Jaden Gerard: Ed Kinane has been an activist since the early 70s. For three decades, Ed has been joined by his partner, Ann Tiffany, whom he met while attending non-violence training, before occupying the office of a U.S. senator. Ann had already heard of Ed by that time.
Ann Tiffany: I had admired Ed because of his letters to the editor…so I would get up in the morning with ‘oh I hope there’s a letter from Ed.
Gerard: They both have travelled around the world. Ed has been to places like Iraq and Afghanistan, promoting nonviolence and assisting those dealing with the repercussions of violence. Both Ed and Ann received national attention for their efforts to close the School of the Americas at Fort Benning, Georgia.
Ed Kinane: I’ve done a lot traveling around the world with the idea of understanding the human condition and understanding the differences between what we have in the U.S. which is kind of a bubble.
Gerard: Now they protest on behalf of the group they helped create, Upstate Drone Action.
Kinane: When I first heard about Hancock air base being the host to these killer drones, I started writing letters to the editor, op eds…and that helped I think alert kind of other activists in the region and we started coming together.
Gerard: During warmer weather, the group is outside of Hancock Air Base almost every week holding signs. The group also does more visual actions, using more than just posters to present their cause.
Tiffany: We would have people lie on the ground, sometimes in bloody shrouds, sometimes just lie there and they were reaper civilian victims….We made a sign, ‘If this was your family, how would you feel?
Gerard: Ed and Ann work collectively to make sure anyone who wishes to protest, can.
Tiffany: Whenever there was anything happening, we had to find hospitality, we had to provide food, at times we’d provide transportation, we had to guide people where we were going, how we were going.
Gerard: However, getting people to join the cause can be difficult, with fears associated with challenging a military entity.
Kinane: There is the risk of arrest and I think that’s a major deterrent to people, and for good reasons, so that provides a real limitation to the growth of our campaign.
Gerard: They also feel they don’t get enough attention from the local media.
Kinane: I think the local mainstream media kinda don’t want to jeopardize that economic activity.
Gerard: Both Ed and Ann have each been sent to prison multiple times, but that has not hindered them. They both enjoy their work as they continue to educate others about the importance of their cause.
Kinane: It’s good to feel like you’re doing a good thing and being part of the historical process, that’s important to me.
Gerard: Throughout the years, both Ed and Ann have stayed by each other’s sides. They use their experiences in Haiti as an example of how strong their bond is.
Tiffany: We were very fortunate to have each other, throughout the entire time I don’t know that I would have been so active, I don’t know if I could’ve done what I did without Ed’s support.
Gerard: Jaden Gerard, NCC News.
