My Memorial Day 2008
Many of you may remember when i last attended the Memorial Day events here in the Ojai Valley in 2006, after which i wrote this report which brought up issues of patriotism, accountability, veteran-civilian relations, and the meaning of supporting the troops while opposing the war.
This year's Memorial Day was quite different for me, but not so much because of the local events. i have made some significant personal strides relative to the above issues by listening to the testimony of warriors at the Winter Soldier 2008 event, responding to my brother's choice to join the Marine Corps Reserves, reading some of the local veterans' stories in their book "Ojai Valley's Veterans Stories", and connecting to local organizers of Iraq Veterans Against the War.
***
At this time in 2006 i didn't have a nine-month-old daughter, so i was a little slower getting out the door this time. i missed the pancake breakfast at the American Legion building in Oak View, but caught the last half of the parade, where i noted several violations of the Federal Flag Code. After the parade a sizable crowd gathered at Longhorn's Feed & Supply to hear speakers and for the awarding of the parade trophies. i approached as Ms. Shelley Rhoades was reading the same poem she read last time in Libbey Park, while Boy Scout Troop 503 did the same enigmatic flag-passing ceremony. i began to wonder what was going to happen at the park.
Some guy took the "stage" and led us all in prayer to a Christian God, thanking him for our community and lifestyle and for helping us preserve it, in Jesus' name. Veteran Al Wescott sang his original song "Soldiers, Sailors, and Tired Old Men", just like he did in 2006. The teen girls in their long satin dresses and label-sashes gave out awards to everything from a bagpiper to a llama (although i think it was an alpaca, technically) to "pooper scoopers". People clapped and cheered, then left.
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Noa and i drove home and walked to Libbey Park, where there was absolutely nothing happening in the forward section of the park like there had been last time. No tired group of veterans in the gazebo, no rows of tables and booths showing off relics of violence past (both living and inanimate). no posters or photographs hung on the fences. all we saw was a playground full of children and two very old men guarding tables full of books at one entrance to the Pergola. i bought a fake red poppy from Korean War-er U.S. Marine Corps Infantryman Gene Carper. it was assembled by a disabled veteran somewhere, and the money is supposed to help local vets and their families in some way. the books were Ojai Valley's Veterans Stories and the new Ventura County Veterans Stories, both of which i was graciously gifted by Suza. i told Gene that i hadn't yet gotten to his story, but that i would.
we moved on into Libbey Bowl, past the umpteen-flavored sno-cone bar and a few uniformed old men...just in time to hear an Iraq War vet dressed in digital camo tell us how awesome war is and quote British philosopher, political economist, civil servant and Member of Parliament John Stuart Mill (1806-1873):
War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself.
this very quote was left under my windshield wiper some weeks ago, and now i have an idea of who might have done it. We heard from a new Ojai resident billed as an accomplished jazz singer who never quite seemed to hit her notes, and a local television music composer who'd written original songs about killing "fanatics who want to kill us" and having the "soul of a dove and the heart of a lion" because you never know which one you'll need. A young sailor spoke to use about changing his attitude toward his (and, presumably, my) generation as apathetic and lazy after serving alongside the most dedicated, professional, and amazing people he's been honored to know. he said that we could ask anybody in the military who's actually "been there" whether we should stay and finish the job, and that we'd hear a resounding "YES!", and cautioned us about listening to the weak links that the media interviewed who'd say anything was less than rosy. it was at that moment that an outburst nearly overtook me. i wanted to yell out
"WHAT'S THE JOB, EXACTLY?"
and
"THEY DON'T ALL WANT US TO STAY...LISTEN TO THE WINTER SOLDIERS!"
but i didn't. everyone that i could see clapped and cheered. hoo-ah.
