California: Dueling vigils: Groups sound off on war - Twentynine Palms

The Desert Trail ^ | February 28, 2003 | KURT SCHAUPPNER

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For a short time Saturday afternoon, Feb. 22, Adobe Road near Twentynine Palms City Hall became a focal point for the nation's debate over war with Iraq.

With out-of-town media having a field day, opposing camps of protesters lined either side of Adobe Road with signs and flags and proclamations for all those who drove or walked by.

Preparations for the day's events began when a group of Twentynine Palms residents made plans for a peace vigil on the sidewalk in front of Stanley Park, a small park located between City Hall and the Twentynine Palms Branch Library. A counter demonstration was quickly organized on the other side of the street. Counter demonstrators claimed they were showing support for U.S. troops on deployment in the Middle East, many from the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center.

One young woman demonstrating on the peace vigil was Tunisia Dorionne, who was working on a sign, which read "no blood for oil," in Stanley Park as the vigil got started a little before 1 p.m. Saturday.

"I am totally against the war. I don't think we ought to go to war with Iraq," she said. "It's all about oil. If it was really about weapons, we would be at war with Korea."

Others on the peace vigil side carried signs which read "thou shalt not kill," and "who would Jesus bomb?"

Rae Noel, who claimed she was fired from a volunteer position at the Twentynine Palms Chamber of Commerce because of her involvement with the vigil, held a sign which read, "Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called children of God."

Not everyone necessarily had the same agenda, however. Mike Simmons carried a sign calling on the U.S. to close all of its borders and deport anyone not loyal to the nation.

"I'm against Islamic extremists," he said.

On the other side of the street, C.J. Horn, carrying a sign which read, "Shame," said he didn't believe anyone in particular organized the counter-protest, which he called very spontaneous.

Sandra Blankenship said she came down because she was angry about the peace vigil, saying it shows a lack of support for America's troops.

"Our men have no choice. This does not support our guys," she said. "How dare they do this in a military town?"

"This side supports our commander in chief and our troops," Beverly Briggs said while waving an American flag. "I've never done this before in my life." Others on the counter-protest side carried signs which read "We support our troops," and "Not here, not now."

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"...he didn't believe anyone in particular organized the counter-protest, which he called very spontaneous."

"I've never done this before in my life."

Good job, one and all.

I've waited nearly a week for them to get this online so I wouldn't need to use last Sunday's LA Times' story. Time in the desert just seems to stand still, wish I was there now.

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Above, some Twentynine Palms residents created a
counter-demonstration to a peace vigil which was
organized Saturday afternoon on the sidewalk in front
of Stanley Park in Twentynine Palms.
(Trail photo by Kurt Schauppner)

[The Right Stuff]

Good job, guys! Stand tall for our troops!

[PokeyJoe]

Nicely done.

Should have also included a couple of those San Fransisco peace protest signs.

"War has never solved anything, except nazism, communism, slavery, or colonialism."

[stylin19a]

i was stationed @ stumps for approx 6 mos. I loved the low desert. I'm trying to get back to the desert, but my wife wont have any of it.

I was just wondering what the actual head count was. Population is what, about 8,000 ?

[dsutah]

This is the town I lived in from birth to age 1. My Dad(now deceased)was stationed in that Marine base. My parents lived in this little town in the desert when it was just a tiny community. It still isn't very large, from the looks of it. That lady in the article was right when she said "How dare they do this in a military town!". In the time my parents lived there, these sort of protests were unthinkable!

For one thing, it was retired military veterans almost a century ago who settled Twenty-nine Palms. They were given an offer to homestead there. Some of my info. comes from my Mom and from the internet.

[Screaming_Gerbil]

I went to the Marine Corps Comm Elect school at Marine Corps Base Twentynine Palms in 1975 for my 2841 MOS (Ground Radio Repair).

Glad to see the citizens supporting the troops.

[getmeouttaPalmBeachCounty_FL]

Twentynine Palms Census Information
1990 Census of Population and Housing
Twentynine Palms city, California

Total population............................................ 11,821
SEX
Male............................................................. 5,906
Female.......................................................... 5,915
AGE
Under 1 year..................................................... 270
1 and 2 years.................................................... 515
3 and 4 years.................................................... 482
5 years............................................................ 215
6 years............................................................ 225
7 to 9 years..................................................... 570
10 and 11 years................................................ 335
12 and 13 years................................................ 349
14 years.......................................................... 157
15 years.......................................................... 165
16 years.......................................................... 168
17 years.......................................................... 137
18 years.......................................................... 169
19 years.......................................................... 218
20 years.......................................................... 292
21 years.......................................................... 293
22 to 24 years.................................................. 805
25 to 29 years............................................... 1,160
30 to 34 years............................................... 1,019
35 to 39 years.................................................. 824
40 to 44 years.................................................. 729
45 to 49 years.................................................. 496
50 to 54 years.................................................. 413
55 to 59 years.................................................. 340
60 and 61 years................................................ 150
62 to 64 years.................................................. 230
65 to 69 years.................................................. 370
70 to 74 years.................................................. 279
75 to 79 years.................................................. 227
80 to 84 years.................................................. 131
85 years and over............................................... 88
Median age..................................................... 27.4
Under 18 years............................................... 3,588
Percent of total population................................. 30.4
65 years and over........................................... 1,095
Percent of total population.................................. 9.3
HOUSEHOLDS BY TYPE
Total households............................................. 4,530
Family households (families)............................... 3,196
Married-couple families...................................... 2,459
Percent of total households................................. 54.3
Other family, male householder.............................. 181
Other family, female householder........................... 556
Nonfamily households........................................ 1,334
Percent of total households................................. 29.4
Householder living alone..................................... 1,091
Householder 65 years and over.............................. 354
Persons living in households............................... 11,816
Persons per household......................................... 2.61
GROUP QUARTERS
Persons living in group quarters................................. 5
Institutionalized persons.......................................... 0
Other persons in group quarters................................ 5
RACE AND HISPANIC ORIGIN
White............................................................. 9,633
Black.............................................................. 1,030
Percent of total population.................................... 8.7
American Indian, Eskimo, or Aleut........................... 162
Percent of total population.................................... 1.4
Asian or Pacific Islander........................................ 508
Percent of total population.................................... 4.3
Other race......................................................... 488
Hispanic origin (of any race)............................... 1,219
Percent of total population................................... 10.3
1990 Census of Population and Housing Page 2
Twentynine Palms city, California

