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Drone Protesters on The Campbell Conversations

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?
Grant Reeher is Director of the Campbell Public Affairs Institute and a professor of political science at Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. He is also creator, host and program director of “The Campbell Conversations” on WRVO, a weekly regional public affairs program featuring extended in-depth interviews with regional and national writers, politicians, activists, public officials, and business professionals.