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Antiwar Rally by Veterans for Peace Caps Convention
PORTLAND, Maine - The crowd, estimated at more than 300, gathered at Post Office Park in Portland, where the Maine chapter of Veterans for Peace held a rally to mark the organization's 25th anniversary.
A throng of flag-bearing Veterans for Peace are gathered around their banner as they march through the Old Port Sunday. (Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Staff Photographer) The rally capped the
national Veterans for Peace annual convention and business meeting held
last week in Portland and themed "Lifting the Fog of War."
"It's about connecting the war spending to the economic collapse," said Bruce Gagnon, of Bath, who organized the march and rally. "We are spending $7 billion a month in Afghanistan. You can't spend that kind of money and not have a negative impact on your economy.
"We want to use those dollars for needs back home that aren't being met, like education, health care, and social and mental health programs."
One of the speakers was Gerry Condon, president of Greater Seattle Veterans for Peace. He asked the crowd to support the military personnel who are resisting the wars.
"Thousands of soldiers are AWOL at this time in the United States and there are hundreds who have fled the U.S. to other countries," Condon told the crowd. "We have over 200 war resisters in Canada seeking sanctuary. The Canadians have done a great job taking care of our war resisters. We need to do more."
Marcher's signs included sentiments such as "Endless wars steal money needed at home in Maine;" "Education not War;" and "How is the war economy working for you?"
Woody Powell, of St. Louis, Mo., attended last week's convention and was at the park during the rally. He served in the Air Force during the Korean War.
"I am a veteran who has seen the effects of war. I have learned something about the causes of war, and I feel I can do something about ending war," Powell said. "War is a disaster for our country, the economy and our human soul."
Matthew Welch, a teacher in Cape Elizabeth, attended the rally to show his support for the peace movement.
"It saddens me that so few people seem to care about the last nine years and the violence that has occurred," Welch said. "What the policies of the United States say to populations and to students is that the real way to solve the big problems is through war. We are realizing now that after nine years in Iraq, they don't have a democracy. They don't have an existing government, a police force, or a judicial system. They have nothing and now we are leaving."
Some members of Cape Codders for Peace and Justice also attended the rally. Beth Verani, a teacher at Dennis-Yarmouth Regional High School in Massachusetts, received the peace group's Citizenship Award for Justice and Peace. She was recognized for her efforts opposing the expansion of military recruitment in high schools.
At a recent senior assembly, Verani and another teacher held a small "End War" sign during the military speeches. They were both put on administrative leave. Verani has appealed her suspension.
"We are there to educate and teach about democracy and debate, and that is not the military's message."
18 Comments so far
Show AllIt is unclear why VFP member Gerry Condon would say that "the Canadians have done a great job in taking care of our war resisters" since, as this letter points out, the Canadian government has been attempting to deport American war resisters from their country which is a far cry from what former Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau did in the 1960s when he provided a safe refuge for those who were seeking to avoid imprisonment during the Vietnam conflict.
http://www.resisters.ca/wr_open_letter_jan2609.html
First, I'd like to start by offering kudos the the Maine Chapter of the Veterans for Peace for their work, and holding an anti-war rally, which has not seen or heard of much for the past two years, since our Democratic POTUS was elected.
Secondly, given the fact that Canada is no longer opening its doors for young kids from the United States trying to avoid being called to war and is deporting, or attempting to deport war resisters from the United States indicates that Canada has probably gotten fed up with our government's attitudes and actions and is, in affect saying to the United States; "You've made your bed, now lie in it". This sounds like a partial blowback for the United States for having meddled where they shouldn't be for so long.
Could it be because our military is an all volunteer force? I think today's resistor has a much harder case to make than the draftees of the 60s. Just wonderin'.
The PEOPLE in Canada have been doing a wonderful job caring for our Resisters. Unfortunately for them the current PM is a lapdog to the corporations just as our President is. As for those who say we have an "all volunteer" military, I say HOGWASH. I'd be willing to bet that more than 50% of those who've enlisted in the last 10 years have done so due to brain-washing and the inability to afford an education or to get a decent job with benefits!
Thank you VFP for being out there on the frontlines pushing us to be the country we should be.
