Vigils in April 2023

[Brian]

The temperature was in the high 60's throughout this Friday's Montrose Peace Vigil, the best weather we've had in months.  We're accustomed to getting peace signs and waves from pedestrians and passing vehicles, but this week we saw a lot of raised fists from young people.  It appears that the protests in the Tennessee statehouse were seen -- and felt -- by the new generation trying to save their lives from gun violence by peacefully exercising their First Amendment rights.

Thirteen regulars covered all three patches of grass and dirt along the wide corner for much of the vigil -- in order of appearance:  Anni, me, Nancy, Roberta, Dennis, Russell, Bruce, Jeanne, Terry, Justeen, John the Realtor, Mike and Mary.  The above average turnout was even more impressive because three of our greatest stalwarts, Jim, Janice and Frannie, had to be elsewhere.

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.

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 2,500 troops remain in Iraq and 900 in Syria.  The Pentagon reported no uniformed U.S. casualties in the previous seven days.

[Brian]

Spontaneous demonstrators joined this week's Montrose Peace Vigil for the first time in nearly a year.  Near the end of the vigil, two girls who looked to be around 8 years old approached to ask what we were protesting.  I said that we were advertising for peace, hoping to get more people to think about making peace in the world.  A minute later they came back and said they wanted to hold signs.  As the woman accompanying them snapped photos, a man crossed the street with two younger girls who chose two more signs from Anni's bag. They were especially enthusiastic, jumping up and down while hoisting the signs over their heads.

A total of 15 peaceniks came to the corner:  Anni, me, Roberta, Nancy, Janice, Frannie, Dennis, Russell, Jeanne, Mike, Mary and the four girls, in order of appearance.

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.

[Brian]

Within a few weeks I'll be complaining about the heat but it was liberating to come to this Friday's Montrose Peace Vigil without a jacket for the first time in many months.  The temperature was 85 degrees when Anni and I arrived at 5:30 and 78 degrees when we drove away at 7:15 with Dennis and Russell still talking on the corner.  The mood among the throngs of families and groups of kids walking by us was buoyant and the honks, waves and peace signs from the passing vehicles were plentiful and jubilant.  Less than two hours before the vigil, the Supreme Court stayed the decision banning abortion medication nationwide.

The dozen regulars who came to the corner felt good about that, but much of the conversation where I stood was about how to find a way to end the war in Ukraine and what if anything we can do about the Canyon Hills luxury housing development in the Verdugo Hills above the westbound I-210 in Tujunga, subject of a front page article in the Los Angeles Times Thursday.  Participating this week, in order of appearance, were Anni, me, Dennis, Russell, Janice, Nancy, Mary, Bruce, Jeanne, Mike, John the Realtor and Jim.

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

[Brian]

We were joined by one of the most enthusiastic -- and extraordinary -- spontaneous participants in our 17 years at this Friday's Montrose Peace Vigil.  A boy we guessed to be around 11 years old came up beside Anni holding her sign near the Honolulu crosswalk to chant "Know Justice" and "Know Peace" between riffs on a harmonica for the passing vehicles.  Later, he moved to a spot next to the Ocean View crosswalk, pointing to my "Imagine World Peace" sign for the people waiting for a green light or making a right turn while blowing brief melodies on the harp.  He demonstrated for about 15 minutes, accompanied by a chorus of honks and a flurry of peace signs and waves, while the older girl who accompanied him to the corner occasionally took video on her smartphone.  As he said goodbye, we thanked him and said that we hope he'd consider an encore on any Friday in the future.

As seen in my census below, vigil attendance was robust in April, thanks in part to five very youthful spontaneous participants.  A total of 17 regulars came to the corner throughout the month, 14 of us more than once.  This week's peaceniks, in order of appearance:  Anni, me, Roberta, Dennis, Harmonica Kid, Janice, Russell, Nancy, Justeen, John B., Jeanne, Mike and Frannie.

• Apr. 7 - 13
• Apr. 14 - 15
• Apr. 21 - 12
• Apr. 28 - 13

This month's weekly average rounds down to 13 participants, after averaging 12 in March, 10 in February, 12 in January, 11 in December and November, 12 in October, 9 in September, 10 in August, 11 in July, 10 in June, 11 in May and 8 in April 2022.

For the 18th week in a row, no U.S. casualties in operations were reported by the Pentagon.

[Brian]

Some candid photos I took at last Friday's Montrose Peace Vigil: