By Norm Lowry

“We are all born & someday we’ll all die…to some degree alone. What if our aloneness isn’t a tragedy? What if our aloneness is what allows us to speak the truth without being afraid? What if our aloneness is what allows us to adventure; to experience the world as a dynamic presence—as a changeable, interactive thing?” Rachel Corrie

My 2009 included investing just short of six months in the Lancaster PA (USA) County Prison; the result of a choice to speak out pointedly against the injustices fomented by my birth-country (USA) against the world's peoples, as well as her own. Having lived for most of my life, blind & deaf to the truth of such travesties, it was an honor to make such an investment. Though well aware that it would be impossible to atone for my past failures to engage against the grand lies, I am utterly committed to standing in the gap (for the balance of my life) by simply saying "NO" to all that is injustice...no matter the personal cost.

It is not my intention to say that I know much at all, but for some time now I have searched the public record, seeking to mine the genuine truth which is all too often shrouded behind the current offerings of our leaders & their biased main-stream media. Humanly, I tremble at the thought of standing 'seemingly alone' against the monstrous oppressive evil that exists. But as Gandhi so aptly said, "My nonviolence does not admit of running away from danger and leaving dear ones unprotected". My life no longer has value, save when I share the best of what I might have with others less fortunate or when I fail to share in the suffering of the "least" of my human brothers & sisters.

Many of you have invested your time & talents to share your journey with me, among the many who read your offerings. For this, I shall be eternally grateful. Our Creator & you have given me the needed inspiration to engage with all that is pure within me. You have taught me how to "reduce myself to zero" (Gandhi) so that I might seek no reward save love, in my quest to live as a part of a life-giving, creation-filled solution to the evils of this world.

Tomorrow (Friday, January 15, 2010), I shall return to Lancaster PA (USA) County Prison. Though it does not promise to be much fun, it will most certainly be a worthwhile investment. To all who suffer injustice, please know that you are dearly loved.

What follows is a copy of the statement I will present to the U. S. Military & to the local police...

To the Lancaster PA U. S. Military Recruiters:

Last April 16th (2009), I visited your site, willfully & purposefully causing destruction to some of your vehicles, as a Spiritual, Socio-Political Protest against the extreme violence, racism & poverty-production of the United States of America; to me, the most evil-ever imperialistic empire in the history of this world.

My Protest was three-fold:

First, my Protest was against the Fiscal, Political and Military Policies of the U.S., which in my short, nearly 60 year life have taken my country to war (covertly or overtly) with 150+ sovereign nations, causing the purposeful (and mostly preventable) deaths of over 2 Billion citizens. Note: Currently, U.S. policies and sanctions are responsible for 70,000,000+ deaths per year; over half of which are children, from whom we simply withhold food and water. The public record calls these deaths "excess" (unnecessary).

Second, my Protest was against the U.S. Prison System, which houses nearly 25% of the world's total prison population (not including Military and CIA Torture Prisons), in a nation comprising merely 4.6% of its entire population. Absolutely baffling is the fact that 80% of all U.S. crime is said to be committed by "white collar" criminals, while 80% of all U.S. prisoners are said to be "blue collar" criminals or the facts of the extreme violence perpetrated or allowed (by the guards) against the inmates or the extreme racism of the system.

Third, my Protest was against the so called "Justice System", which seems eager to speedily move through and showcase the "high profile" cases (cases that will reelect them or win them political points?; e.g.-Lancaster County PA USA Roseboro murder case--involving a rich man) in little more than a year’s time; while allowing many (especially minorities) to sit in Prison for 2-4+ years, without being allowed their constitution-guaranteed "speedy" processes.

Today, I am here continuing said protest, though only as a presentation of the fact that I have not given up (nor will I give up) my openly declared "...nonviolent war...against all mechanisms of said violence, racism & poverty-productions". After presenting you with this written document, it is my intention to sit here until arrested.

I implore all of you to consider ceasing your association with the U. S. Military; now at war with in excess of forty (40+) sovereign countries; aiding in the fruitless, though purposeful extermination of more than 200,000 worldwide citizens each & every day.

Two days ago, I met for the last time with my Lancaster County Probation Officer (one of the finest human beings I have yet met), stating my intent to utterly disengage from the Probation process (including keeping scheduled appointments, paying restitution for damages done to your vehicles, paying fines & costs, etc.). In keeping with my stated renouncing of my U. S. Citizenship (a response to the mass apathy among U.S citizenry; especially those who claim Loving Allegiance to our Creator, who seem all too willing to turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to the gross injustices and crimes of the USA), I presented to my Probation Officer & her Supervisor my shredded documents of personal identification (original Birth Certificate, Social Security Cards & PA Driver License).

I am deeply in love with the peoples of our world & will unwaveringly stand with all who are oppressed (most assuredly including the millions among the U. S. Citizenry, who are now feeling the pangs of hunger & the noose of death more fully, as our potentially great society dies the death we have inflicted upon our world-neighbors). I will NOT stand by blind, deaf & idle, while these reprehensible injustices are meted out (mercilessly) against those who possess what we merely desire to steal...

Any questions you might have, regarding my choice of protest, will find answers in my personal writings (most published in the world's independent media) at www.normanlowry.blogspot.com.

Blessings...

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Norman Edger Lowry Jr.
norman.lowry@gmail.com

Norm Lowry has gone from Ultra-Con to Political Dissident; from institutional church member to being madly "In Love" with our Creator; from being comfortable with pounding the crap out of humanity to public, non-violent activism; from adhering to censored media to digging in the public record. As they come for the innocents, they will now have to walk over my dead body (or listen to me talk, until my body is dead). My friends often ask if I have a death wish. The Truth is that I have a life wish. My heart is utterly broken. My only aim is to "Love Mercy" & to "Do Justice" - to lift another "above the emptiness of their unbearable life..."