Posted on 09/23/2004 11:38:40 PM PDT by anymouse
NELSON, B.C. – U.S. draft dodgers who fled to Canada are finally getting some recognition - in Canada.
Artists and activists in this picturesque lakeside town have announced plans for a bronze monument and festival to honor them.
"This will mark the courageous legacy of Vietnam War resisters and the Canadians who helped them resettle in this country during that tumultuous era," said Isaac Romano, director of Our Way Home, a celebration set for 2006. Dennis Klein, a sculptor and teacher at Kootenay School of the Arts, and artist Naomi Lewis have been chosen to make a memorial depicting Canadians embracing the hands of American resisters.
"I've met so many draft resisters over the years and some of them are local peers of mine that are artists and others are a part of the community," Klein said. "It would be nice to honor them and all those that actually took a step toward peace."
Morning!
I don't think man should erect monuments to man for *any* reason, but that aside I do have a question...
Why is it right/okay in the opinion of most (actually all) here to build monuments that honor war and killing (and those who support it), and wrong to build a monument to honor peace (and those who support it)?
The wars fought in the twentieth century were contrived, planned wars that had nothing to do with freedom and everything to do with making certain rich and powerful people even MORE rich and powerful. Surely the intelligent people on this forum know this!?!?
I have every respect for the bravery of the soldiers who fought and died in these wars BELIEVING they were fighting for freedom - not a few members of my own family number amongst them.
Again; why the thumbs up for war memorials, and the disdain for those supporting peace? - Anij.
Titled "The Americans," it has since become the most famous statement ever of a Canadian rising to the defence of his American neighbours in a time of trouble.
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The United States dollar took another pounding on German, French and British exchanges this morning, hitting the lowest point ever known in West Germany. It has declined there by 41% since 1971 and this Canadian thinks it is time to speak up for the Americans as the most generous and possibly the least-appreciated people in all the Earth.
As long as 60 years ago, when I first started to read newspapers, I read of floods on the Yellow River and the Yangtze. Who rushed in with men and money to help? The Americans did.
They have helped control floods on the Nile, the Amazon, the Ganges and the Niger. Today, the rich bottom land of the Mississippi is under water and no foreign land has sent a dollar to help.
Germany, Japan and, to a lesser extent, Britain and Italy, were lifted out of the debris of war by the Americans who poured in billions of dollars and forgave other billions in debts. None of those countries is today paying even the interest on its remaining debts to the United States.
When the franc was in danger of collapsing in 1956, it was the Americans who propped it up and their reward was to be insulted and swindled on the streets of Paris. I was there. I saw it.
When distant cities are hit by earthquakes, it is the United States that hurries into help ... Managua, Nicaragua is one of the most recent examples. So far this spring, 59 American communities have been flattened by tornadoes. Nobody has helped.
The Marshall Plan ... the Truman Policy ... all pumped billions upon billions of dollars into discouraged countries. Now, newspapers in those countries are writing about the decadent war-mongering Americans. I'd like to see one of those countries that is gloating over the erosion of the United States dollar build its own airplanes.
Come on ... let's hear it! Does any other country in the world have a plane to equal the Boeing jumbo jet, the Lockheed Tristar or the Douglas 10? If so, why don't they fly them? Why do all international lines except Russia fly American planes? Why does no other land on Earth even consider putting a man or woman on the moon?
You talk about Japanese technocracy and you get radios. You talk about German technocracy and you get automobiles. You talk about American technocracy and you find men on the moon, not once, but several times ... and safely home again. You talk about scandals and the Americans put theirs right in the store window for everyone to look at. Even the draft dodgers are not pursued and hounded. They are here on our streets, most of them ... unless they are breaking Canadian laws ... are getting American dollars from Ma and Pa at home to spend here.
When the Americans get out of this bind ... as they will ... who could blame them if they said "the hell with the rest of the world." Let someone else buy the bonds, Let someone else build or repair foreign dams or design foreign buildings that won't shake apart in earthquakes.
When the railways of France, Germany and India were breaking down through age, it was the Americans who rebuilt them.
When the Pennsylvania Railroad and the New York Central went broke, nobody loaned them an old caboose. Both are still broke. I can name to you 5,000 times when the Americans raced to the help of other people in trouble.
Can you name me even one time when someone else raced to the Americans in trouble? I don't think there was outside help even during the San Francisco earthquake.
