Interview with Sister Carol Gilbert

Many of you have been following the spiritual/political journeys of Sisters Carol Gilbert, Ardeth Platte and Jackie Hudson, peace activits who carried out a nonviolent action at a N-8 Minuteman III nuclear missile site in Colorado in October, 2002. There purpose was to symbolically inspect, expose and disarm what they branded as an illegal and immoral weapon of mass destruction.

Clad in white jumpsuits identifying the trio as a “citizens’ weapons inspector team,” they cut through a security fence, smeared crosses in their own blood on the silo lid, and tapped on the rails - on which the 110-ton cover would move in the event of a missile launch - with ball-peen hammers in a symbolic attempt to beat swords into plowshares.

The point they were illustrating is that while the US was backing weapons inspectors who were searching for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, the United States houses weapons that are just as dangerous and illegal.

All three women drew longer sentences than they had expected, with Gilbert serving 33 months, 70-year-old Hudson 30 months and 68-year-old Platte 41 months. Jackie was released in March, 2005; Carol was freed in May, 2005, and Ardeth will be released in December, 2005. To read their letters from prison, go to here.

In June, Bob Russell and I were fortunate to be near Jonah House, where Carol lives, and so we arranged to videotape an interview with her. To view the videotape click one of the links below. More information at the Jonah House web site

Interview with Sister Carol Gilbert • June 2005, Jonah House • Baltimore, Maryland

Interview with Sister Carol Gilbert • June 2005,
Jonah House • Baltimore, Maryland