CV Weekly Story

[Mat's Mom]

Crescenta Valley VFW and American Legion Adopt Deployed Soldier
Noticed this story in the CV Weekly.
Question: is supporting their efforts productive (in terms of being kind to other people, personalizing the impact of war, etc.) or counter-productive (in terms of encouraging people on the other side of the debate)?

[anni]

What a great question, Mat's Mom. While I do not want to judge warriors to be bad people, I do not believe war is any kind of answer. We also hear that warriors go to war to fight for our freedom. I do not accept that. Therefore I do not feel the necessity to reward/support/adopt a group of soldiers. I really believe that responsibility lies with the warring agencies they represent.

[Jeanne]

Hi anni and Mat's mom,

I couldn't find the story, so I can't comment specifically. Generally, I think it's always good to help people who are in need, whatever circumstances have brought them to be there. It may seem sometimes that some people focus on political or patriotic reasons for helping soldiers which might make them pawns in a larger game. Withholding help for political reasons would mean that we are reacting on that same cynical level. As citizens of this nation which has put soldiers in harm's way, we need to follow through with care. One of the reasons I stand on the corner is to awaken more citizens to the possibility of preventing more destruction and loss of life by finding nonviolent resolutions to conflicts.

Thank you for the thoughtful question.

[Jeanne]

Opinion update. It helps to have facts before forming and expressing an opinion. Roberta brought me a copy of the article and I now see that the VFW is helping soldiers currently stationed, not veterans returning from combat. The campaign looks like a way to show a little love and encouragement. One hopes that the Air Force is supplying them with necessities and the doodads mentioned in the article would be some warm fuzzies for them to know that they are remembered. anni's answer works for me.

I'm focusing my love and encouragement on my students, hoping to show them more healthy, meaningful career paths other than the military.

[Brian]

Nov 22, 2014 17:55:35 GMT -8 Mat's Mom said:

Question: is supporting their efforts productive (in terms of being kind to other people, personalizing the impact of war, etc.) or counter-productive (in terms of encouraging people on the other side of the debate)?

I had a wacky idea, so I withheld it for a few days.  Even though I agree with Anni and Jeanne, I'll post it.

Yes, writing letters and sending stuff to those airmen deployed somewhere "overseas," according to the Crescenta Valley Weekly article -- those are kind acts.  I thought it might be cool to pool checks for $10 and $20 from some of us in Montrose Peace Vigil and wrap them in a short letter identifying ourselves to the men who used to counter protest across the street, years ago now.  Decades of tax preparation experience locally tells me that $20 is a considered generous donation.  I bet that almost everybody who sends a DVD or a sock through them to CV High School alum Stephen Beck -- what's his rank?  the story doesn't say -- will deduct the price on their 2014 tax returns.  Anyway, Mat's Mom, I see nothing counter-productive in donating to the VFW, assuming that they accept our checks.

That said, I'll always have other places spend my money, tax deductible or not.