Good News!

by Polly Mann, WAMM

Twin Cities Activists "Not Guilty"

On June 14, 2000, Mary Vaughan, Jane McDonald, Tom Hooley, and Kathleen Ruona lay down on the sidewalk in front of the Alliant Techsystems while Tom Bottolene, Betty McKenzie, and fifteen-year-old Cecelia Loome drew outlines of their bodies with red, washable tempera paint. The activists sought to symbolize the deaths of civilians by weapons of war. They were protesting Alliant Techsystems' manufacture of arms. In particular, they were protesting the production of an armor-piercing weapon that contains radioactive uranium 238, and the objective individual combat weapon (OICW), now in development to replace the M-16 rifle. During the three-day trial of the four "corpses" (Vaughan, McDonald, Hooley, and Ruona) which began October 11, 2000, the defendants claimed the weapons manufacturer violated international law and treaties. The six-person jury found them "not guilty of trespassing." Felony charges have been filed against painters Bottolene, McKenzie, and Loome. It is hoped their verdicts can be found next month in this same "Good News" column.

Environmental Victory for UK Fish

Rivers and canals in England and Wales are probably cleaner than they have been since the start of the industrial revolution, with 92 percent classified as good enough to support fish life, according to the Environment Agency (Guardian Weekly, Sept. 28 - Oct. 4, 2000).

Argentine Court Rules IMF-Approved Debt Illegitimate

An Argentine Court declared invalid a large portion of the debts incurred under the Argentine military dictatorship, which ruled from 1976 to 1983. The court's decision states, "The country was being made more poor day by day, and it is important to remember that from 1976 the country was placed under the will of foreign creditors, and the functionaries of the International Monetary Fund participated in those negotiations" (Jubilee 2000, Washington, DC).

Argentine Catholic Church Asks for Forgiveness

The Argentine Roman Catholic church, accused of conniving with the dictatorship that ruled the country from 1976 to 1983 and caused the deaths of about 30,000 people, has officially asked for forgiveness. In a document unanimously adopted last week by its episcopal conference, the bishops admit: "We showed ourselves to be indulgent towards totalitarian behaviour and towards the infringement of democratic freedoms" (Guardian Weekly, Sept. 21-27, 2000).