THE VOICE OF THE PEOPLE
“How have you, your family or your community been impacted by war.” This was the question Veterans for Peace and Northland Grandmothers for Peace asked the public on Memorial Day.* They gathered 175 statements.
Most of the responses discussed the loss or suffering of a family member. Some were about war diverting resources from important human needs. Some expressed pride in military service and said war was necessary to protect the country. Some feel complicit in the immorality of war and a personal need to work for peace.
Here are some of the anonymous, unedited statements (with no comment) selected for a variety of viewpoints.
“The father of my children served in Vietnam. His ability to love life was broken there.”
“A few years ago, I spent three weeks in northern France touring World War I battlefields. Seeing all the cemeteries, all the carnage of war, it was heart breaking. And for what? Just senseless.”
“Gratitude for ALL our VETS: ‘ALL gave some, some gave ALL.’”
“I am instilled with a feeling of fear and dread. I am outraged and have a deep sense of sadness for all who suffer.”
“There is never enough money to feed the hungry, house the homeless, treat the sick, educate the uneducated, protect the environment and address the mental health crisis in this country. But there is always enough money to blow up brown people and to destroy far-away communities and nations. That budget decision is a moral statement. We can do better.”
“My father served in WWII. He was in Africa, then Europe, serving in the Army. His service was very important to him and was part of his sense of duty, values and commitment – qualities he passed on and tried to live by every day.”
“WAR: A death certificate for humankind. A picture of devastation to our planet. A period of death for all animals. A mistaken panacea. The sign of ignorance, hopelessness and rage of human beings. So much pain, death, destruction, costs, losses, anguish and trauma! The joke of money and power over humanity.
“I have seen friends return from war and respect them. I thank them for their service and pray for a peaceful future.”
“My nephew Eric served in the Marines in Iraq and Afghanistan. After returning, he faced a number of challenges, and we feel the violence he experienced in those wars was a factor in his decision to take his own life in 2017.”
“PROUD OF MY BROTHERS. Both served in the military, one in the Army and one in the Air Force. I’m so proud to be their only sister!”
“My uncle was one of the first ground troops to enter Nagasaki after the bomb was dropped. He suffered from cancer almost for the rest of his days, dying in 1999.”
“My parents both served in WWII. My brother was killed in Vietnam at age 22. My husband worked at Army Medical Center in Denver. His dad got Parkinson’s from defoliant in the South Pacific. I’m proud they served and of their sacrifices. BUT, I hate war! The only ones to benefit seem to be the wealthy while others make the sacrifices – service men and women and families.”
“My family escaped genocide in Laos during the Vietnam/Pathet Lao War.”
“Sometimes war is necessary. Like the war in Ukraine. You must defend yourself.”
“Living with someone with PTSD is reason enough to never have another war.”
“Climate change is in overdrive due to military aggressions. So much fossil fuel use, smoke and fire destruction. All this makes it much more difficult for people across the globe to raise food, keep homes safe, etc. Us too! Including super high home insurance, roof damage, etc.”
“Luckily, I have not lost a loved one in a war. In the Vietnam era my then boyfriend, now husband, was granted conscientious objector status. He was supported by his WWII veteran father. Basically, I feel that war is a total waste of resources: monetary, human life, human souls, civilization and on and on. While there might be an extreme situation where it is the only answer, I feel the trigger is pulled too often and without proper thought and consideration.”
My father was dragged into WW2. I was drafted to kill Vietnamese people. What bullshit. It messed him up for decades and made me angry for my life, and all of this accomplished NOTHING. And on and on it goes.”
“We all experience the moral injury of knowing our tax dollars are being used to fuel the war machine that swallows up children and destroys communities.”
“I have known many families who have been affected by the damages of war. When I was a teenager my mom’s only brother was caught in a land mine while serving in Vietnam. His leg was shattered, and he watched his buddy die next to him. I have heard many such horror stories while working in a nursing home for the past 30 years, and it causes me to pray for peace.”
“As a military spouse with young children, war has hurt my children so much. They have had to live without their father for years of their life.”
“War and militarism are a tremendous waste of resources that are becoming increasingly limited. And it is regular people, with no animosity toward their neighbors across some border who suffer.”
“War is done by males.”
“Being 23, I have lived in an era of endless war. I also live in an age social media and have constantly witnessed death, genocide and the worst of humanity over video. My heart breaks every day. My money, my country and my people commit the worst atrocities, and I am forced to live each day with that complicity.”
“War is declared by governments but fought by the people who are taught to kill whomever is declared the enemy. My family has been economically affected by the current wars and, most importantly, my values of empathy and care for others have been denigrated. War has never solved the problems of the past, nor does it today.”
“When I was 12 years old, my older brother became a U.S. Marine. He went to Vietnam in Dec. 1968, a few days before his 19th birthday. Six weeks later he was killed. So much grief. So much loss of potential! So many what-ifs? For what???”
“My eldest brother, who served two tours in Vietnam, died from what we believe is exposure to Agent Orange. I’m a retired Navy nurse – served at Camp Lejeune – and proud to be a veteran.”
“I am committed to working for peace and finding ways to focus on building hope, addressing disparities in our country and world. Let’s work to study war no more!”
*Full disclosure: I am member of both organizations.
