Active Conscience newsletter - Summer 2010

Check out the June 2010 issue of Active Conscience,  the WPSR newsletter just delivered to our members' doors!   Our summer newsletter covers all the latest on WPSR issues, including a report on the 8th Annual Western Regional International Health Conference on War & Global Health, a report back from the WPSR delegation to Gaza, and announcements for all our upcoming events: From Hiroshima to Hope, our Hanford Traveling Exhibit, the WPSR Annual Dinner, and more.  Read below, or download the PRINTABLE VERSI0N,

Active Conscience
News from Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility
Summer 2010

Physicians for Social Responsibility is the U.S. Affiliate of International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War IPPNW, recipient of the 1985 Nobel Peace Prize

War & Global Health Conference Addresses Pertinent Issues Surrounding Conflicts Around the World

In April in collaboration with the University of Washington's Department of Global Health, PSR presented the annual Western Regional International Health Conference. WPSR board member and Immediate Past President of PSR National, Dr. Evan Kanter headed up PSR's contribution to this important conference which addressed the significant impacts war and conflicts have upon health. More cognizant of the health impacts of war than many, Dr. Kanter, a VA psychiatrist, expertly guided the conference planning and execution, and the result was an extraordinary conference filled with excellent panels, plenary sessions and innumerable one on one conversations.

Starting from a baseline that war is responsible for more death and disability than many major diseases combined and that it leaves no area of health care or public health practice untouched, the goals of the conference were threefold: to frame war prevention and reduction as a legitimate area of study and practice for those in the public health and medical fields; to advance the understanding among medical and public health students and practitioners of the health consequences of war, and share information and tools on how these groups can contribute to peace building and mitigate the effects of conflict; and to develop new leaders in the medical and public health fields committed to war prevention and reduction.

In addition to Dr. Kanter's contributions both prior to and during the conference, PSR was well represented with National Executive Director Dr. Peter Wilk and Dr. Bob Gould speaking about PSR and nuclear weapons; Drs. Barry Levy and Vic Sidel presenting on The Health Effects of War; Dr. Tim Takaro discussing the Ecological Impacts of Warfare; Congressman Jim McDermott introducing keynote speaker Dr. Alfred McCoy; Dr. Paula Gutlove addressing Health Professionals Working for Peace; Dr. Sunil Aggarwal making significant contributions to the planning process; and WPSR staff and board hosting an information table and moderating several panels.

For more information on the conference as well as links to several of the presentations, see: www.wrihc.org 

L to R: National PSR Executive Director Peter Wilk, MD, San Francisco and National PSR Board Member Bob Gould, MD, and WPSR Board Member and PSR National Immediate Past President, Evan Kanter, MD, PhD.

 
WPSR Reports back from Gaza:
by Gerri Haynes, WPSR Board Member

In May, nine members of WPSR journeyed to Gaza to offer support for medical colleagues and members of Gaza's caregiving community. For six members of this delegation, this was a return visit to Gaza. Last October, they were part of the first WPSR service group to work, under the auspices of the Gaza Community Mental Health Programme, in Gaza's hospitals and clinics.

The 25 mile long, 3 to 7 mile wide territory of Gaza is home to 1.5 million people, over half of them refugees from 1948 and 1967 conflicts with Israel. Since 2006, Hamas has held political domain in Palestinian Gaza and for the last 3.5 years, Israel has maintained a punishing blockade at the land, air and sea borders of this small land. In December, 2008 and January, 2009, in stated response to rockets fired from Gaza to nearby towns of Israel, Gaza was attacked by Israeli forces - by air and on land. Nearly 1400 Gazans, over half of them children, were killed and 5000 were wounded. Significant destruction was done to the physical structures of Gaza - homes, schools, hospitals, mosques, fields, piping, electricity, etc. Rebuilding has been nearly impossible since the siege has barred importation of building materials. Until last week, following the disastrous journey of the Free Gaza flotilla, Gaza's southern border with Egypt had been closed for most of the last 3.5 years. A series of extremely dangerous tunnels from Rafah to Egypt provides a lifeline for bringing goods to Gaza.

Children smile for the camera in Gaza.

