10/28/12

"An Island Of Sanity," Notes From Peace Vigils: John Fortier's Peace Vigil, 10/26/12

"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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