"Marching to End the Wars" - May 18, 2008 by Martin Murie © 2008

Our contribution to the marches across up-state New York was a very modest one. We used two of our Saturday protest days to walk the streets of Malone. We have to let you know that most of us are not spring chickens. But we are determined. One of us, using a walker decorated with a big poster, set the pace and that was a good thing; it gave us an opportunity to pass out one-page leaflets, to talk to people along the way. Slow and leisurely, ragged ranks, that was our way of marching. Just a few of us. Malone is not a big city.

I ventured into a business establishment, offered the leaflet to the man behind the desk. I told him what we were up to. He said, "Next time I'll try to join you."

There were a few refusals to take the leaflet. That's to be expected. However, we received many honks, waves, v-signs, from the rush of vehicles.

Statewide, a welcome surprise; the march was noticed in an unhurried report on the radio, with voices of people from small towns along the lines of march--from Utica, Ithaca, Rochester. On May 17, these walking routes converged on Watertown, near Fort Drum where the Tenth Mountain Division has its headquarters, and in downtown Watertown Iraqi Veterans Against War hosts the Different Drummer Cafe.

Most of those radio voices from rural New York were positive, even overjoyed. Some said, "Hey, we ought to join in." Some did.

As we were disbanding on the second Saturday I noticed a man looking out from his vehicle, noticing our posters. I talked to him. He was U.S.Army, about to take his third tour in Iraq. Transport Division. He didn't accept the leaflet, but he told me he respected different views on the war. I identified myself as a veteran. "War is Hell," I said. He agreed, but was willing to take his third deployment.

On the internet there are many comments on the Marches, some of them making the point that marches alone will not stop the wars. One writer went so far as to recommend more drastic attention-getting actions, such as blockades. Well, that's going on too. Grannies for Peace have been disrupting recruiting stations for some time now. Their slogan: "We're here to be signed up, in place of our grandchildren."

The surge of insanity from our leaders, sending Marines across the Iraqi border in '03, is a climactic move, destroying democracy here at home even as we claim we bring democracy to other nations. We enter the eighth year of war in Afghanistan and the sixth year in Iraq. Ferocious threats against Iran to top it off. This can't go on.

Do protests do any good ? Absolutely. They are essential. There are many ways of protesting, in the bland face of TV, radio and newpaper mini-coverage of the ferment in our United States of America. And we will find new ways.

But please, let's bear in mind that there is something essential about citizens putting their bodies out there to take whatever might come: disdain and shouted disgust, the bird salute--honks, v-signs, thumbs up. Protests of this kind write a very strong language. The media might turn away, but people on the street read us. And that's one way of getting around the shameless lap-dog deference to authority displayed by TV and Radio and News Mags and Newspapers. There is no substitute.



Martin Murie