April 7, 2006

A Letter from St. Louis

Pam at Iraq War Today sent me this letter she received from the St. Louis Community College- College Progressives for Peace that she is highlighting on her site today. This is group is associated with the St. Louis- Instead of War Coalition that Mr. Robert Stokely father of Sgt. Mike Stokely (KIA) wrote to last week and highlighted here. Read the whole thing and see if you don’t agree with me at the end.
Oh and as always with a long post, there is more in the extended section.

My post about the display of tombstones at a St. Louis college campus provoked visceral responses around here (myself included), and those commenting involved military widows, Soldiers' Angels, and some of the folks involved in putting on the display.Yesterday, I received this from some of the folks involved, and wanted to share it with you. I'm going to save any comment on the stated purpose and philosophy of such groups and displays for another day, and just let you see what they had to say:

The College Progressives for Peace, a student club at St. Louis Community College-Meramec, in response to a number of requests by bereaved military families for their loved ones names to be removed from our symbolic tombstone memorial, would like to clarify our purpose and intent for the memorial that was displayed from Monday, March 27th thru Thursday, March 30th at St. Louis Community College-Meramec.

Without hesitation, we have respectfully honored all requests to remove tombstones from the memorial display throughout the week. While our event has concluded, we will be sure to pass along any additional requests we receive to the St. Louis Instead of War Coalition, the creator of the display. I can personally assure you that they have been just as quick to respond to such requests in the past.

We are truly sorry if this display has caused you additional pain or hardship. Causing additional suffering to those who have already endured so much heartache was never the intent of our display.

For what it is worth, our club made great efforts to create a memorial that would truly pay tribute to those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice in their selfless service to our nation. We truly stand in awe of the bravery, courage, and willingness of these brave men and women to sacrifice for our freedoms. We chose to display the symbolic tombstone memorial in an effort to raise the awareness of the generally apathetic youth of our nation. We had hoped it would be a powerful, yet respectful, reminder to many that there is still a long and costly occupation being waged by our nation.

We made a thoughtful effort to keep the events of Peace Education Week in separate areas from the tombstone display, so as to not utilize the names for political purposes. The only banners in the memorial area read, "Honor the Dead," and "Count the Costs," in between two America Flags; an additional banner read "At each end of the rifle, we are all the same;" and another additional American Flag stood alone in the middle of the display.

We also attempted to keep the events of Peace Education Week from being an anti-war protest. Instead we were seeking to educate people as to the "Real" costs of war -meaning the unknown, unseen, and forgotten costs of war. While we did have some speakers speak out against this war, we also had speakers educating people about PTSD, the lack of benefits for our returning veterans, and the effects of depleted uranium on our soldiers, the Iraqi people, and the environment. We had speakers reveal tactics used in military recruitment so that young men and women could make a more informed decision before enlisting. Other speakers discussed topics such as: our nations establishment of a military industrial complex; the large economic costs of war; what the money spent on the current war could have done for domestic programs at home; how we sent our soldiers into conflict without giving them the proper equipment to protect their lives; the dislocation war causes; the danger to our civil liberties in a time of war; information about conflict areas in other parts of the world; and other wide-ranging topics.

Our other main purpose behind peace education week was to work to find creative and innovative ways to create a more peaceful world; a world where we may one day utilize the courage and bravery of our young men and women for purposes other than war. On this positive side of our event, we had speakers covering topics such as: the need to create a world democracy similar to our own; how to create a declaration of peace; how to use active non-violence and civil disobedience to resolve conflict; how to unite as a movement to be a viable force for change; how to stay true to ones conscience in times of conflict and crisis; how to find adventure and work for a better world without joining the military; and other ways to overcome the countless obstacles to peace.

While we do not apologize for expressing beliefs and searching for solutions that may be different from you and yours, we do wholeheartedly apologize for any additional pain or suffering we have inadvertently caused, and for our inability to create a symbolic memorial that would only be filled with honor and dignity for those who have served. We would like to express our gratitude that the majority of the letters we received recognized and respected our right to express our opinions and beliefs. Thank you for respecting this fundamental right that your family members have given so much for to protect.

