America once inspired hope and faith in people all over the world.

In the hands of leaders obsessed with the greed of empire, much like the leaders who condemned and executed Jesus, ideals of freedom and equality now mask a crucifixion machine serving the prime directive of empire: more, always more. Never in the history of the country have veneers of opportunity and equality so broadly masked extremes of disadvantage, inequity, and euphemized violence. Considering them sheep for slaughter, we have unleashed this devastation on innocents: our children. Drones epitomize crucifixion. The Roman Empire chose crucifixions and coliseums, not for their torture, but for their spectacle and shock-n-awe inducing power. Crucifying one person could intimidate thousands who witnessed or heard of it. Now, and for similar reasons, the USA deploys the pinnacle of brutal, repressive, shock-n-awe provoking technologies: drones. Eyes that spy from the sky. Messengers of death. Hellfire that strikes from the clouds. Drones terrorize. America's drones deliver destruction, but more importantly, they deliver intimidation. Drones intimidate the families, friends, and associates of our enemies, and our threat is clear: We will obliterate our enemies and those close to them. Associate at your own risk, even at home: 30,000 drones in American skies this decade, says the FAA. They will be watching. Drones alienate. Chillingly dispassionate, like no other technology of murder--never was violence so pornographic as the cowardly, up-close and personal extermination delivered through fly-by-wire with a nose cam view. Severe dissociation indicates a sociopath, yet we excuse its collective expression in the name of national security and the "greater good."

Drones don't just crucify innocents; they crucify innocence. Children die at both ends of a drone strike: those whose blameless bodies get shredded and maimed and those whose blameless minds and hearts vicariously feel ripped apart in compassionate identification with drone strike victims. Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!" Even children understand this. What could be worse: knowing that a faceless foreigner sent a Predator or Reaper drone to wreak havoc on you and those you love, or knowing that someone you love sent a Predator or Reaper to murder people just like you--and he's sitting next to you at Sunday dinner? At the news of his resurrection, the grief of Jesus' followers turned to joy. The embodiment of their hopes and faith had died, but a new embodiment rose up in its place. We believe in resurrection, and we are many. We will not go quietly into that dark night. On the contrary: we are living our way into a new day. War, terror, and global domination have never provided prosperity except for the privileged few. Mechanized war was not the way. Digitized war is not the way. Remote-control, robotic war will not be the way. War is a society's declaration of its limits of moral competence--it can never be the way. Stand for the safety and prosperity of our children. Refuse moral incompetence: the programs of empire. May God, who raised Jesus from the grave, always bringing life out of death, flood our hearts and our world with the light of love and compassion for each other and our children. All of them are our children. Stop their crucifixion.

The Bureau of Investigative Journalism (http://www.thebureauinvestigates.com/) estimates that from 2004 through 2012 there were: U.S. Drone Strikes: 407 - 590 Total Killed: Total Injured: Children Killed: 3,197 - 4,743 1,348 - 1,858 178 - 237

From 2002 - 2012, there appears to be an 80% annual increase in the use of drones. For a graphic showing every US drone attack in Pakistan by date and number and type of casualties, see http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/interactive/2013/mar/25/d rone-attacks-pakistan-visualised

Good Friday Liturgy 2013

FURTHER READING: Benjamin, Medea. Drone Warfare: Killing by Remote-Control (Blackstone, 2012) Singer, PW. Wired for War: The Robotics Revolution and Conflict in the 21st Century (Penguin, 2009)

Seattle Federal Building Drones Crucify Children

Good Friday Witness Group

For more information, please contact Millard Melnyk, millardjmelnyk@gmail.com Don Whitman, dwhitman80@yahoo.com

ood Friday. Jesus' crucifixion. Shattered hopes, impending doom, and mourning. A dark day, much like this one.

All was lost. Master, friend, the hopes he inspired--all nailed to a few pieces of lumber. He spoke marvelous things of incredible possibilities. His followers embodied that hope in him. That seed--that embodiment--died, buried in shame and failure, crushing their hope and faith.