Sheila Baker of San Luis Obispo writes: Hey, All, The
following letter addresses the words and tone of the Santa Barbara Newspress
article regarding MacGregor Eddy's trial outcome. The Santa Barbara NP article
follows the letter. Letters to the Santa Barbara Newpress are much needed now
in MacGregor's pre sentence period (sentencing in June). Letters may be emailed
to voices@newspress.com Name and contact number should be included and letters
must be fewer than 250 words. Talking points may include 1) she is a retired
registered nurse, 2) a mother of a servicman who served in the Gulf region,
and 3) a woman concerned about Vandenberg's role in making the world far more
dangerous. For policy see http://www.newspress.com/npsite/letterspolicy.html.
Also, support of MacGregor's ordeal (October just dissent action) would make
a good full page signature ad. - (Sheila suggests such an ad in support
of MacGregor's position be published on the eve of her June sentencing. Any
reactions or suggestions?)
Letters: Peace protester deserves praise
Jon K. Williams, Santa Barbara
March 22, 2006 12:00 AM
A federal prosecutor said of war protester MacGregor Eddy's trespassing on Vandenberg Air Force Base: "It's irrelevant what her motive was, it's whether she violated the law." Ms. Eddy was convicted after a 25-minute hearing.
While the price she may have to pay is up to $5,000 and six months in jail, impeachment is the penalty George W. Bush should be facing for his numerous violations of the law, including warrantless wiretapping and lying to Congress to embroil this nation in a profit-driven war.
A tremendous thank you from the peace-loving community of Santa Barbara to Rep. Lois Capps for voting against billions of dollars more to fund the Bush administration's illegal war in Iraq. It's long past time to cut them off and MacGregor Eddy should be praised rather than prosecuted.
http://www.newspress.com/Top/Article/article.jsp?Section=OPINIONS-LETTERS&ID=564703825596907731&Archive=false
War protester guilty of trespassing on base
CHUCK SCHULTZ, NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
March 17, 2006 12:00 AM
A Salinas woman was convicted Thursday of trespassing onto Vandenberg Air Force Base property during an antiwar demonstration in October, in protest of what she sees as "an illegal war" in Iraq.
After a 25-minute hearing concluding a federal trial in Santa Barbara that began in late January, U.S. Magistrate Rita Federman found MacGregor Eddy, 56, guilty of one misdemeanor count of trespassing. Sentencing was set for June 15 on the conviction that's punishable by up to six months in prison and a $5,000 fine, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Sharon McCaslin.
"I'm disappointed," said Ms. Eddy's attorney, Catherine Swysen of Santa Barbara. "We have a principled person here who was on trial. She was protesting the war in Iraq."
However, the conviction was almost assured when Magistrate Federman ruled
last month that Ms. Eddy could not present a "defense of necessity"
-- that she had felt compelled to violate the trespassing law because of a moral
duty to protest a war she considers illegal.
"It's irrelevant what her motive was," argued the prosecutor, Ms.
McCaslin. "It's whether she violated the law."
A videotape played as part of the government's case against her showed the silver-haired Ms. Eddy being repeatedly warned Oct. 8 that she would be detained and cited for trespassing unless she stepped back across a painted line near the base's entrance. "You are the ones violating the law," responded the unrelenting protester.
Ms. Eddy told the News-Press in November that she wanted to be arrested that day. "I wanted the publicity," she said," to expose what's going on with this war. I wanted to be heard."
Documents and evidence introduced by Ms. McCaslin in January showed Ms. Eddy was also cited for illegal trespassing during a protest at the base in May 2002.
e-mail: cschultz@newspress.com
http://www.newspress.com/Top/Article/article.jsp?Section=LOCAL&ID=564701076817838189&Archive=true