Doug Rawlings, Farmington Town Park, November 11, 2003

On Tuesday, November 11, the Farmington Women in Black will read out the names of military and civilian men, women, and children who have died in the last year in conflict and post-conflict situations around the globe.  The statement below is in response to that action.

Earlier this day I joined my fellow Veterans for Peace as we walked down Portland’s Congress Street to commemorate Veterans Day.  Over the past two decades, we have always marched last with our VFP banner heading our procession, usually galvanizing the crowd to applaud our avowed purpose: to abolish war.  This year, however, we included another banner that reads: BRING THEM HOME NOW!  We added to our message today because we felt that we could not, in good conscience, march on Veterans Day without exhorting our fellow citizens to end U.S. involvement in an immoral and dangerous occupation of another country.  The urgency of the moment dictates that we could not do otherwise.

We meant no disrespect.  We recognized that today is a day justly set aside to acknowledge the service of our country’s soldiers throughout our history.  We marched in silence in respectful solidarity with the traditional veterans groups – the VFW and the American Legion.  We acknowledged the sacrifice many have made to keep our country free.  But we Veterans for Peace felt that we could not let this day pass without questioning the motives of this present government so intent upon risking the lives of our children, not in defense of our country but for some Machiavellian scheme that will one day be seen as a disgraceful moment in our country’s history..

Veterans Day does not come easily to many Veterans for Peace members.  When we march, we march with many ghosts.  They are our fellow soldiers-in-arms, but they also number the many victims of war for whom we must take responsibility.  It is not enough for us to accept the rhetorical flourishes in memory of our fellow military veterans that spin through the air on this day; we must also pay homage to those who have suffered in the wake of our actions. Tonight’s recognition by a handful of people in western Maine of these men, women, and children who have died in the last year of conflict will not alter our country’s foreign policy one bit.  We know that.  But if somehow we can take the names of these people – these people who are truly veterans of war -- and hold them for a moment in our minds, and pledge to not let their loved ones share a similar fate at our hands, then perhaps, just perhaps, we have moved them from being tragic veterans of war to joining us as veterans for peace.  I have no doubt that they would welcome our company.

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