October 28

Today marks the birthday, in 1901, of Ambrogio Gianotti, a Roman Catholic priest and part of the Italian Resistance to their fascist government during World War 2.

Today also marks the beginning of one of the worst environmental disasters in the United States: the Donora Smog of 1948, which killed twenty people outright, another 50 later that month, and sickened thousands. Thanks to the scientific activism of Mary Amdur and others, this disaster would provide a push toward the Clean Air Act of 1970. 

Today is a feast day for Simon the Zealot and Jude the Apostle, two of Jesus’s original twelve disciples. 

Reflection: 

Lucian Vignati remembered words spoken by Ambrogio Gianotti as they planned guerilla tactics against the Italian fascist regime. Since I cannot read Italian, I am making my best guess with Google translate: 

I’ve written before about the complicated relationship between moral pacifism, strategic nonviolence, and “just” war perspectives. Gianotti here falls on the “just war” side of things, but I think it’s important to note, especially in our current climate, that he emphasizes ethical behavior in war. The current regime has no respect for prisoners and fully endorses retaliation. Both the president and his secretary of defense have advocated throwing out “rules” of warfare.

The current fascist regime of the United States has also been dismantling environmental protections, including the Clear Air Act, making future environmental disasters more likely. U.S. Steel settled out of court, but never really compensated the victims of this disaster, demonstrating once again that capitalism allows corporations to privatize profits and while society bears the costs. It is important to remember these specific events that have shaped policies we often take for granted. 

Prayer: God of Creation, help us to express our love for your world not just through sentiment, but through policy. Amen.