Total housing units............................................ 5,958
OCCUPANCY AND TENURE
Occupied housing units....................................... 4,530
Owner occupied................................................ 2,332
Percent owner occupied....................................... 51.5
Renter occupied................................................ 2,198
Vacant housing units.......................................... 1,428
For seasonal, recreational, or occasional use............. 100
Homeowner vacancy rate (percent).......................... 4.7
Rental vacancy rate (percent)................................ 15.9
Persons per owner-occupied unit............................. 2.60
Persons per renter-occupied unit............................. 2.62
Units with over 1 person per room............................ 294
UNITS IN STRUCTURE
1-unit, detached............................................... 4,290
1-unit, attached.................................................. 128
2 to 4 units........................................................ 768
5 to 9 units........................................................ 200
10 or more units................................................... 74
Mobile home, trailer, other..................................... 498
VALUE
Specified owner-occupied units............................ 2,030
Less than $50,000................................................ 390
$50,000 to $99,000............................................ 1,349
$100,000 to $149,000........................................... 223
$150,000 to $199,999............................................. 42
$200,000 to $299,999............................................. 20
$300,000 or more..................................................... 6
Median (dollars)................................................ 67,300
CONTRACT RENT
Specified renter-occupied units paying cash rent............... 2,115
Less than $250.............................................................. 287
$250 to $499.............................................................. 1,606
$500 to $749................................................................ 219
$750 to $999................................................................... 3
$1,000 or more................................................................. 0
Median (dollars).............................................................. 368
RACE AND HISPANIC ORIGIN OF HOUSEHOLDER
Occupied housing units......................................... 4,530
White................................................................ 3,836
Black.................................................................... 372
Percent of occupied units......................................... 8.2
American Indian, Eskimo, or Aleut................................ 65
Percent of occupied units......................................... 1.4
Asian or Pacific Islander........................................... 104
Percent of occupied units......................................... 2.3
Other race............................................................. 153
Hispanic origin (of any race)...................................... 366
Percent of occupied units.......................................... 8.1

[getmeouttaPalmBeachCounty_FL]

Dh was stationed there in the mid-90s for a one year ground tour. He and I both really enjoyed our time there, despite the fact our supposed on-base housing area was closed for refurbishing. What we got that July 4th, was a 900 sq. foot, conjoined box on a hill of "nicely raked" dirt, equipped with a swamp cooler. Mind you, a swamp cooler does diddley when the temperature outside is 115.

Within hours, the nausea from the heat became a little difficult...a bit too much so. I then sent dh to the commissary at the bottom of that hill, for a pregnancy kit.

Within hours of that, we were sitting inside the new and beautiful, air conditioned Naval Hospital, where 8 months later, I gave birth to my first child.

This illustration depicts the only awful thing about my time there. Everything there was worth it, except that swamp cooler. Tell your wife 29 stumps is a great base, from this wife, anyway. :)

[300winmag]

"It's all about oil."

I've heard that bit of cant a million times already, and expect to hear it a lot more.

Even if it was "all about oil", oil is the source of the only practical power for mobile machinery. Cars, trucks, jets, diesels, farm machinery, etc.. If oil didn't exist, all we'd have would be coal or wood-fired steam engines. Natural gas is in the same category as oil, so none of that, either. All our electricity would have to be generated by coal, or hydro. None of that nuclear stuff, either.

We'd have to live at a 1875-level of technology. If "allowed" to use only our own domestic oil, considering the restrictions they'd put on it, we might make it to the early 1920s.

"It's all about oil" is like saying "it's all about food". It's not the whole story, but it's a damn big part of it. If Saddam controlled a major portion of the world's food supply, would they still be willing to defend such a homicidal maniac?

[stylin19a]

Thanx for the info. i was @ stumps in 1969-70. The big town then was Yucca (?) I'm a long time away from the military. I want to retire there or Lake Hava Sue City. My wife and I visited Lake Hava Sue City a couple of times. The 2nd time, it was 118 @ 11:00 in the a.m. That was too much for my wife. My guess Stumps wont impress her either :)