$ave America: Stop the War$ -- Action in Medford, OR 3.19.11

STANDING FOR PEACE EIGHT YEARS LATER, 21.03.2011 07:01

3/19/11 Medford, Oregon--VISIBILITY was the word for this day of reckoning. For eight years we have marched and we have rallied. We have stood in black and in some rallies we have sported our colors. We have sung, we have laughed and we have cried...

On March 19, 2011 we were visible... $ave America: Stop the War$ is being "branded" into the souls of each and every person in our country as we watch our schools crumble and so many other public institutions crack and break apart.

Billboards, banner hangs, and counter recruitment on the eighth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq were very visible in Medford, Oregon.

Most remarkable was the fantastic local news coverage from KOBI channel 5 television, our area's NBC affiliate. CP&J's Ruth Dailey, Daniel Guy, and Kent Clinkinbeard spoke eloquently about the Costs of War. Below read Ruth Dailey's report.

Here are some photographs (click any photo to make more visible)

Banner in median on Barnett

* * RUTH DAILEY REFLECTS ON THE DAY * *

At 8:30 a.m. I rendezvoused with ten other peace activist and we made our plans for "hanging sign" on the I-5 overpasses in Medford. I was happy to have my eldest son Caleb help me hold the banner proclaiming "$ave America: Stop the War$." For an hour we were greeted with predominantly positive greetings of waves, peace signs and honks.

This was just the start of a day spent with some of my favorite people, a diverse group of passionate activists, working to keep the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan in people’s hearts and minds. Primarily sponsored by Citizens for Peace & Justice, Peace House, and Veterans For Peace Rogue Valley chapter 156, the rally and march today to call attention to the COST OF WAR, on the 8th anniversary of the US invasion of Iraq, was also the work of our various peace & justice groups in the Rogue Valley. Present were members of Southern Oregon Jobs With Justice, UNETE, Women’s International League for Peace & Freedom, Oregon Action, and Women in Black.

Pete Herzog started the rally out with some good music and brought us together with Blowing in the Wind, and we had the Rogue Valley Peace Choir perform some of their beauty-full songs. T-Po, a poet and Vietnam veteran, recited two of his powerful poems and Laura Marshall read two from a collection of poems published by Peace House. Good words, all.

We were called to action by three speakers. Mary Madsen of Collateral Repair Project pleaded for us not to forget the millions of Iraqi refugees, those who are bearing the biggest cost of the war - the deaths of their families and neighbors, and having to leave the country of their birth due to the destruction of their homes and livelihoods.

Herb Rothschild challenged us to be bolder in our actions for peace and justice, to truly question what is being done in our name, and to speak the truth of the economic divide and the decisions being made by the moneyed elite of each political party.

And lastly, Nick Morales called us to contact Senator Jason Atkinson and urge him to support SB845. This bill will authorize a driving privilege to people that are unable or unwilling to provide proof of legal presence. Surely immigrants, members of our dedicated working class, are affected by the war economy and we have a chance to help them with the passage of this bill.

The giant Veterans For Peace dove flew until the rain caused it to land toward the end of the rally. And even though I got clobbered by the big earth ball I was glad it was present as a reminder that we were all there to promote Peace On Earth. I choose to take my tumble as a metaphor that I can’t carry the whole world on my shoulders and I know I don’t have because we have this wonder-full group of people here in the Rogue Valley that will help.

A small but dedicated group marched to the Armed Services recruiting station and opened a Peace Recruitment Center. Fantastic! Thanks to Peace House for this creative act of speaking out for PEACE.

My only disappointment was the low turnout. I thank each and every person who braved a very cold day to come out to speak up and be present for peace. We had positive coverage from two of the local TV stations, so even though we lacked solid community support and involvement, we succeeded in reminding the valley that the United States continue to wage war in Iraq and Afghanistan, and that the cost of these wars is far too great. It costs the lives of the Iraqi and Afghan people. It costs the lives and health of our soldiers. It costs the wellbeing and even lives of our U.S. citizens.

“Ain’t gonna let nobody turn me around, turn me around, turn me around; Ain’t gonna let nobody turn me around, gonna keep on walking, keep on talking, gonna build a brand new world.”

Thanks, all!

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Freeway Banner Photos 20.03.2011 - 23:04 Couple more shots of big banners. These were taken at the south Medford interchange of Interstate 5. C O S T * O F * W A R * I S * K I L L I N G *> Homepage:: http://