Every year several holidays celebrate war and militarism: Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, and Veterans Day are national holidays.
In many, many ways militarism is honored and celebrated, but peace and people with religious and conscientious objections to war are ignored, if not vilified.
On September 4, 2019, the Port of Olympia announced that it will celebrate military troops on Sept. 6 with sirens and flashing lights.
I’m still waiting for nearly 50 years for any local governments to celebrate Conscientious Objectors – the many people in the U.S. and elsewhere whose consciences or religious faiths prevent us from participating in war.
Our draft boards recognized the validity of our C.O. claims (mine in 1972), but we are excluded from the kinds of benefits and preferences that military veterans receive.
JFK was right when he said wars will continue as long as Conscientious Objectors are denied the respect and thanks that military people receive.
We need to DE-MILITARIZE OUR WHOLE SOCIETY, along with de-militarizing our foreign policy.