Brian
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Post by Brian on Jan 5, 2013 0:00:09 GMT -8
Montrose Peace Vigil on October 26, 2012. Nobody could have known when Roberta took a stand by herself on the corner of Ocean View Boulevard and Honolulu Avenue in January 2006 -- Nancy was the first to join her minutes later -- that an average of a dozen people would still show up there to advertise peace every week since. This Friday's Montrose Peace Vigil had exactly a dozen participants, thanks to Norm and Pearl, long-time regulars of Glendale Peace Vigil, which starts half an hour before ours, at 5 p.m. at the corner of Broadway and Brand. Glendale Peace Vigil also started more than three years before our vigil -- in September 2002. We appreciate Sharon's reports from Glendale on this message board. Every Friday on the corner since September 2011, we have posted a printout compiling the Defense Department's announcements of military deaths. This is only the second time that only one death was reported. We keep hoping for a week when there are none. You need to be logged in to download this PDF attachment of the post, but everybody is welcome to register: Attachments:
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Post by Sharon W on Jan 5, 2013 8:54:13 GMT -8
It was just Nancy, Henry, Bill and me at Broadway & Brand last night and we wimped out at 6:30 due to cold and lack of passers by. For the first time in a long time a woman came by who was pro war and told us we made her sick. We wished her peace anyway.
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Brian
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Post by Brian on Jan 12, 2013 1:12:07 GMT -8
I keep a lot of stats, yet I can't say this was the coldest Montrose Peace Vigil in our seven years. My thermometer read 34 degrees when I got home, but Tujunga is higher and colder than Montrose. Although the road traffic was light during this Friday's vigil, dogs in sweaters and kids craving frozen yogurt were among the surprisingly many creatures walking briskly on the sidewalks. Three middle school age girls joined in and held signs for a few minutes. Counting them, we had 12 participants. Every Friday on the corner since September 2011, we have posted a printout compiling the Defense Department's announcements of military deaths. We keep hoping for a week when there are none. It happened this week. There were no military death announcements in our reporting period, from Friday to Thursday. On the corner next week, we will post this Friday's news of another death in Afghanistan. |
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Post by Sharon W on Jan 12, 2013 10:17:08 GMT -8
It was very cold down at Broadway & Brand last night too. The past few weeks, Henry, who usually hands out copies of LA or NY Times editorials or other material supporting peace, has been having problems with his knees and back and has been sitting down between groups of passers by. Lately he hasn't been able to last the whole 2 hours of our vigil. Last night he wasn't able to make it at all. Nancy was there waiting when we got there about 5:15 pm and Moe joined us about a hour later. There were just the 4 of us and we only made it to 6:30 pm. We did get supportive honks and a thank you from a couple of bicyclists going by but foot traffic was way down.
With the cold weather and the Bloomingdales construction cutting off the sheltered spot we used to hang out in during raining and windy nights we made a big decision. I haven't mentioned it here before but Nancy has been suggesting we 'merge with Montrose' due to our lack of participants for a while now.
So, after 10 years demonstrating against the Iraq and Afghanistan wars and for other progressive causes, the Glendale Peace Vigil will be visiting with you next Friday. Not only the number of participants, but the average age of your group will be elevated, I think!
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anni
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Post by anni on Jan 12, 2013 17:12:34 GMT -8
That seems brilliant, dear Sharon...to join forces. I've been getting slightly disheartened (though loving all the strong hearts/stalwarts who show up week in/week out) that people are unconcerned with our war happy nation and their love of computerized violence on a 12th century peoples, etc...anyhow thanks and welcome!
Brian adds: We'll enjoy seeing you, Bill and Nancy more often -- and hope Henry and others will come too!
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Roberta
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Post by Roberta on Jan 16, 2013 13:47:40 GMT -8
So, after 10 years demonstrating against the Iraq and Afghanistan wars and for other progressive causes, the Glendale Peace Vigil will be visiting with you next Friday. Not only the number of participants, but the average age of your group will be elevated, I think! The Glendale Peace Vigil has had a great run -- one of the first in L.A., if not the very first, to oppose the Iraq invasion by regularly taking to the streets. Thank you. "Our" Nancy -- I should say our first Nancy, we now have 2 and soon to be 3 with Nancy Kent -- stood with GPV for a number of Fridays when you were in front of the Glendale Armory I believe. So welcome to Montrose! We have a permanent bench on site for Henry. |
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Brian
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Post by Brian on Jan 19, 2013 1:05:03 GMT -8
Nancy, Sharon and Bill from Glendale Peace Vigil, along with their friends Peggy and Steve, boosted attendance at this Friday's Montrose Peace Vigil just as Sharon wrote above: - Jan. 4 - 12
- Jan. 11 - 12
- Jan. 18 - 14
The weather and the passersby joined us in welcoming them to the corner. After weeks of often bitter cold, the temperature was nearly 70 degrees at vigil time. And we got more positive feedback from the streets and the sidewalks than I remember seeing and hearing lately, perhaps because the vigil participants were concentrated in one spot instead of the usual two or three, giving us a bigger profile. Or maybe it was the warmth we all felt again. Car windows were down and pedestrian traffic was up. I have been gradually increasing the font size from 14 to 20 to make our postings of the Defense Department announcements on the lightpole easier to read. This week's printout -- honoring two men who died in Afghanistan -- lives here as a PDF: Attachments:
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Brian
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Post by Brian on Jan 26, 2013 0:00:50 GMT -8
Light showers came down for the last half hour of this Friday's Montrose Peace Vigil, the latest of a series of warm and windless tropical storms. Road traffic was lighter but the pedestrians seemed undeterred. A teenage boy picked up a sign and joined us briefly. This month's attendance: - Jan. 4 - 12
- Jan. 11 - 12
- Jan. 18 - 14
- Jan. 25 - 10
Without the seven people from Glendale Peace Vigil who participated this month, the Montrose Peace Vigil's weekly average would have rounded down to 10. Instead, we averaged a even 12 per week in January, compared to 10 in December and 11 in both November and October. In January 2012, it was only 9. In January 2011, the corner also averaged 12 protesters per week. The Defense Department announced one death in the last seven days, the passing in Texas of a man wounded December 15 in Afghanistan. We posted a printout of this PDF on the lightpole where we stood: Attachments:
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