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Fig & Vine Planter conviction returns to Court for ‘mercy hearing' - Reading, UK

Planter L | 10.05.2006 01:55 | Anti-militarism | Free Spaces | Health

Person with a Fig and Vine Planter conviction returns to Court for a ‘mercy hearing’ (see 4).

Shakespeare wrote: “The quality of mercy is not strain'd”.
(I’ve wondered about the meaning of this phrase and the way I see it, it means it’s stretchy but never breaks/snaps. Wow! Now I see sadly, it can be also blocked).

Shakespeare wrote: “The quality of mercy is not strain'd”.
(I’ve wondered about the meaning of this phrase and the way I see it, it means it’s stretchy but never breaks/snaps. Wow! Now I see it can be also blocked)

A bit of History
On my last attendance, at my convenience, the Reading Magistrates court (on 4/5/2006) decided to write to AWE Aldermaston / Ministry of the Fence (see 1) who are the ‘compensatees’ to see if they really needed the £201 money they asked of us, that was kind of them. They (MOD) had not responded so the court were inconvenienced.

Court appearance – my focus on mercy
So, I chose today to have compassion on AWE Aldermaston’s employees who go about developing and plotting to make these nuke type warheads for further misery, with government funding. If ‘mercy’ does not flow from our nonviolent calm interventions even into the courtrooms with others in mind (yes, even AWE Aldermaston’s employees) then they would be made, of all wo/men most miserable to look upon.

Not paying fines is an ‘act of mercy’
Downright obedience and paying the fines would be plain mean, consequently it would ignore the existent vulnerability of future generations to experiencing later, ‘no mercy days’ by the hands of warmongers. So mercy will flow now, and for me this meant I needed to clarify to the court, ‘I wont pay’ even for the staff at AWE Aldermaston’s sake. I like doing it for them too.

For mercy’s sake I personally feel that I cannot obey either the Ministry of the Fence’s greed (or AWE Aldermaston’s) for this restitution, my meager offering of mercy is given in the hope that it will season with mercy the states aim to have justice at any cost.

Unfair funding fields
The government gave AWE Aldermaston grants of well over over 140 million pounds for further developments (see 1) at this merciless research site (see 2). Whilst in most local authorities (health and social services) budgets are tight or grossly overspent. A mental health practitioner for example who cant get small amounts from local authority budgets for people with identified needs ie to assist a person in their mental health recovery – will find that harsh and demoralising – there is no mercy in this type of mismanagement of government finances. The poorest in the local government’s employ are seeing their pensions rights squeezed, so people strike. Or proactively one could choose instead to focus on beginning to rectifying this mismanagement of people’s funds which cruel just-war fuels (for more military hard-wear and planned future wars) in many other ways.

Other people’s experiences today in court
1) I saw one person’s fines split in half from £6,000 to £3,000. It appeared quite merciful (I would have questioned the facts a little more personally) however if details were true the person sounded like they were loving, and liked the idea of making his life break free for real.

2) Another woman, there because of council tax arrears explained (with much dignity) that she was a carer and her husband had severe Alzheimer’s, the council were harsh and appeared disorganized, she got ignored for the bureaucratic bumbling or the council and court. I felt for her, as I saw that there appeared to be blocks in any flows of compassion or mercy, I hope the blockages get unblocked further down the line.

Outcome
Another invitation was made for my attendance in June. The fines officer wrote to the MOD and the home secretary about the matter no response was made yet.

What was good
I saw mercy for others there, and I spoke strongly to the court about why it was inappropriate to pay myself. I was able to give a reflection to the court about why people who are carers need compassion not penalties as they are often already doing all they can mercilessly caring out of loving intentions for relatives etc.

What I would change
Some of their decisions towards others, and for myself they would have dealt with the matter today for resolutions sake one way or another. They like the fuss though.

What I take away with me is this
I thought this was well received by one magistrate out of the three and that's not bad eh. Also that this tip is handy and it works - why not try it.
its this ‘just turn up’ – its worth trying and its a learning experience too.
I did this today in court 2, an insightful experience. Later I got to spend time in the little box too, they acclimatise to you if you do.

More later

Planter L.

Further information support:
1.  http://www.awe.co.uk/
2.  http://www.nuclearinfo.org/sites/awe/article/77
3.  http://www.nuclearinfo.org/sites/awe/article/120
4.  http://ickevald.net/vineandfigtreeplanters/

Planter L
- Homepage: http://ickevald.net/vineandfigtreeplanters/

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