Supporters greet Kathy Kelly at the March 20th, 2004 Chicago peace rally marking the first anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq. Eighteen days later, she was imprisoned for her nonviolent peace activism.
June 2004
Chicagoan Kathy Kelly: Agitating for Peace
by Bobbye Middendorf
Chicago-based peace activist Kathy Kelly, a three-time Nobel Peace Prize nominee, is currently jailed at the federal facility in Pekin, Illinois serving a three-month sentence for trespassing during a protest at the School of the Americas at Fort Benning, Ga. That sentence is followed by 30 days for trespassing at the ELF (Extremely Low Frequency) command center in Northern Wisconsin. Conscious Choice spoke with her in April, a few days before her sentence was to begin.
Slight in stature with luxurious long hair, Chicago peace activist and voice of conscience Kathy Kelly projected an ineffable charisma, warmth, genuineness and the centered presence of one totally at peace with herself during an interview at the Uptown offices of Voices in the Wilderness. Kelly, 51, discussed her path that led to speaking out for justice since the mid-1980s. Most recently, her group, Voices in the Wilderness, has brought the world’s attention to the devastating results of U.S. sanctions (as well as the U.S. invasion and bombardment) on Iraqis, especially children.
Kelly is a leader among the burgeoning community of people of conscience willing to take action, keeping alive a vibrant, living tradition of nonviolent resistance to tyranny (in this case, the tyranny of the United States against the people of Iraq), by using civil disobedience, passive resistance, nonviolent actions and peace activism.
Growing up Irish Catholic on Chicago’s Southwest side, Kelly recalls those who spoke up against problems seemed both exotic and powerful. Kelly thought all those “other people” — like Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Dorothy Day of the Catholic Worker movement — were able to do remarkable things because of who they were. Kelly studied activist justice traditions from reading the works of great leaders, from Jesus Christ to the present, including the work of her former husband, peace activist Karl Meyer.
She learned, too, from actions of her peers and colleagues. “The more I saw average, ordinary people, my companions, returning from compelling actions, I began to think maybe I could take a turn. But it took me 13 years of absorbing the stories, asking questions, poring over the writings of peace and justice activists, to move to a point where I thought, ‘I could go into a prison or a war zone.’” She has arguably been in more war zones and prisons than almost anyone else.
A graduate of Loyola University and the Chicago Theological Seminary, Kelly began her career as a religion teacher, eventually moving to Uptown and starting to work with people in need. Kelly’s friends acknowledge her incredible dedication, steadfast courage and indefatigable energy that propel her through endless 15-hour days. Friends and colleagues recall protests with Kelly as early as the 1980s. Several were involved in the 1988 “Missouri Peace Planting,” where activists planted corn and flowers on top of missile silos. As a result, she served nine months of a year sentence in a maximum security prison in Kentucky.
Long-time friend Mike Bremer notes, “She has dedicated her life to finding nonviolent solutions, and with like-minded people, tried to experiment with how to bring about change through international peacemaking efforts. She brings an intense dedication and is willing to take on challenging issues, finding them and bringing them to light.”
Kelly has been to Bosnia, Haiti and to Iraq more than 20 times. Chuck Quilty, one of the co-founders of Voices in the Wilderness, observes, “She has a deep belief in nonviolence, and is truer to that conviction than anyone else I know. Her courage is unshakable. She is remarkably compassionate.” Another colleague, Father Bob Bossi of the Eighth Day Center for Justice, acknowledges, “Her inner strength belies her small stature.”
When asked what everyday people of goodwill might do, Kelly pointed to a number of Web sites (see box below) for keeping informed with stories and perspectives invisible in mainstream media. “There are so many issues of injustice that one could become knowledgeable about. You can’t do it all. It’s like spreading the peanut butter too thin — the bread rips. Focus in and understand deeply one area, cause or concern. Have the grace and blessing to do what you can. The harvest is connecting with kindred spirits.”
She adds, “We catch courage from one another.” Further, Kelly advises, “Revel in empathy, don’t be angry about everything, and don’t wait for perfection. Start taking action and doing what you can.
“Ninety percent of what shapes our experience is our attitude. If we go into something thinking it will be horrible, then that’s generally what happens. If we look at something as an opportunity, then it will be a way to learn and better understand the realities around us.
“To whom much is given, much is required,” she concludes. “Those who live privileged lives must use our wealth and resources to preserve life on the planet — particularly if we love the children. This is my chance to help create a better world for all the children, and especially to prevent them from being sacrificed so we can fill our cars with cheap gas at the expense of their lives.”
It is this attitude that Kathy Kelly is taking to prison for her fifth extended stay, along with gratitude for an opportunity to slow down, live more simply and reflect on ways to bring prison- life simplicity back out with her.
Bobbye Middendorf is a Chicago-based writer.
Get More Info:
www.Vitw.org is the site for Voices in the Wilderness. They are posting Kelly’s letters from prison as well as reports from Iraq.
Kathy Kelly also recommends:
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