Shields Fighting FinesRemember the human shields? They're
battling against the US again:
KERHONKSON, N.Y. -- Before the bombs fell on Baghdad, Judith Karpova went there to put herself in harm's way.
The veteran activist was among dozens of "human shields" who poured into Iraq as the U.S.-led offensive loomed in early 2003, although she ended up leaving before the war.
Three years later, Karpova is again playing defense, this time against a $6,700 civil fine from the government.I love the bit about "went there to put herself in harm's way"; in fact:
Karpova left Iraq 10 days before the military campaign began. She cites a few reasons: organizers needed media and office help in Amman, she didn't want to upset a brother recuperating from a stroke and, she admits, she feared for her life.One suspects that the biggest reason was behind Door #3.
The judge has the right attitude:
U.S. District Judge Colleen McMahon in October granted a government motion to dismiss Karpova's complaint. The judge prefaced her decision with a quote by another activist, Martin Luther King Jr.: "One who breaks an unjust law must do so openly, lovingly and with a willingness to accept the consequences."