It was a legal ?, not a moral one. I support all these people's work . My father was a Seabee in WWII and my godchild served as a Marine in Iraq II, The Sequel.
Thank you Bruce {Bruce Gagnon} you are a true American Hero!!!
God Bless the Veterans for Peace!
THE IRAQIS PAID a terrible price for our foolishness. Most Americans don't even know there's a war going on.
Schools, banks, museums, people's houses, mosques, roads, bridges, hospitals, powerplants, pizza shops, malls, universities, kindergartens, government offices, milk factories, sports facilities, chicken farms, pet stores, food depots, etc, etc... ALL DESTROYED!
Then, we dismantled ALL government institutions and fired ALL government employees, stopping ALL government services overnight, including emergency services, the courts, police, hospital and prison food delivery, fire houses, EVERYTHING. WE DESTROYED EVERYTHING.
We even managed to cause gas shortages in Iraq from time to time. Do you know how reckless you have to be to let that happen?
WE HAVEN'T EVEN TALKED ABOUT THE MILLIONS OF DEAD, DISPLACED, CRIPPLED, MADE DESTITUTE OR OTHERWISE SHOCKED AND AWED.
THEY paid the price! We got... we got... well, WHAT DID WE GET?
First, I want to thank all the member of VfP for everything they do. As Chris Hedges pointed out in his speech at the VfP convention - they exemplify moral courage.
Speaking of Hedges, he gave a great speech at the convention. I am not a veteran, so was not there, but a vet who was there informed me of it. The speech can be viewed here: http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/9217110
While the speech seemed dark (as the truth can sometimes be), note that at the end there was a call to action, or as Noel Paul Stookey noted, a chance for redemption. And guess what? It doesn't involve electoral politics! (That should leave a few scratching their heads here on Common Dreams).
There is a saying, "As goes Maine, so goes the nation." Let's hope so.
I second that SeriousCitizen.
Joe
PLEASE REMBER THSE MEN AND WOMEN FOUGHT FOR YOUR RIGHT TO PROTEST..
You needn't shout Chuck2251. Also, you might want to use Spell Check before posting. Another reminder, the people who were marching were nearly all veterans so stop with the garbage about fighting for the right to protest! The constitution guarantees the right to speak and the VFP and supporters were exercising that Right. It's kinda like a muscle, if you don't use it, you lose it!
Some did. Some fought because they were drafted. Others fought because they were sucked in by marketers promising glitter and gold.
I appreciate veterans, but let's not add to the propaganda stream.
I remember hearing that same nonsense which CHUCK2251 is espousing here at an antiwar protest that I and another Vietnam veteran had participated in a few years ago when another Vietnam veteran walked by and claimed that the reason that we were able to do what we were doing was because of his presence in Vietnam. I regret not inquiring of that super patriot why it was that even though the United States lost in Vietnam the NVA did not decide to come over to this country in their sampans in order to burn down the White House and the U.S. Constitution and to rape and pillage the countryside.
Perhaps in a perverse way it is a good thing that we have seen the thoughts of CHUCK2251 as it provides a constant reminder of the hysteria and fear mongering that people will go through in order to continue the perpetuation of the U.S. war machine. First it was the communists who were out to get us and now it is the terrorists who have become the bete noire that Americans must always fear in order that both the Democrats and the Republicans make sure that dissent will rarely be tolerated in the [alleged] land of the free.
That's right: Veterans For Peace -- they fought, now they're protesting, and because they fought it makes their voice compelling. Thanks, I will remember that.
Why do we go to war? The war I served in (world war2) was a war of necessity. We were attacked at Pearl Harbor. Wars since have been based on lies or misinformation, viz. Tonkin Gulf or non-existent weapons of mass destruction. Old men send young men seeking jobs or glory to their death. When will we put a stop to this?
Old paradigms don't change. Old paradigms die with old men.
Hopefully future generations will have more sense.
In Canada we currently have a very right wing, George Bush style Prime Minister, Stephen Harper. Thankfully, he's now a bit out of water because of your new regimen in Washington. Americans are having a tough time finding sanctuary because the Harper administration has no sympathy with anti-war activists or soldiers who have seen the light. With any luck we too will be able to dump our little Adolf soon soon raccoon.