a young, crisply uniformed African-American man took the stage and claimed to be unprepared for what to say. he then proceeded to give an impassioned and well-organized speech describing how he had taken his freedoms for granted in earlier years, not understanding the sacrifices that were made so that he as an individual and as an African-American could be FREE. he plead with us to learn the name of and remember just ONE person who'd died for our freedoms, and to look very deeply at whether we REALLY, REALLY, REALLY understand and use those freedoms that have been so hard-won. everyone that i could see clapped and cheered.
and then Julio Contreras was asked to the stage. Julio, my one bright spot from the 2006 event, who'd at that time been the only one to advocate for anything more than the glories of war. he spoke very briefly about the three men who'd most influenced him in his life, one of which was John F. Kennedy, and then he expressed a desire to mention the most pressing issue of our times in his view: global warming. the crowd was silent as he described the environmental degradation that we all know is happening and called on us all to become united around this global, human problem. he told us how he'd taken a job with a company that makes high-performance wind turbines, and urged us all to get involved as parts of the solution. i appreciate Mr. Contreras for speaking out because he has rejected the pretended partisan nature of the climate change issue and brought it to the very people who are responsible: all of us. (i immediately wondered, however, whether he is aware that the United States military is the largest institutional consumer of energy AND emitter of greenhouse gasses on our planet.)
“Its energy bill actually increased last year from $10.9 to $13.6 billion, consuming the equivalent of 340,000 barrels of oil a day, or 1.5% of the U.S. total." from a January 2008 report by the Institute for Policy Studies entitled "Military Vs. Climate Security, with a footnote to Dave Montgomery, “U.S. Military Joins Green Movement,” McClatchy Newspapers, December 3, 2007.
finally the Air National Guard Band, which had been sitting onstage all this time with shiny shoes and shiny instruments, was going to play to finish off the day, and their first tune was as crisp and proud as a military tune could be. my cue to leave was when their spunky vocalist prepared to sing "God Bless America". i'd had enough holy war for one day.
My friend Cherish, president of the new Ventura County chapter of Iraq Veterans Against the War, stayed all the way until Taps, played by Ojai's Dr. Halverson. she recalled waking up to it in Basic Training when it was played for the fallen, and i imagine that it brought back powerful memories for many in the Bowl that day.
***
i still have issues with the strong presence of the Christian God in reference to war in this country, for which i would recommend a close reading of Mark Twain's "The War Prayer", written in 1904. Be careful what you pray for.
i still have issues with people pretending that this war is legitimate, being carried out well, good for anyone at all, or philosophically cool. i would encourage a reading of two-time Medal of Honor recipient Major General Smedley Butler's "War Is A Racket" and thorough listening to the Winter Soldier 2008 testimony available for online listening or download at warcomeshome.org and ivaw.org. i would recommend seeing "Soldiers Speak Out" at 7pm on Friday at the Sunset iCafé, 2096 East Main Street, Ventura. i will be seeing "Body of War" on Saturday in the Ojai Playhouse at 4:30pm.
i still have issues with American flag shirts, sweaters, folding chairs, balloons, etc. i swear next year i'll be handing out Flag Code Violation Tickets.
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Comments (5)
evan, you are a hero for participating in the activities of Memorial Day and for reporting your personal experience and opinion. I can "honor the men and women who have died in military service" because they have given the ultimate sacrifice even though I am a pacifist and believe that most, if not all, war is deeply misguided and often preventable.
However, I'm not sure if I could sit through a day of flag waving and speeches speaking to the glory of war. It would be a great lesson and I hope you will call on me next year and say, Kenley, why don't you join me in the Memorial Day activities.
Be well.
Comment #1 Posted by: Kenley | May 29, 2008 06:24 AM
Sign me up to fight for America's freedoms!
In the case of the Iraq War (and the Vietnam War, and many other U.S. wars), however, that would mean going to fight in D.C., where the true terrorists reside.
Who are today's true terrorists?
