We in America believe we live in a democracy where we are free to choose. Yet as Americans, most of us do not choose to raise our children to fight in wars of occupation. And we do not choose to have our tax dollars fund corporate wars. And we certainly do not ask those who serve in the military to risk their lives for anything other than to defend our constitution and our nation. Still the occupation of Iraq continues, and the war in Afghanistan rages into its tenth year, neither protecting the constitution nor our country’s citizens. It is as if someone, somewhere, has decided that we in America must live under a permanent war economy and that some of our families will have to be sacrificed and traumatized by war so that others may live in excessive comfort.
And, unfortunately, it seems as though those who commit us to these wars, our elected representatives, are not hearing our voices as we implore them to bring our soldiers home, to provide them with the highest quality health care available, and to desist from draining our town budgets to wage these wars. Do the citizens of Farmington realize that the annual war cost to them over the last nine years has been $1,900,000, that over this nine year period $16,900,000 of their tax dollars has been spent on these wars?
Perhaps our representatives will listen to us if we take to the streets. In that spirit, we in Veterans For Peace will commence a walk for peace this November. We will walk for nine days through rural Maine. We will not march. We will not demonstrate. We will walk to bear witness to the damage these wars have done to our villages and towns. To our families.
We have listened to reports claiming that the burden of these two wars in Iraq and Afghanistan has been disproportionately borne by those living in rural communities. We have listened to reports of the sky rocketing suicide rates of soldiers serving in these wars. We have listened to reports of soldiers suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Brain Trauma Injury, and Military Sexual Trauma being redeployed into theaters of war multiple times.
Now we want to listen to our neighbors’ stories and accounts. We want to carry their narratives with us as we walk. We want to share them with Congressman Michaud and Congresswoman Pingree, with Senator Collins and with Senator Snowe. And we want to rebuild the social contract in this state between its citizens and its congressional representatives to ensure that our soldiers’ commitment to serving their country will not be abused and our hard-earned tax dollars not misspent.
We who will walk do not delude ourselves into thinking that our efforts will end the wars, nor do we imagine that our witness will completely alleviate the pain inflicted on our communities. But we assure our fellow citizens that our commitment to ending these wars, to healing the wounded, will be that much stronger from having entered their communities and hearing their voices. We ask our neighbors to join us for a mile or many, for an evening or two. We want to hear from them.
For more information about the VFP Peace Walk, please go to our website at www.vfpmaine.org.
Doug Rawlings
Veterans For Peace
Farmington
SON YOUR REPRESENATIVES COULD CARE LESS WHAT YOU GOT TO SAY, GET READY FOR THEM TO TRY TO TAKE YOUR GUNS, YOU DONT NEED A PEACE WALK YOU NEED TO GO DOWNTOWN AN TROW THEM OUT OF OFFICE,, AN DONT STOP THERE GO TO AUGUSTA TOO
Mr. Rawlings,
I want to comment on the premise of your letter. I certainly don’t want to disparage your motives, service or sacrifice.
I agree that a lot of Americans believe they live in a democracy. They are wrong. We all live in a republic. We elect people to represent us, to make those choices for us – including war. If we as individuals don’t like the choices they make, the remedy is provided right there in the state and federal Constitutions – the next election.
I assure you, Doug, that next Tuesday, very many of those elected representatives will hear a voice that most of them have never once heard in their political lives.
sincerely,
Frostproof
Is Prof. Rawlings on board for the impeachment of Pres. Barack Obama, the current maestro of the tragic “corporate wars…permanent war economy…families…sacrificed and traumatized by war so that others may live in excessive comfort…” I long to know.
I also long to know how he calculated that the cost to the citizens of Farmington has “over the last nine years…been $1,900,000, that over this nine year period $16,900,000 of their tax dollars has been spent on these wars?” There appears to be an odd inconsistency here. Which figure is the correct one?.
