A Surprise Ending in Case of the "Portland Three"
by Sally Breen
On June 23, 2001, Scott Miller, then director of Peace Action Maine; Wells
Staley-Mays, outreach coordinator; and I were arrested at Bath Iron Works
for trespassing as we attempted to enter the yard for the launching of yet
another Aegis Destroyer. The event had been widely publicized as open to the
public, and others were joining the crowd inside the gates. But each of us
had a sign tucked inside our shirts, and the guards recognized us as being
from "that group who were protesting across the street." Each sign told a
piece about the true danger of the Aegis Destroyer being launched that day.
We were handcuffed and taken to the sheriff's office for processing.
During the ensuing months, we made many trips to the courthouse in Bath;
each time we were told to come back another time. On May 2, 2002, we finally
had our day in court, with Judge Arthur Brennan. Although we were not
formally represented by a lawyer, we had previously spoken to several
lawyers, to Father Philip Berrigan, who was recently released from prison
for his latest actions against the war machine, and to the Center for
Defense Information.
Each of us testified about our personal reasons for acting. I spoke about
the many treaties and laws the United States is breaking by the production,
creation and use of nuclear weapons. I mentioned the Aegis Destroyer's
capability of carrying 32 nuclear-tipped Tomahawk cruise missiles, each one
being much larger than the one dropped on Hiroshima, where 140,000 people
were incinerated, and the one dropped on Nagasaki, where 70,000 people were
incinerated. Scott spoke about his arrest and conviction the year before,
and the fact that he felt he had a right to be allowed inside the gates that
day. Wells spoke about his life experiences as a peace activist, and told of
his commitment to the work of peace.
The prosecuting attorney recommended that we each receive a fine of $150;
however, Judge Brennan surprised us all.
He said we had every right to protest, just as the colonists had protested
against King George III and he declined to accept the prosecuting attorney's
suggestion. Instead, he ordered each of us to perform 20 hours of community
service for a non-profit organization before July 4th, commenting that, "I
think that date is appropriate for you three." He asked us each to write a
five-page paper taking the "other side" of the issue, and suggested that I
might like to write a paper explaining why it was appropriate for President
Truman to drop the bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. His final comment was
the ultimate surprise: "I would be happy to sit down with you and discuss
your papers." I am now busily reading the book "Truman" to try to get some
insight into that decision. Meanwhile, I'm enjoying my hours of community
service.
Back to Peace Talk Index, Summer, 2002