Today was Veterans Day, and it was time for a group of dedicated activists to stage another action. This time we chose a path of finding common ground with those whom we might strongly disagree about the war. I could not let this Veterans Day pass without some way of opposing this unjust and unjustifiable war that continues to destroy the lives of so many, and the soul of our nation. But how to do this in a way that people who support the war, or at least support the troops, in a compassionate and meaningful way that would allow for communication and dialogue? So I looked for answers on the websites of some of the groups founded by families of the armed forces and by Iraq veterans themselves. And there were the answers plain as day.
In “Vigil For the Fallen,” Military Families Speak Out gave an impassioned call to honor not only the soldiers who have died, but the Iraqis as well; and also, a scathing indictment of the administration that started the war, “driven by greed and fueled by lies.” And with this information was descriptions of so many military and veteran related groups who oppose the war. I printed out three pages of this material in red, white and blue, and put out the call to other activists via email to come and join me in handing out this information at the annual Veterans Day ceremony at the Veterans Memorial Building in downtown Eugene.
On less than 24 hours’ notice, for an event happening in the daytime on a weekday, I didn’t know what kind of response I would get. I was overjoyed that five others—Tiersa, Kira, Annette(?), Carol, and Chris, were able to come with their strong determination and skillful compassion, and engage in a situation that was potentially frought with peril. Would the veterans or their families be hostile, even violent towards us for opposing the war? I didn’t know, and the anxiety I felt the night before and the morning of the action was making a tight knot in my stomach. Breathing, doing my meditation, I strongly felt we were about to do something important and we needed to follow thru and do the job. So I dressed in my best clothes, with red, white and blue tie and “Dissent is Patriotic” button, and with my comrades went to work.
As people started to arrive, we welcomed them and gave them the literature, saying that it was information for vets and their families. Most people took it gladly, and read at least some of it. Only a small handful decided that they didn’t like the message and gave it back to us, politely. We gave one to just about everyone in the crowd of 50-60 people, including Mayor Torrey and reporter Rick Dancer from KMTR. I was thanked by Jim Phillips from Vets for Kerry for what we were doing, and another elderly vet who strongly disagreed with the war. And then, toward the end of one of the last speeches, I was approached by Richard Stone, who said he was an “officer” of the Veterans group (VFW?), who said that, whereas he might disagree with my viewpoint, he wanted to thank me for the way in which we did our action—with a lot of respect and care, and that he thought we were “really a class act.” He said this with such sincerity and feeling in his voice, it just about brought me to tears.
We listened to the ensuing speeches and patriotic songs on the plaza outside, and then I went inside with Chris, who was still filming. I wanted to be sure we had connected with everyone we possibly could, and gave out some more of the literature to some older vets. Richard Stone engaged me again, saying that what we were doing was exactly what he wanted to see happening in this country— the two sides talking to each other. He confided to me his own doubts about the war, and then told me he has a talk radio show on KPNW and invited me to be on the show with him. I agreed.
Then I was confronted by a mother who looked at our literature and angrily told me her son was in Iraq, and that her son and all of his buddies knew EXACTLY why they were over there—fighting for freedom and democracy, defending us against the terrorists who attacked America on 9/11. I told her I ‘d listen to her, and I did. And then I asked her to listen to me. I explained that my father was a decorated veteran of WWII, that my brother had had a close call at the Twin Towers on 9/11, that my family is Arab-American. That the reasons for going to war were not true. She went on about how “they will still find the weapons” and that “the terrorists attacked us, they were connected with Iraq, I don’t trust the 9/11 Commission,” and on and on. And I saw the look of desperation in a poor mother’s eyes who absolutely needed to believe there was a really good reason for her son to be risking his life, who knew that a
soldier’s best weapon and best defense is knowing he is there for a righteous cause. Hence, she had to maintain denying the obvious lies and deceptions of the government. I felt so strongly for her. We looked each other in the eyes as we talked, listened, cajoled, argued. And at the end, she said, “I don’t think I have to believe any of this.” And I responded, “And I don’t think I have to convince you.” And she smiled a sad and somewhat lonely smile at me and said, “But you sure tried!”
Later I was to learn that Kira had had a powerful exchange with another woman in the crowd whose son was in Iraq, who told Kira that her son was very much against the war and so were all the soldiers in his unit, and she badly wanted some information to help them. And she took a whole stack of our literature and said she was sending them to all the soldiers in her son’s unit. I was flabberghasted—that was exactly what I was hoping might happen in my heart of hearts, but I didn’t dare to think it might actually occur. Making a chink in the armor of the empire may be all we can do right now, but it sure feels good to do it!
With tears in my eyes I finish writing this, seeing how the power of simple honest people-to-people connections has the ability to overcome the Big Lies of the government and the forces of hatred and violence.
Blessings on your path and on our path together all over the world.

HERE IS THE TEXT OF ONE OF THE LEAFLETS WE DISTRIBUTED TO THE VETS AND FAMILIES
AT THE CEREMONY:
 
 

VIGIL FOR THE FALLEN

We are here to remember over 1,100 US servicemen and women who have died in Iraq.
We are here to remember the many thousands of Iraqis--civilians and combatants,
men and women, children, the elderly--who have been killed.
We are here to remember that these deaths did not have to happen.
We know that the current administration has plunged us into this unjust and
unjustifiable war, driven by greed for oil and lust for power and fueled by lie
after lie.
We cannot remain silent.
We want an end to the occupation so the Iraqi people can determine their own
destiny free from foreign interference and control.
WE WANT OUR TROOPS BROUGHT HOME NOW. Don't ask these men and women to continue
to die for politicians' mistakes and lies.
And we want them treated right when they return. Give them the benefits there
were promised and give them the help they will need to heal their bodies, their
minds and their spirits.
We are here to remember, to honor and to mourn. We will not forget!

Iraq Veterans Against the War -- www.ivaw.net
Veterans For Peace -- www.veteransforpeace.org
Vietnam Veterans Against the War -- www.vvaw.org
Military Families Speak Out -- www.mfso.org
Veterans Against the Iraq War -- www.vaiw.org
Bring Them Home Now! -- www.bringthemhomenow.org