Our neighbours have faced it alone and I am one Canadian who is damned tired of hearing them kicked around. They will come out of this thing with their flag high. And when they do, they are entitled to thumb their nose at the lands that are gloating over their present troubles. I hope Canada is not one of these. But there are many smug, self-righteous Canadians.
And, finally, the American Red Cross was told at its 48th annual meeting in New Orleans this morning that it was broke.
This year's disasters ... with the year less than half-over has taken it all and nobody ... but nobody ... has helped.
Honey...
Have you perchance read, "The Creature From Jekyll Island?" Or "The Keys of This Blood?" I don't have time to do your homework for you, but these, along with "The Fourth Turning" should give you a good start.
If you are TRULY interested I can give you a more detailed reading list. The facts behind the bombing of Pearl Harbour make for fascinating reading all by themselves.
So are you serious about finding out the truth about things - or not?
Anij.
"The wars fought in the twentieth century were contrived, planned wars that had nothing to do with freedom and everything to do with making certain rich and powerful people even MORE rich and powerful. Surely the intelligent people on this forum know this!?!? "
Shhh ... we've been trying to keep it a secret. If you keep spilling the beans, The Unseen/Unknown Overlords will have to send the Masons, the Bildeburgers, and Men in Black in their black helicopters to readjust your implant.
Too Funny!!
Why is it "too funny"?
Jumping on the "Boycott Canada" wagon = jumping on the "Canadian liberal Anti-American" bandwagon. In both cases, people aren't doing their homework.
This monument is a pain in the neck for more Canadians (and especially citizens of Nelson, BC) than some want to believe. The majority of Canucks and BC'ers are appalled by such an idea. Knee-jerk reactions bring out the worst in people.
I've vacationed many times in the US and have had only a couple bad experiences. Did that keep me from going back? Hell no! The shortcomings of a few individuals do not represent the character of a nation.
"The wars fought in the twentieth century were contrived, planned wars that had nothing to do with freedom and everything to do with making certain rich and powerful people even MORE rich and powerful. Surely the intelligent people on this forum know this!?!?"
You entirely miss the whole point and it shocking to me that you would think that we build memorials to honor war.
Memorials are built as a testimony to human sacrifice for a greater cause. Period. That is a big difference than you claim by your ridiculous statement.
Do not even think about dishonoring the men who sacrificed in that war by saying it was a contrived war.
I think your statements border on disdain for our soldiers.
I wont even get into the FACTS that before our involvement in any war you can name there was brutal killing and human suffering perpetuated by those we opposed.
Where in the @#$% are all your peaceful thoughts for those people?? Don't bother to answer because I'm not going to argue with an idiot.
Name these "certain rich and powerful people," please.
Maybe some Canadian punk will think it's cool to spray paint this abomination yellow. ;) At least a yellow strip down the backs of the draft dodgers.
Pearl Harbour?
Not another British bour!
This would be a monument to cowardice, not to peace. I was draftable and 1A for eight months before the first lottery made me safe by birthday. The question of whether to go if called or run (that's the term that was used, run) to Canada was a common bar-room or party discussion. I can assure you that none of those in favor of Canada had peace or statement making as part of their agenda. Avoiding the draft, even though it meant that somebody who would have been safe had to go in your place, was the only consideration.
I'm actually in favor of such a monument, if designed properly. I envision:
A pile of Bovine excrement (refreshed daily by VD infected Berkeley co-eds offering "free-love" to passers-by after rolling in the replaced material and spraying themselves with patchoulli oil), fashioned into the shape of a peace sign, colored in the French Tricolor design, with a yellow stripe on the obverse, a sound system blasting "Hell No, We Won't Go" at 250+ decibels, and Dr. Leary handing out Libertarian Party pamphlets printed in LSD laced ink on smokable Hemp Paper.
This will represent the true essence, in every sense, of the 60's that many wish would have never ended. And for those people:
We then announce the site as the location of the "2005 Burning Man Festival, Move-on.org, and International ANSWER Harmonic Convergence Vigil" and ready the airstrike.
Personally, I figure that "Feel Like I'm Fixin' To Die Rag" by Country Joe and the Fish would be more appropriate and draw them in like flies to sh*t ...
"Well, there ain't no time to wonder why ...
Whoopie, we're all gonna die ..."
Odd. The figures appear, well...nude.
Maybe this POS is really a monument to pedophiles.
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