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by Derek R. Burrows '00 On November 1, 1999 I was arrested for civil disobedience with 65 other people in front of weapons manufacturer Alliant Techsystems' corporate headquarters in Hopkins, Minnesota. We were protesting the production of weapons that target civilians. Alliant has produced landmine components, Trident missile targeting systems, and munitions made with radioactive depleted uranium (known as DU). DU munitions produced by Alliant have been used in both Yugoslavia and Iraq and have been linked to increases in childhood leukemia, stillbirths, and birth defects in southern Iraq. So why did I decide to risk arrest? First of all, I believe it is morally wrong to produce weapons that will result in the deaths of large numbers of civilians. Depleted uranium fits this category without question. Alliant's production of these weapons is morally wrong. I also believe it is wrong that companies like Alliant are being subsidized and making billions of dollars as the U.S. increases military spending when there are so many better uses for that money, such as feeding the millions in our country living in poverty. So much of our tax dollars are going to the military. Who is the threat? Does the U.S. really need to spend $300 billion a year on the military, which is about half of all military spending in the world combined? Because we felt that Alliant's production of these weapons is morally wrong as well as illegal under international law, 66 of us committed nonviolent civil disobedience by trespassing on Alliant's property. Some of us sat in front of doors (which was mainly symbolic because we were not blocking people from coming in to work). We were arrested and handcuffed and processed quickly at a nearby ice rink, except for twelve of us who had the good fortune of spending several hours in Hennipen County jail because we were from out of state. All of us were charged with trespassing, a misdemeanor, and will probably have our trial in March. Another question I have been asked is what good does getting arrested do? Well, there is no easy answer. Three years of protests at Alliant have not stopped these weapons from being produced. Simply put, through getting arrested I hope to register my outrage and draw attention to Alliant's activities. It shows how strongly I feel. Making phone calls and writing letters can only go so far. If I'm willing to have handcuffs put on me, brought to jail and risk being charged with a misdemeanor, it must matter greatly to me. But still, Alliant is not going to stop producing DU because several dozen of us got arrested. Why would they? They are not going to change their practices until a large amount of pressure is placed on them. Getting arrested with a bunch of people is a part of this, but only part. But remember, most social movements have been sparked by small individual events. Change does not happen by itself. Someone has to make things happen to start the momentum. Even if getting arrested is a complete waste of time in terms of measurable results, I still will stand by my actions. I need to stand up for what I believe is right. When I was in Iraq I saw children dying of leukemia. These are cases that have been linked to depleted uranium, which is produced by a company in our backyard. I cannot and will not sit still when innocent children are dying because these people want to make a profit. It is my moral duty to stand up against this wrong. I see no other choice. Sometimes we have to accept that there are issues bigger than us. My twelve hours in jail are quite inconsequential to innocent children dying because of U.S. militarism. Whether idealist or pragmatic, I hold that civil disobedience is a legitimate response to these terrible wrongs. For more information on Alliant Techsystems, go to http://www.circlevision.org/AlliantAction.html.
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