83-year-old nun gets 20 year sentence for peaceful nuclear protest

[GliderGuider]

83-year-old nun gets 20 year sentence for peaceful nuclear protest

An 83-year-old nun who broke into a Tennessee depleted uranium storage facility in 2012 and splashed human blood on several surfaces, exposing a massive security hole at the nation’s only facility used to store radioactive conventional munitions, was convicted Wednesday and sentenced to a term of up to 20 years in prison.

The only regret Sister Megan Rice shared with members of her jury on Wednesday was that she wished 70 years hadn’t passed before she took direct action, according to the BBC. She and two other peace activists, 64-year-old Michael Walli and 56-year-old Greg Boertje-Obed, were convicted of “invasion of a nuclear facility” in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, even though investigators admitted they did not get close to any actual nuclear material.

As they invaded the Y-12 National Security Complex at Oak Ridge, a perimeter fence was cut, several surfaces were spray-painted, banners were hung and activists read from the Bible. They also spread human blood on several surfaces, saying its use was symbolic, meant to remind people “of the horrific spilling of blood by nuclear weapons.”

“The shortcomings in security at one of the most dangerous places on the planet have embarrassed a lot of people,” the activists’ attorney, Francis Lloyd, told members of the jury according to the BBC. “You’re looking at three scapegoats behind me.”

[Politicalboi]

1. They get embarrassed

And she gets 20 years. They should be rewarded for pointing out the security breaches they have, not arrested. I would hope Obama pardons these people.

[Nihil]

2. OK, so is this the kind of American "justice" stupidity that ...

... is just intended to "send a message" and which will be overturned on appeal?

Or is it it the kind of American "justice" stupidity that actually locks up non-violent,
non-greedy pot smokers for decades whilst ignoring violent and/or rich and/or powerful
people who actually kill people?



If the former then it is stupid but not particularly unexpected (trespass and non-violence
are seen as grievious crimes when enacted against corporations rather than the public)
but if it is the latter, I truly pity the current inhabitants of the nation who are placidly
ignorant & implicitly supportive of such injustice.

[FBaggins]

3. No she didn't.

She was found guilty of a crime for which the punishment could be up to that amount (actually closer to 30).

She hasn't been sentenced yet. The actual punishment may be far lower.

broke into a Tennessee depleted uranium storage facility in 2012

If that's what she did, she wouldn't have made the news. It's pretty poor "reporting" since the facility actually makes the uranium portion of all US nuclear weapons and stored the weapons-grade material for a number of countries around the world. It's like refering to a C-4 plant as "the place where they store the used fireworks".

[phantom power]

4. not to get hung up on the extraneous details here, but...

where did the human blood come from?

[jackcj]

5. blood used

The blood used came, at least in part, from deceased Plowshares and Catonsville 9 activist Tom Lewis, given on his deathbed, with his request being that it get used in a future Plowshares action.

[hrmjustin]

6. Welcome to DU my friend!

[phantom power]

7. that is interesting, never heard of Blood Collecting And Splashing

what sort of plowshare did he want to beat the nuclear energy industry into?