I missed yet another Peace Vigil. That's three in a row that I haven't attended. I was on the road for tow, then at the dentist office for this one. Mrs. Spadoman did show up along with Reverend Pat, "that guy who comes by all the time" and a young woman who has returned to campus for the Fall term. Four people all together.
The weather was warm, but there was a steady rain. In fact, it had rained all day yesterday. There is no doubt the weather keeps some vigilers from attending. I saw this same thing happen in Duluth. The Veterans for Peace, Chapter 80, has been doing a similar vigil on a major intersection corner for some time to voice their displeasure with our country being at war. The last time I was in Duluth on a Wednesday, the day they chose to demonstrate, there were only two people.
I understand and have no judgement towards who or how many come. I just know I want to continue and I will be there unless I am off living life and can't make it. I want to believe that this is what's happening with our numbers of attendees right now. I will go to the college this week and put up some new flyers and solicit the students. I'll also make up new flyers to post on the bulliten boards around town and try to get a public service announcement in the paper.
Speaking of the paper, the other Pat of out group wrote a letter to the editor. Here is her letter:
President George Bush has figured out how we can have
"guns and butter." Remember that saying from Lyndon
B. Johnson during the Vietnam war? Johnson could have
probably gotten away with it but he had the draft
which meant a lot of human sacrifices (even in some
cases effecting the elite and the rich) so therefore
the American people said "enough already! Stop? Then
we had a majority.
Now, GWB, with a minority of support can keep this
Alice in Wonderland war going, ad nauseum! After all
the Chinese, among some others, are paying for it.
Only one problem exists, they want their money back
with interest. So who will pay? why, our children,
of course, and their children and their
children......This generation gets off scott free.
Just one little catch, 3,781 American military killed,
27,848 wounded, some grievously. Just a few of our
young people that ostensibly didn't have anything
better to do than join the military and offer up their
souls and bodies for this country. It is too bad
their nobility isn't honored for a noble cause.
Why is Osama bin Laden still running free and able to
make his taunting little messages every Sept. 11?
Could it be that he is serving a useful purpose by
providing a handy little smoke screen for the real
reason why we are in IraQ? There were no Iraqi
bombers on the 9-11 planes. Most of them were Saudi
citizens. Why are we not holding them accountable?
Saudi Arabia is NOT a democracy but a monarchy whose
constitution is the Qur'an and is governed by Islamic
law. We suck up to them as if they are the ones
wearing the white hats!
If you feel upset by this war please join the peace
vigil which is held every Tuesday evening (5-6 p.m.)
on the corner of the Ashland post office.
Pat Ortman, Ashland, Wi
P.S. And before anybody jumps to conclusions my
family has done it's share in every war, including my
grandson who is now serving his third combat tour.
I'm not sure when it will be published, but I'm sure it will be. The Ashland Daily Press does a good job of publishing all letters to the editor.
We'll continue to march on Tuesdays. The time will change one time in the next week or so and start at 4:30 PM to 5:30 PM instead of 4 to 5:00 PM. The Post Office closes at 5:00 PM and traffic dies, and since we stand virtually in front of the Post Office, we'll try to get a half hour of busy last minute postal customers. It will also start getting dark earlier and earlier. By December, it will be pitch black by 5PM.
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5 comments:
You do what you can, Brother. It is my experience that these things ebb and flow. It is only important to maintain the stream so that when the tide returns it can find it's way.
Peace to you and yours, Brother.
d.
Ebb and flow is one thing, but if enough people make enough waves, you can disrupt the rising tide.
We need to come together. In reality, we can be millions very quickly. As a lone wolf, I will howl at the moon and affect a few, but millions of points of light can force the dark out of the corners.
Sorry, after reading that I come off as some lame Confucius. But you know what I'm saying.
Thanks, both of you, for your comments and your visit here.
Yes, I know that we must keep on keeping on. That's why we do it. I guess I was crying a little out loud because the numbers of people who have been supporting and standing on the corner seem to be dwnidling. Always a bit disheartening, but I also realize they didn't change their point of view, they just have had other things to do on Tuesday afternoons. They'll be back.
Thanks
"Each time a man stands up for an ideal,
or acts to improve the lot of others,
or strikes out against injustice,
He sends forth a tiny ripple of hope,
and crossing each other from a million different centres of enery and daring,
these ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance." - Robert Kennedy
Thank you for being a ripple maker.
Peace and light to you, Maithri
I found the young people are very willing. They just need a little encouragement. Flylers on the campus is a great idea. They don't want to show up alone but if they can get a friend, great. It grows from there.
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