My friend Rosemarie Jackowski–who ran again last year for AG–just had a book published!  It's called Banned In Vermont: This is the true story of one of the largest arrests in the history of a small New England town-as seen through the eyes of one of the defendants.

If I might take a little liberty, here's an excerpt from Rosemarie's note to the reader (it's an unedited copy I have, so might not be exactly what's in the final version):

Resistance to war is not a one-day event. It is a lifetime commitment – a Historical Movement that passes from one generation to the next. 

This book was written to tell the true story of an anti-war protest in a small New England town. The protest led to one of the largest arrests in the history of the town.   

It is my hope that what I have written will inspire and entertain the reader. If this book makes you sad – and then makes you smile at other times, I have achieved my goal. 

It is also a hope that someone who reads this book will find a way to awaken a small portion of the sleeping national conscience.  Where I have failed, you might succeed.

…

On March 20, 2003 many people were so intoxicated with patriotism that they were more than ready to accept any military action. Others took a more thoughtful view. For some in the US and around the world, the knowledge that Iraqi children were being bombed was too much to bear in silence. The pain struck at the hearts and souls of many. Calling the deaths “collateral damage” did not change the facts or lessen the pain. 

…

I tell the story of [a mass protest in Bennington, VT] and the legal process that followed [the arrest of The Bennington Twelve].  The protest was brief – only a couple of hours. The legal process that followed took more than four years.

It is important to note that every legal case is different.  If any factor had been different – different Judge, different lawyers, different witnesses – the final result would have been different.  The fact that this case achieved a higher level of Justice than some other cases is a tribute to those involved – the Judge, the Defense Counsel, and maybe even the Prosecution, and ultimately the Vermont Supreme Court. 

Full disclosure: I did some gratis technical consulting on this project.  Well, not entirely gratis, as I did receive my free autographed copy in the mail today!  I just mean I'm not shilling it for profit, but simply because I think it's a story that needs to be told now more than ever.

Anyway, if you'd like more of a flavor of Rosemarie's writing, check out her articles at Press Actionand Dissident Voice.  Then buy Banned In Vermont.

ntodd