June 5, 1982
I hold this physical truth to be self-evident...by, Thomas

I hold this physical truth to be self evident, that the policies of the United States of America pose a clear, and direct threat to itself, and to others.

Because it is my personal moral conviction that it Is the responsibility of each Human Being to treat others as they themselves would be treated, i religiously hold, and daily strive to fulfill this human commitment.

Whereas, from personal experience, I deemed United States citizenship to be incompatible with my moral convictions, it became incumbent upon me to cease recognizing myself as a United States citizen, and to remove myself from a political system which constitutes a threat to itself, and, more importantly, to others.

When, on October 2, 1980, the United States government forced me to enter this country, against ny will, their action belied their rhetorical commitment to Ideals, and portrayed that government's practical commitment, and dedication to individual self determination, religious belief, freedom of movement, Equality, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. In deliberately acting to undermine what this government itself holds to be the God given, inalienable rights by which it seeks to justify Its very existence, it has, in fact, denied the concept of these rights, and proven it's ideological position to be Precisely the same as that of the Soviet Union: namely one which suppresses individual rights for the benefit of materialism, and political power. It is hoped that my presence in front of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. may cause the population of the United States to seriously consider whether blowing up themselves, and the rest of the Earth in an attempt to prove that one elitist power structure Is better than another, is actually in the best interests of no one.

By sitting in front of the White House, sleeping, like Lazarus, by the gates of the world's wealthiest public servant, I hope to clearly demonstrate the lengths to which a moral person must go in order to remain true to the ideals of Truth, Justice, and Freedom within an amoral society. In other words i am demonstrating not only hon to be in a world of law, and bureaucratic regulations which value property, above Human Life, while not being part of such a world, but also i am demonstrating how difficult the law enforcement, judical, and bureaucratic agencles of such a world make the life of an individual who presumes to question their morality.

A demonstration is an illustration, and if the United States government finds my illustration of it's own hypocrisy too distasteful to allow, might I humbly suggest that the United States government simply put me back where it kidnapped me from, rather than by resorting to totalitarian tactics in an attempt to mute my voice.

W. Thornas
June 5, 1982

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January 1997

In case you're looking for us (White House Peace Vigil - Peace Park anti-nuclear vigil - and friends) our signs have been moved across Lafayette Park to H Street, as has happened every four years since the vigil began in June, 1981.

Meanwhile a dozen large mobile homes rest on the grass of the southern half of Lafayette Park for the construction crews' comfort. Police patrol regularly, in part to make sure no homeless people crawl under the empty trailers in the icy dark of night. The bricks where office workers and tourists usually walk have been torn up, and huge - ugly - three-story bleachers rise in the space where our vigil normally stands, along the north side of Pennsylvania Avenue, so the press -- for one afternoon -- may stay warm and dry and near bathrooms while President Clinton has his second inaugural parade. The bathrooms on the north side of the park are locked, though construction workers again (as in past years) have for their use several porta-johns which are locked at night. Fences of every variety are intricately laid out to block demonstrators into the northeast corner of the park during the Big Event.

Ronald Reagan tried to have a second inaugural parade but it was so cold Inauguration Day 1985, the president had to call it off, and the quarter-million-dollar bleachers went unused. We were shivering and dancing in the northeast quadrant of the park, giving credit to God for a good sense of humor.

The vigil began five months after Reagan's first inauguration. At that time, people were allowed to demonstrate on the White House sidewalk. After a campaign by the Washington Times in 1983, new regulations were written banishing the vigil to Lafayette Park. During the wee hours of the morning, when tourists weren't about, police hovered and often arrested the vigilers. Department of Interior lawyers wrote a "camping" regulation which was used to criminalize (see CCNV case, U.S. Supreme Court, 1984) what was formerly protected behavior (see Abney case, U.S. Court of Appeals, 1976).

Since there are private citizens who insist on paying for this desecration of Lafayette Park every four years (via the Inaugural Committee), we're stuck with the bleachers again this year. So I'm writing President Clinton asking him, as I asked President Reagan in 1985, at least to leave the bleachers up for the rest of the winter, for homeless people to get out of the cold, wet, snowy, icy streets. I'm not asking for us -- we will remain at our signs with the minimal amount of protection necessary to survive. We are asking on behalf of the homeless sleeping on the DC streets (in spite of police harassment) ... still, after all these years.

Ellen Thomas
PEACE PARK ANTINUCLEAR VIGIL
PO Box 27217, Washington, DC 20038 USA
202-462-0757
prop1@prop1.org

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