The result of these recent years is a public health disaster. Raw or partially treated sewage flows freely into the Mediterranean and seeps into the earth. The primary source of drinking water for Gaza is a single aquifer and this source is now polluted with seeping sewage and saline from the ocean. The World Health Organization reports that 90 - 95 percent of the people in Gaza do not have access to clean water. Destruction of Gaza's power plant resulted in power cuts for all of Gaza, four to eight hours/day. Much of the electricity used in Gaza is provided by generators (brought in through the tunnels). Generators pollute the air - asthma is on the rise. The rate of chronic malnutrition is now 10.2%.

The mental health of the population is at constant risk. Medical professionals who once traveled abroad to study or revitalize their educations are now unable to journey beyond the borders of their country. Many medicines and medical equipment and parts to repair and maintain medical equipment are not available. The brief, ten-day visit of our WPSR delegation allowed time for work and meetings with colleagues. Drs. Rich Grady, Laura Hart, Howard Putter and Don Mellman worked in their surgical specialties. Don Mellman also worked with groups on conflict resolution strategies. Dr. Bob Haynes saw patients and consulted in cardiology clinics. Debra Goff, an oncology nurse, worked in hospital clinics and taught classes. Dr. David Hall, Anne Hall and Gerri Haynes worked with the Gaza Community Mental Health Programme - consulting and teaching.

We hope to take another group of providers to Gaza in the coming year. The specialists in Gaza have asked that, in addition to the members of this group, we bring a retinal specialist, an oncologist and a specialist in treating children who have autism. Please let us know if you would like to serve in Gaza!

From Cherie Eichholz, WPSR Exec. Director 

Dear friends,

A couple weekends ago I was at Ground Zero Center for Non-Violent Action with WPSR board member Dave Hall, working on some finishing touches for the community center. At lunch one of the other workers turned to me and said, Cherie, what�s going on with WPSR? I turned to him and said everything is going on and I proceeded to tell him that with every program WPSR covers, there is movement right now.

These past months have seen developments in climate change legislation; the chemical bisphenol A (BPA) has been deemed too dangerous for Washington State citizens and federal chemical reform legislation was recently introduced; our work to close the TransAlta coal plant continues; a WPSR delegation just returned from the Middle East; our work promoting the safe, effective and timely clean-up at Hanford continues; and of course, who could ignore the developments on the nuclear weapons front.

I have said it before but I will say it again: our work is as important as it ever has been. Your commitment to our causes is reaping advancements and we should be proud of our accomplishments. However, if anything we should also recognize that our work is far from complete. The on-going struggle to disarm our nuclear weapons arsenal represents a classic example of how even when everyone agrees that we need to disarm, the steps necessary to make that happen are arduous and progress is painstakingly slow.

I urge you to look carefully and reflectively at this newsletter and check out the great work WPSR is doing. Know too that we are always looking for more health activists willing to help in the different program areas.

In peace, Cherie Eichholz, Executive Director

The Revolution Will Be Delicious
by Kathy Pryor, Healthy Food in Healthcare Program Coordinator, WPSR

Hospital food has something of a reputation. Long relegated to the same snide punch lines as airplane food, school lunches, and anything served with a 'spork', hospital food may not be perceived as the stuff of revolution. Yet in hundreds of hospitals around the country, revolution is simmering. WPSR has been stoking that revolution since 2007, when we began working with Health Care Without Harm's Healthy Food in Health Care initiative. The goal is deceptively simple: ask hospitals to serve nutritious, sustainable foods in their cafeterias, patient meals, and vending machines. The broader goal is using the moral authority of health care professionals and the massive purchasing power of hospitals to change our national food system.

We know our food chain is broken. Obesity is a health risk reaching pandemic proportions. Common agricultural pesticides are linked to ADHD, asthma, and environmental pollution. Over 70% of antibiotics used in the United States are used for nontherapeutic use in animal livestock, while the rate of antibiotic resistance in humans continues to rise. Our food chain is creating long-term, systemic health risks which physicians may feel powerless to fight.

That's where your hospital cafeteria comes in. Changing the way individuals eat offers numerous health benefits to the individual, without having much of an impact on the larger food system. However, when institutions change the way they feed their customers, that decision has a ripple effect among farmers, manufacturers, and distributors.

Think about how much your family spends each year on meat. Just meat. Now think about how that number compares to what an average hospital spends each year on meat`-about $500,000. When hospitals decide to purchase meat raised without hormones or non-therapeutic antibiotics, that action sends a much clearer message than individual households acting alone.

