There were 3 striking elements to John Fortier's Redondo Beach, CA peace vigil last night including an event I've never before experienced:
1) 4 boys about 16 years old walked by, seemingly indifferent, as if the vigil wasn't happening. I greeted them warmly, which stopped them briefly and asked if they pay attention to the U.S.'s wars. Each of the boys, one after the next said no. Their answer was not surprising but disappointing because it is hard to stop the U.S.'s wars if America's young people ignore them. With the Vietnam War and preceding wars, the U.S. could draft boys little older than these and if they had draft cards, they and their families would care very much about these wars. Meanwhile, boys and girls as young as just 2 years older than these boys are dying or being maimed, not that these boys care. If when my boys were this young, they were indifferent to the killing and suffering of others, I would feel I had failed as a parent.
2) "Hello," called out two young girls from a small sedan as the occupants got our attention. They began speaking to us and I went out on the street to hear what they had to say. The car was driven by a 40 ish mother who expressed her gratitude to us for reminding others these wars are being fought and for calling for peace. She said it takes a lot of courage to go to a busy street corner to appeal to the consciences of others. Her daughters, about 11 and 12 politely listened to her and enthusiastically expressed their support as well. When the light turned green, I stepped back on to the sidewalk and all three of them called out their support to us and the mother honked her horn. This was very special because it reminded us how John's peace vigil is affecting others, including the next generation. It also showed a mother who is instilling the caring for others into her children, unlike the parents of those 4 boys.
3) When the vigil ended, John and I walked back to his car and as he looked for his keys, I held his peace symbol flag. The flag, attached to a several foot long metal pole, was folded in plastic on the left end of the pole and I held the pole in each hand, palms facing the upper front of my legs. It was nearly windless when all of a sudden the right side of the pole was thrust vigorously back and forth 3 or 4 times, as if an invisible hand gripped it and shook it. I was stunned and when the shaking stopped, I told John what had happened. Dear Reader, I have no explanation for how this happened. Personally I believe a spiritual being was involved but I leave it to you to draw your own conclusion. Hundreds of thousands of men, women and children have been killed in the U.S.'s Iraq and Afghan Wars and is it possible one of them expressed support for John's peace vigil?
Dick
1) 4 boys about 16 years old walked by, seemingly indifferent, as if the vigil wasn't happening. I greeted them warmly, which stopped them briefly and asked if they pay attention to the U.S.'s wars. Each of the boys, one after the next said no. Their answer was not surprising but disappointing because it is hard to stop the U.S.'s wars if America's young people ignore them. With the Vietnam War and preceding wars, the U.S. could draft boys little older than these and if they had draft cards, they and their families would care very much about these wars. Meanwhile, boys and girls as young as just 2 years older than these boys are dying or being maimed, not that these boys care. If when my boys were this young, they were indifferent to the killing and suffering of others, I would feel I had failed as a parent.
2) "Hello," called out two young girls from a small sedan as the occupants got our attention. They began speaking to us and I went out on the street to hear what they had to say. The car was driven by a 40 ish mother who expressed her gratitude to us for reminding others these wars are being fought and for calling for peace. She said it takes a lot of courage to go to a busy street corner to appeal to the consciences of others. Her daughters, about 11 and 12 politely listened to her and enthusiastically expressed their support as well. When the light turned green, I stepped back on to the sidewalk and all three of them called out their support to us and the mother honked her horn. This was very special because it reminded us how John's peace vigil is affecting others, including the next generation. It also showed a mother who is instilling the caring for others into her children, unlike the parents of those 4 boys.
3) When the vigil ended, John and I walked back to his car and as he looked for his keys, I held his peace symbol flag. The flag, attached to a several foot long metal pole, was folded in plastic on the left end of the pole and I held the pole in each hand, palms facing the upper front of my legs. It was nearly windless when all of a sudden the right side of the pole was thrust vigorously back and forth 3 or 4 times, as if an invisible hand gripped it and shook it. I was stunned and when the shaking stopped, I told John what had happened. Dear Reader, I have no explanation for how this happened. Personally I believe a spiritual being was involved but I leave it to you to draw your own conclusion. Hundreds of thousands of men, women and children have been killed in the U.S.'s Iraq and Afghan Wars and is it possible one of them expressed support for John's peace vigil?
Dick
No comments:
Post a Comment