Sometimes I stand with others in front of Bath Iron Works and vigil, demonstrate, hold a sign or banner. Sometimes I pray, silently. Friends from the Smilin’ Tree Disarmament Farm invite us to join them on the Saturdays of Lent and Advent, holy seasons for some of us desperately seeking peace.

Reactions from BIW workers are quite varied. Some tell us to “Get a job!” (I have one, by the way.) From those who disagree with our anti-war expressions, we frequently hear in angry tones this sentiment: How dare you disrespect troops who give their lives so that you can have the privilege of expressing your constitutional rights! I always wonder, if you believe the troops are dying overseas to protect my freedoms, then who honors the troops more, those who exercise those freedoms publicly and with vigor, or those who keep their opinions to themselves out of fear of repercussion?

The fact that we don’t agree, in a truly open society, should be an opportunity to come together to dialogue. War — how we plan for, pay for, build, sell, engage, profit from, lose our lives, limbs or souls to — those of us who stand up to it, I can promise, are no strangers to its impact. We are clear we have a right and a duty to express ourselves.

One wintry Saturday outside BIW, a woman commented, “I need to feed my kids.” To me, that reality gets to the heart of the issue. I don’t stand in front of the gates of BIW to be disrespectful to workers. I understand the need for good jobs, union wages, health care, and a standard of living that allows for a good education for the kids. I am also aware that once pon a time, BIW had more than 12,000 employees.

But as we hold our signs and banners and prayers, we attempt to envision what else could be built on the river behind those walls. We see wind turbines, light rail cars, research and development for an alternative energy infrastructure.

Honestly, when we think about the next generation, it’s hard to imagine twenty more years of naval destroyers. We don’t see either job or homeland security in building endless capacity to generate shock and awe attacks on foreign lands. The planet simply cannot sustain the wealthiest nation in the world marching forward into the 21st century with blinders to the consequences of climate change, and devoting more than half it’s discretionary spending to activities that pollute the world and wreak destruction as its expression of imperial power.

I’ve read about a time in history, before the Pentagon took over America’s factories, when workers engaged a democratic process, forming teams to solve problems, engineer solutions, create innovation. I stand in front of BIW praying, envisioning a factory unshackled from the chains of military production, alive with creativity and innovation for products our communities need.

We can argue from now until the cows come home about ISIS, Al Qaeda, 9-11 and Homeland Security.

If you believe America’s security lies in the capacity to dominate or kill anywhere, anytime, any way we want, then perhaps you are satisfied with America’s funding priorities, and our small group standing in front of the gates is no threat whatsoever.

But we feel compelled to speak up about our need to house our homeless neighbors, feed the hungry, provide medical care to the sick, Head Start for those with lowincome, education for our youth, rehabilitation services for those with addictions, support for those traumatized by war and violence.

We will continue to write letters, contact our representatives, and work to provide for our families. And we will continue visiting the gates of BIW — because this is where we live. We mean no offense to any of our neighbors. We simply hold our urgent message, some of us in prayer, that our collective tax dollars be used to protect and preserve life on this planet.

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Mary Beth Sullivan is a member of PeaceWorks. She lives in Bath.