Washington hospitals to think about their food purchasing in a different way. We're asking them to buy more local organic products, to increase market opportunities for environmentally-responsible farmers. We're asking them to commit to a 20% reduction in the amount of meat served, and to use those cost savings to increase their purchase of sustainably raised meat, eggs, and poultry. We're asking them to create therapeutic vegetable gardens, to provide healthier beverages, and to purchase compostable products.

Twelve Washington hospitals have signed the "Healthy Food in Health Care Pledge", signifying their intent to model the types of food we should be eating. Seattle Children's Hospital, Island Hospital, Multicare Health System, Northwest Hospital, Swedish Medical Centers, Overlake Hospital, and UW Medical Center are all taking action to change the way we think of hospital food.

If you'd like to add your hospital to the list, or would like more information about the Healthy Food in Health Care initiative, please contact Kathy Pryor at Kathy -at wpsr.org.

UPCOMING EVENTS!

WPSR Reports back from Gaza:
the 2010 Public Health Crisis
Sunday, July 18, 7 PM
University Temple United Methodist Church, Seattle
Come hear about the current situation in Gaza, the public health crisis, and the WPSR delegation's May 2010 trip to Gaza.
For more info contact cherie -at wpsr.org.

WPSR's Code Black campaign, reception
When: August 5, 5:30 PM
Where: TBA
What: Happy hour! Meet new people, learn how you can
get involved with WPSR's CODE BLACK campaign and
work to become a coal free state!

Please RSVP by emailing Jessie Duvall at jessie -at wpsr.org.

Join WPSR members and allies at the University District's Varsity Theater, for the Seattle premiere of
Countdown to Zero, which "traces the history of the atomic bomb from its origins to the present state of global affairs."
Premiering Friday, July 30 at The Varsity Theater

From Hiroshima to Hope
Friday, August 6, 2010
6:00 - 9:30 PM
NW Shore of Green Lake
South of the Seattle Public Theater
(formerly the Bathhouse Theatre)
From Hiroshima to Hope is Seattle's annual lantern lighting ceremony in remembrance of the victims of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and all victims of war and other violence. Organized by a coalition of peace, religious, civil liberties and cultural heritage organizations. To volunteer, please email fhthvolunteers -at  gmail.com. For more info call 425-868-0285
[photo]

SAVE THE DATE!
WPSR Annual Dinner
November 14, 2010
Hosted Social, Dinner & Program
University of Washington Center for Urban Horticulture
Tickets: $75. Reservations available by phone (206.547.2630) or at www.wpsr.org.
Keynote Speaker, Reverend Rich Lang
"Now is No Time to Sleep: Why We Must Recreate the World"
A presentation on seeking peace through actions toward justice

The Safe Chemicals Act of 2010: Leaving Behind Chemical by Chemical Assessment by Cherie Eichholz, WPSR Executive Director

The Safe Chemicals Act of 2010, introduced in Congress in April, provides WPSR and other groups a key opportunity to advance policies that seek to protect public health. If stringently enacted, this legislation (replacing the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)), would dramatically change the way in which chemicals are manufactured, requiring new health and safety information for all chemicals and requiring chemicals to meet minimum health safety standards.

As the law currently stands, the burden of proof rests on the EPA to demonstrate that a chemical is dangerous before it can be regulated. Unfortunately, this has proven very difficult to do. In TSCA's 34 year history, only 200 out of approximately 80,000 chemicals in commerce have been assessed for safety and only five chemicals have been restricted for use. Thus, people are routinely exposed to chemicals which were never adequately investigated.

This scenario has left many saying "if only." If only we had known that dioxin could cause birth defects. If only we had known that BPA is related to an increased susceptibility to cancer and a host of metabolic disorders. And for healthcare professionals, if only we had known that the gel we use to wash our hands contained Triclosan, an endocrine disrupter which has been shown to negatively impact the thyroid.

We residents of Washington State are relatively lucky in that vociferous constituents and constituent groups along with state legislators have recognized the health risks of certain chemicals and have taken steps to protect people by enacting more stringent legislation than that of the federal government. Yet, despite our best efforts we continue to legislate on a chemical by chemical basis and chemical manufacturers are not required to demonstrate a chemical's safety before it enters the marketplace.

As health practitioners we are keenly aware that the manner in which chemicals are currently regulated is making it difficult for us to advance the health of our patients, much less our own health. Continuing to manufacture and distribute any chemicals which are not rigorously studied prior to distribution is not merely irresponsible, it actually poses significant threats to human health. At WPSR we are hopeful that legislators across the country will move swiftly to strengthen and pass the Safe Chemicals Act of 2010.

