Peace Action Maine Honors Sally Breen
After many years of leadership, Sally Breen is stepping down as Chair of the
Disarmament Committee. This is the end of a very successful period in the
growth of Peace Action Maine's program work, for which we are immensely
grateful. All of us honor her years of work, and pay tribute to all she has
accomplished.
Disarmament of nuclear and conventional weapons, reduction of U.S. arms
sales around the world and the re-ordering of federal budget priorities (to
favor human needs over Pentagon spending) have been central issues in our
program work. When Sally took on leadership of the Disarmament Committee she
brought, as well, her special and passionate focus on nuclear abolition.
Sally has led us in tireless lobbying of Congress and in the ongoing
education of committee members, our broader membership and the public. She
helped to organize our 1998 regional conference on nuclear abolition with
Jonathan Schell as keynote speaker. She has stood with international
activists at The Hague planning the abolition of war itself and at the Los
Alamos nuclear laboratories in New Mexico protesting development and testing
of nuclear weapons. She has represented Maine on the Peace Action National
Board and at the annual Peace Action National Congress.
Sally has taken advantage of every opportunity to influence popular
understanding of the bloated Pentagon budget by organizing annual signature
ads in the Maine Sunday Telegram, by writing and soliciting letters to the
editors of newspapers all over the state, visiting Portland Press Herald
editorial board meetings, participating in street actions, speaking out
eloquently on radio programs and travelling to many Maine churches to give
what she calls "the BB presentation" which brings home the terrible reality
of the nuclear fire-power our nation possesses. Dropping BB's into a metal
bowl makes a deafening sound, and, in order to demonstrate the sheer mass of
our arsenal, the BB's continue to fall for several interminable minutes.
Sally can be counted on to be creative as well as determined. All of us who
recall her toy phone ringing at the Peace Supper and her answering it
dressed as Susan Collins understand that she misses no chance to get her
message out.
Under her leadership the Disarmament Committee has increased significantly,
and, by her example, she has encouraged committee members to participate
through action.
It is a joy to us to see Sally take some time for herself but it's not easy
to let her go.
In the past few years, Sally has put us in touch with the work of the
Global Network Against Nuclear Weapons in Space. Bruce Gagnon, founder and
Director of that Network, came to Maine at Sally's request to speak at the
2003 Peace Supper. When Bruce and his partner, Mary Beth Sullivan, decided
to move to Maine they stayed at Sally's house while looking for a house of
their own. They have now settled in Brunswick, and Bruce has, with our
unanimous and heartfelt approval, agreed to take Sally's position as Chair
of our program committee. Recent discussion with Sally, the Peace Action
Maine Board, and members of the committee have resulted in a couple of
interesting changes. Now the title will be "Action Committee" and, in
January, the first quarterly regional Peace Community Gathering will be
held. We look forward to a new beginning with great optimism, great thanks
to Bruce, and comfort in knowing Sally will still be an active part of the
circle.
Back to Peace Talk Index,
Winter, 2003 - 2004