"An island of sanity," that is how John
Fortier termed his peace vigil, as we spoke during that vigil on Friday. Since
just before U.S. President George W. Bush ordered the invasion of Iraq in March,
2003 John, a Korean War Veteran, retired school teacher and husband, father,
grandfather and great-grandfather has conducted a weekly peace vigil.
The vigil, held alongside Pacific Coast Highway in Redondo
Beach, California is meant to remember the many people killed during the U.S.'s
wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and elsewhere and to appeal to the public
for peace, for it is only they who can bring peace.
More than 11 years
after the U.S. invaded Afghanistan and 9 1/2 years since it invaded Iraq, the
Hell of War continues, as men, women and children are killed or maimed and in
the case of thousands of other children, orphaned. This is what the U.S. has to
show for the enormous price it has paid and that it continues to
pay.
Each week, and occasionally more often such as on a holiday like
Veteran's Day, John goes out to a busy street corner and sets up his vigil,
including a large green flag with a peace symbol, and signs that read, "War Is
Not The Answer" and "Veterans For Peace," as he displays his war medals. His war
medals show passersby that he knows war first hand, and all of its horror, a
horror seldom shown on U.S. news media.
As people continue to die in
Afghanistan and Pakistan and elsewhere, for reasons God knows why, and most
Americans remain indifferent to the suffering, John offers the world "an island
of sanity."
On this island, he compassionately challenges people to think
and to raise their voices for peace. Were Jesus to walk this world again, I
suspect he would join John's peace vigil and encourage his billions of followers
to do as he did: love, help and forgive all of humanity, not kill
them.
Dick
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