Ann Wright and Kathy Kelly were both in Syracuse this week to be sentenced for their part in the protests against the MQ-9 Reaper drones in Afghanistan, which are being flown remotely from Hancock Field.
Ann Wright is a former Army Colonel and State Department official who resigned from the government over the invasion of Iraq; as a peace activist, Kathy Kelly has lived and worked in Iraq and Afghanistan.
In this conversation, they address a host of important questions related to civil disobedience:
- What's it like for someone on the inside of government to publicly object to government policies?
- What's the importance of personally bearing witness, by being on the ground and living with civilians under attack?
- How important is it to receive punishment for the act of protesting?
- What sustains activists and protestors over the years?