Label
RIA: Mike Ferner
Komives
Title
Recognizing Mike Ferner for Civic Courage and Activism
Summary
WHEREAS, Mike Ferner is the son of Elizabeth and Robert Ferner, a Toledo native, a father, a Vietnam veteran, an author, and a peace activist; and
WHEREAS, Mike was recently awarded the Joe A. Callaway Award for Civic Courage, for his years of dedication to peace, activism, and nonviolent protest; and
WHEREAS, Mike is the National Director of Veterans for Peace, a group that opposes war and occupation, and whose members are currently advocating for humanitarian intervention in Gaza and an end to US military support for Israel; and
WHEREAS, Mike is a former Toledo City Council member, having been elected as an Independent in 1989; and
WHEREAS, Mike has long been a leading activist with Lake Erie Advocates, working to improve the quality of Lake Erie’s water and biodiversity, and has advocated for regulations on industrial agriculture and concentrated animal feeding operations, which contribute to toxic algae blooms; and
WHEREAS, Mike published the book “Inside the Red Zone: A Veteran for Peace Reports from Iraq” in 2006, the same year that he engaged in a protest at the US House Appropriations Committee that was voting to increase military funding for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan; and
WHEREAS, This year, Mike Ferner was arrested for protesting the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, which he has written about extensively online, calling attention to the number of Palestinians who have been killed, displaced, imprisoned, or subjected to unchecked disease and starvation; and
WHEREAS, When asked what message he would like to share, Mike said: “Whether by religion or common sense, we are bound to live and act by the Golden Rule. It applies to all our living kin on Planet Earth, plant or animal. They are not worth less and we are not worth more.”
NOW THEREFORE, Be it resolved by the Council of the City of Toledo:
SECTION 1: That we recognize Mike Ferner as the recipient of the Civic Courage award, and for his admirable dedication to compassionate causes and tireless work toward peace and community.
Adopted _________________, as an emergency measure: yeas _____, nays _____.
Attest: ________________________ __________________________________
Clerk of Council President of Council
Approved: _____________________ __________________________________
Mayor
I hereby certify that the above is a true and correct copy of an Ordinance passed by Council ________________________.
Attest: ________________________
Clerk of Council