Investigation of a Flame

I had the privilege of meeting Daniel Berrigan, one of the Catonsville 9, when he returned to speak at my alma mater, LeMoyne College in Syracuse NY, where he had taught in the 60s.

I was struck by how profoundly peaceful a man he was, and this is key to understanding the civil disobedience in which he, his brother Philip and others participated during the Vietnam War. On the surface, this film chronicles the events leading to and the motivations of the participants in the burning of Selective Service records in Catonsville, MD in 1968, but it is more about what we can all do to speak out against injustice.

These 9 individuals DID something about the war in Vietnam; Catholics all, they helped to wake the faithful throughout America, inspired by the liberation theology typified by Pope John 23rd, who had convened the second Vatican Council before his death in 1963. The Nine fueled a debate with homemade napalm poured on draft records outside an office, and by sacrificing their freedom. All were sentenced to Federal Prison for their actions.

There is a lesson in this film for all of us, especially today. Seek this out--the Sundance Channel is running it--and invest 45 minutes in a lesson for our time.