"God bless you" and "Thank you guys" were two of the messages that were expressed to us by passersby at last night's vigil. The vigil began with a horn honk of support as it was being set-up and the support never stopped.
During the vigil, a man in a green Jeep pulled up and gave us a thumbs up. But what made this special was sitting next to him, his 10 year old son read the sign and because of his dad, took an interest. It is likely the father subsequently explained to the son what the vigil is about and hopefully it will leave an indelible impression that will last this child a lifetime.
Later, 3 large yellow school buses pulled up filled with high school age boys dressed in gym clothes apparently returning from an event. All 3 drivers waved their support to us and as the 1st bus made a right turn and drove on, the other 2 stopped at the red signal. Some of the boys read the sign and took an interest, one asking what the vigil is about, which gave us an excellent opportunity to explain it. John Fortier then handed that boy 3 poker chip sized chips, each stamped with a peace symbol, which will help them to recall what they saw, as they share and discuss the chips.
It is these moments in the vigil that standout. When it can reach impressionable young people and encourage them to think about the consequences of war and to remember the enormous price paid in lives and in heartache by so many people, stories seldom told by the U.S. news media. On Tuesday however, The Washington Post told the story of the Obama Administration secretly and rapidly opening new drone bases in East Africa and in the Middle East to attack Al-Qaeda affiliates, in a widening of America's "War on Terror." http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/us-building-secret-drone-bases-in-africa-arabian-peninsula-officials-say/2011/09/20/gIQAJ8rOjK_print.html
This at a time when the U.S. and the global economies are crumbling and the peoples of the world are in desperate need of financial aid. But instead, the U.S. keeps borrowing money heavily to fund its military attacks which as we've learned in Afghanistan and Pakistan, claim numerous lives and create a living Hell in their wake.
So last night, our candle burned in memory of all those who have paid a severe price in the U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. And the vigil offered hope that because of our nation's horrific actions, some of us are raising our voices and taking to the streets for peace. If many more will join us, we can bring all of this military insanity and ever growing number of wars to an end.
Dick
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