Ken Ashe, who lives in Western North Carolina, was arrested on July 23 along with Cindy Sheehan and 45 others in the Washington, D.C. office of Congressman John Conyers. He spoke with Issues and Alibis last week about the arrest and the activism that led him to be part of this protest.
I&A: You describe yourself as an “ordinary citizen” but you have become a very vocal anti-war activist. How did that happen?
Ashe: In 1969 I joined the Army and went to Viet Nam as a DustOff (air ambulance) Crew Chief. I believed serving my country was necessary; was part of the responsibility of citizenship. I witnessed terrible human devastation and the destruction of a country during my two tours in Viet Nam. It took several years for me to reintegrate into American society. Throughout the ensuing years I have always maintained an interest in current events and politics but never actively participated. When I saw George W. Bush on television demonizing Saddam Hussein I knew it was a prelude to an invasion of Iraq. That was when I decided I had to speak up.
I&A: You co-founded the first North Carolina chapter of Veterans for Peace. Tell us about that.
Ashe: In 2002 I saw Tim Pluta sitting on a street corner in Mars Hill, NC with a banner that said “Veterans of Peace”. I stopped and talked to him and then did some research and found the Veterans for Peace organization. (www.Veteransforpeace.org.) We formed chapter 099 (www.veterans4peace.org) and have been active ever since.
I&A: How did you come to work with Cindy Sheehan?
Ashe: I heard her speak at a peace rally in Fayetteville, NC and then met her shortly thereafter in Asheville (NC) at a protest on the first anniversary of the invasion of Iraq. She was at the VFP convention in Dallas later in the year and I went with her to Crawford when she set up Camp Casey. She’s a nice and sincere person. She’s given her life over now to try to stop this war and get our country back on track.
I&A: What happened in DC on the 23rd?
Ashe: Cindy Sheehan wanted to deliver petitions calling for the impeachment of Bush and Cheney to Congressman Conyers. She had over 1.2 million signatures and those people need to be heard.
There wasn’t a lot of advertising. It was mostly emails and listings on a few websites but we had about 300 people attend. A core group of ten activists including Cindy, Ray McGovern and Rev. Lennox Yearwood met with the Congressman while a group of around 200 of us stayed in the hallways outside his office in the Rayburn House Office Building. Staffers in other offices on that floor kept calling Conyers office to find out what was going on and complaining that the crowd was interfering with the workday. After meeting with Conyers, delivering the petitions and asking him to start impeachment proceedings, Cindy came out and told us he had refused. That’s when we began the sit-in. We were going to stay until he agreed to introduce articles of impeachment and take a stand to restore the Constitution and the order of law in our country. Most of us knew going in that we could be arrested but it was civil disobedience in the best Henry David Thoreau style. When I went in the Army I swore an oath to protect my country and the Constitution against all enemies, “foreign and domestic.” That’s what I’m doing.
After we began the sit-in, I figured we’d have a little time before the police showed up so I went to see my congressman, Heath Shuler. By the time I got back people were already being taken out. The Capital Police stopped me and told me I couldn’t go in. I said, “I’m here to be arrested. Where do I go?” I was told, “Sit down right here.” I was taken downstairs with other protesters. We were handcuffed, our names were taken down and we were loaded onto a bus. They took us to a large warehouse-like building to be processed, which took about 7 hours.
I&A: What were the charges?
Ashe: I had to ask what I was being charged with. We were all charged with disorderly conduct. I got to meet Ray McGovern in the holding cell. Mr. McGovern is a kind and sincere man who’s company I found quite enjoyable. We discussed the way our country seems to be heading towards a totalitarian police state and how the rule of law has been so clearly distorted to favor one particular (the fascist right) ideology over any others.
He got a big kick out of one of my favorite quotes: On their way home on recess from the Constitutional Convention, Elbridge Gerry commented to John Adams, A standing army is like an erect penis, it does wonders for domestic tranquility but it invites foreign intrigue”.
We were given three options. We could pay a $50.00 fine and be released, post bail and get a court date or spend the night in jail and appear before a magistrate. I paid the fine. Ray McGovern posted bail so he could come back and appear in court.
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I&A: What do you hope to accomplish by being arrested?
Ashe: The comfortable existence many of us know now, as American citizens will soon be nothing but a fond memory if the ship of state is not set right. We need to end the war in Iraq but we also need to impeach George W. Bush and Dick Cheney in order to restore the Constitution and reestablish the rule of law. Every time one person speaks up, it gives courage to others. Where there were twenty voices being raised, next time there will be forty. Bush said the Constitution was “just a piece of paper”. We need to take whatever steps are necessary to restore the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
I&A: You’ve participated in many demonstrations in Washington over the past few years. What changes have you seen between those earlier demonstrations and this latest protest?
Ashe: The most noticeable difference is media coverage. A few years ago it didn’t matter if 150,00 people showed up. It didn’t get any coverage. Now when only a few hundred people are involved, the media is there. It’s not like during Viet Nam when the news was reported. Now the media has to be forced to report on real events.
I&A: What would you say to other Americans who are looking for ways to get involved and reclaim our country?
Ashe: Letters to the editor and phone calls aren’t going to do it anymore. We’ve got to “put our feet in the street”. To those who are too busy "taking care of their life" I ask what life will you have if Bush is able to completely destroy our nation? He must be put out of business before he destroys everything we love about our nation. The time for activism is NOW or very possibly you will find yourself resigned to a life of penury and servitude at the hands of the fascist regime.
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