The project I investigated is the effort to stop Alliant Techsystems 
production of weapons of war, especially those containing depleted 
uranium. Depleted uranium is remarkable in its density (hardness, 
imperviability and ability to permeate) and in its long term ability to 
poison and kill living beings who come in contact with it for thousands 
of years. Those affected include Iraqi soldiers and civilians, 
including the unborn, U.S. soldiers and factory workers. The most 
commonly experienced effects have been kidney disease, birth defects, 
leukemia and other cancers. Weapons being produced include cluster 
bombs, bullets, tanks and parts for trident missiles.
 
Successes of the project to date have included a persistant Wednesday 
morning presence at corporate headquarters in Edina Wednesday mornings 
from 7 till 8 AM and at least 3 large group (over 30) group arrests 
that went to jury trials and were acquitted. The groups were allowed to 
show that these weapons are illegal based on the U.S. constitution, and 
international treaties (the Nuremburg Principles and the Geneva 
Convention). The judges had to inform the 3 juries that international 
treaties supersede local, state, and national laws.
 
Other parts of the project include public speaking with the use of 
several films made about the dangers of the use of depleted uranium, an 
opportunity to do civil disobediance this spring 2006, a national 
gathering of anti-war weapons production activists on Sunday October 
1st, 2006 (with Ani di Franco and Utah Phillips), another opportunity 
to get arrested for peace on Ghandi's birthday, Monday, October 2nd, 
2006 and an interesting court battle with the city of Edina. After the 
3 jury trial victories, the city passed an ordinance that says that 
those arrested doing civil disobediance will no longer go to jail. They 
will just appear before a judge and pay a fine (or, should you plead 
hardship to the judge, perform community service). The organizers are 
fighting this ordinance because it denies them their right to a trial 
by a jury of peers. Working on this legal project would be one of the 
ways people can get involved. The strength of this whole project is 
the tenacity of the people who have dedicated themselves to it. Some of 
this same group of people succeeded in getting Honeywell to stop 
producing weapons after a 22 year effort! (Honeywell started Alliant 
Techsystems and sold it.)
 
Winning this campaign will be when Alliant Techsystems ceases 
production of weapons and makes a conversion to peaceful production 
that addresses people's needs. Interim goals are mobilizing involvement 
and resistance to the corporate war machine that controls our 
government. This may be the single most deadly threat to life on this 
planet that we face at this time in history. I think that's what makes 
it so hard to look this monster in the face.
This is a worthy battle for any revolutionary living in these times.