesty”.
George W. has his Evil Triangle (Iraq, Iran and North Korea).
In Allwine’s mind, I am no longer the only evil one. Ron, too, is part of
the Evil Axis. What will it take for Michael to complete the “Evil
Triangle”? God forbid, other fair-minded comrades should join the dialogue
and we will become “the Evil Square”, “The Evil Pentagon”, etc.
This particularly offensive personality I seem to have seems to be
spreading. An epidemic! It’s the “one rotten apple” syndrome. We must be
stopped! Ordinary democratic procedures are not enough! Extraordinary
means are necessary! We are perverting the minds of youths!
Perhaps we should call up the Thought Police and The Language Police – hold
Baltimore un-Quaker activity committee hearings. Condemn us to wear a
Scarlet Letter. Off with our heads!
Fellow anti-war activists – can’t you see where we’re going with this
nonsense?
This is not a high school sorority which blackballs the less attractive
girls. You don’t have to love all your comrades in this struggle. We just
have to struggle on with each other – not against each other. The stakes
are too high – literally millions of lives – perhaps the survival of life.
We are being led down the same road as was the German anti-imperialist
movement in the late 20’s. Then the German Social Democrats and Communist
Party exhausted so much energy fighting each other that the Nazis
goose-stepped to power without the working class firing a shot. Result –
World War II and The Holocaust!
Leon Trotsky argued then for the United Front against Fascism.
He described the United Front as unity in struggle while preserving the
right of open criticism of political and theoretical differences – freedom
of speech.
We propose the same. Always have. Always will.

NOTE: IN THESE DOCUMENTS WE HAVE ALLUDED TO EMAILS RECEIVED FROM TWO MEMBERS
OF THE PLEDGE OF RESISTANCE. IF ANY READER WOULD LIKE COPIES OF THE EMAILS,
EMAIL US AT THE ABOVE ADDRESS AND WE'LL EMAIL THEM TO YOU.


A Just and Tolerant State of the Union
(Statement of A. Robert Kaufman delivered at the Pledge’s Counter-Inaugural
on Jan. 20)

A just and tolerant state of the union presupposes a just and tolerant mass
democratic movement which can rescue our country from the military /
industrial complex which has only too clearly stolen our government from us.
Who is “us”?
The “us” is the 90% of Americans who own less wealth than our ½% ruling
class.
Regardless of the lying Inaugural Addresses of a long line of lying
presidents, their real masters are the international corporations that
finance their elections.
It couldn’t be otherwise. He, who pays the fiddler, calls the tune.
For well over 3 decades their “tune” has been, “cut social services, health,
education, welfare, and environmental spending. Lengthen and speed up the
real work day, expand the underclass, increase illiteracy, addictions,
crime, illnesses – raise prices for healthcare, colleges, rents, gas and
electricity, transportation and food – while cutting taxes for the super
rich and the stinking rich – while giving them cost-plus, no bid war
contracts with minimal oversight, and killing any 3rd World people who stand
in their way to rule the world with the cannon fodder of our military youth.
Regardless of how much we attempt to beg them, or to appeal to their “better
natures” – they’re not going to change their tune. As Frederick Douglass
would say, “Never have – Never will!”
If we want the tune to change – we will have to take back our country and
change it ourselves.
If not us (the 90%) – who?
If not now – when?
Let us pledge here and now to begin the process of creating that just and
tolerant mass democratic movement which will rescue our country – and the
whole world in the process.


[NOTE: JUDGING BY THE APPLAUSE, IT WAS WARMLY RECEIVED BY THE ATTENDEES.]

A talk by Brian Becker National Coordinator of the ANSWER Coalition

A talk by Brian Becker

National Coordinator of the ANSWER Coalition

The ANSWER Coalition, the Washington D.C.-based group who organizesmass anti-war protests, has offered to send their National Coordinator, BrianBecker, to Baltimore to give a talk. The talk will be about the most current information aboutthe occupation of Iraq,current legal battles regarding the January 20th mass protest in DC,and what we can do as citizens to help stop the war and bring our tax dollarshome.

There will also be information on the mass protest planned for January20th in Washington D.C. for the Inauguration. Please come to this informative and important talk!

What? A talk by Brian Becker, National Coordinator of the ANSWER Coalition
for the people of Baltimore(independently organized)

When? Tuesday, January 18th from 6:30-7:30pm

Where? Greenmount School gymnasium

Who? Everyone is invited bring your kids,friends, neighbors, and ideas!

Refreshments will be served.

RSVP? No need to RSVP, but if you need directions, pleasecall Christina
Roskovich at 410-727-0008

To learn more about the ANSWER Coalition,
visit their website at www.answercoalition.org

Rally 12 Noon Thursday Jan 6th Upper Senate Park (west side of capital)

Election Fraud Kills Democracy
Save Our Country
Bring Back Fair Elections

The 2004 U.S.Election Is Not Over

Come to Lafayette Park (In Front of the White House) at 10:00 AM on January 6th to march with us to the Capital for the BIG rally in defense of Democracy at 12 noon.

This Thursday, 1:00 PM, the House of Representatives and the Senate will convene to decide whether or not to certify the electoral votes. Come to the Capitol Thursday NOON to DEMAND that Congress investigate the allegations of voter fraud BEFORE the electoral votes are certified.

Congressman Conyers (MI) and at least 13 other members of the House of Representatives are REFUSING TO CERTIFY THESE ELECTORAL VOTES.

Why? Because of serious allegations that have been reported under sworn testimony at the 2 congressional forums held by congressman Conyers.

The only way to insure elections are free and fair is for the voters themselves to stand up and demand their rights.

! THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE!
RALLY FOR YOUR RIGHTS:
12 NOON, THURSDAY JAN 6TH
UPPER SENATE PARK (west side of capitol)