Holy Innocents Remembered - Stratcom

At the annual Feast of the Holy Innocents witness on December 28 at Offutt Air Force Base near Omaha, fifteen people, including five military veterans, crossed the line. Offutt is headquarters for the U.S. Strategic Command (StratCom), the nuclear war planners and bosses.

The line crossers declared "We are here, moved by the Spirit of the loving God, to proclaim the message of the Jubilee Year: to bring glad tidings to the poor; to proclaim liberty to the captives; to let the oppressed go free; and to preserve God's creation by abolishing nuclear weapons...

"We hope for a conversion of StratCom from Herod's conspiracy of slaughter of the innocents to the Christ child's promise of justice and peace. In the name of national security, Herod was willing to slaughter innocent children. In the name of national security and to protect our way of life, StratCom's weapons threaten the slaughter of all life on earth..."

All fifteen were arrested and soon released with ban and bar letters. Three of the men arrested face possible prosecution for reentry after earlier line crossings, but have not yet heard from the federal court.

Unreported in the last Nuclear Resister was an arrest August 7 during the 21st annual Hiroshima and Nagasaki commemorative vigil and protest at Offutt Air Force Base. Rev. Bob Cook crossed the line to enter the base, was arrested and released with a ban and bar letter.

For more information, contact the Des Moines Catholic Worker, POB 45551, Des Moines IA 50306, (515)243-0765.