Tompkins County Against War & Occupation

Despite the difficulties with parking for an event downtown just after the Ithaca Festival parade, 50 people attended the screening and discussion. If you missed the Ithaca screening, you still can see it in Oneonata (May 29), Corning (June 1), Cortland (June 4), Binghamton (June 5), or other locations in the Mohawk Valley and Sugerties scroll down for schedule).

The Social Justice Council of the First Unitarian Church of Ithaca is screening “From Mills River to Babylon and back… the Jimmy Massey Story”, a 67-minute documentary by Otsego County filmmaker Joseph C. Stillman. The film chronicles the life of Jimmy Massey, a former twelve-year career Marine who refused to continue killing in Iraq, and examines the political, legal, moral, and human rights implications of the war.

Filmmaker Joseph Stillman and Massey himself will be present for discussion afterwards. A $10 donation is suggested to help cover part of the production cost of the film, but all who want to come are encouraged to attend.

The event, part of an eleven-city tour in Upstate New York, will be held in the sanctuary of the First Unitarian Church, at the corner of Buffalo and Aurora Streets in Ithaca, on Thursday, May 28 at 7:30 p.m.. Screenings are also being held in Syracuse, Cortland and Corning. For more information, go to the filmmaker’s web site: lapalomafilms.net.

This is the premier screening of the film, which was shot in 14 states over the past 4 years and features interviews with Scott Ritter, Cindy Sheehan, Martin Sheen, Maxine Waters and numerous other congresspersons and human rights activists.

The film shows Massey’s early life and the tragic death of his father, his decision to enlist in the marines due to economic hardship, illicit recruiting tactics that target single parent families by recruiters (Massey was a Marine recruiter), weapons of mass deception, depleted uranium use and its effects on soldiers and civilians. Stillman explains, “I believe it’s particularly important for parents and young people especially, to understand the tactics military recruiters will use to fill their quotas at the expense of the youth in our community.”

Stillman says, “This project has opened my eyes to many of the facts that Jimmy has raised and the tragedy of an ongoing war that didn’t have to be fought. I sadly learned, for instance, that the U.S. has dropped massive amounts of depleted uranium, used in ammunition and bombs, in Iraq and Afghanistan since the first Gulf War and that it is presently having disastrous effects on our returning military personnel and especially on the civilian populations in those countries.”

Jimmy Massey last visited Ithaca in March 2005, when he spoke at Cornell GIAC. and shared his first hand knowledge of how military recruiters lie and prey on our youth, especially low income kids, with promises that will seldom be fulfilled.

“FROM MILLS RIVER TO BAYLON AND BACK… THE JIMMY MASSEY STORY” DOCUMENTARY SCREENINGS
Contact: Joseph C. Stillman-Filmmaker 607.433.0811/267.6646 lapalomafilms@yahoo.net

Date | City/Organization | Screening Location | Time

May 27 (Wed) Syracuse Syracuse Peace Council, Jessica Maxwell TBA
315-472-5478 www.peacecouncil.net

May 28 (THU) Ithaca 1st Unitarian Church, Buffalo & Aurora 7:30
cris@tompkinsagainstwar.org
607.387.9830

May 29 (FRI) Oneonta Foothills Performing Arts Center 7:30
La Paloma Films, 607.433.0811

May 30 (SAT) Vestal H.S. Broome County Veterans for Peace 7:00
607.321.8537

May 31 (SUN) Hudson Time & Space Limited, 434 Columbia St. 8:00
518.822.8100 fyi@timeandspace.org

June 1 (MON) Corning Palace Theater, 17 East Market Street 7:00
607.329.6173

June 2 (TUE) Hudson Time & Space Limited, 434 Columbia St. 8:00
518.822.8100

June 3 (WED) Andes Roundtable, Andes Hotel 7:00

June 4 (THU) Cortland Lucky’s, 77 Main Street, 607.842.6801 7:00

June 5 (FRI) Binghamton Broome County Veterans for Peace 5:30/7:30
First Presbyterian Church 42 Chenango St. 607.321.8537

June 6 (SAT) Troy Bethleham Neighbors for Peace/NY Media 8:00
Alliance at The Sanctuary 518.321.8537