By Elton Davis,
Des Moines Catholic Worker

Elton was one of the four members of the Des Moines peace movement subpoenaed by the federal government regarding their participation in a rally and nonviolent direct action the weekend of Nov. 15, 2003. The federal government dropped the subpoenas under pressure from friends of the Iowa peace movement, elected representatives and national media. Elton offers us his reflections on the experience.

It’s been almost two weeks now since this disruption entered our lives, four individuals, as well as Drake University, being subpoenaed to appear before a federal grand jury here in Des Moines. I’ve read the accounts of activists who have been targeted by the US government over the years, just never figured I was a big enough fish to warrant any attention at all to be perfectly honest;

I know the accounts of those who were active against the Nazis, those who were sent to the gulags in the Soviet Union, those who were murdered in Central America in the 1980’s, those who were targeted in the 1950’s by McCarthy, those who were targeted during the Vietnam war, and under the tenure of FBI director J. Edgar Hoover.

I had honestly thought those days were long past us, and that an individual could work in the open, be honest about their political beliefs, perhaps engage in civil-disobedience in a direct non-violent manner, and take the consequences for same without being terrorized by the federales.

Apparently not.

I have no words to explain the sense of emotion that I felt having an individual deliver a federal subpoena to my door, for heaven knows what, and to have that individual leave a business card stating that they are from the FBI Anti-Terrorist Task Force? C’mon, this is the stuff of fiction, government conspiracy fantasy crap.

But it really happened.

Perhaps I might have seen it coming, if I had believed in the conspiracy and total surveillance mode of the government, but my mind just doesn’t work that way.

Today, the Des Moines Register gave a label to us, “The Des Moines Four”. And a label to each of us in a profile piece. Brian Terrell, “The Passionate Intellectual”, Wendy Vasquez, “The Flower Child”, Patti Mckee, “The Organizer”, and Elton Davis, “The Humble Man”.

Humble? Me? Yep, it’s true. I’m so doggoned humble I can barely stand myself, in fact my humility is the aspect of myself in which I take the greatest pride. I even started singing the old Mac Davis lyrics, “Lord, it’s hard to be humble, when yer perfect in every waaaaay….” as soon as someone showed me the article.

You know what, though? I have been humbled this past year, not by the government, but by close association with those who have demonstrated their unconditional support of me, and in getting to know those who have gone before me in these endeavors.

I feel that those of us in Des Moines did send a small message of hope to some, but to keep it in honest perspective, I personally feel our modest effort pales in the face of those who blazed the trail for us, and defied convention to do so….

And it’s not over yet, we have three trials coming up from a Camp Dodge November action at the state level alone (who knows what the feds have in store?). Chris Gaunt who was charged with assault for going limp when arrested is scheduled to begin her trial March 1st. Two others who were unintentional trespass arrestees, Carla Dawson and Jane Magers, are scheduled in April, and the remaining codefendants are scheduled to begin their court trials on March 23rd.

We have a rally and demonstration scheduled again at the Camp Dodge STARC Armory complex on March 22nd to mark the one year anniversary of the war and occupation of Iraq. I cannot imagine that there will be no one who is willing to risk arrest after this latest move by the government. If this was a message from the federal government to chill us out, I have a strong feeling that this will do nothing but ignite our local peace efforts here in central Iowa.

Peace, thanks for your time, and thanks again for your support. Sincerely, Elton Davis, DMCW