Vigils in July 2021

[Brian]

This Friday's Montrose Peace Vigil coincided with the beginning of the Fourth of July weekend.  Like every Friday evening before a three-day holiday, vehicle traffic was sparse.  But lots of pedestrians strolled by us -- many stopping to enjoy street performer Katherine Terrien.  The frozen yogurt shop was doing brisk business while across the intersection the sidewalk and parking zone tables were filled with diners.  Fewer people are wearing masks every week.

Ten regulars came to the corner.  Before the pandemic, we averaged 12 participants per week.  Since the worst month of the pandemic in January -- when the vigil only averaged 7 demonstrators -- we've gained an average of one peacenik per week each month as the quarantining regulars got vaccinated and new people have joined us holding signs.  Just like the old days.

Since October 2011, we have displayed every Defense Department news release announcing the deaths of soldiers, sailors and airmen in our many ongoing military operations during the vigils. Anni taped a large-type printout of last Sunday's Pentagon news release, which is linked below, on the utility pole. The 55 year old Air Force squadron commander, who died "in a non-combat related incident" while supporting the U.S. operation in Iraq and Syria, was in charge of a 130-member heavy construction unit in Qatar.

www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Releases/Release/Article/2672865/dod-identifies-air-force-casualty/

Lt. Col. James C. Willis

[anni]

A vigil in search of some shade.

[Brian]

Five of the ten regulars at the Montrose Peace Vigil on July 2, 2021.

This Friday's Montrose Peace vigil drew 12 sign-holding participants.  Traffic was brisk.  Except for the masks still being worn by some pedestrians, it felt like a typical, not too hot summer evening on the corner -- in 2019.

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

[Brian]

As reported nationwide, Los Angeles County is reinstituting the indoor mask mandate this weekend because Covid infections tripled and hospitalizations doubled after the mandate was removed for vaccinated people on June 15.  Since then, every time I walked into the supermarket I assumed that vaccinated folks like me continued to wear masks to be extra safe while those who have refused vaccinations are taking advantage of their newfound freedom to potentially infect others in public without being hassled.  I'm curious to see how Tujunga shoppers behave next time I'm in my local store, where the vaccination rate is 20 percent lower than nearby La Canada.

Although there continues to be no outdoor mask requirement, I'd say a third of the pedestrians during this Friday's Montrose Peace Vigil wore them, along with six vigil participants.  Two of our greatest stalwarts are traveling this week, yet we had another good turnout on the corner, 12 sign holders.

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

[Sharon W]

We were delighted that Matt came by to talk to us - he called and got the answering machine, remembered it was Friday and drove over thinking we'd be there. That's a big sign that at least some things are getting back to how it was pre pandemic. From March 2020 up until a few weeks ago we'd have been safer at home! So sad there's another upsurge in COVID cases, almost all unvaccinated people - wish they'd get the message and stop being fertile ground for new deadly virus mutations.

[Brian]

It's been a long time since I acknowledged all of the people every week who send their good wishes from the passing vehicles with their shout outs, whoops, peace signs, applause, thumbs up, honks and waves.  From where I stood, every response to us was positive this week.

Ten regulars came to the corner for this Friday's Montrose Peace Vigil.

For the third week in a row, the Pentagon reported no U.S. casualties.

[Brian]

The Covid infection rate in Los Angeles County is now more than six times the rate when I started this thread and the number of hospitalizations has more than tripled.  If half of the residents weren't fully vaccinated, the current infection rate would be double that and there would be a lot more people feeling much sicker.  Still, 20 to 25 percent of the infections this year are in the fully vaccinated population, thanks mainly to the superspreading Delta variant.  I can't say that I saw more face masks among the pedestrians at this Friday's Montrose Peace Vigil, but every vigil participant was wearing one.  Only two or three of us wore them on July 2.

Thanks to Yoshio for coming to Montrose this week!  Our attendance on the corner remained strong this month:

• July 2 - 10
• July 9 - 12
• July 16 - 12
• July 23 - 10
• July 30 - 10

This month's weekly average rounds up to 11 participants, after averaging 17 in June, 11 in May, 10 in April, 9 in March, 8 in February, 7 in January and December, 8 in November, 10 in October, 9 in September, 11 in August and 10 in July 2020. Twelve had been our average attendance for many years before the pandemic.

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