Vigils in December 2023

[Nancy]

The upcoming vigil on Friday, December 8, will be on the forty third anniversary of John Lennon's assassination by gun shot. We lost a beautiful man that day. Lennon's promotion of peace made him a target for violence. If I needed to pick out a favorite quality of John's it would be his courage. John was a musician, not a political leader. He knew that, as a person, he wasn't always a paragon for peace, that his personal flaws would be spot lighted when he presented his message, and that he wasn't cut-out, in the typical way, for cause promotion. As a messenger of peace, Lennon may not have looked the part of a zen master but - in putting his position to promote peace ahead of his ego - he bested the best of them! Lennon presented peace as an artist, as a musician, and his power may have been the most recognized by his political enemies who saw him as a threat. Nixon was right about one thing. A musician was a threat to war. He still is - more than ever as his message of peace stands through the years while what he may have done on a bad day - so to speak - fades into the background. The message of peace and love inspires the most beautiful artistry, has the most power, and even if I don't feel suited for the job of spreading the message, I do it anyway.

[Brian]

As I told Nancy on the corner, her tribute to John Lennon above was so beautifully heartfelt and clear headed that it might be my favorite post in the 15 years of the Montrose Peace Vigil message board.

When Anni and I arrived at this Friday's Montrose Peace Vigil, Zari was already there holding a highly readable "Ceasefire Now" sign on the day that Israel resumed bombing Gaza.  We've known Zari since 2012 from many Friday vigils and we've run into her at rallies, marches and protests around town, but we didn't see her after February 2022 because of her work schedule.  Turns out that she'd been standing there since 5 p.m. because she found something on the internet with our old starting time, circa 2009.  It was a blessing to stand for peace with Zari again.  And she stayed until 7!

On a chilly evening with little foot or wheel traffic, 11 peaceniks turned out, which was also our average weekly attendance for the past two months.  In order of appearance:  Zari, Roberta, Anni, me, Russell, Jeanne, Bruce, Jim, Nancy, Mike and Frannie.

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 with countless more troops operating in Africa.  The Pentagon reported no uniformed U.S. casualties in the previous seven days.

We will march with our Peace Train tonight, December 2, in the Montrose Christmas Parade. Keep watching this thread all month for official and amateur videos, photos and more:

montrosepeacevigil.proboards.com/thread/1485/peace-train-montrose-christmas-parade

[Brian]

The temperature was 59 degrees at the start of this Friday's Montrose Peace Vigil, about the same as last Saturday when we marched with our custom-built Peace Train in the Montrose Christmas Parade. Instead of hundreds of people lining the intersection keeping themselves and each other warm as we walked by, we stood on both ends of the crosswalk on Honolulu Avenue holding signs, often with few vehicles or pedestrians in sight during our 90 minutes.

Two middle school age guys on scooters (thankfully wearing helmets) joked around with me while waiting for the crosswalk on Ocean View Boulevard.  Later, they returned to pick signs out of Anni's bag and held them for a few minutes, so they certainly count among the 14 participants this week, a dozen of whom are familiar faces:  Roberta, Anni, me, Catherine, Zari, Jeanne, Terry, the two young men, Mike, Nancy, Frannie, Yoshio and Mary.

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.

One more thing: December 8 marked the 43rd yahrzeit since the world lost John Lennon. Nancy drove to his Hollywood Walk of Fame Star next to the Capitol Records building to place flowers before attending Montrose Peace Vigil. The December memorials in Hollywood have ceased, but people of multiple generations still gather there on John's birthday every October 9th. Let's close with his handwritten lyrics for "Give Peace a Chance."

[Brian]

I'll be candid and admit that I didn't pay much attention to my surroundings at this Friday's Montrose Peace Vigil, standing with my sign behind my back facing traffic, enjoying spirited serial conversations among the other dozen vigil regulars who came this week.  Still, I heard lots of honks behind me.  Dennis returned after an unprecedented three-week absence and John B. was there for the first time in a few months.  In order of arrival, the participants were Roberta, Russell, Anni, me, Jim, Nancy, Mike, Bruce, Jeanne, Dennis, Frannie, Mary and John B.

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

[Brian]

After five days of on and off rain, the sun came out before this Friday's Montrose Peace Vigil.  Despite the long holiday weekend that began mid-week at airports and on highways nationwide, we had plenty of company on the corner -- and kind words and good wishes from many pedestrians along with flurries of honks, waves, peace signs and thumbs up from passing vehicles.

I expected at least three vigil regulars to be absent because they're traveling, so I was surprised to see 13 peaceniks show up:  Anni, me, Roberta, Zari, Mike, Jim, Bruce, John B., Justeen, Dennis, Nancy, Frannie and Yoshio, in order of appearance.

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

[Brian]

Except for two groups of young families with small children who strolled by near the end of this Friday's Montrose Peace Vigil, the streets and sidewalks were often mostly empty in the midst of the last long holiday weekend of the year.  The temperature was 57 degrees, the chilliest in weeks.  And our stationary sign bearing pack was even more conspicuous than usual.

The fifth vigil of December made this the first month since April that every week had attendance in the double digits.  In order of arrival, this week's participants were Anni, me, Roberta, Russell, Dennis, Zari, John B., Justeen, Frannie, Nancy, Bruce, Jeanne and Jim.  Overall, 20 peaceniks participated in vigils in December, five of whom came every week while only four people attended just once.  My weekly census:

• Dec. 1 - 11
• Dec. 8 - 14
• Dec. 15 - 13
• Dec. 22 - 13
• Dec. 29 - 13

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

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