Next Left Notes Is A News Magazine Devoted To Direct Action
Troops Home Fast NYC
By George McAnanama
George McAnanama of VFP Chapter 034 (NLN Photo)
Battery Park, NYC East Coast Memorial (4601 killed or lost in the Atlantic Ocean during WW II) was the scene of a sympathetic 24 hour vigil-fast. Members of Veterans For Peace NYC - Chapter 034 (as well as 2 members of a newly formed Long Island VFP Chapter) and supporters including Vietnam Veterans Against the War, Military Families Speak Out, the Granny Peace Brigade and many others. We were in Sympathy with the "TROOPS HOME NOW" Fast and Vigil in Lafayette Park opposite the White House in Washington DC. We fasted and held vigil from 3 PM on Monday July 3rd until 3 PM on Tuesday July 4th. There were many vigils with fasting across the United States. (By the way this is a spectacular vista facing the Statue of Liberty.)
Veterans and supporters were making the point that Independence Day should be at least partially about remembering the founding document of this nation. It should be how we as a nation threw off a tyrant with revolutionary zeal. It shouldn't be entirely about over-consumption, fireworks, and blindly patriotic parades! It should be exposing about the sacrifice our troops and their families are making everyday for a lie. It should be about reordering our priorities and bringing our troops home NOW! Approximately 45 - 50 people participated with us over the 24 hours in Battery Park, in reading the Declaration of Independence, handing out literature and manning a table for additional literature and discussion with us.
Over the 24 hour fast and vigil, we handed out over 2000 pieces of literature. We interacted with between 3000 to 5000 tourists and Americans. We read the Declaration of Independence at least 6 times. We spoke with over 20 active duty military personnel. We witnessed some adult pageantry by some VFW members dressed in Colonial type garb firing a WW II howitzer. We met two separate pairs of Buddhist monks, one pair from Thailand and the other I am not remembering right now
When one of the VFW dandies accused one of our members of being a "traitor", I don't think they were prepared for our response. We took turns reading the Declaration of Independence in loud voice over their merit badge type ceremony. They were on a schedule and we weren't so our disruption was quite effective. An ABC news film crew didn't get much usable footage but they did interview, Peter Bronson VFP-NYC, George McAnanama VFP-NYC and Tom Brinson VFP-LI. The three co-conspirators of the reading of the Declaration won the day so to speak. Like George Orwell said, "In times of universal deceit, telling the truth will be a revolutionary act."
At least 8 vets and a few friends slept overnight in the area surrounding the East Coast Memorial. We received many positive responses from well over half the people we had interaction. People are tired of this war but they are still letting others do the heavy lifting. All in all in was tiring but uplifting experience, of waging Peace!
Next Left Notes
(c) 2004,2006 Thomas Good
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