Daniel Berrigan

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Daniel Berrigan

Postby Webb » Sun May 01, 2016 1:07 am

Daniel Berrigan

Love him or hate him. One of the original anti-Vietnam War protesters.

Daniel Joseph Berrigan, S.J. (May 9, 1921 – April 30, 2016), was an American Jesuit priest, Anti-war activist, and poet ...

Berrigan, his brother Josephite priest Philip Berrigan, and Trappist monk Thomas Merton founded an interfaith coalition against the Vietnam War, and wrote letters to major newspapers arguing for an end to the war. In 1967, Daniel and Phillip were arrested for pouring blood on draft records as part of the Baltimore Four. Phillip was sentenced to six years in prison for defacing government property. This, and his belief that his support of prisoners of war during the war was not acknowledged and appreciated, further radicalized Berrigan against the United States government.

Berrigan traveled to Hanoi with Howard Zinn during the Tet Offensive in January 1968 to "receive" three American airmen, the first American POWs released by the North Vietnamese since the U.S. bombing of that nation had begun.

In 1968, he signed the "Writers and Editors War Tax Protest" pledge, vowing to refuse to make tax payments in protest of the Vietnam War. In the same year, he was interviewed in the anti-Vietnam War documentary film In the Year of the Pig, and later that year became involved in radical non-violent protest ...
"Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell no!" - Sen. John Blutarsky

You know, this used to be a helluva good country. I don't understand what's gone wrong with it. - George Hanson, 1969

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Re: Daniel Berrigan

Postby pete » Sun May 01, 2016 1:28 am

Just been listening to an orbituary and short documentary about him. Sounds a good guy.

Probably no need to mention RIP ...... 8-)
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Re: Daniel Berrigan

Postby Apex » Sun May 01, 2016 9:51 am

Ah, another flashback to the good & bad old days.

Merton was also an interesting person but died in a tragic accident:

from Wikipedia:
"On December 10, 1968, Merton was in Bangkok, Thailand, attending an interfaith conference between Catholic and non-Christian monks.
While stepping out of his bath, he was accidentally electrocuted by an electric fan."
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