What does the U.S. have to show for the many men, women and children that have been killed? More war, more weapons, more killing is necessary, as if the loss of all those lives is not enough. The latest war effort is to expand it's "Kill List," and continue its "Kill" teams and its killer drones to anyplace it decides terrorists are functioning, while never seeing itself as a terrorist, nor respecting the territorial rights of others.
But as he has done since before President George W. Bush launched the Iraq War in March, 2003, Korean War veteran John Fortier conducts his weekly, and occasionally more often, peace vigil on a busy Redondo Beach, CA street corner along Pacific Coast Highway (PCH).
John is a retired school teacher, husband of 55 years, father, grandfather and great-grandfather. And whatever the weather presents, such as the cold, windy and rainy day of yesterday, he is out there with his green peace flag flapping in the breeze, and his "War Is Not The Answer" sign in front of him, a sign that also includes his war metals.
Dear Reader, what follows are John's comments about yesterday's peace vigil, which I think you will find of interest:
Well, there's just no telling what the corner has in store for one.
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This ^ evening it had three very nice happenings; two were complete surprises.
In order: a 30ish lady in an A-shirt approached, told me she had seen me there for a long, long, long time, and had meant many times to stop, but... She asked if I would mind if she took my picture, and I told her I wouldn't mind as long as I didn't have to disrobe (my standard answer)and if my sign was prominently displayed.
She seemed to spend 15 or 20 minutes setting up and taking > half-dozen or so
pictures with her little digital phone-camera. Said she was a photo-journalist
in college but had to drop out because her mother became very ill. Now she
enters photography contests and is currently in one for digital phone-cameras.
Her name is Mary and my name is John, and that's all the information we
exchanged.
The next happened at 5:40. I was in the corner of the parking loading my stuff
off and over the fence, and I heard lots of tooting and yelling. I was glad I
sat until the last minute, stood up and just looked around for a minute [a la
P. Obama taking his last look], otherwise I would have missed a regular
enthusiastic support group - a man driver with three kids hanging out the rear
window putting on a show. It was great. I can't remember a Friday that they
didn't come by. It's always heartening to see them.
The next was as good as it gets. I was still looking down PCH after my cheering
section and a car pulls up right next to me and the driver's holding a big to-go
cup out the window. He says that it's pretty cold out there and would I like a
cup of hot chocolate. We visited a few minutes, me telling him how much I
appreciated his doing what he did, and him telling me how much he appreciated me
doing what I do. I'm thinking about saving that cup and displaying it somehow
so that guy can see it when he comes by again. If I keep the poinsettia the
anonymous lady left for me and the hot chocolate to-go cup the guy left for me,
my corner will start to look like the bottom shelf of a carnival's weight
guesser's prizes.
Oh - before the lady photographer, a slightly senior lady rolled up in the right
turn lane, lowered her passenger window a couple of inches and was holding her
hand out with folded up money in it. I think I'm going to have to start wearing
a necktie or something so people won't be tempted to offer me money. Not that
people are standing in line to do it. This is only about the 4th or 5th time in
a dozen or so years, but it is really awkward and I dread offending anyone who
is obviously trying to do what they think is right/nice.
I must give the weather some mention. It was cold and windy. Quite cold and
quite windy. But the rain was negligible. I had on a t-shirt, a pretty heavy
long sleeved shirt, a scarf, and a heavy jacket. When a drizzle started getting
serious I put on a light rain jacket. It wouldn't close over all the other
stuff, so I bent forward so the rain landed on my back and rolled off. Sort of
like a tortoise. Ta-da !
What a night. There are so many cool people out there. I enjoy my Wednesdays,
but I really look forward to my Fridays !
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