1) Dick Cheney
2) George W. Bush
3) Donald Rumsfeld
4) Condoleezza Rice
Of course, instead of fighting for our freedoms by joining the U.S. Armed Forces and heading to D.C. to confront and arrest our government's highest officers -- which would at the present time land us in jail -- we could fight for our freedoms by doing research into 9/11, which is the key (i.e., video-documented) window into all U.S. government false-flag operations in history.
When people learn the truth about 9/11 -- that Dick Cheney and George Bush and their cohorts orchestrated the murder of nearly 3,000 U.S. citizens on that day -- only then will this country have a chance to turn back toward freedom.
http://www.patriotsquestion911.com/
Martial law is on the way, unless 9/11 truth breaks through the major media silence:
http://www.prisonplanet.com/articles/august2007/160807_quell_dissent.htm
And FYI, in the case of the implementation of martial law, Shannon Royster of KSLA-TV News makes this heartwarming statement:
"The clergy would help the government with potentially their biggest problem: us."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRIDNQNsUss
More information:
http://rabbitholenews.blogspot.com/
Sincerely,
Jock Doubleday
Political researcher and 9/11 factualist
Comment #2 Posted by: Jock Doubleday | May 29, 2008 10:47 AM
evan, you are a saint with incredible powers of restraint...
Here is my Memorial Day fantasy (if you will indulge the reposting). Its all I could think about as I imagined sitting through what you describe:
Congress Declares Memorial Day "National Slap A Republican Day"
Washington, D.C. and Ventura, California - Led by Congressional resolution, Memorial Day has been redubbed "Smack a Republican Day". Americans frustrated by the high cost of gasoline, endless war, a dropping dollar, soaring debt, home foreclosures, failing schools, environmental degradation, corruption and cronyism can, for one day only, slap a Republican once across the face without fear of prosecution.
"When gas hit $4, people who voted for Bush started to complain. For the rest of us, it was a Herculean effort to restrain ourselves from slapping them across the face," said House majority leader Nancy Pelosi. "On this Memorial Day, we want people who care about this country to know they are free to slap a Republican as an expression of patriotism and concern for America."
All over America, Republicans have been getting slapped. For some, it has been a real wakeup call. Lifelong Texas Republican Loudon Pitchgrass, a grandfather thrice over, was slapped by his 16-year old great-grandson. "'That's for $4 gas!' he told me," said Pitchgrass. "At first I was going to whup him, but then I realized, I'd needed that for a long time. Now I've been going around town slapping my old Republican friends all morning, and I feel great!"
Around the country, District Attorneys have been asked to join the call, making clear that slapping a Republican will not be prosecuted this Memorial Day. This has caused some consternation in strong Republican enclaves. In Ventura County, California, where Republicans have claimed for years that they brought Ronald Reagan to the nation, prosecutors are worried that things might get out of hand. "We heard reports that there are tour busses coming down from San Francisco and up from Los Angeles today, full of angry Americans who want to slap a Ventura Republican," said Ventura District Attorney Dick Tottenbach. "We have been making clear, one slap across the face is okay, but we will prosecute anything more."
Some Ventura Republicans expressed worry. One, who wished to remain anonymous for fear of multiple slappings, told this reporter he was staying indoors for the holiday. "I've got a bad heart and gout. I don't know if I can take getting slapped."
Others were outright angry. "Any San Francisco liberal tries to slap me, I'll shoot him with my gun!" said Thousand Oaks Republican Prescott "Billie Bob" Johnson III, speaking from the window of his Hummer while filling the tank at a local gas station. "I voted for Bush. So what? What was I supposed to do, vote for that draft dodging chicken hawk effete liberal big government tax me to death atheist Kerry?"
Chimed in a fellow Thousand Oaks Republican from his passenger seat: "Its these Democrats fault that we have high gas prices. Gas prices didn't hit four dollars until they took over Congress!"
Suddenly two women jumped out of a nearby Prius and reached inside the Hummer. SLAP! SLAP!
Billy Bob looked momentarily stunned. Then he quickly pulled a pistol from his glovebox and jumped out of the Hummer. The two ladies jumped behind the gas pump. Billie Bob's eyes rested on it for just a second. "$204!" he exclaimed. He slapped himself and looked at it again.
