America Is Arming The World For Peace

The U.S. is busily building weapons en mass for itself and for many others. Some of its biggest customers are Middle East based, including Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Tunisia. The premise is these arms sales help ensure a military balance in that region and elsewhere in the world thus keeping it safe.

Afghan Bank Hit By Bombers and Gunmen, 40 Dead

As the U.S. War with the Taliban rages, on Saturday two bombers and five gunmen walked into a Jalalabad branch of Kabul Bank and slaughtered at least 40 people while wounding 50 more, the deadliest Afghan attack in 8 months. Why?

John Fortier's Peace Vigil, 2/18/11

Last night John, a 77 year old Korean War veteran held his Redondo Beach, CA peace vigil along side Pacific Coast Highway, despite a driving rain swept by 25 mph winds in a 52 degree temperature. The winds blew so hard, at one point they turned his umbrella inside-out and he was pelted by the rain.

Iraqi Protesters Take To The Streets

In U.S. occupied Iraq, in which the U.S. military keeps an Iraq government in power in its heavily secured Green Zone, frustrations with that government are mounting. The Iraqi people have little voice in its affairs, and are living with electricity just 4 hours a day at best, no clean water, no sewage treatment, little medical care and little schooling for their children. The unemployment rate is a staggering 40-50%.

If Egypt Can Overthrow Its Ruler, Why Not Iraq?

The Egyptian people, suffering from extreme financial hardship, boldly and peacefully overthrew their dictator. But Iraqis also live with extreme hardship. Could they overthrow their foreign occupier, the U.S.?

Peace Demonstration No. 258, 2/16/11

"It's always nice to see you guys out here," said a bus driver with a big smile as he opened his doors while stopped at a red light. "We can't forget these people. It's important. This is what's really going on and they don't say anything about it. Thank you."

U.S. News Priorities by John Fortier

Dear Reader, Korean War Veteran and Peace Activist John Fortier wrote with fire when he saw the Los Angeles Times (and other U.S. news media) gave huge coverage to actress Lindsay Lohan's problems and almost nothing to the victims of a suicide bomber in Pakistan who at the time of John's writing killed 27 people. That number has since grown to 32 dead.

Peace Demonstration No. 257, 2/9/11

"I'm in the Marine Reserves,"  said a 25 ish, 5 ft, 8 in muscular man who walked up with his girl friend. "But I served on Active Duty for 51/2 years. I was in Iraq in 2005 and I'm going to Afghanistan this Summer. Thank you for doing this."

Peace Demonstration No. 256, 2/2/11

 "Thank you guys for being out here," said a 30 ish woman from her small white sedan. "I've seen you out here for years. It's wonderful that you give your time to such a worthwhile cause. It means a lot to to me and I know it means a lot to others."

John Fortier Peace Vigil, 1/28/11

Dear Reader, This Peace Vigil is held each Friday night by John Fortier, A Korean War veteran and retired school teacher on Pacific Coast Highway in Redondo Beach, CA. He has held these vigils, and additional vigils as well, since just before President Bush launched the Iraq War in March, 2003.

Aghan Suicide Blast Kills 8 People

A suicide bomber blew himself up in an upscale Kabul supermarket which caters to wealthy westerners. He killed 8 people, including a child, and wounded others.

The Taliban acknowledged taking this action and claimed they

"Car bombing kills 48 in Shiite district of Baghdad"

Dear Reader, A car bomb exploded in Baghdad Thursday, killing at least 48 people and wounding 121 more. In the last 10 days, there have been five major attacks killing nearly 200 people and wounding hundreds more, as the tragedy that is the nearly eight year old Iraq War continues.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-iraq-bombing-20110128,0,6457116.story

Peace Demonstration No. 255, 1/26/11

"Nicely done guys," said a 60 ish man from a small sedan as he warmly smiled at us. "I served in the Navy and I know what's it like (to go to war)."

Peace Demonstration Number 254, 1/19/11

The horn honked loudly from a small sedan as the driver waved his support, while John Fortier and I were walking to the street corner to set up the vigil. This driver couldn't read a sign that hadn't yet been set-up but he knew the vigil would soon begin and wanted to convey his support for it.

And the horn honks and waves continued over the next hour as others expressed their support. The vigil was joined briefly by a 53 year old Englishman who occasionally participates and by a 50 ish couple who often do.

Meanwhile in Iraq on Tuesday, just north of Baghdad, a suicide bomber walked among a crowd of police job applicants and their families and detonated his explosives. In an instant, 60 men, women and children were dead and another 160 were seriously injured.

