by Margarita Muñoz
[If you have trouble viewing this video, you can open it also on You Tube at https://youtu.be/UFTKvcC0_XU.]
Margarita Muñoz was arrested, along with 13 others, when they joined in civil disobedience to block the gate to Bangor Naval Base in Poulsbo, Washington, on May 13, 2017, Mothers Day. They did so specifically to have their “day in court” to bring attention to the thousands of nuclear bombs that are stored there. This ferocity of weaponry can never be used, yet costs billions of dollars to produce and maintain, at the expense of health care, social services, education of our youth . . . Margarita Muñoz wrote “Just Beneath Our Clouds of Grey” and performed it in collaboration with members of the Seattle Peace Chorus Action Ensemble and friends as a statement to the judge in defense of her actions.
Consider what you can do in your own communities to inspire others to address this issue. We hope citizens in Washington state will attend the march and rally that is organized by Ground Zero to take place on July 25, 2017. See Rally, March, & Hearings for Mothers Day Resisters, or gzcenter.org/events/.
- Holly Near’s song, “It Could Have Been Me” inspired the tune for “Just Beneath Our Clouds of Grey.”
- This song was recorded and mixed by Mark DiFlorio, markdiflorio.com.
- Background vocals by Dale Rector, Sue Hurley Rector, and Rosemary Bell.
- Tom Bell on keyboard, Rosemary Bell on percussion, Tony Householder on ukelele.
- Tom Sharp and Liz Douthitt Sharp produced the video.
- Thank you to everyone who contributed personal photos.
“You cannot simultaneously prevent and prepare for war.” Albert Einstein
Just Beneath Our Clouds of Grey
by Margarita Muñoz
I stand here with you . . . because I saw it was time
To bring some attention to the nuclear threat I stepped over the line
I know that you, Judge, stand for justice, and I hope my words ring clear
That the destructive power throughout any hour
Is the terror we should fear
A short distance from this courtroom, a mere 18 miles away
The nuclear bombs are stored there, just beneath our clouds of grey
So why aren’t more folks there protesting for their families and their world
I think they just don’t know . . . they’re much too busy so
The solemn truth I will unfurl
Chorus: We . . . cannot be preparing for war . . . and claim to be preparing for peace —2x (adapted from Albert Einstein)
I stand here with you . . . a slippery road to climb
To bring some attention to the nuclear threat I stepped over the line
I hope that you, Judge, have a family, and friends you know and trust
Because I do too; it’s up to me and you
To do the things we know we must
For many years, I’ve questioned the firepower of our arms
The A-bomb caused destruction; slaughtered children in schools and farms
When the Japanese were bombed on over 70 years ago
The talk was, “Never more . . . the H-bombs cannot soar
We will not let this tension grow!”
Chorus: We . . . cannot be preparing for war . . . and claim to be preparing for peace —2x
I stand here with you ’cause I’m accused of a crime
To bring some attention to the nuclear threat I stepped over the line
The nukes are so much more destructive, and with a leadership out of control
I swear, how can we sleep; our precious Earth to keep
And then we all must pay the toll
International Law protects us . . . or at least that’s what is said
Many nations do not trust us, important reasons why they dread
All the bombs within our borders and the ones in oceans wide
We need to step back now . . . and learn to study how
This deadly spiral can subside
Chorus: We . . . cannot be preparing for war . . . and claim to be preparing for peace —2x
I stand here with you; Law of the Land is vast
Just where my voice will end, may very well depend on the verdict that’s passed
So, Judge, how can you rule against me, when my concern is for us all
So please reduce my fine because I crossed the line
And make it zero . . . none at all
A difference you can make
Our loved ones’ lives at stake
Let’s work together . . . one and all