If you are interested in finding out more about WPSR's toxics work and how you can help, please contact Cherie Eichholz at cherie -at wpsr.org.

Particles on the Wall hits the road!
by Idil Levitas, Particles on the Wall Coordinator

Call for artists, volunteers, groupies, art appreciators, and history buffs

History's not just in text books anymore. Art and culture are no longer just for our consumption. They're made by us, and they're on the wall.

Particles on the Wall (POTW) - the first interdisciplinary exhibit of its kind - exploring Hanford history and the nuclear age will be on display in August at the Richland Public Library, and at the Empyrean Coffee House in Spokane in September. The exhibit connects art and science to investigate and illuminate the nuclear site, how these issues thread through our lives and their bearing on the Columbia River and the natural world. POTW is seeking submissions of visual art, literary art, and memorabilia and especially encourages past or present residents of the tri-cities and Spokane areas to apply for these shows! Whether you worked at Hanford or Bangor, or grew up near one of them, we want to hear your stories, see your art, and share it with our communities.

Not an artist? You can still get involved! If you want to help take POTW on the road, contact Idil Levitas at idill -at wpsr.org or 206-547-2630.

POTW is organized by its Artists' Advisory Committee, Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility and The Institute of Neurotoxicology & Neurological Disorders. POTW's inaugural exhibit was hosted by The Allegro Caf・in January, 2010. Key components can be viewed online at particlesonthewall.org.

This exhibit is funded in part through a grant from Washington State Department of Ecology. While supported materials were reviewed for grant consistency, this does not necessarily constitute endorsement by the Department.

At POTW's inaugural exhibit at The Allegro Cafe in Seattle, viewers vie for elbow room as they take in the exhibit, snacks, and live music.

New Projects for WANMEC by Nick Thorp, WANMEC Project Manager

Since late 2009, WPSR staff and interns have been hard at work developing two new interactive tools for the Washington Nuclear Museum and Educational Center website (wanmec.org). One of our endeavors is to teach and inform people about the Hanford Nuclear Reservation; to build up an informed public interested in the past, present, and future of the facility. Through hours of research we have uncovered and assembled a wealth of information on Hanford, its history, and its impacts on the world that has previously remained hidden away in books, government documents, and official reports. By placing this information in the context of history, society, and culture, we hope to create a more comprehensive understanding of Hanford and its impacts on Washington State, the US, and the world.

One of our projects, The Hanford History Timeline, aims to create a comprehensive history of the Hanford area that allows people to understand how much it changed and what sacrifices were made for those changes to occur. Most historical accounts of Hanford start in the 1940s when construction began, leaving out information on the history of the land, the Native Americans who previously inhabited it, and the settlers who arrived in the 1800s. An extensive list of dates will be placed on the interactive timeline with articles, pictures, newspaper clippings, and other media relating to that date.

The second project in development is an interactive map about the impacts of Hanford. When people first think of the impact of Hanford, the Columbia River, which it sits along, or Nagasaki, Japan, where the bomb that Hanford helped built exploded in World War II, often comes to mind first. However, this is only the tip of the iceberg. Hanford would not have been possible without processing and production facilities throughout the country, which provided it with the ingredients and knowledge to create plutonium for the atomic bomb. These facilities had their own impacts on the surrounding environment and populations. Not only was Hanford importing such products and radioactive waste, it was also exporting waste, materials for bombs, and other material around the globe, again, with their own respective impacts on environmental and public health. We have plotted many of these places on an interactive Google Map with detailed articles, pictures, videos and more to make using the tool both informative and fun.

Check the WANMEC website often as updates to these projects occur regularly.

Towards a Coal Free Northwest

Washington State is lucky to employ only one major coal plant: the TransAlta Coal Plant in Centralia, WA. Unfortunately that plant is by far the single largest source of climate pollution in Washington State and is responsible for nearly 10 times more pollution than the next largest polluter. The TransAlta Coal Plant also emits significant amounts of mercury pollution and is a major contributor to haze in Mt. Rainier National Park. Recently, an agreement between Washington State (both our governor, Christine Gregoire, and the Washington State Department of Ecology) and TransAlta Corp (which operates the Centralia Coal Plant) has been reached to reduce climate and mercury pollution, yet falls far short of truly addressing current public health concerns.