Peace Demonstration No. 253, 01/12/11

"I always honk my horn to support you," said a 30 ish woman I had never met before, in a grocery store on Monday as she spoke of the vigil, two days before the latest one took place.

It is a nice reminder that people care. And at the latest vigil, they did care as they honked their horns and waved to John Fortier and me. The 50 ish couple who often join did last night, as briefly did the 64 year old Haitian man who frequently does. In addition, thank you too dear reader for caring and joining the vigil with your heart.

"I'm proud of you guys," said a 70 ish man from his red compact car. "Peace be with you," he added as he smiled softly and waved. With the tone of his message and the warmth in his eyes as he looked at us, this man with his gray well groomed hair impressed me as being a deeply religious man, possibly a Minister.

Peace Demonstraton No. 252 1/5/11

"Most people don't know what what gunfire sounds like," said Korean War veteran John Fortier at last night's vigil. "They don't know what it smells like and they don't know what it can do.
"If I fire a .45 it would sound like a cannon. If it hit a 200 pound man in the shoulder or in the chest, he will go down. And when someone is killed by a sniper, he doesn't dance around like they do in the movies looking for a soft place to land. They drop.
"The fact that few other people are doing what we're doing, I don't understand it," John continued as he talked about the horrors of war. "They are either ignorant of what's going on in Iraq and Afghanistan with their support even if that support is by omission because they don't get involved. Or if they are aware, are they so callous they don't care. There should be 30 or 40 or 50 people out here. Where are they? Why is it just us?"

Peace Demonstration No. 251, 12/29/10

Last night the icy winds howled as they swept through everything in their path at 20 to 25 miles per hour. Even some of the people in their cars were bundled up for warmth.

But as usual, John Fortier and I were on the street corner conducting a peace demonstration in memory of all who have been killed or severely wounded in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and for their families who bear such pain, often in silence, forgotten by the politicians who sent these young soldiers off to fight. Those politicians are now on vacation enjoying the joys of the season and the warmth of their families.

Even the U.S. news media sees little purpose in covering these wars or asking tough questions of those politicians, such as why these wars are being fought and how they will be paid for by a nation rapidly sinking in red ink. They rarely cover the families bearing their losses, whether American, Iraqi or Afghan or those who supported the U.S. in these tragedies.

Peace Demonstration No. 250, 12/22/10

A 50 ish woman called out from her white Jeep Cherokee and asked me to come speak with her. "I've seen you out here for a long time," she said as I walked up. "I always honk the horn and wave."

As I crossed the right lane to where she was, she reached out and shook my hand, introducing herself. I then pointed to John Fortier and told her he is a Korean War veteran actively involved in peace vigils. "I want peace but others don't," she said. "I want us to save our children (and not send them off to war)." As the signal turned green, I smiled and turned to step back on to the sidewalk. "Please be careful (of traffic), and thank you."

However, one cannot please everyone. A short time later, a 25 ish woman in a large sedan approached the vigil with her brights on which could send a blinding light across the cars in front of her and those coming opposite of her. As she stopped at the right light, I stepped into the street and tried to politely tell her to turn down her lights.

"War protesters busted outside White House"

The U.S. news media gives the Iraq and Afghanistan wars little coverage but the death and destruction continues, taking with it, what is left of the U.S.'s financial security.

Recently, over 100 U.S. war protesters, many of them military veterans, demonstrated outside the White House and were arrested. Like the wars, and the dead and severely injured soldiers and their families, the U.S. news media didn't deem that worthy of coverage either.

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/theoval/post/2010/12/war-protestors-busted-at-obama-white-house/1

And "War opponents arrested at White House" http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gG2s2Q1ia_qWNglbjx3emlAC17YA?docId=CNG.a03843bc6289f00ba74faca28ff52cf9.701

Dick

Peace Demonstration No. 249, 12/15/10

"Horn honks and waves are nice," said John Fortier about last night's vigil, "But some of those people did everything short of getting out of their cars and hugging us."

That was how well last night's vigil went. Even before the vigil began and John was getting the sign, drivers in two cars saw the vigil being set up and honked their horns in support.

One of the high points of the peace demonstration happened as it began. A silver compact car pulled up and in the back seat, an eight year old boy waved at us, as did his 35 ish mother. During the red light, she explained the vigil to him, pointing and nodding her head for emphasis. When the light turned green, they both enthusiastically waved as she slowly pulled out.