Vigils in January 2023: Our 17th anniversry

[Brian]

Jeanne, Nancy and Bill with their guitars at Montrose Peace Vigil's Bed-In anniversary tribute in May 2009.

Weekly peace vigils were a common sight in the early years of the U.S. war in Iraq.  Nobody could have known in January 2006 when Roberta took a stand holding a sign by herself at the intersection of Ocean View Boulevard and Honolulu Avenue next to a Vietnam War memorial in Montrose, California -- responding to the internet post, Nancy was the first to join her minutes later -- that so many people would keep showing up there to advertise for peace every week since. For years, Montrose Peace Vigil reliably averaged a dozen or more participants each Friday, down to about ten peaceniks per week during the Covid pandemic.  This Friday's Montrose Peace Vigil kicked off a month of celebrating our 17th anniversary.

At the same time and more importantly, we marked another occasion by throwing an alternative retirement party for Nancy -- beautifully conceived by Roberta -- to top the party her now former employer gave her last week.  Nancy's known for her "War Is Over If You Want It" signs at every vigil, so Jeanne made a brilliant facsimile declaring "Work Is Over" with a subscript from us.  We'll post photos soon.

Twelve regulars came to the corner:  Jim, Roberta, Russell, Anni, me, Dennis, Sharon, Bill, John the Realtor, Mike, Nancy and Mary, in order of appearance.

Since October 2011, we have printed and displayed every Defense Department news release announcing the deaths of soldiers, Marines, sailors and Airmen in our many ongoing military operations around the world.  About 3,500 troops remain in Iraq.  The Pentagon reported no uniformed U.S. casualties in the previous seven days.

[Sharon W]

It was great to see folks last night! Sorry we had to leave before Nancy go there. Hope we can join the vigil more this year as we get our ailments resolved and the days get longer.

[anni]

A couple of pics from our celebration last Friday of Nancy's retirement!

[Nancy]

Such a happy, beautiful surprise from my wonderful, incredibly generous friends in peace. Thank you! Love, Nancy

[Brian]

A great turnout of sign holding peaceniks at this Friday's Montrose Peace Vigil prompted multiple conversations about almost everything going on -- talks that went on long past the usual vigil quitting time.  Some of us wound up speculating about opportunities to advance peace and cut the Pentagon budget that this Republican led House of Representatives might provide.  Starting in 2006, after public opinion polls turned against the occupation of Iraq, principled Republicans have joined anti-war Democrats to advance all kinds of peace legislation and resolutions.  Nowadays most Americans seem to agree that our so called defense spending is out of control.  How can we work to assemble a coalition of less militaristic Democrats and mostly insurrectionist Republicans to finally slash the Pentagon budget between now and September 30, when next year's defense bill is due?  Clearly, I should start another thread about this.

As a reminder, we stand on the northwest corner of Ocean View Boulevard and Honolulu Avenue near the Vietnam War memorial in Montrose, CA 91020 every Friday from 5:30 to 7 p.m. without regard to the weather or holidays -- we haven't missed a vigil since January 2006. Please stop by sometime if you can.

Thirteen peaceniks came to the corner this week, five of whom weren't there last week.  In order of appearance:  Anni, me, Roberta, Frannie, Russell, Dennis, Janice, Nancy, Jeanne, Barrett, Mike, Justeen and Jim.

In the previous seven days, the Department of Defense reported no military deaths in Operation Inherent Resolve in Iraq and Syria or in any of the other named U.S. operations underway around the world.

[Roberta]

Good question, I keep thinking I will make a little “action item” handout for passers-by who agree and might do a simple email or phone call if it is laid out for them!

Jan 14, 2023 0:00:19 GMT -8 Brian said:

How can we work to assemble a coalition of less militaristic Democrats and mostly insurrectionist Republicans to finally slash the Pentagon budget between now and September 30, when next year's defense bill is due?

[Brian]

Great idea, Roberta! I'll keep that in mind until we take action as the Pentagon budget process starts later this year.

Despite all of the rain we've had for the last four weeks, Friday evenings have been dry in Montrose, continuing a long running weekly drought during our vigils.  I can't remember the last time more than a spritz or a brief drizzle landed on us.

Yet it was chilly at this Friday's Montrose Peace Vigil with light foot and wheel traffic.  Ten regulars participated:  Anni, Roberta and me got to the corner by 5:30, followed by Janice, Dennis, Nancy, Bruce, Frannie, Jim and then Mary.

The Department of Defense reported no uniformed casualties in the previous seven days.

[Brian]

Five weeks after the winter solstice, the sun sets around 5:15 so we had some daylight at the beginning of this Friday's Montrose Peace Vigil.

Perhaps because of the combination of mild weather and brisk traffic on the streets and sidewalks, more people than we've seen in weeks stopped to talk with us:  a man spending most of the winter here from his home in Maryland happy to see a peace vigil, the two women who just wanted to thank us for being on the corner every week and a young woman who took of photo of the "Imagine World Peace" sign I was holding.

Or maybe it was because we had a solid contingent of four peaceniks within minutes of the 5:30 start time and a good turnout of other regulars throughout the first hour of the vigil -- in order of appearance:  Anni, me, Roberta, Nancy, Jeanne, Dennis, Janice, Jim, Bruce, Frannie and Mike.  Nancy was there much earlier than usual, her retirement benefiting us as well!  My attendance tallies for January 2023:

• Jan. 6 - 12
• Jan. 13 - 13
• Jan. 20 - 10
• Jan. 27 - 11

This month's weekly average rounds up to 12 participants, after averaging 11 in December and November, 12 in October, 9 in September, 10 in August, 11 in July, 10 in June, 11 in May, 8 in April, 10 in March, 9 in February and 10 in January 2022.

For the fifth week in a row, no U.S. military deaths were reported.

[anni]

Jan 28, 2023 0:00:11 GMT -8 Brian said:

My attendance tallies for January 2023:

• Jan. 6 - 12
• Jan. 13 - 13
• Jan. 20 - 10
• Jan. 27 - 11

Those tallies don't account for all of the regulars who came to the corner -- a total of 18 peaceniks participated this month. Six stalwarts came every week, three came three times, four people twice and five once in January.

Brian made a list of people who didn't appear this month but have demonstrated in 2022 and will probably come back again soon, and he came up with ten more names to add to our rotating band of Montrose Peace Vigil participants.