With a small grant from PSR National to conduct Code Black work coupled with the efforts of several WPSR board members, WPSR has succeeded in educating local health professionals and the public on the health risks of coal, specifically those associated with TransAlta plant. WPSR is grateful to be working closely with a coalition to close the plant by 2015, rather than 2020 or later. On the coalition, ours is the voice of public health and our physician members have been able to offer expert comments and perspectives on a regular basis. Unfortunately, and despite facts already mentioned as well as the fact that the State enjoys natural resources which would render the plant unnecessary, just recently, Governor Gregoire signed a bill that continues a $5 million annual tax break for the company, a seemingly small amount but a sign that our coalition's work is cut out for us.

Closing this plant and hopefully the single plant in Oregon, thus becoming a coal free Northwest, would be monumental and so many of the pieces are in place to make this happen. Closing the TransAlta plant by 2015 is a real possibility. If you are interested in getting involved with this work, please contact the WPSR office.

You are invited!

By now you likely know that WPSR is working hard towards a coal free Northwest. Maybe you've heard WPSR experts on the radio or in person and have begun learning about how Washington can become a coal free state. Or maybe you've signed a postcard. Or you've signed a postcard or took online action to urge Governor Gregoire to take leadership on the fate of Washington's only coal plant. Now you're wondering what's next, what else can you do to ensure we have clean air, clean water and healthy communities. Here's what's next.

Come to our happy hour to meet great people, learn more about WPSR's Code Black campaign, and find out and how you can get involved to continue working to make the planet a brighter, healthier place.

When: August 5, 5:30 PM
Where: TBA
What: Happy hour! Meet new people, learn how you can
get involved with WPSR's CODE BLACK campaign and
work to become a coal free state!

Please RSVP by emailing Jessie Duvall at jessie -at wpsr.org.

Climate Roundup by Margaret Kitchell, MD, WPSR Board Member

The House of Representatives passed a climate and energy bill last year, but the Senate was bogged down with the Health care debate; so far the Senate has just launched discussions. There is concern that not much time is left before Senators focus on the fall elections.

Despite the Gulf disaster which highlights our dependency on oil, many representatives have distanced themselves from efforts on climate change. Graham has dropped out of sponsoring the American Power Act, and support for other proposals is nearly nil from Republicans. For example, Scott Brown, despite a 1 on 1 meeting with Obama, has denounced comprehensive legislation as an "energy tax."

In President Obama's speech June 15 about the Gulf Oil disaster, he spoke of addiction to fossil fuel and that the disaster is the most painful reminder of the urgency of clean energy. While acknowledging the House bill, he did not detail bills in the Senate, rather indicating he was open to many different proposals. There have been meetings on the leading bills- the American Power Act, Cantwell's CLEAR act, and Merkey's bill. Obama has invited key Senators to discuss energy bills at the White House.

National PSR is emphasizing 3 elements: 1) capping carbon with firm targets and timelines, 2) defining clean energy as renewable energy and efficiency, 3) ending dirty energy subsidies, such as that for nuclear, coal and oil. The important elements are: a) targeting 350 parts-per-million carbon dioxide equivalent (ppm CO2-eq), which is the safe upper limit that provides a greater than 90% probability of staying within 2ｰC of preindustrial global average temperatures, b) retaining EPA authority to regulate CO2, c) a moratorium on new coal plants, d) opposing subsidies for nuclear, e) limiting offsets to 10% and assuring that they be real, additional, permanent, quantifiable, and enforceable, and f) establishing renewable energy standards.

There are encouraging efforts at regional and local levels. The state of Washington is continuing to move forward on the Western Climate Initiative, cap and trade on a regional level and efforts to measure and lower emissions. Counties are involved in "Cool Counties", where King County is a leader in efforts to prevent and adapt to climate change. The city of Seattle has pledged to become climate neutral, and 2008 data showed that the city had met the Kyoto target, but there are challenges for the future.

Currently 34 cities in Washington have signed onto the US Conference of Mayors Climate Protection Agreement. Seattle is gearing up for developing electric vehicle infrastructure as commercial all-electric vehicles will be coming out this fall.

What you can do:

1) Write letters to the editor asking Senators Murray and Cantwell to use their leadership in promoting a strong, comprehensive climate bill.

2) Contact Murray toll free: (866) 481-9186 and Cantwell toll free: (888) 648-7328 and let them know you want their leadership in a strong and comprehensive climate bill.

