The Peace Vigil yesterday was quiet; I guess about 50 or 60 people participated. It was held at the Universalist Unitarian "church," in Galloway. Having been brought up in the absolutes (in my early days, anyway) of the Roman Catholic religion, the formlessness of the organization puzzles me. It seems more like a liberal social club than a religion--not that I condemn it, I just wonder about it.
Anyway, there's a piece in The Press of Atlantic City, in which I'm briefly quoted. My last word, though, should be "ploy," not "play." More important, the article completely distorts what I said. It quotes me when I mentioned several other countries, but drops the quote marks to add "looming threats." In fact, I didn't use that phrase and what I indicated is my belief that we're the threat to them. Oh, well, here here's the link anyway:
http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/179/story/436272.html
Otherwise, got a lot of things done, including wrapping Easter gifts for the two little girls in Singapore (isn't there a song like that?). Made an mportant purchase: a big cardboard Easter bunny, which I put it on the front door. It's very cute and I needed it like a hole in the head. Enjoyed Skype calls from both daughters in the evening and, all in all, had a pleasant day.
Wider: The ceremony yesterday might easily have been held on a U.S. army base. The thing that bothered me about it--and other "peace demonstrations"--was the emphasis placed on American lives, American injuries, American sacrifices. The names of New Jerseyans who died in the wars were read off, then the organizer mentioned how they "died for our country." Another woman urged participants to see the Kevin Bacon T.V. movie about escorting the corpse of a soldier killed in Iraq home for burial. She emphasized approvingly the "respect" shown to "fallen heroes."
I'm not suggesting that anything but sad remembrance be extended to the American combatants killed and maimed in this terrible misadventure--but aren't we forgetting something here? In fact, a whole lot of something? I mean the hundreds of thousands of other people, including--this must never be forgotten--innocent children who died at the hands of these "heroes." I'm afraid the absence of recognition of this dreadful truth ties in with the imperialism so warmly embraced by what seems to be most of the American people. We are the important ones, we are the chosen, we are the ones who must be memorilized. Those bodies in the corner? Just little brown people who got in the way.