Does he believe that if we get out of Iraq and Afghanistan the entire defense budget—weapons, training, payroll, maintenance, VA benefits—will disappear? We need a break down of his calculations, otherwise they must be classified as crude propaganda.
If war is never again to be “an instrument of policy” as Clausewitz advised, then what is it to become, if anything? Does he understand Clausewitz’s reasoning? Has he even read Clausewitz? Prof. Rawlings seems to support defense of our Constitution and territory. Does he think a national security policy is some how not a policy? I know it sounds cold-blooded to call bloody war an “instrument of policy” but what else should it be called?
What does he hope to accomplish by adding up the butcher’s bill for these wars? Is he hoping to convince peaceful citizens that peace is preferable to war? Can’t see much point in that. Ninety-four years ago, on July 1 1916, the British launched the Battle of the Somme. By the end of that single day they had lost 62,000 dead and wounded. The war went on for over 28 more months.
I don’t know how much active service Prof. Rawlings had, but Adolf Hitler served 48 months as a front-line soldier and suffered two wounds. Didn’t seemed to have made him a pacifist. My point is that demonstrating the horrors of war to the citizens of peaceful Maine might not be very relevant to the ant-war zealots. There are other actors on the stage who have a say.
A puzzling letter about a pointless exercise.
Thank you and your VFP colleagues, Mr. Rawlings, for your service, good words, and excellent actions. Many of us from away who, regrettably, cannot march with you in November are certainly with you in spirit and in cause. And we communicate with our elected officials quite frequently about the costs in lives and dollars that these last two wars have extracted from us. Peace and blessings to you and yours.
The anger and intolerance by other respondents to Rawling’s peaceful letter/plans are shocking. They sadly remind me of those who hatefully fought racial integration in my native Virginia in the 1960’s. And most were “church-going Christians.” Shocking and sad, indeed – – and history and God will hold them and other violent accomplices accountable.
Moderate, you have really low threshold of anger and intolerance. Perhaps it’s because you’re from away, but God is well known for ignoring what we mortals tell him to do.
By the way, in the 1960’s, most of the southern opposition to integration came from Democrats. It’s shocking and sad how cranky they get when someone reminds them of that fact.
Take it easy Moderate. Why is it when a liberal disagrees with a conservative its no big deal, but when a conservative disagrees with a liberal it’s all anger,intolerance, teabagger, blah .blah,blah? I know many liberals and some of them are among the angriest and intolerant people I know.I dont get exactly what this Doug Rawlings thinks he will accomplish with this walk, but if he wants to walk for 9 days, walk away. I think the voting booth is the best way to get our elected officials to do what we want. By the way, if Rawlings wants to rub elbows with Congressman Michaud and Congresswoman Pingree, he may want to hurry, as they might be out of a job soon. And, with any luck, Snow and Collins too.
I’m not sure a Walk for peace will do any good, but it will do no harm. It will be good for the partipant’s aerobic fitness. A new Congress will do more good.
I am a veteran with 24 years of service from 1973 to 2003. I love my country, but fear my government. The last research I did found we had a US Military presence in 170 countries. Everything from advisors and trainers to full, offensive warfare. We still have 23,000 troops in South Korea after 60 years. We have a large military presence in Japan, Germany, Italy, and UK, to name a few.
We cannot afford this high cost in blood and treasure any longer. I have no doubt Iraq and Afganistan will be just like Korea in duration.
I am a Patriotic American. The Star Spangled Banner and the Pledge of Allegiance bring me to attention and make my eyes water! I have sworn an oath, to which I still hold allegiance, to defend this country against enemies, foreign and domestic. The Congressmen we have now are domestic threats.
In our Republic (not a democracy) the House of Representatives hold the purse strings, and the whole Congress declares war. Iraq and Afganistan are undeclared wars. We need to vote in Congressmen and Senators with the courage to say no to foreign excursions.
Several writers above are correct. A Walk for Peace is good, but a Congress that adheres to the Constitution is better.
Go Green! Let’s have a rookie Congress.