3) Contact WPSR (wpsr -at wpsr.org) to get more involved.

Nuclear Abolition: Local Facts on the Ground
by Dave Hall, MD, WPSR Board Member

President Obama is investing serious political capitol toward nuclear abolition. It's up to us to whip up all the major public support we can in order to overcome the powerful pockets of resistance from the weapons industry and their allies. Total abolition is in no way an assured outcome.

On the upside, the Ground Zero house in Poulsbo next to the nuclear submarine base on Hood Canal is very real, almost finished, and nearly self-sufficient financially. WPSR has been a major partner in this project. Senator Murray's staff has told us that whenever the Bangor base comes up for discussion, Ground Zero's resistance to the weapons also comes up, which greatly helps make the case that the public is not entirely happy with these weapons of mass destruction.

Pictured here, Cherie Eichholz and Jay Bollman joined in our latest work party to put the finishing touches on the house exterior. The grounds are next. Don Markwick with his Bobcat has moved tons of dirt, cleared scraggly trees, and leveled the parkland. Volunteers will be planting grass and digging in landscape plantings.

Email Dave Hall if you'd like to join in (gz -at familyhealing.com)

The Ground Zero community's next big gathering will be over Hiroshima-Nagasaki weekend. Stay tuned through the WPSR or Ground Zero website (gzcenter.org).

Praise for the 2010 War & Health Conference
Amy Hagopian, PhD, Acting Assistant Professor University of Washington Department of Global Health

"We were very pleased with the success of the conference. University of Washington students from across campus worked together, under the leadership of national PSR Immediate Past President Evan Kanter, to organize and structure the conference. We featured important speakers from the field, and we believe we advanced our goal of elevating the issue of war and militarism as a global health problem deserving of academic attention. It was an extraordinary gathering of more than 650 people, and we had many important co-sponsors, including PSR and several west coast universities. Perhaps most remarkably, the conference was chaired by a graduate student, Becky Bartlein, who led the effort as the centerpiece of her master's thesis. We intend to write up the conference for a journal article, too. We are pleased our relatively new Department of Global Health could put this issue on the academic public health agenda."

WPSR Joins Nuclear Disarmament Rally May 2, 2010

On Sunday, May 2, WPSR members, supporters and allies gathered at Seattle University's Quad to declare our opposition to nuclear weapons. Participants listened to some great speakers including Dr. David and Reverend Anne Hall, and then marched downtown with approximately 200 friends and colleagues. Pictured above, Gerri Haynes and Bob Haynes, MD, carry the WPSR banner. This event was organized by Ground Zero Center for Non-Violent Action. Along with the marchers and dozens of handheld signs, a dozen or so held tight to a a life-size replica of a trident missile,

The event coincided with demonstrations around the world demanding that the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review set a firm date and implementation plan for the total elimination of nuclear weapons. See the WPSR website for great photos and video footage of the march and talks.

poem of protest
by Tom Buchanan, WPSR Artist in Residence

Not the appearance of actions but their inward proof
celebrate those for what they do beyond chance,
as a drawing first pencils then courage paints a canvas
spurs the spirit across the ages of earth's stage

Diane Nash's hands sweat-soaked before Nashville sit ins, 1960
her fear of white power never ceased, seldom did she appease
when twenty students signed their last wills to freely ride
buses veering Southward, she, lessoned in fear, did preside

John Lewis, the countryiest Nashville student,
had no belief he could lead, struck down, unbent
after buses and bridges, hunted on dark wooded roads,
創ever having so much dignity' in front he strode

Ruzka, Polish Jew, hid from Nazis in Vilna's Ghetto
kept her father's wish, "the holiday fast.. never let it go"
enlists with partisans in the swamps, mines she nestles
derailed German munitions off wooden trestles

Sophie Scholl led the White Rose Munich clandestines
their last communique began: "Fellow Students! The day
of reckoning has come for the most contemptible tyrant
our people has ever endured." guillotined, she did not break

Mahatma Gandhi aroused a Salt Tax march to Dandi
voiced to India's poorest in villages along the way
"with this lump of salty mud, I shake the British Empire"
his Satyagraha non-violence vision inspires

Our traedy is never baring our universal fears:
zealots, attacks, ignorance of dried tears
pity those tears

love humans' spirit much slighted
honor compassion that incites