2008 Woodie Awards
Peace activist captivates Lewis community
Jess Drazdik
Issue date: 12/16/05 Section: News
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On Dec. 1, 2005, Lewis University's philosophy department invited a special guest to speak on campus. Dr. George Miller, professor of philosophy, introduced Kathy Kelly, who shared her experiences in aiding the Iraqi people.
Kelly, 52, of Chicago, helped initiate her "Voices in the Wilderness," a campaign to end the United States' and the United Nation's sanctions against Iraq. She grew up in a safe and secure neighborhood and did not come from a particularly sophisticated background.
Kelly and about 70 other campaign members were fined a $163,000 penalty for bringing "duffle bags with a few bottles of aspirin and a couple of Band-Aids" into Iraq without permission. "Voices in the Wilderness" was also informed they were to serve 12 years in prison and after many court cases, they were ultimately fined $20,000, a sum they refused to pay.
She has been to Iraq 22 times since the extreme danger began in January 1996. Her last visit spanned from Dec. 21, 2003 until Jan. 8, 2004. "Voices in the Wilderness" went to Iraq a total of 70 times in efforts to help the people in need.
In 1988, Kelly was sentenced to one year in prison for planting corn on nuclear missile silo sites. She served nine months of her sentence in Lexington, Ky. at a maximum security prison.
During the Gulf War, Kelly joined a peace team on the Iraq/Saudi border called the Gulf Peace team. They stayed in the area for nearly six months, giving aid to the Iraqi civilians.
"We felt we had to take the same risks as the American soldiers." Kelly said.
Kelly said that in 1991, bombs weren't as "on target" as they are now. About 80 percent of the bombs missed their targets. Twenty percent of the bombs hit all the electric means of the area. Since water was processed through electrical means, the water was polluted.
In Iraq, there was a huge rise in water-born diseases such as cholera, dysentery, and pneumonia. Primarily children and poor people were affected. About 5,000 people under the age of five died.
Kelly, 52, of Chicago, helped initiate her "Voices in the Wilderness," a campaign to end the United States' and the United Nation's sanctions against Iraq. She grew up in a safe and secure neighborhood and did not come from a particularly sophisticated background.
Kelly and about 70 other campaign members were fined a $163,000 penalty for bringing "duffle bags with a few bottles of aspirin and a couple of Band-Aids" into Iraq without permission. "Voices in the Wilderness" was also informed they were to serve 12 years in prison and after many court cases, they were ultimately fined $20,000, a sum they refused to pay.
She has been to Iraq 22 times since the extreme danger began in January 1996. Her last visit spanned from Dec. 21, 2003 until Jan. 8, 2004. "Voices in the Wilderness" went to Iraq a total of 70 times in efforts to help the people in need.
In 1988, Kelly was sentenced to one year in prison for planting corn on nuclear missile silo sites. She served nine months of her sentence in Lexington, Ky. at a maximum security prison.
During the Gulf War, Kelly joined a peace team on the Iraq/Saudi border called the Gulf Peace team. They stayed in the area for nearly six months, giving aid to the Iraqi civilians.
"We felt we had to take the same risks as the American soldiers." Kelly said.
Kelly said that in 1991, bombs weren't as "on target" as they are now. About 80 percent of the bombs missed their targets. Twenty percent of the bombs hit all the electric means of the area. Since water was processed through electrical means, the water was polluted.
In Iraq, there was a huge rise in water-born diseases such as cholera, dysentery, and pneumonia. Primarily children and poor people were affected. About 5,000 people under the age of five died.