We also would like to assure you that the core members of our group are constantly evaluating the work we do in the pursuit of peace and progress, and will take considerable time to reflect on our Peace Education Week –especially the use of the symbolic tombstone memorial display. There were admittedly factors we did not consider. These included: not displaying the rank of the fallen soldiers –we did not realize this would be viewed as disrespectful to the considerable time and effort that went into achieving his or her rank; placing the names of the fallen Iraqi civilians with those of the fallen soldiers –we intended to recognize that there have indeed been casualties to those whom our nation is claiming to liberate, and did not realize there were concerns that these civilians might not fully be accepted as “innocent” civilians; and we also did not realize there was a sizeable group that was upset with any sort of display bearing the names of their deceased loved ones.

We do assure you that should we use any such displays in the future, we will take the time to reflect on this experience and make any changes to our display in order to make this a more respectful way to honor those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice in the service of our nation.

Sincerely and Peaceably,

The College Progressives for Peace
Warren Popp, Erica Popp, and Megan King
Founding Members

Pam

Proud
Soldiers' Angel
Iraq War Today blogger


FREEDOM ISN'T FREE!!


For what its worth I believe you are lying when you state you “stand in awe of the bravery, courage, and willingness of these brave men and women to sacrifice for our freedoms.” If that were the case you wouldn’t be using their names in a cause that belittles their actions and sacrifices. If you truly expect peace to be achieved through out the world especially in areas where the lawless rule without our military protecting the peace by occupying ground that the enemies of freedom would occupy instead how buy what means would you achieve this? Do you expect the radial Islamists to just listen to you and suddenly put down their weapons, when they haven’t done so for decades, because they see the value of our freedoms only as you express them and no other?

Are we to believe that because you so readily wrap yourself up in the American flag when it suits your purposes that we should ignore the fact that you would rather burn that flag in defiance of your protectorate and call you patriots? If so then you are no better than “the sunshine patriots and summer warriors” that Thomas Paine wrote about nearly 250 years ago. Your patriotism is a feeling that you readily turn on and off depending upon whom you wish to address, and in that it is a false patriotism.

You, my fellow countrymen have no concept of freedom and the cost it entails, while on the other hand those fine men and women whose names you attempted to subvert for your own purposes know full well the cost of freedom. The simple fact that you have no concept of this cost and the disdain you have for the military who protect it for you is evident in the fact that, “we did not realize this would be viewed as disrespectful to the considerable time and effort that went into achieving his or her rank” To compound that disdain by adding the names of possible enemy combatants on these same “tomb stones” show an utter lack of knowledge on the entire issue.

As for any such displays in the future I do hope that you think heavily on that before you step into the realm of heroes, for everyone of those men and women you so cavalierly attempt to subvert for your own use is an American hero and far better than you will ever be. They understood that Freedom is not free, that it demands that the price be paid, while you my progressive friends think Freedom is a right that allows you to leave the table after you have eaten your fill and leave the tab for another to pay. Those “tombstones” are a testament to that fact.

If you are as you say you are, “constantly evaluating the work we do in the pursuit of peace and progress,” then perhaps at some point in the near future you will realize and come to understand that the Military is your only protection from an enemy that would just as soon as cut your head off as shake your hand. The enemy you defend hates you more than they hate the US Military for you believe that everyone is entitled to their own brand of freedom, a freedom that doesn’t cost a thing, where they believe that you must submit to their rules or be branded a criminal and executed.

Perhaps one day, I hope soon, you will grow up and realize that everything you strive for in this world is hated by the enemy you are assisting with your Anti-American, Anti-Military stances. All that is wrong with the world is not the fault of the US it is the fault of people like you that believe, incorrectly, that everyone wants the same thing and evil is the construct of the US government.

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