Then Billy Bob threw down his gun and looked at the two women. "I am sorry ladies. You're right. I deserved that."
He climbed back in his Hummer and turned to his passenger. SLAP! "Dumbass!" he said. "Owwww," cried his passenger.
And so it went, all over America. Outside the White House, thousands of angry Americans were gathered, waving signs and chanting: "Just One Slap!" At press time, the President and Vice President were reported to be holed up with their staff in the Situation Room. White House Press Secretary Dana Perino had emerged briefly to give a statement, but had to flee back inside after being slapped multiple times by members of the Secret Service and press corps.
Comment #3 Posted by: My Memorial Day Fantasy | May 31, 2008 10:31 AM
...to be so misinformed.
"When people learn the truth about 9/11 -- that Dick Cheney and George Bush and their cohorts orchestrated the murder of nearly 3,000 U.S. citizens on that day -- only then will this country have a chance to turn back toward freedom."
You've got to kidding me, right? Where do you get this stuff? Hollywood tabloids? Some people will believe anything someone else tells them, more so if it justifies their own beliefs. The sad part is that while there is certainly corruption at all levels of society, those who choose to defend your rights to believe what you want end up wrongly being the scapegoats for all the war bashing. I worked for a public agency and can tell that most of what you read is either only half right. Repeated stories and hearsay are even worse.
Realizing any discussion involving poltics, war or religion is a no-win exchange, each side trying fervently to convince the other of the rightness, it must be acknowledged there are other interested parties that DO NOT share your "peaceful" ways and want what you have and are willing to pay any price to get it. What will you do when the choice of "fight or flight" stares you right in the eye? You can count on what this patriotic citizen will do - defend your right to criticize everything that makes this country what it is!
Comment #4 Posted by: Saving Your Freedom... | May 31, 2008 10:29 PM
A couple of questions for "Saving Your Freedom":
You say it must be acknowledged that other people do not share our peaceful ways and would pay any price to get what we have. You mean "us" as the peaceful Iraqis, and "other people" as the U.S. under George W Bush I presume?
(If you mean otherwise, you seem to be having difficulty grasping who threatened and then attacked whom.)
How is attacking another country based on lies saving our freedom?
When has the U.S. EVER faced "fight or flight"? Hasn't every war we've been in, with the arguable exception of WWII, been one of choice? (Let's not debate WWII here, history has already judged WWII and the right side won. Whether it would have been won without converting this country into a military-industrial machine, causing most of the world's misery since WWII, is debatable but besides the point. We had a good opportunity in 1948 to reverse that course and choose another path as a country, and we didn't do it.)
Whether Bush and Cheney actually were in on the plot of 911, or merely consciously abided it, or in fact were just outrageously incompetent to let it happen on their watch despite having the memoranda outlining the plot in hand days before ("Bin Laden Determined To Strike In U.S."), my question to you is: are any of those possibilities defensible and OK?
When you defend Bush and Cheney, what kind of "freedom" are you defending? Surely not an American one.
I think your nom de plume is a misnomer: Surely you meant "saving MY freedom to be so misinformed." But regardless, it is admirable that you will stand and fight for the right of people to express their views. Let me suggest to you that those freedoms have never been protected in this country by military means, however. They have always been protected by peaceful warriors, in the courts, legislatures and streets of this country.
What I am saying is, if you care about American ideals and freedoms, don't join the army or CIA, which is torturing and kidnaping innocent civilians, running kangaroo courts, suspending habeas corpus and bombing children in the night.
Instead, add your voice to those calling for accountability, and denouncing traitors to this country's ideals such as Bush and Cheney. Send a check to the ACLU. Volunteer your time for the Center For Constitutional Rights. That's how you actually defend freedom in this country.
Comment #5 Posted by: Anonymous | June 1, 2008 02:05 PM