Vigils in March 2021

[Brian]

Anni, Frannie, Jeanne and Roberta as seen at the Montrose Peace Vigil on February 26, 2021.

As much as I loathe Daylight Saving Time, I look forward to it every March for one good reason. After four months of demonstrating in the dark, we will soon be seen in daylight for the entire vigil at the intersection of Ocean View Boulevard and Honolulu Avenue in Montrose, CA 91020, where we have advertised for peace and justice every week from 5:30 to 7 p.m. since January 2006. Half of this Friday's Montrose Peace Vigil was conducted in daylight.  In two weeks, everybody will be able to read our signs throughout the vigil.  Anni is putting her bag of candles back into storage.

On a warm evening, pedestrian traffic was back to pre-pandemic levels with many groups of teenagers on the sidewalks, often just hanging out.  Most people were wearing masks.  After dark, everybody pretty much disappeared along with most of the vehicles.

Only five regulars participated this week.  I can't count Michael, Melissa and their daughter, our friends from Crescenta Valley United Methodist Church, because they didn't hold signs.  It was wonderful to run into them and catch up -- the last time we saw them was at a film screening at the church a year ago February.

Since October 2011, we have printed and displayed every Defense Department news release announcing the deaths of soldiers, sailors and airmen in our many ongoing wars. The Pentagon reported no uniformed U.S. casualties in the previous seven days.

Jim has been extending the vigil to two hours by coming at 5 p.m.

[Sharon W]

We're with you in spirit. Our second Pfizer vaccines are scheduled for March 16 - eventually we'll venture out again. We're emailing our protest of Biden's bombing Syria.

[Brian]

With Los Angeles County moving out of the pandemic's most restrictive tier on Monday, I was curious to see whether as many folks were out during this Friday's Montrose Peace Vigil as we saw last week.  No doubt because of the cold temperature -- rain showers had passed through an hour before the vigil -- fewer people walked or drove by us.

Seven stalwarts came to the corner.  Only one of us Boomers has not received both Covid vaccinations because he's the youngest, age 61.  I've never been as grateful to be part of the Second Greatest Generation.

In the previous seven days, the Department of Defense reported no military deaths in Operation Freedom's Sentinel in Afghanistan, Operation Inherent Resolve in Iraq and Syria or in any of the many other operations underway around the world.

[Sharon W]

We are scheduled for our 2nd Pfizer shot on 3/16. Today is the one year anniversary of our last in person vigil! What a year.

[Brian]

Unlike last week, indoor restaurant dining was available again, Daylight Saving Time was in effect and the temperature was in the high 60's during this Friday's Montrose Peace Vigil. Yet foot and wheel traffic wasn't much greater.

Ten regulars came to the corner this week, the first vigil since November 6 where attendance was in double digits.

Friday marked the 18th anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq.  For the eighth week in a row, the Pentagon announced no uniformed casualties.

[Brian]

I've let myself obsess about traffic every week because I still haven't gotten over suddenly seeing empty streets and sidewalks exactly 53 weeks ago.  Gone are the lonely weeks of December when I could easily count every person seen during an entire vigil.  Traffic at this Friday's Montrose Peace Vigil was light and about the same as the last two weeks, making the first vigil of the month an aberration.  Yet the expressions of support that we get are greater per capita -- honks, waves, thumbs up, peace signs and shout outs from the vehicles and passing conversations with pedestrians.

The first vigil of March had probably our lowest attendance ever -- at least since I started counting in 2008 -- but the regulars rallied the rest of the month:

• Mar. 5 - 5
• Mar. 12 - 7
• Mar. 19 - 10
• Mar. 26 - 8

This month's weekly average rounds up to 8 participants, after averaging 8 in February, 7 in January and December, 8 in November, 10 in October, 9 in September, 11 in August, 10 in July, 14 in June, 10 in May and April, and 12 in March 2020 -- one dozen had been our average attendance for many years before the pandemic.

No U. S. military deaths were reported in the previous seven days.