Update on the Sisters

Sisters, Ardeth Platte, Carol Gilbert and Jackie Hudson are serving time in federal prisons for their nonviolent action in October, 2002 at a Colorado missle site. Here, we share a couple of excerpts of letters from Carol and Ardeth. To read all of their letters, go to the web site of the community where Ardeth and Carol live (when not in prison):<www.jonahhouse.org>
They are waiting on word of a ruling on their appeal.

If you would like to write to them, their address is on the above web site, or linked from traversepeacealerts.org. They continue to inspire many people with their courage and perseverance.

Ardeth Platte
With hope we give our lives for a world without wars, weapons, and walls regardless of the consequences. With hope Rachel Corrie stood before the bulldozer to protect the homes, olive orchards and Palestinian people. With hope Plowshares people symbolically and nonviolently inspect, expose and disarm nuclear weapons/weapons of mass destruction. With hope Amy Goodman lifts the voices of the struggling and poorest people and releases the news untold. With hope Michael Moore unmasks the hidden facts and buried secrets to allow democracy to work. With hope Roy Bourgeois, Martin Sheen, Susan Sarandon and 16,000 people demonstrated again for the closure of the death-dealing training at the School of Assassins/WHISC Ft. Benning base. Douglas Roche, Anabel Dwyer, Susan Tyburski, Walter Gerash, Scott Poland, Cliff Bernard, lawyers and authors, etc. share hope as they pursue the upholding of law, implementing of treaties and conventions.

Kathy Kelly, Voices in the Wilderness, Peace Teams who share basic necessities, accompany the children and remain in the war zones display hope in the midst of terror. Kairos, Open Door Community, Catholic Worker Houses, Sanctuaries for CO’s bestow hope to homeless, hungry, exiled and refugees. Our prayer communities in prison who hold each other up live hope in the face of an oppressive and punitive system that dehumanizes, knocks down, punishes and injures the spirit. With hope all of you who teach, preach, and witness non-violence send tidal waves of hope across the world. My Dominican and Jonah Communities risk hope in love

Post-election Hope
My vision of hope became clear this morning as I walked the Danbury Prison track in the midst of a sun rising and painting the horizon below and the clouds above reds of every shade. I experienced the renewed fidelity of my sisters and brothers who call themselves justice and peace makers to walk the walk rather than count on politicians to do our work.

Carol Gilbert
Federal prisons are overcrowded and short on staff. The federal prison population has tripled since 1990. The inmate population was 33-39% over capacity a year ago. The government plans to open 17 new prisons by 2008. It has more than 100 now. Drug sentences account for more than half of all prisoners and the other major area is crimes of money. Our staff at Alderson has gone from 60 guards to 35 guards in the past four years. We are not supervised much of the time. Statistics could fill volumes and yet what do we know – a famous writer once said something to this effect: “ Statistics are faces with the tears wiped off !”

Everyone here has been stripped naked. We have been stripped of more than just our physical clothes but also of titles and professions. We come in all shapes, sizes, ages, classes, races and countries.

Getting to know a woman here is a bit like peeling an onion – layer by layer. Some are here for just a few days or weeks and others can face 15 years or more.

This quote from Jeanette Stokes speaks volumes to me of my life with these women: “ I am a porous being. There are spaces in my soul like the open spaces in a web. Other people pass through me. I am changed and sometimes I am born again to a whole new way of being .”

		february 2005 -- Issue 13

Update on the Sisters Sisters, Ardeth Platte, Carol Gilbert and Jackie Hudson are serving time in federal prisons for their nonviolent action in October, 2002 at a Colorado missle site. Here, we share a couple of excerpts of letters from Carol and Ardeth. To read all of their letters, go to the web site of the community where Ardeth and Carol live (when not in prison):<www.jonahhouse.org> They are waiting on word of a ruling on their appeal. If you would like to write to them, their address is on the above web site, or linked from traversepeacealerts.org. They continue to inspire many people with their courage and perseverance. Ardeth Platte With hope we give our lives for a world without wars, weapons, and walls regardless of the consequences. With hope Rachel Corrie stood before the bulldozer to protect the homes, olive orchards and Palestinian people. With hope Plowshares people symbolically and nonviolently inspect, expose and disarm nuclear weapons/weapons of mass destruction. With hope Amy Goodman lifts the voices of the struggling and poorest people and releases the news untold. With hope Michael Moore unmasks the hidden facts and buried secrets to allow democracy to work. With hope Roy Bourgeois, Martin Sheen, Susan Sarandon and 16,000 people demonstrated again for the closure of the death-dealing training at the School of Assassins/WHISC Ft. Benning base. Douglas Roche, Anabel Dwyer, Susan Tyburski, Walter Gerash, Scott Poland, Cliff Bernard, lawyers and authors, etc. share hope as they pursue the upholding of law, implementing of treaties and conventions. Kathy Kelly, Voices in the Wilderness, Peace Teams who share basic necessities, accompany the children and remain in the war zones display hope in the midst of terror. Kairos, Open Door Community, Catholic Worker Houses, Sanctuaries for CO’s bestow hope to homeless, hungry, exiled and refugees. Our prayer communities in prison who hold each other up live hope in the face of an oppressive and punitive system that dehumanizes, knocks down, punishes and injures the spirit. With hope all of you who teach, preach, and witness non-violence send tidal waves of hope across the world. My Dominican and Jonah Communities risk hope in love Post-election Hope My vision of hope became clear this morning as I walked the Danbury Prison track in the midst of a sun rising and painting the horizon below and the clouds above reds of every shade. I experienced the renewed fidelity of my sisters and brothers who call themselves justice and peace makers to walk the walk rather than count on politicians to do our work. Carol Gilbert Federal prisons are overcrowded and short on staff. The federal prison population has tripled since 1990. The inmate population was 33-39% over capacity a year ago. The government plans to open 17 new prisons by 2008. It has more than 100 now. Drug sentences account for more than half of all prisoners and the other major area is crimes of money. Our staff at Alderson has gone from 60 guards to 35 guards in the past four years. We are not supervised much of the time. Statistics could fill volumes and yet what do we know – a famous writer once said something to this effect: “ Statistics are faces with the tears wiped off !” Everyone here has been stripped naked. We have been stripped of more than just our physical clothes but also of titles and professions. We come in all shapes, sizes, ages, classes, races and countries. Getting to know a woman here is a bit like peeling an onion – layer by layer. Some are here for just a few days or weeks and others can face 15 years or more. This quote from Jeanette Stokes speaks volumes to me of my life with these women: “ I am a porous being. There are spaces in my soul like the open spaces in a web. Other people pass through me. I am changed and sometimes I am born again to a whole new way of being .”

February 2005 -- Issue 13	Gatherings Main Index	Center Home