Bill Moyers Interviews Andrew J. Bacevich

"As campaign ads urge voters to consider who will be a better "Commander in Chief," Andrew J. Bacevich — Professor of International Relations at Boston University, retired Army colonel, and West Point graduate — joins Bill Moyers on the JOURNAL to encourage viewers to take a step back and connect the dots between U.S. foreign policy, consumerism, politics, and militarism."

Video after the jump ...

Demonstration Not "Out of Bounds"

An editorial recently posted in the Daily Transcript:

"Walpole Selectmen took a step forward by approving the demonstration, but a step backward by censuring it. It would have been better to stay out of it and simply allow a local group to practice its Constitutional rights. Those who found the display offensive also have the Constitutional right to say so. Freedom of expression is at the heart of what America stands for and a governing body should respect that.

The Walpole Peace and Justice Group’s members only want to stop more of what they see as needless deaths. The last thing they can be called is insensitive towards those whose lives they are trying to protect."

One Mother's Answer

Board of Selectman
Walpole Town Hall
att: Catherine Winston, Chair
 
A friend recently showed me a news item from Daily News Transcript written by Jeb Bobseine.  The heading read "Selectmen call coffin display 'insensitive.'" Chairwoman of the Selectman, Cathie Winston said the display would 'only heighten the anxieties and fears of those residents with friends and family currently serving in the military.'  As the mother of an army reservist who has served one year in Iraq and who will soon leave for another year long deployment in Afghanistan, I would like to disagree.  I live with the knowledge of what my son's service in a combat zone as a medic and mental health worker  means every minute of the day. I know what it is like to dread the knock on the door or the late night phone call.   What is appalling to me is that the American people seem to want to forget this terrible war and the price we have all paid for it in life and treasure. When my son returned from a year in Iraq, he was depressed by the indifference of so many here at home to what was happening to our troops and the Iraqi people.  Coffins and memorials to those who have died, a moment of attention paid to those who will never return to family and friends, are not ‘insensitive,’ they are reminders that we are ALL involved in this tragedy.
 
Every family I know who has lost a loved one in Iraq or Afghanistan is disgusted by the executive order which does not allow a flag draped coffin to be shown on the news.   I know a mother who was told to wait until after sundown to receive the body of her beloved son, because coffins of dead soldiers may not be off loaded from planes until it is dark!  
 
I applaud Walpole for bringing a few hours of reality to your town common.  If the people of Walpole find coffins distasteful, perhaps they should wake up and remember, there IS a war going on and we who shoulder it know what a coffin looks like.   
 
Sarah Fuhro

Statement by the Walpole Peace and Justice Group - July 7, 2008

As members of the Walpole Peace and Justice Group we were taken aback by the Walpole Board of Selectmen’s public reprimand regarding the “Tribute to U.S. Military Killed in Iraq." We were surprised that the Board failed to first contact the Peace Group, instead acting to sensationalize the matter and detract from the serious intent of the Tribute. The Selectmen’s statement, coming from an official town board, represents a disturbing threat to the constitutionally protected exercise of free speech. We object to the Selectmen’s implication that we do not “embrace civility and decency.”

The Tribute consisted of wristbands with the name, rank, age, and date of death of each of the thousands of men and women who have died serving our country in Iraq. The purpose of the tribute was to honor these men and women and it was hoped that, for those who visited and viewed the display, this tribute would “personalize the terrible price in human life and the sacrifice so many families have made.” There were 4,098 wristbands as of the date of the display.


The Selectmen’s issue was what they referred to as the “insensitive inclusion of caskets or coffins.” The wristbands were transported in 82 cardboard boxes, 50 names to a box. After erecting the display we stacked the 82 boxes near the tribute. The visual impact of these stacked boxes reminded those present of coffins, adding to the recognition of the “terrible price in human life.” Black cloths were then draped on the boxes to give greater solemnity to the visual statement. Certainly we intended no disrespect. Families of fallen soldiers stopped by, found the names of their loved ones, and thanked us for the tribute. Other people who walked around the tribute and read the names were moved by it.

The Walpole Peace and Justice Group has great respect for the soldiers and military families who live with fear and loss and the devastating impact of this war. We do hope and pray for an end to the conflict and the return of our troops. It is in their behalf that we seek to raise the awareness and sensitivity of our fellow citizens and work for an end to the Iraq war. We urge people to direct their outrage to those who used deception in leading our country to war and to tell their government representatives to bring about a speedy withdrawal. We support our troops wholeheartedly in the call both to “bring them home” and give desperately needed aid to soldiers and families who have suffered the devastating injuries of war.

Walpole Peace and Justice Group

Madeline Champagne
Lois Czachorowski
Philip Czachorowski
Sheila Harbst
Barry Oremland
Paul Peckham

Tribute to U.S. Military Killed in Iraq on Saturday, May 31 at the Walpole Common

Walpole Peace and Justice Group invites public to view a “Tribute to U.S. Military Killed in Iraq" on Saturday, June 21 at the Walpole Common

The Walpole Peace and Justice Group invites the public to view a “Tribute to U.S. Military Killed in Iraq" on Saturday, June 21 at the Walpole Common. The Tribute honors the U.S. service men and women who have been killed in Iraq since March 19, 2003. The names of all 4,000+ service men and women are imprinted on wristbands along with the age, military rank, and date when the person was killed. The wristbands are displayed on a stand over 60 feet long and six feet high.

The Tribute was created by Madeline Champagne, a member of the Walpole Peace and Justice Group. The Tribute is on permanent display at the Peace Abbey in Sherborn.

Regardless of one’s opinion of the Iraq war, we all join in honoring those who have given their lives in the service of our country. Seeing the names of all those killed in the war personalizes the terrible price in human life and the sacrifice so many families have made. The public is invited to visit the tribute to pay their respect and reflect on the human cost of the war. The Tribute will be on display between 9:00 AM and 3:00 PM at the Walpole Common across from the U.S. Post Office. In the event of inclement weather the Tribute will be displayed in the United Church from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM.

Peace Vigil, Saturday, June 7

The Walpole Peace and Justice Group invites you to join us for a peace vigil, Saturday, June 7, from 10:00 to 11:00 AM on the Walpole Common, across from the Post Office. Peace vigils are held on the first and third Saturdays of the Month.

Iraqi to speak on Refugee Crisis, Walpole Public Library, Tuesday, June 3

Dr. Nabeel Khudairi will give a talk entitled, “The Iraqi Refugee Crisis – A Four Million Man March”, at the Walpole Public Library on June 3 at 7:30 pm. Dr. Khudairi was born in Baghdad in 1961. His father, from the southern city of Amara, was the dean of the University of Baghdad College of Agriculture and a PhD graduate of UCLA, while his mother was an ecologist and was from the northern city of Mosul.

In 1966, to escape political harassment created by the newly established Ba’ath Party, his family moved to Boston, where his father taught at Northeastern University. Nabeel returned to Iraq with his family for a few years in the mid 1970’s, but due to another period of instability created when Saddam Hussein forcefully seized the presidency, he and his family returned permanently to the U.S.

Dr. Khudairi is an optometrist with private practices in Norwood and Wellesley. He is active with interfaith dialogues, has lectured to various schools and religious and peace organizations and has been interviewed by major television, radio and print news services about the affairs in Iraq.

The talk is sponsored by the Walpole Peace and Justice Group and is open to the public.

Also note:

The “Tribute to U.S. Military Killed in Iraq", scheduled for this past Saturday, May 31, was postponed due to weather forecast of showers and thunderstorms throughout the day. Plans are being made to reschedule the display.